New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-30
LOOKING INTO FUTURLTK.

women to look into futurity and to hazard
prophetiea guesses for the mere chance OF
being able to say, IL told yOu So" is harmless
enough when it is confined to the weather,
but we have noticed that it is sometimes capa
bic of doing great deal of mischief when 1t
exhibits itself in politics. Our own Rebellion
was specially fruitful of vaticnation at
home. Abroad, and especially in England,
we have the authority of Mr. Cob
den for the fact that nobody had faith in
us except the intelligent middle and lower
classes. The Pau Mall Gd:ehe lately made the
remarkable statement that every prediction It
"had yet seen on the course of American Affairs
% had turned out 10 be wrong IL we refer to
these predictions again, it is in no spirit OF
self sufficiency. but to own that during the
war we sometimes attached too much import
ance TO foreign criticism, and especially to
English criticism. But, on the other hand, 1t
should be remembered that we were disap-
pointed in the very beginning of our trouble.
We were unwise enough TO expect En-
gish sympathy. We supposed that those
anti-Slavery professions with which we were so
familiar really meant something. We did
not comprehend how cOttOn-tanlne could
alter the moral aspect of a grave social ques-
ton. We were 10th to believe that even
aristocracy itself conld bear a mortal grudge
against our democratic forms. We were
working with such conscientious eaTnestness
that it panied us to be distrusted. We had
such perfect confidence in the restoration OF
the Union, that doubts of the result which we
had so much ut heart seemed to us not only
unkind, but absurd Yet it must be claimed,
upon our part, that long before the close of
the war the public mind had thrown Off this
nervous and irritable feeling. Gradual success
restored self-cOnGdencc until at last we reached
precisely the point which we should have
occupied from the beginning. We did as
nation what every individual must dove
worked out our own salvation, and determined,
if we could not satisfy Others, at least to sat
isfy ourselves. We learned that the future is
always bright for those who strive well and
for worthy ends.
The Abolition of Slavery is such an immense
and predominant advantage that we are in
danger of overlooking other and excellent re-
suits Of the triumph Of the Union. Next in
valuo to honesty itself is lively faith that it
is the best policy; yet so far as public affairs
are concerned, this is n truth which no nation
seems ever fully to have cOmprehended. "My
country, right or wrong"-it has been always
supposed that n man who could say this,
without blushing or suffering, had reached the
summit of patriotism. Long before the Rebellion
broke out we were continually told that the first
thing to be secured was the perpetuity Of the
Union, without any thought of the morality of
the means-a fallacy which confused even tho
masculine intellect Of Mr. Webster, and made
mere dotards Of scores of able politicians. For
more than dozen years the Capitol resounded
with predictions of the dissolution Of the
Union. 1t was taken for granted that we were
pOwerless TO preserve it should it be seriously
assaed. 1t WAS the fashion to assume that
after Dissolution must come the Deluge. Dur
ing several succeeding Administrations the
country was controlled and directed mainly
by its fears and forebodings. From
the press, the pulpit, and the forum, there was
a continual recurrence of warnings, the only
result Of which was fresh concession, as fresh
demands were made upon us. 1t is remarks
bic fact that the Civil War came at last with
out any specific legislative prOv0caton. Certain
laws might have been considered by the South
as injuries without improperly, from the Slave
holders point Of view but the election of Mr..
Lincoln was not an injury, and could not have
been so regarded by reasonable men, After all,
the pathetic predictions of the professional
UniOn-Sayiors had little enough to do with the
event We quote for the encouragement Of the
public, the acknowledgement of our English
contemporary, because the race of the prophets
is still busy, and the voice Of the croaker
is still heard in the land. We are to be ruined
by return to specie payments. We are to DO
ruined by negro suffrage. We are to be ruined
by moneyed aristocracy. We are to be ruined
by taxes. We are to be ruined by new Re
bellion at the South. We are to be ruined by
an entirely fresh Rebellion at the West. We
are to DO ruined by JoDes's little bill now be-