4 0 ▁he ▁at ▁once ▁began ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁paper , ▁though ▁later ▁he ▁read ▁for ▁the ▁bar , ▁being ▁called ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 1 ▁he ▁succeeded ▁Thomas ▁Bar nes ▁as ▁editor , ▁a ▁post ▁which ▁he ▁occupied ▁for ▁thirty - six ▁years . ▁He ▁from ▁the ▁first ▁obtained ▁the ▁best ▁introdu ctions ▁into ▁society ▁and ▁the ▁chief ▁political ▁circles , ▁and ▁had ▁a ▁position ▁there ▁such ▁as ▁no ▁journalist ▁had ▁previously ▁enjoyed , ▁using ▁his ▁opportun ities ▁with ▁a ▁sure ▁intu ition ▁for ▁the ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁events ▁would ▁move . ▁ ▁His ▁staff ▁included ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁brilliant ▁men ▁of ▁the ▁day , ▁( e . g . ▁E ne as ▁S weet land ▁Dallas ), ▁who ▁worked ▁together ▁with ▁a ▁common ▁ideal . ▁The ▁result ▁to ▁the ▁paper , ▁which ▁in ▁those ▁days ▁had ▁hardly ▁any ▁real ▁compet itor ▁in ▁English ▁journal ism , ▁was ▁an ▁excell ence ▁of ▁information ▁which ▁gave ▁it ▁great ▁power . ▁ ▁Del ane ▁was ▁a ▁man ▁of ▁many ▁interests ▁and ▁great ▁judgment ; ▁capable ▁of ▁long ▁application ▁and ▁concentr ated ▁attention , ▁with ▁power ▁to ▁se ize ▁always ▁on ▁the ▁main ▁point ▁at ▁issue , ▁and ▁rapidly ▁master ▁the ▁essential ▁facts ▁in ▁the ▁most ▁complicated ▁affair . ▁ ▁His ▁general ▁policy ▁was ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁paper ▁a ▁national ▁organ ▁of ▁opinion ▁above ▁party , ▁but ▁with ▁a ▁t endency ▁to ▁sympath ize ▁with ▁the ▁Liberal ▁movements ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁He ▁adm ired