These newspapers will be published from 1 July 1862 in St. Petersburg, and will cost one rouble for half a year.
In the post offices of Riga, Jelgava, St. Petersburg, Tartu and Pärnu, one can pay for the newspapers and specify where they should be sent – then, every week, one will receive a newspaper sheet sent by post. The paper will be like this one; the newspapers will be more than half as large again as the Jelgava newspapers and Mājas viesis. The writers for the newspaper sheets will be Latvians living in St. Petersburg, Riga, Courland, Vidzeme, the Russian land and elsewhere – as well as Germans, who will be kind enough to assist with this work that has been started, which is truly good but also truly difficult.
For a long time, some Latvians have desired new Latvian newspapers. In our day, this desire has increased greatly. Latvians already have two newspapers, the Jelgava Latvian newspapers, which have existed for almost 40 years and over this long time have brought much spiritual nourishment to the Latvian people. Many worthy pastors and other friends of the people from various walks of life, schoolmasters, doctors, estate owners and clerks, Germans and Latvians have gathered important grains in these newspapers, which have stirred the minds of hundreds, indeed thousands of Latvian youths towards wisdom and an upright life of honour. Likewise, the Riga “Mājas viesis”, supported by Latvians, has already existed for six years and has helped much to stir the spiritual powers of our dear Latvian brothers so that they may rise more confidently. And yet – many say – Latvians still lack newspapers such as are found among other nations, in Russian, German, French, English, Italian, Danish, Greek and Swedish languages. Some say: the fault lies in the fact that many writers still think and say: “the Latvian people are a peasant nation, it is not worth them knowing everything that is useful and healthy for other nations.” They allegedly do not need spiritual food that is, so to speak, salted and spiced; those peasants only need to be fed with milk. Others say: the fault is that the Latvian people are too small a nation, which, being moreover poor and uneducated, cannot afford to pay for such expensive newspapers as we find among large nations. Large English, French, German and Russian newspapers cost up to 20 and 30 roubles a year – how could Latvians afford such things? Some find fault in the language as to why Latvians do not have truly solid newspapers; the Latvian language is allegedly not truly fit for knowledge and wisdom; only simple stories and coarse pub chatter can be expressed well and significantly in it. For fine comparisons and thoughts and for high wisdom, it is said that words are lacking.
Thus, it is said that there is a lack of suitable writers, readers and language for true Latvian newspapers.
If these three mentioned faults really do exist, then the providers of the Pēterburgas avīzes have blundered greatly in creating them. For these newspapers, being published in the very capital city of the state, ought to follow the same path as the newspapers of all nations, to provide spiritual nourishment with both milk and spices, to use salty and sweet words as they come, and as is done everywhere else in the world. We say clearly: it behoves the Pēterburgas avīzes to go boldly on its way forward, to be opponents of injustice and deception, regardless of a man's hat.
But now, will the Pēterburgas avīzes also be able to do that which it behoves it to do? Oh, only a braggart could state that clearly, not knowing, while boasting, how terribly difficult it is to fulfil such a promise. We cannot deny that those three mentioned faults lie heavily on the chest of the writer. We can only say and affirm this: we shall do what we can, and we ask the readers to be at peace for now with this promise. Those mentioned three faults, which now seem so difficult, will, we may hope, become smaller with time, and will eventually become futile reasons. In order for that to happen, the Pēterburgas avīzes will see to it as much as it should and as much as it is able. Who knows, it might succeed in soon proving thoroughly that in our day Latvians are not just a “peasant nation”, that no nation is or can be a special class or caste of people, that many doctors, pastors, rich merchants, high judicial officials and even noblemen are Latvians, and that only because of this do some of them still feel ashamed to be Latvians, as they have not pondered this matter thoroughly, and because our Latvian (and our land's local German) writings have hitherto tended to confuse the peasant class with the Latvian nation. Among Russian nobles, many hundreds speak only French at home and in the family for the time being, and read mostly French and English books. Yet it does not cross their minds that, by doing so, they do not belong to the Russian nation. In Germany, too, a hundred or two hundred years ago, all the high-ranking men spoke only French; the great Prussian King Fritz (Frederick) himself, a hundred years ago, still thought that the German language was not at all suitable when one wanted to express something fine and speak about high matters. The German high-ranking men at that time, and in the times of Luther, considered the German language to be the coarsest language, just like those who now consider the Latvian language to be a pub language, and in that time German writers thought just as our lovable and respected late pastor Pantenius, who in his time thought that the coarser the comparisons and the coarser the pub words a writer uses in the Latvian language, the more correctly he had observed the spirit of the Latvian language. It seems he was as mistaken as the great Prussian King Fritz. We shall see.
It also behoves the Pēterburgas avīzes, in time, to discuss more clearly and thoroughly the peasant class and what this milk is with which it must be fed. Here, every reader of the newspaper will be able to express his thoughts clearly and thoroughly, whether he be a learned man, a master, or a farmhand, who has only clear words, and above all, clear thoughts in his head, or also one who has only a zealous spirit, to spread truth and light over the world, and to increase the fear of honour and decent morals among Latvians.
The cultivation of the Latvian language, naturally, will be very close to the heart of the Pēterburgas avīzes in such a way. Naturally, it will not be able to contain overly long, highly learned articles about language and wisdom, because for the majority of readers they would not be useful or pleasing. Yet all kinds of short and clear articles about the spirit of the Latvian language, about correct writing, about the Latvian nation and its old and new events, about Latvian books, songs and ballads will be very useful to these newspapers, and will be gladly accepted if such are sent in.
To put it in short words, in the Pēterburgas avīzes will be given:
New laws issued by the high government and announcements from the courts;
events of the fatherland and foreign lands, especially those that are useful and pleasant for the cultivators of the land;
news about land cultivation and various trades;
news about matters of nature;
teachings on increasing the wealth and welfare of the land and people through work;
news about nations and lands;
about schools;
about world events;
about Latvian writings, and critique of books where Latvian writings, events or language are mentioned;
various stories, humorous pieces, songs;
various advertisements;
commodity markets.
New newspapers are being obtained from Latvian writers, wealthy Latvian merchants, lessees and others who want to do good for their dear brothers of the nation from their side as well, as much as they are able. They, of course, do not at all want to scorn or dismiss as nothing what has already been done so far. They only want to help so that the stirring of the mind among Latvians grows and spreads, so that Latvian writing flourishes more, so that peace and welfare spread more and more every day over the warmly loved fatherland. Peace feeds, unrest ruins. Therefore, the newspaper will take care to spread and maintain a peaceful mind in every way, as much as it can from its side. If here and there in the newspaper sheet there happen to be little disputes, which are never lacking in the newspapers of any nation in the world, then they will only maintain a peaceful mind and spirit, neither doing nor wishing anyone harm.
The Latvian nation is a peaceful nation. The high government knows this and rejoices in it. The All-Merciful and very beloved Emperor will surely not forget His Latvians. But peace is not sleep; a peaceful person should not sleep or doze in a spiritual sleep; he can express his thoughts boldly and clearly; whoever wants to take that amiss does not know that part of the world called Europe, in which he has lived for so long. The high Emperor wants and demands that all His nations stir their mind and spirit, so that understanding and happiness spread among all. All nations in the world rejoice at this will of our Emperor and spread His glory across the lands.
In St. Petersburg, it is true, one cannot obtain a newspaper for very cheap money, because everything here costs dearly. Yet we want to give, for the mentioned price, if not more, then one and a half times as many articles as the present-day Jelgava and Riga newspapers give. We will provide various pictures and maps along with it. With every second number – that is, every two weeks – a sheet will be attached containing all sorts of jokes and laughter. Such a sort of newspaper has not yet existed for Latvians, although among all nations there are satirists who cannot live without such a joke newspaper. Thus, the Russians have a newspaper that is appropriately called: “the spark” (искра), because inside there are, so to speak, sparks of thought, there is something to laugh at, to wonder at, to think about and – to see, as there are also usually various pictures included. Let us then also call our attached sheet “the spark.” Germans have: “Kladderadatsch”, “Dorfbarbier”, “Fliegende Blätter” and other humorous newspapers; the English and French have their own. So let us try how it will turn out for Latvian writers to have such a sheet. If many such pictures are put inside the newspaper that are thought up and made for the sake of the newspaper alone, then of course such spark-newspapers cost heavy money and can only exist if many readers are found. We shall see how it works out for us. If the paper finds readers from the very beginning, then we will be able to decorate the sheets more. At the beginning, the expenditure of money for the founders of the Pēterburgas avīzes is great. We ask the writers to send short, important stubs and jokes for our “spark”, peculiar events in pubs and markets, so that the satirists may mock deception, stupidity, pride, folly, jealousy and other such vices, because the whole world knows that absurdity usually fades only when it is mocked with wit. Many a man who does not fear a sermon fears the satirist. Of course, laughter and jokes must come in moderation.
The main paper itself, being published in St. Petersburg, will be able to express new news from St. Petersburg, from the Russian land and from foreign countries very quickly and thoroughly. We can hope that even for the Germans, lessees, estate lords, millers and all those who do not have the time to read through the large German newspapers every day, it might in time please them to read our Pēterburgas avīzes, which will give news from the capital city of the state, and which – we can firmly state – will always care about ensuring that a friendly mind exists and grows between Germans and Latvians, as brotherly nations who are members of the same faith, subjects of the same Emperor and who both love decent morals, light and wisdom. Through telegrams, news from all over Europe comes together within 2 to 3 days; what happens in London or Paris in the evening, we read in the newspapers in St. Petersburg early the next morning! What times these are! Even here in St. Petersburg, as the capital city, much happens that every subject, and thus also Latvians, is truly well served to know thoroughly. From all the parts of the land where Latvians live, we will give news as much as we can and as much as there will be room in the newspaper. We very much ask the writers and the readers of the newspaper to send us all kinds of new news from their dwelling place from all the parts of the land where Latvians live or are found.
Readers who will keep the new newspapers in the first half-year, from 1 July to 31 December 1862 – will be able to judge for themselves whether it is worth keeping them or not. By ordering the newspapers at the Jelgava, Riga and other post offices and paying a rouble, everyone will receive them correctly in hand, if they only correctly provide the address where they must be sent, in which house, through which estate and post office. We ask the parish courts to take on the provision of the newspaper from their side as much as they can. Likewise, we cordially ask the lords of the estates and lessees, worthy pastors, schoolmasters and everyone to assist those in obtaining the newspaper who cannot do it themselves. We will send out the first newspaper numbers to people as much as possible without a real order.
Those who want to write to the newspaper providers, the editor or the newspaper person, whether by ordering the newspaper or by sending articles, we ask them to put the address on the letter in German or Russian: – “An die Redaction der St. Petersburger lettischen Zeitung in St. Petersburg” – or: “В редакцию С.-Петербургских латышских ведомостей в С.-Петербург.”
In St. Petersburg, 20 June 1862.