, 1862-07-23
;U1}e Grf11uWe<
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE,

THE E-CHrCAG0 TRIBUNE. I
We can afford, at this time, when the d.
'oc1ion of the popular opinion of The coun-
" and the army is indubitably tending to-
1ard that goal at which the TRIBUNE
ong ago arrived, to congratulate our thirty
thousand daily subscribers in the North
wcsl-the men who through good and evil
report have adhered to us-some because
they loved plain and honest speaking, some
because. they agreed Kith us from the be-
ginning, and some because they we're curl
Gus to know what the TRIBUNE had to say,
we can afford to congratulate them On
the great change which has been wrought
in this portion of the Union, since We COM
mcnced our lsbors for more vigorous and
comprehensive policy in the conduct Of the
war. The change is indeed wonderful,
and no less wonderful than timely and ne
cessary. When TIE began to throw bomb
shells at do-nothipg, proslayery generals,
and stupid orders like Order No. 3; when
we begsn to denounce the tom-foolcry
which would not permit black men to do
their share in the terrific struggle, and
which sent them back to their masters to
work for the rebels; when WE became the
advocates Of emancipation compensated
emancipation in the Border States
emancipation at the point Of, the
bayoret. in all States that had
committed treason against the Federal
Government; when in every issue We
urged upon the Administration the employ
ment Of all the means permitted by our
advanced civilization, more vigor, more
severity, more activity and more zeal,-we
were threatened as no newspaper gullsless
Of purposely outragins public sensibility,
was ever threatened before Not q day
passed IL which anonymous letters from
cowarjly assailants, and real warnings
from timid friends did not command and
adiure us to desist, and save ourselves from
ruin and our printing establishment from
destruction And more than once, aud
amonr men who should hare known bet
ter, The plan Of getting up q riot which
should silence us, has been attempted !;
and more than one cowa1dly rascal Of
fe1ed to lead it if he could get q hundred
men to back him. A simultaneous attack
in country and city, by politicians, rival
newspapers, and semi-secesslonists, vas
made upon onr circulation, to cut it down
to q figure lower than that Of the ag'
gregate circulation Of all the othes
daily papers IN Chicago. And as ons
Of the proprietors Of the TRIBUNE
happened, by Mr. Lincoln's favor, to bt
Postmaster, rush was made to upset hin
aud put some less earnest and less patti
otic man his place. In word, malevo
lcnce, INDUCED within the limits ofreason
able discretion, exhausted itself to do lis in
jury, and make our influence in the Yves
less potent than it has proved.
Lo, what chaDge! The whole coun
try is at this moment almost abreast Of tn
TRIBUNE; and the doctrines and polio;
upon which it insisted, against such OF
position, and with such a thorough an
enlightened conviction Of their necessity
are now commencing themselves Wit
overwhelming force 70 the favor Of th
whole people; and men who hardly sizt
days ago, delighted TO abuse their self-re;
pcct By saying that they were "conserv'
lives" opposed to all Trash measures" tor
ducipg this to 8 "nigge1 war" to "allowiu
black men to 6ght,'' are now ready to max
affidavit that they were all wrong, and til
the well abused and every where read Ct
csgo TR1BCNE had, Of all the Journals
the country, the clesrest. insight into Il
nature, duration and cost Of the struggl
and the best idea Of the policy by whit
that struggle could be terminated for Il
glory Of the Republic.
This is a compliment to our far-sigghte
ness, to the correctness Of our judgmeI
OF men, and to Our intimate knowledge
the wide field Of operations, that wor
make less modest men strut themselves {
Of their Journalistic breeehes But ;
claim only the honor Of having be
right, when error was the rule; the ere
Of having looked deep into the causes a
character Of the contest, when Gmil
views and feeble comprehension were
bancful fashion; and the praise viii
should always be awarded those, who, FRI
sense Of duty, dare brave an excited a
angry public opinion. That is our clai
and the voice Of the Northwest will aw:
us all wc ask.
We take tbis occasion to warn those u
have been honestly Influenced by
clamo1 that has been raised, that our G
eral fault is to be in advance Of public s
timcnt. Wehavc means Of obtaining in
ljgcnce, from which the public is debar1
We have quick instincts, and are
slow in forming accurate judgments Of +
ard things. We have studied the vi
question in the light Of history and phi
opby. Hence it is not wonderful that
should be in advance. We shall be
again. Some ine morning we shall I
our friends and crafty our enemies by
article challenging their criticism,
shocking tlleir prc-conceived opinions;
another contest and another period Of
tempted persecution Will only bring us
as now, atead with banners flying, prov
again that in what makes powerful if
popular journal, the TRIBUNE will ren
unsurpassed-the great newspaper
leading organ of opinion in the West.
NOW YOU SEE Ir, NOW XoU DO.
Men never know what hey are at
The best Of us may think he is doing
thing, and find ut last that he has beer
ipg another. What was designed for g
often proves most fruitful Of evil; y
evil is oYerru1cd for the good Of man
the praise Of Heaven. Man proposes
God disposes. We are but feathers o.
ocean Of infinite wisdom, and all our
sons but dust in the balance Of cterna
tice. It is our poor condition, hum
enough to our pride, but which we 81
devouily trust is ordained in love, nev
be sure that We know anything;
never to zee clearly, after all our ef
what We have done, OF whether indees
have done anything.
This great truth, which every mans
experience will confirm, finds 1emar
and startling proof. and illustration,