The southern press., 1852-03-06
Ths union and the Trlbune.

The Washington Union seems TO be out OF
humor with the New York Tribune. f. award
ing triumph to Mr.. RgssTr IN his re"c, Z, contro.
versy %~i.n Mr. C.- -aEss. And the Union as
res this opinion of the Tribune to an affinity
between the Northern Abolitionists and South
ern Dsunionsts, which the Union, as well as
Mr.. CLEMENS, alleges to exist.
Now, we avow a certain sort of liking and
respect for certain of the Abolitionists and Free
soilers-those who are frank and candid in the
avowal of their opinions. We like them much
better than those who waste an immensely OF
words or ink either in denouncing them, or IN
shutting about their doctrines, and yet ultimate
ly support the most material part of their de-
mands, on shabby pretexts. We 60 further
and avow rather special sort of liking Tor The
New York Tribune, because it is the consistent,
frank and able advocate of Abolitionism, and OF
every kindred ism. We always knew where to
find the Tribune. Whenever any humbug is
announced to secure human happiness, so as to
dispense with the old-fashoned and inconve-
nient process Of performing human duty and
obeying the Divine will, we always expect the
Tribune to come out in favor of it. The whole
Tribune office is an academy, college, uni
versity of philanthropy. The doctors of that
institution have radical cure or sovereign rem
edy for all the ills of life and society. Let
man who is too lazy TO work, too prodigal to
save, too self-conceited to learn,-let man
who is incapable of taking care of his own af-
fairs, and therefore takes care of others, let a
slave to his own appetite, distress himself for
the liberty of the Africans, and this is the
man to whom the Tribune will give comfort.
Such man will learn that it is only neces-
sary to abolish the institutions of property the
usages of society. the wages of labor, the free
dom Of commerce,-to overthrow all the gov
ernments of Europe, and make a radical change
in our own CONSTITUTIONAL mankind will be
regenerated. In the meantime, until these great
things can be done, the Maine liquor law must
be passed, building associations formed, trade
unions multiplied, land given to the landless,
and public bathing houses built for those who
are too dirty to wash themselves at home.
In all these things the Tribune is consistent
aud plausible and ingenious and candid. Itgoes
on the comprehensive principle that all men are
equal, and that if any portion of them, but above
all, q considerable portion, is found in condi-
ton of vice, ignorance, poverty and degradation
1t is not their own fault, but the result of an
cidental misconstruction of government and SO
ciety, which has always heretofore happened to
mankind, but that the grand secret of human
perfectibility has at length been revealed by
the works of FouRIER, PRoUDHoS, LOUIS BLANC
o-9-, assisted by the luminous labors of Eng.
llsh Chartists ana R-dieals. and American male
and female Abolitionists.
But there are some things in which we agree
with the Tribune. That paper holds the doc
trine Of coercing a sovereign State to be an
absurdity-an atrocity. And although we think
il would have been rather more pertinent to
have avowed that sentiment whilst the question
threatened to be practical than afterwards, we
still recognize the good sense that dictated the
avowal.