New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-04-21

dead and turned to clay"
The press is great when it Is true to itself'
Too often It's conductors are unworthy OF tneir
office. "They sweep the crossings wet and dry,
"while all the world goes by them" No good
| editor can take office without making sacrl-
fee. Benjamin Franklin surrendered much IN
comfort and income when he left his news
paper and almanacs, and entered the puonc
service. He did it from patriotism, and the
country was blessed because he did It,.
| The laurels which made him honored
| in France the wide knowledge of affairs which
| made him the master of the ablest statesman
| in England and France-of Vergennes, and
| Grenyille, and Fox-the fame which gave him
a renown and an influence in France as great
as Voltaire, and in England even greater than
Burke, were gained in the editorial chair OF his
Philadelphia newspaper. We are rejoced to see
that among the vast mob of hungry andstruggling
| office hunters now making the day mournful
| and the night hideous in Washington there are
| so few editOrsl Nor do we feel that any editor
has any claims upon the Administration. This
whole business of Claims" after all, is nothing
more than the demand of the pauper who way
| laws prosperous citizens in the park, and
demands recognition" to the extent OF
| the price of dinner or a drink. We are
afraid that the President, like Presidents be-
fore him, has bestowed most of his offices as
| he would give his alms-the beggar who
bawled the loudest, or showed the greatest
number of papers" generally being the most
successful. There are many editors who
would serve the country well, who have the
| gifts and the training indispensable to success
| in public life. The fact that the President
| does not demand their service should be
grateful to them. But what The Times calls
ostentatious ignoring" is not the way to
strengthen the Administration.
| All that, however, is the business Of the
| President, and not of the Press. If Gen. Grant
can get along without the newspaper editors,
they certainly can get along without him. No
| number of editorial appointments could change
the relations of the independent Press toward
his Administration, or any Administration.
| The Press will support him when right and
oppose him when wrong; and whether
| he appoints one editor or hundred, IL
will do the same. He found it so when
he was soldier without an office in his gift ;
he will find it so as President with fifty
| thousand offices. The Press is too powerful,
too great, too wide spread and commanding
| in its influence, TO be affected by Government
patronage. An editor whom it is necessary to
buy will not be worth the purchase. The
President can always command the support OF
the Press by deserving its support
Here, by way of illustration, we print cor
| respondence which we presume is not familiar
to many of our readers, between Sir Robert
| Peel and the editor of The London Times. The
occasion was Peel's retirement from the English
Ministry, in April, 1885;
| lPhvAs
| To The Editor Of The Times.
SIR: Having this day delivered into the hands of the
King the seals OF Office can without any imputaton oil
An motive any impeachment from scrupulous
feelings OF decacy express my deep sense OF the power
f support which that Government over which had the
honor to preside, received from The Times newspaper
Ido not offer the expressions OF personal gratitude
il is because feel that such expressions would do iDu
co TO the character Of support which was given exclu
svey OH the highest and most independent grounds OF
public principle can say this with perfect truth as
am addressing whose person even Is unknown 10 me-
and Who during my tenure Of power, studiousy avoided
| every species OF intercourse which could throw O
| suspicion upon the motives by which he was &C
tuated. should, however be doing injustice to my
own feelings TO retire from Office without one
word OF acknowledgements without at least assuring you
OF the admiration with which witnessed, during the
arduous contest In which was engaged, the daily exhi
hilton OF that extraordinary ability 10 which was In
debed for a support the valuable because t was
| an impartial and discriminating support have Tho
honor to be- Sir, your most obedent and faithful
| servant, ROBERT fEhl~
| Whitehall, April 49, 1885.
To he Right Hon. Sir ROBERT PEEL, Bart, DC, DE-, DE.
SIR It gives sincere satisfaction to learn from Tho
letter with which you have honored me- bearing yeser
days date that you estimate highly the efforts whicl
have been made during the last months by Ts Time
newspaper to support tho of rational and whole
some government which His Majesty had ntrusted Il
your guidance aud that you appreciate fairly the disn
terested motive Of regard the public welfare and
that alone, through which this Journal has beer
prompted pursue policy in accordance with that o.
your Administration. 1t s permit me to say by sucl
motives only that The Times since have known it
has been influenced whether defense OF the Govern
men Of the day. constitutional resistance toit and
indeed there exist no other motives Of action for jour
nast compatible either with tho safety Of the Press
with the political morality of the great bulk OF readers
With much respect,
have the honor to be, Sir, &c,
| THE EDITOR OF THE TINES.
The Times held the true position. These
letters should be read by every editor in
America. Our press will attain true and
natural greatness when its editors car
say Ito Presidents that no sordid motives
influence their course in defense of the Gov.
"ernment of the day or in constitutional re.
"sistance to it,"
We learn from Albany that the Assembly