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reward is offered, and respecting whom, solely, our agreement has been
arranged with the Prefect. We both know this gentleman well. It will not
do to trust him too far. If, dating our inquiries from the body found,
and thence tracing a murderer, we yet discover this body to be that of
some other individual than Marie; or, if starting from the living Marie,
we find her, yet find her unassassinated--in either case we lose our
labor; since it is Monsieur G---- with whom we have to deal. For our
own purpose, therefore, if not for the purpose of justice, it is
indispensable that our first step should be the determination of the
identity of the corpse with the Marie Rogêt who is missing.
"
With the public the arguments of L'Etoile have had weight; and that the
journal itself is convinced of their importance would appear from
the manner in which it commences one of its essays upon the
subject--'Several of the morning papers of the day,' it says, 'speak of
the conclusive article in Monday's Etoile.' To me, this article
appears conclusive of little beyond the zeal of its inditer. We should
bear in mind that, in general, it is the object of our newspapers rather
to create a sensation--to make a point--than to further the cause of
truth. The latter end is only pursued when it seems coincident with the
former. The print which merely falls in with ordinary opinion (however
well founded this opinion may be) earns for itself no credit with the
mob. The mass of the people regard as profound only him who suggests
pungent contradictions of the general idea. In ratiocination, not less
than in literature, it is the epigram which is the most immediately and
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