Plant Here The Standard

Abstract

At 2 p.m. on Monday, 21 May 1827, the hopes of Arbuthnott, Wellington and Peel were realised, when the first edition of the new daily, The Standard, appeared. Charles Baldwin, however, had no intention of exposing his successful thrice-weekly, The St. James’s Chronicle, as he revealed in his own words:

I was not willing to risk the continuance of my old and valued journal; I preferred the heavier risk of establishing at my own expense and hazard, a Daily Evening Paper to be conducted on the same principles and by the same editor. I also engaged the assistance of Dr Maggin and other celebrated writers.

The choice of a name then claimed our attention. The object was to make a stand against the inroad of principle; contrary to our Constitution in Church and State; a very appropriate motto was chosen by Dr Giffard, ‘Signifer, statue signum. Hic optime manebimus’ (Plant here the Standard. Here we shall best remain) and on the 21st May, 1827, The Standard was hauled as a rallying point, and was speedily followed by the raising of Standards in the Provincial and Colonial Conservative Press. Even Foreign newspapers have adopted the name.¹