New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-14
AN EXPLANATION.

We learn from The National Era of the 10Th
inst, that some weeks ago it pointed out what
sit considered the anomalous and mischeyous
"position of THE TRIBUNE on the TurcO-Rus-
sian question:" and we have also been ia
yored from a private source, with a copy of The
Era of June IA, in which the expose in question
is contained, but which, probably from one of
those accidents so frequent in our model postal
establishment, altogether failed to reach us at
the time of its publication.
The Era deyotes above four columns, not so
much TO show that our position on the Turk
ish question is anomalous and mischeyous,"
as it contends, as to demonstrate that the
views we set forth on that question are not the
same now as at the beginning of the war
This is perfectly true, and hardly required so
labored an array of evidence to make
it out. We would very willingly have
admitted it all at thes outset. In.
deed we hardly understand how The Era
can think the fact one of such enormous and
conclusive import. We do not remember ever
having said or done any thing to justify anybody
in attributng to our humble sheet the stupidity
of forever and forever adhering to an opinion
or course of policy merely because we had
once advocated it. 1t is true there are such in
diyiduals and such journals in the world, but we
should be ashamed if there were any good cause
for chasing The TRIBUNE among them. Nor
do we think our readers or the public are so
dull on this head as The Era seems to imagine.
We are confident that this journal is gener.
ally regarded as an alive and for ward, not a dead
aud backward existence. If we have lab0red
with any purpose, it has been to express such
convictions oftruth and such views ofduty as we
entertain at the time, not such we may have
entertained years ago. Thus, there was period
when we sought to strengthen the Wing party
and to secure for it the government of the coun-
try; but after long and ardent efforts in that be-
half we came to other views and frankly and
fully declared them, giving our reasons therefor.
Many people thought this very improper pro-
ceeding, but it couldn't be helped; and five sh )uld
again by any most improbable chance be found
in the Wing ranks, we should never regret hay
ing thus left them. Our aim was and is to give
to the world a journal submissive to no other
authority than the voice Of truth and the die
tates of wisdom, as we are able to understand
them; and as we attain to ne views respecting
these we shall endeavor to obey them, without
too carefully remembering what we may have
said or believed before.
Moreover, let it once more be understood that
we seek to impote our ideas on nobody Nothing
would so I'll us with disgust for our profession
and for our own labors in it, as the belief that
oftLe million and upward of people who habitu-
ally read THE TRIBUNE, any considerable pro-
portion were in the habit of taking their opn-
ions from our columns on simple trust. What
we most desire to produce in the public is men,
tai life, not sluggish routine or mental petrifac.
ton; and We sincerely hope that any influence
We Iay exert is due rather to the reasons we
give than TO the authority by which they are
given.
These are very simple and even elemen-
tary considerations, but they seem necessary
when so intelligent and judicious journal as
The Era makes so very much of 90 palpa-
Bile fact as that on one particular sub
ject we do not now repeat what we said in times
gone BY. 1t may be that the change is no i'm
provement. Neither individuals nor associations