The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-17

tIle uemOcTauc party III loOU.
THrRIow WEED ON CHARACTER COMPROMISE
ALL RoUND.-Thurlow Weed has suddenly
walked up to the importance Of q good charac-
ter. which we take to be very favorable indi.
cation of longevity in its possessor, with ease
and comfort in his old age, provided things go
right in Albany next winter. Taking for his
text some silly and clustering remarks of the
Chevalier Webb about everything in general
and nothing in particular, Thurlow Weed, in
one Of his latest issues, makes the following
brief proposition
Prcloerrous the charge Of the NEW York Hs-
that tho editor OF this journal is in
the slave trade have been assured that intelligent
at the South believe it. Friends have insisted there
ioc. tina, the habit Of reckessy false the
HERALD should be rebukc ami unless this charge is i'm
mestely and iuhy retracted the HERALD shall have the
opportunity oil making good"
In response to this proposition Of Thurlow
Weed, we have only to say that we are perfect
ly ready to enter into negotiations with him,
and to make all necessary retractions for all
the mistakes or unfounded statements we may
have made in reference to his character, pro-
vided he will act on the principle of reciproci-
ty, and make similar retractions as to our
character, running over period of nearly
twenty FIVE years.
NOW Tor the nrst part Of this Important ne
gotiation and fair compromise
Some months ago Thurlow Weeds jour-
nal, daily and weekly, charged the South
ern democracy and all the Southern states
men, and Mr.. Buchanan's administration in
particular, with conniving at the importation of
slaves, and with seeking to restore the African
slave trade. A Washington correspondent of
ours heard from Senator Douglas an account of
a number of vessels being expected in the
Southern seaboard States with slaves from
Africa 1t was an exaggeration; but let that
pass. This statement was published in our
Washington correspondence. Immediately
after Thurlow Weeds paper seized on this as
conclusive evidence eliminating the adminstra-
ton. On making some inquiries we found that
the story was circulated by mischievous per-
sons at the South, and we inserted correction
paper Notwithstanding this, persisted in reite-
rating the charges against Southern statesmen
and the administI alton, and announced, as if
er cathedra and authoritatively, that he knew of
the traffic being carried on at the South. We
asked once or twice how it was that he could
speak so confidently unless he was in the secret,
and whether he was not by his own showing
as much mixed up in these transactions, if
there was reality in them, as Mr..
Buchanan's administration, which he had
condemned on smaller evidence. We showed,
too, that slavers were, for the most part, fitted
out in Northern ports, including New York,
and by Northern men of the republican stripe,
and by Northern capital, and that, therefore,
Mr.. Weed was more likely to know all about
them than Mr.. Buchanan. We thus applied to
his own lips the medicine which he had pre-
pared for Others and asked him how he liked
it. 1t had the desired effect It's operation
was decidedly healthy. Thurlow Weed ceased
to accuse the administration of participation or
connivance in the slave trade, and, of course,
we can very easily withdraw any hypothetical
recriminations based upon foundations laid by
himself, and which he now admits to be false,
denying all knowledge of the slave trade. We,
therefore, unhesitatingly believe and state that
he was no more concerned in the slave trade
than the Southern democracy and Southern
statesmen, or Mr.. Buchanan's administration,
and thus we restore our amiable contemporary
to his usual peace Of mind and good standing in
the community. Stetson, Of the Astor, will
please to empty one Of his best bottles on this
point
Now for the other side of the compact For
nearly thirty years Thurlow Weed has con-
tinued to repeat charges against US which
originated with Old Noah, who, no doubt, has
suffered for it in the lower regions charges of
bribery and black mail. We could not sup
port any party, or oppose any party, or, in
short, do anything, that we were not bribed'
Bribery and corruption were the foundation Of
the prosperity of the HERALD. For nearly
thirty years Thurlow Weed has reiterated
those charges, which were without the shadow
Of foundation from the beginning; for we
defy him, or any other man in this country, to
impeach our character, either public or pri-
vate for the last thirty-fve or forty years that
we have resided in this city and country. In
] this business we do not ask of Thurlow Weed to
make any apology for the shameless illusions