The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-17

tool their victim, and they have no right to
reproach nor even desert him. He is what
they have made him, and entitled TO their for
beaTance not only but their affection, " and the
Tribune gives broad hints that the only way the
Democratic party can repair the injury IL has
done to Mr.. Johnson is to make him ifs candi-
date for President.
The sympathies of the editor of the Tribune
are rather apt to gush out in odd, unexpected
directions. His party has found more than
one occasion to complain of his too COMPASS
sionate nature; but for our part, we pay to
these eccentricities the humble tribute of our
sincere approval, and think they ought to be
regarded by Mr.. Greeley's Republican revilers
as proof that "een his failings lean to
virtues side" The Democratic press very
generally did justice to his motives at the time
OF his famous peace mission to Niagara, as
they did with entire unanimity when he
braved the maledictions of his party by sign
ing the bail bond of Jefferson Davis. But
(merciful Heaven D did we thereby Obligate
ourselves to regard Mr.. Greeley as Democrat,
and to make him our candidate for Vice-Presi-
dent, on the same ticket with Mr.. Johnson
The two cases are in all essential respects alike,
and we are by no means sure that Mr.. Greeley
in Mr.. Johnson's position would not have
been even more commended than Mr.. John
son has been by the Democratic press. He is
III favor of universal amnesty; but Mr.. John
son still excludes a number of excepted
classes. He outstripped President Johnson in
kindness to the Rebel chief, and we are sorry
that he falls behind him (if he does, which we
doubt) in good wishes for the honest mass of
Rebel dupes.
We can safely assure Mr.. Greeley that, in
his own case the Democratic appreciation
which greeted certain of his acts was never
meant as political cajolery to lure him to his
ruin. He never had any title to consider it as
the vehicle of an insidious and decetful pro-
mise to make him the pet, the idol, or the can
didate of the Democratic party. We treated
him as an honest man, true to his convictions,
and intrepid enough to dissent openly from
his political associates He differs from Pre-
sident Johnson not in principle, but only in
degree. Both have knowingly, and we do not
hesitate to say, nobly, sacrificed personal COM
fort to a sense of duty, and flung away chances
which more sordid men might have
deemed valuable. Mr.. Greeley destroyed
his Senatorial prospects by few manly
strokes of his pen. For another manly act
his whole party howled at him like herd of
hyenas, aud he had a narrow escape from
being pitched neck and heels out of the Union
League. We never considered him any less
a Republican, nor any less a Democrat,
when on those occasions we applauded his
conduct. We scorn and deride the idea
that we cannot be just to a political op-
pOnent without laying ourselves open to
the imputation of a backstairs intrigue,
or of exciting expectations which we mean
to disappoint. If Mr.. Greeley should
set up for himself such claims as he
makes for Mr.. johnson, he would be laughed
at. But the two cases are in principle
identical. In both, men belonging to the
Republican party and continuing their con-
nection with it, have done conspicuous acts
which cost them much popularity in their own
party, and ELECTED the praise of political oppo-
nents. 1t is gratuitous aspersion to suggest
of either that, under pretense of patriotism,
he was angling for Democratic votes or Demo-
cratic compliments. 1t would not be more
injurious to Mr.. Greeley to assert that he has
differed from his party in the expectation that
the Democrats would make the Tribune their
chief organ, than it is to charge that Mr. John
son has differed from his party in the hone
that the Democrats would make him their
candidate for President.
The Democratic party will continue to prac-
tise towards Mr.. Johnson and Mr.. Greeley the
same candor as heretofore; praising when we
can, dissenting when we must, and sympa-
thizing none the less heartily with humane
sentiments or moral intrepidity because they
appear in a political opponent. We shall
always aim to state the fact as it is. 1t would
be absurd to class MIR. Greeley as a Democrat,
and almost equally wide of the truth to call
MIR. Johnson so. His greatest mistakes have
resulted from the pains he has taken to repel
such an imputation. His abortive Philadel-
phia Convention, last year. had no other OBJ
Ject. We assuredly do him no wrong in say
ing that he does not belong to party which
he has steadily Stunned.