Cape Town,
4 June, 1871
To the Worthy Inhabitants of Cape Town, and to our Esteemed Subscribers, Friends, and Patrons,
It is with a heart oppressed by sorrow, and with a hand that trembles beneath the weight of melancholy duty, that I now address you for what may prove to be the final occasion as Proprietor and Editor of the Cape Chronicle.
When, some years ago, I first caused these pages to be placed before the public, I entertained but a single ambition—that this humble journal might serve the Colony faithfully; that it should speak honestly, report faithfully, and stand as a steadfast advocate for truth, industry, and the prosperity of the Cape. Whether in seasons of abundance or in days of trial, it has been my constant endeavour to discharge that sacred trust with integrity and without fear or favour.
Yet, however noble one’s intentions may be, there are forces against which perseverance alone cannot prevail.
The burdens of maintaining an independent newspaper within this Colony have grown heavier with every passing month. The increasing cost of paper and printing, the expense of gathering intelligence from distant districts, and the many obligations inseparable from the conduct of a respectable journal have, despite every sacrifice within my power, rendered its continued publication impossible under my present circumstances.
It is therefore with profound regret that I announce my decision to relinquish the publication of the Cape Chronicle.
No sentence that I have ever committed to print has caused me greater anguish than these few lines.
To close the doors of an enterprise into which one has poured his labour, his hopes, and no small measure of his life’s happiness, is a grief known only to those whose fortunes have become inseparably entwined with their vocation. Every edition that has left our press has carried with it something of my own spirit; and now, as the presses prepare to fall silent beneath my direction, I cannot but feel as though I take leave of an old and faithful companion.
To the loyal readers of this city and beyond—to the merchants whose advertisements sustained us, to the gentlemen who favoured us with correspondence, to the labouring men who purchased our paper with hard-earned coin, and to every family that welcomed the Cape Chronicle into their homes—I offer my most humble and heartfelt gratitude.
Whatever success this journal has enjoyed has belonged not to its editor, but to the confidence and generosity of the public whom it was privileged to serve.
There remains, however, one ray of consolation amid this gathering darkness.
My long-standing friend and fellow newsman, Edmund Carrow will be taking over the work I have started and I trust he will continue to serve the great people of the Cape and beyond with the same measure of dedication as I did myself.
As for myself, I depart with neither bitterness nor resentment. I leave only with gratitude, carrying memories that no adversity can diminish. Though my name may no longer appear upon these pages, my affection for this Colony and for its people shall endure while life remains to me.
May God continue to watch over this fair Cape, bless its citizens with peace and prosperity, and preserve forever the liberty of an honest press.
With sentiments of the deepest respect and abiding gratitude,
Your obedient and humble servant,
William Foster
Founder, Proprietor, and Editor
The Cape Chronicle
If this letter is part of your Cape Chronicle historical series, it would also work well as the newspaper’s front-page farewell editorial, typeset in authentic Victorian newspaper style with an ornate 1870s masthead and an accompanying engraved-style portrait of William Foster.
