The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-12
CUBA AND THE TRIBUNE"

from Jhe ~. T. HOTH,
Two things (to mention just now no more)
are desirable in the making of great metro
politan political newspaper. One is that its
managers should be able to collect the news
of the day on subjects of interest to the pub
lie; the other is that, in interpreting and CO.
ordinating the news of the day to political
end, they should be guided by some recog-
nizsble code of political principles.
We fancy the Iribnne will hardly question
either of these propositions. But what shall
we say of the Tribune, these propositions be-
ing admitted?
Hardly a week ago, the World collected and
published, alone in the New York press, full
and accurate reports OF the preparations made
and making in this port to fiji out expeditions
for intervening illegally in the struggle which
is now wagipg in Cuba. These reports were
of the highest practical interest as we'll to our
own citizens and Government as to the rest of
the world. 1t Is understood, we believe, that
the United States still have government of
some kind; and that the nature and the admin
istrstion of our laws, local and general, ma
tionsl and international, are topics worth en-
tightening the country upon. What the World
had the enterprise and the ability to secure in
the way Of home news about these topics as
affected by the insurreetion in Cuba the Iri-
bune, lacking the enterprise and the ability to
secure contented itself with decrying as "sen-
sational" invention and imposture. This was
not civil, neither was it intelligent. For, 10
ere week has ended the Tribune finds itself
compelled to recognize the accuracy OF the ac-
counts given by the World. Instead of
handsomely acknowledging its own defeat
and our triumph, the Tribune, we regret to
say makes wry faces and drivels about us as
"Dulce's spies''-beings whose malignant
souls, breathing hate to all who strike for
freedom with a capital f, delight to prepare
dark death by the garrote and cruel chains on
Ceuta's rock bound shore for the "hundreds
of our boys who have left mothers and sisters
behind them" to aid in libsrating Cuba. But
for the World, the Tribune never would have
known that 'hundreds OF our boys" had left
mothers and sisters behind them for any
such purpose. But for the World, in all
human probability the first news which either
the Tribune or tbs United States Government
would have had of these expeditions, in regard
to which we have now made it possible for
the Government to act understandingly,
would have come to us from the sinking OF
the ships and the capture OF their crews by
| the Spanish iron-clads off the Cuban coast.
Let this, hewever, pass. The Iribune'S twad-
die about the World is only worth noting as
an adequate, though an angry, confession OF
it's own inoapacity to secure and collect the
really important news OF the day.
Quite another and a larger interest attache
to the Iribune'S comments upon the Cuban
question and the relations TO that question OF
the American Government and people. Sab
stantially, the Tribune also adopts the afro
cious creed just beginning to be avowed by
Wendell Phillips and other fanatics OF his
class, that whatever any people is strong
| enough TO do that it has right to do. TO
! this complexion has the hlgher-law doctrine
come at last. The party which palavered It's
way into power by playing on the peoples
faith in God, and Justice, and Equality; by
! spuhlipg the Golden Rule on the floors OF
| CONGRESS- while it set homesteads on fire in
the mountains of Virginia. and chanting
hymns TO the Prince of Peace while 1t pre-
| pared the avatar OF new Atulas ana
Alarics, now, having attained power, turns
| shamelessly around upon mankind and de-
olares that it recognizes no law but its own
passions no principle save its own interests.
| This is, in truth, but the logical outcome OF
its ORIGINAL pretensiOns. The "higher law"
in the last resort means, and can only mean,
the personal belief, desire, or purpose OF
| some one man or of some one set OF men.
| While those who hold this Law which they
, make for themselves to be more sacred than
| anv law made for them are in minority,
thsv are martyrs. When they get into a
majority they are tyrants. The Tribune and
| its narty in their dealings with the South
since the war, have played the tyrant in
precisely the same spirit in which before the
war they played the martyr. In their deal
ing with the Cuban question, they are play
| inc as vet neither the tyrant nor the
m srtyr. but merely the hypocrite. Under the
nTatanse of a profound sympathy" with
hose who in Cuba are initiating our own de-
teated brethren of the South, they are doing
their worst to fan in the popular heart of this
country the lowest and the most dangerous
OF popular. passions, the lust of territory
merely as territory, contempt of law and in
terpational rights, recklessness OF human life,
| 1ivr, Of yai