The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-25

The party journals, both democratic and
black republican. are doing their utmost to
lead the public mind astray, and to hoodwink
the people a. to the true cause and responsi-
biIity Of the late bloody and reasonable at
tempt at Harper's Ferry. The democratic
papers, with the Washington Constitution at
their head, maintain that "the republican party
endorsed and approved Stewards bloody mani
festo at Rochester" while the black republican
journals, as the Tribune the Times, the Courier
and Enquirer and the Evening Post, insist that
| 1t is under the guidance of such leaders as
Seward, 'and upon the principles laid down by
those leaders, and endorsed by the party" that
they expect "to become In 1861 great nation
al party, in possession of the federal admins
tration." So reiterates the Tribune what the
Constitution asserts.
1t may seem difficult to find logical reason
why these two party presses should unite in
impressing upon the world that the whole re-
publican party is responsible for the traitor
teachings Of VIM. 81. Seward, and the treason
of Ossawattomie Brown. But a moments
reflection shows that the short sighted
policy Of party Is what moves them to
the strange union. The Tribune insists upon
the fact, because it wishes to force the whole
republican party to adopt its fanatical ideas,
when it well knows that, from its limited circula-
ton and the constant protests of many honest
members of that party, there are thousands
upon thousands of its members who refuse to
admit that journal as the exponent of their po-
litical faith. The Constitution follows in the
same track, because it has not the grasp o. III
telIect required to rise above the dirty run of
party abuse, and clasp the great and true is-
sues which are alone dealt with in leadership.
In thus prosttuting its columns to give cur
rency to what it should have the wit to know
is not the truth, the Constitution stains the adj
ministration it assumes to support; for, from
the relations it is supposed to hold to the Pre-
sident and his Cabinet the pettifogging party
zeal, and the ignorance of great truths which it
exhibits, are at once attributed to those who
are popularity supposed to be its masters.
That the brutal and bloody teachings of
VIM H. Seward and other leading abolitionists
are the true causes and incentives Of the trea-
turers, is logical and conclusive. The one
is the complement of the other, and
both together constitute the 'irrepressible con-
fict" proclaimed at Rochester. Such conflict
cannot exist in theory alone, nor can its prac-
tice come before the existence of the idea. But
to assert that the whole republican party pray,
with the Tribune, that John Browns epitaph
shall not yet be written, or join with Seward in
believing that the fields of the North must be
given up to slaves if these are not driven from
those of the South, is absurd in the highest
degree. Every man of sense knows that such
is not the fact. There are hundreds of thou
sands of men in the ranks, and scores among
the leaders of the republicans, who do not
affiliate in any way with the traitor teachings
of Seward and such black republican organs as
the Tribune, Times, Courier and Enquirer and
Post. These form the black portion of the re-
publican party, and they of course labor to
make it appear that all the rest are as black as
| they themselves are.
But let every democrat look around within
the circle Of his own personal acquaintance.
| There he will see republicans as pure in their
motives and as patriotic in their aims as he him
self claims to be. Men who oppose the rule Of
the democracy, not because they care
| zig for slavery or its future, not because
| they sympathise with the abolition por-
ton of the party with which they act,
| but because their reason and the bias Of what
they esteem the highest interests of their coun-
| try, of themselves and of their children, impel
them to oppose the corrupt practices into which
the democratic rulers degenerate as soon as
they feel themselves strong. It is such men as
these who constitute the balance wheel of popu-
lar opinion in all free governments. Without
them an elective government would degenerate
into a blind party despotism, which is the worst
of all despotisms. The party organs accuse the
HERALD of supporting one thing to-day and
| another tomorrow, without reason for its
course; but they make the accusation because
their devotion to party interests alone blinds
them to truth. Independent Of all party bias,
we look at questions as they come up, without
bias or party prejudice; and we hold them up
to the light of truth and reason, careless alike
whether they favor one organization or the
other, because we know that the truth is the
greatest good of all.
From this practice is it that we are found bat
Ting one day on one side and another day on
the other. The same reason brings about the
alternate triumph Of parties in our govern
ments. Whenever one party becomes thorough
ly corrupt, or its leaders mislead it into
error, the men whose only motive for
taking an interest in party matters is
patriotic one abandon it, and permit its OPP
ponents, purified by fasting, to triumph at the
polls. Such a case has come up at the present
time. The selfish and demagogical leaders Of
the republicans have resorted to the promulga-
ton of reasonable doctrines and the practice
/ Of traitor deeds. They would arm the North