, 1859-02-02
PRESS AND TRIBUNE,


WEDNESDAY MORNING. FEB. Q. 1859.
A Matter with Messrs. Greeley q 20.
We print this morning, in its entire smart
ness, an article part political and part per-
sonal to ourselves, which &c find in the Ae7o
Fork Tribune OF the 29ih ult. Judging from
experience in previous controversy on the
same theme, it il perhaps putting The thing
In an extra strong light to ask our cotempo-
rary to givea place tor the reply which fol.
lows. We make the request, nevertheless,
and the event shall show whether the excess
Of fair dealing which tue Tribune 1ourishes in
the faces Of its adversaries. is the bluster Of
the braggadocio, or something else.
We shall speak first Of the political affairs
referred 10 In the article which we copy.
Since Mr. Douglas started on his pro-slavery
cruise 10 tue Gull Of Mexico, wacre he ad-
vauccd the theory thai negroes wire entitled
to consideration only when their claims were
disputed by crocodilcs, We have deemed it the
duty Of some one more capable than ourselves
10 apply dt terms to the criminal folly Of the
New York Tribune in still clineing 10 the coat
tails OF that politician. While the Illinois
election was pending We looked for the hos
tility Of the Tribune against the Republican
candidates, though VIC lid not look for it in
the back door, round-tbe corner fashion in
which 1t came. This hostility Gccms nov to
be confessed in the declaration, " Our person.
"a1 convictions We could not surrender, nor
"dia We entirely conceal Them" But now
that the election is passed and Mr. Douglas
has avowed]y rctured to his vomit, it is amaz.
ing beyond nll things that tue Tribune should
still hang to lis skirts and insist upon class
ing him with Seward, Fremont and Chase, as
it did few days since in an article on Presi-
dental candidates. 1t i. only to be accounted
for on the belief entertained by hundreds
Of the friends Of The New York Tribune
aud it's chief editor, that having fixed upon
a policy, however visionary, lie will
follow It into the jaws CT Toplet, rather
than admit that he was mistaken. His theory
becomes the solid bridge reaching hence to
the Millennium, which mankind must troop
over or miss salvation utterly. Facts are the
merest Of bubbles, common sense Il vapor, and
his own experience jack. o'-lnntcrn beside
the true granite Of his fantastic conceptions
Let US not hndcrTate his generally honest
purposes, nor pay too little regard to tue
good he has done and is capable OF doing.
Our complaint lies here =; that having helped
to do serious harm 10 the Republican
cause in the Vest, his obstinacy will not suffer
him to retraec step nor even to pause mid
way in his wild career. It is quite as con
sistent to give aid and comfort TO a1r. Doug
los now, while lie is turning the crauk Of tlc
pro-slavcry machine, as during tic campaign
when be vas only promising to.
Let us not be misunderstood nor misplaced.
We repeatedly charged the New York Til
dune, | 9th before aud after our election, will
aiding and abcttina a1r. Douglas, and dam
aging the Republican nominees and the r..
publican cause. We did not charge that this
was done openly in its editorial columns, hut
TINT it was done covcrtly, putin. Us in Il
false position, and damning Mr.. Lincoln y it'll
faint praise, in its Washington correspondence
and in tle whole tenor Of ils columns. In
these particulars it las not abatcd lot from
its then position Of smotlcred ill-will and
dishonest indirection. Douglas is chcck-by-
]owl Tita tue Propaganda, counsc1ing the f.
lonious seizure u Cuba, and the Tribune is US
much cnamored Of him in its "pcrsopal con-
victions," as wien hc was denying tie first
paragraph in tile Declaration Of Indcpcud-
ence on tue stump in Illinois. 1t cannot ,n
alleged That this course is pursued 10 make
Mr. Douglas too black for the Charleston
Conrenton--a motive which &c could Under
stand. whether we approved it or not-bc-
cause according to the Tribune he l,as done
tfat job for hilaself already.
The grounds upon which the tribune now
places its support Of Mr.. Douglas, W., t1,at
his opposition to Lccomptoa catllcd him to
= Six years reduction, iu which H. would In
ut perfect liberty to plunge llccls oyer head
into iiliibus,crism, Cuba-sttaIins, or apy
"othcr iniqu!ty," seems to us the very acme
Of qualification, partakins too Of sotnc-
thing which calls tor the interference Of the
police. If we had undertaken to frame an
into'crably severe criticism upon thc 7riJuue's
conduct in the premises, NC should hare
charged that it had contributed power TO a
dangerous muu with the full knowlcdg re of
his proneness to work mischief that it had
put butcher-k knife in the hands Of q despcr-
ado. Yet here we have it confessed ond
mndc light Of! Now let Mr. Douglas 20 On
fllibustcriDg md slavery extending FIRE and a
half years ionfcr-lct him suddenly halt on
the eve of ID election which is to determine
his own caEe, aud the Nep 1ork Tribune il
committed to come to lis rescue and provide
him tee means 10 baf1le the enemies Of s,ave.
~ six years longer. But tLcec seems no pres.
ent danger Of au intcrrcgnum on the part Of
the Tribune; and if i. is intended to follow
the logic Of the aboye confession VIC suggest
there should be none. The transition might
not be TO easy in 1864.
Now word on personalities The 7y;-
bnns's surprise on noticing brief business
note (not designed for publication in m ob.
ecure six by nine sheet in back county Of
Minnesota, is Us agreeable as that OF the fcl.
Low, who reel' d of the top Of the stage, wbcn
picked up and told That the coach Ind not
upset. II lie had known that, lie wouldn't
have got of. Our OWN columns hare car.
ried right under TIC nose Of the I+;buae cdi-
tor the same information which nstounds him
when coming from the lead watcrs Of The
Mississippi, probably forty timce- Tie have
taken pains 10 hare lin aware oft. We
gave him reminder Of it less than two weeks
since, when he coupled Mr.. Douglas name
with those Of Seward Fremont aud Chase in
his article on the Presidency. Tic submit
tlat tue astonishmcnt in this case belongs to
different side Of the story.
The public will take notice that nc did not
open this chapter ofpcrsonal Issues, hut since
it has been opcucd We shall not shrink from
Its contents. Tue 1ow tone and i'll uaturo of /
me comments on exaclly two letters written |
from this office 10 tho Tribune during the cam
palgu-which letters were inserted in its dali
" edition, where they could 10 Us no good,
and suppressed in the weekly where they
were desired to appear-lare nothing to do |
with what follows. Nc can reply in tie cir
Gus tongue probably, when We have nothing