The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-06-16

"eh % VIC "sn0so' Ano uoBouCy niiA hSI W
sa,is6ed until they have completely ruiaed the
democratic party, and succeeded in electing
Old Abe Lincoln President of the United
States, the object for which they ere most Ell
feotiyeiy labor!Dg.
-
THE SCARLET LETTER AGAIN WEEDS Re-
PLY TO GREEIEY.-We give place to. day for
the reply Of Thurlow Weed to the very re-
maikabls Greeley letter, which, with the Incl
dental criticisms Of the journals, Independent
and Otherwise, forms one of the most curious
and instructive chapters of current political
history. Weed treats Greeley like the child
who was supposed to be always crying for
Sbermsn's lozepges. Greeley, according to
Weed, was not, however, the only one o. Mas
ter Stewards good little boys VINO worked
early and late .. their tasks, and then, when
the cake was to be divided, were cent away
ARDgFy In q corner, while smooth, sleek, boot
licking, term-serving little chaps IKE Ray
mond gobbled down oil the plumbs, and pat
their fingers to their noses In distressingly
annoying and insulting way at the same time
Weed, poor little thing, YVES in the same boa,
with the lachrymose Horace. SO he pats the
Tribune philosopher ON the back and says,
"Don't weep, sonny; save your money; cheer
up, and etsnd by; there are lot Of VS. just as
badly of as you are. Be good boy; wait for
your turn, and after limited period, say
forty years, you shall have ride on the
donkey, and good big piece Of bread and
butter, with molssses all over it,"
For our own part, we had no idea, pre-
viously, that Greeley was 80 meroenary,
and Weed 90 self-sacriHcing and magnsnimeus;
but we have to live and learn in this world.
We are quite satisfied now that Weed il pure,
disiDterested patriot, and We suppose the Che.
Waller Webb and Raymond will desire TO be
counted In the same ring. Weeds perorstion,
regretting the appearance Of the Greeley letter,
because lit destroys ideals of disinterestsd-
ness and generosity, which relieved political
life from 90 much that is selfish, sordid and
rapacious," is good. Put that along with the
free wool Developments about Weed, and the
contrast IL charmingly dramatic.
As to the merits of the general question, the
affair between Greeley, on one side with
s and ss Sa b sfe s. dsgsss e
the Chevalier Webb, on the other, is highly
important It is the 1irss chapter In the history
yet to be written of the circumstances stten-
dant upon the emancipation Of the press from
the control Of the politicians Thirty years
ago the party lesders managed the press almost
entirely. They bought N editor for 30 much
money (Greeley's price was thousand dol
lars per annum); the editor was purchased In
the same manner as fat negro to work on q
plantation; the treatment of the former was
worse than that of the latter. When the negro
can't work any more he Is provided for. When
the politicians had got their moneys worth
out Of the editor they cooIly sent him about
his business. In those days the polisaeisas 60
verped the country, and the people followed
their blind guides with touching ndelity. But
We have changed all thai. The Independent
press, freed from the control Of vulgar politi
clans, has scattered liberal. ideas among the
people, who are now their own governor. The
march Of intelligence hss been headed BY the
independent press, and the politicians must
either 90 along with It or be pverslsughed.
There are certain sxcellen. reasons Why the
metropolitan press should hdld the command
ing position 1t has attained. I've statesman who
represents any remote distript comes from
constituency who hold exaggerated or fanatical
opinions upon the great political questions Of
the day. He represents thos Grade theories
to certain extent When 10 goes to Wash
iDgton he invariably falls In lyish some special
clique, and between the prejydices engendered
by the peculiar opinions Of his locality and
the chicanery and humbug the Warrington
politicians he is quite in the lark - to the real
merits Of the matters upon which he 10 called
to vote. II, however, he rads carefully the
metropolitan journals, and spends considera-
bic portion Of his time In New York, whore
every possible shade and 'ariety Of opinion
is freely spread before I'd public, he wild
end his ideas materially enlarged. To do bis
part Of the work we'll. thu editor should be
like ourselves, entirely Independent OF any
parties or cliques, and shAld treat ell sides &C.
cording TO their merits. sreeley sees this now
for the first time. His influence with the
Tribune. and personally y his own party, has
been sufficient TO break own Mr.. Seward, and
be has emancipated himslf from the worst and
neanest despotism In tn world-thst of po-
lisical clique. We shok of the shackles Of
party journalism quater Of century ago,
and have proved that really good journal
can afford to snap It's 8gers at the politicians
Of all parties, with tHir musty abstrsctions,
Anticipated ideas, andticketty platforms The
Stewards and Weeds sh webbs of the day win
End in the events Of ihicago light by which
to guide their foossse p in the future. The In
dependent press, baded by the voice Of the
people, IL a. the lictf's rod before which even