Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-10
The UNION AND AMERICAN.
INnEPENpENT VS.. Party Jour
NALESTEs
From the Peoria TrauEcriut

From the Peoria Transcript.
The Chicago Tribune announces itself
in favor of independent journalism.
Horace White, who is its managing edi-
tor, said at the New York Free Trade
Banquet that be intends TO act with the
Republican party hereafter so long as that
party's views harmonic with his own,
conveying the idea that wSen they 90
not harmonic with his OwG he shall Lot
act with it. The course Of the Tribune
for the past year has been in keeping with
this enunclatlCn.
Now, ali this is well enough when
everybody uDdedands it. The Tribune
eepeaks henCerorth as the Tribune, and
not as Republican newspaper. Ii sets
up in business on It's own platform. No
body c.n be held responsible for It's
uttersnces except its managers. Itrepre-
sents only their views.
OF course, when tue Tribune sets off
on its own inGepaEds& course, it cof
cedes independence 20 everybody else. If
it will 10 longer follow, nUf defer TO the
opinions of Others on public questions, it
can rightfully ask no one to defer to its
own opinions. 1t cannot in one breath
refuse to recognize authority in others
andrdemand authority for Itself. 1t Can
not say others shall not lead, but the 7Tt-
dSIBe shall.
Cutting aloof from all effective au-
thOrity so far az its own claims ale con-
cerned, it can retain no connection with
the Republican organization simply for
the purpose of imposing upon it its own
authority. To attempt it would be
knavish. If the Tribune will not sub
NIT to any modification of its principles,
it has no right 10 arbitrarily demand the
modification Of The principles of others.
As we understand il, when men ally
themselves together anC form political
parties, particular and individual views
are so modified and EarmOnized as 10 be-
come CeneraSviews. No one obtains Ie-
cognitioE for all that he advocates, yet
each gets something and hopes in time to
to gain more. In tais way concentrated
action is arrived ~, snd when - last any
State or natiJ4fal policy is adopted,
the public mind is prepared toIeceiVe and
acduiesce in il. Backed by powerful
partyScll factious opposition Is at once
held to be out of the question The pol
icy adoptodImay not always ne The wIsest
nor the best, but it is wiser and better
than to have the country torn by dissen-
sion, worried by factions, with trade and
business unsettled, and confidence IN any,
thing like security wholly aud irretrieva-
bly, gore. II is often said about certain
enactments, it matters less what the law
really is than that it be settled. Bad laws
are often better than no law.
Break up existing political orgauizs-
tions, let all The political newspapers Of
the country start off in the advocacy OF
their own views in defiance of the views
of others-in short, let every body be
'fndependent, and then wait and see
lust how long before the country will be
plunged into anarchy and ruin. Who
could lead where none would follow
Who could decide, when none would sub.
nit TO decision All that mankind has
ever obtained ~ the way Of knowledge
OF civilization has been by essociatiOn
In association there must be concession
and modification. Everybody cannot bt
Captain. There must be some authority
for deciding upon conflicting questions,
and when those questions are a! last de
cided, there must be aCquiesCenCe.
Independent Journalism is Ishmselilic
Its hand is against every mans hand, anC
every mans hand is against lis hand
Party journalism may be, aud perhaps to,
often is, blind $50 slavish, but it need no
necessarily he so. 1t contains a broG
field for the exercise Of the highes
talents. In fact, We think in no place ha
genuine ability such an opportunity {,
display itself. Compared with it, indG
pendent journalism is Garrow end con
tracled, and We ihirk Investigation wi
show that only those newspapers whiC
are conducted upon narrow and contracio
ideas sre eventually switched off on Ia
independent track.