New-York tribune., 1871-05-06
JOURNALISN AND JUSTICE.

The Springfield Republican responds to a
very general charge that it is so conducted as
to do great injury and wrong to the party
whose name it has taken in vain. Its words
seem to have been carefully weighed let them
be thoughtfully considered. Hear The Repub
Hcdn:
FAITHFUL WOUNDS
Very likely it is true, critical cotempOrary suggests
that The Republican is apt TO find fault with the
Republican party than with the Democratic The just
parent much prone TO discipline his children
than he is his sneighborsespecally IL there be
for satisfaction in the mpropretes of the lat
We confess to much interest in the character
aud good conduct Of the Republican party than In that
the Democratic. The Republican party Is still worth
the saving but 1t is almost hopeless, and certainly dis
couraging work, reforming the Democrats Our great
anxiety is lest they shall bo so bad that they cannot
longer be effectively used a moral scarecrow to the
Republicans
Seriously IL this cannot be counted a solemn treat
ment OF the subject the ruest friends Of the Repub
can party its severest critics. Its salvation lies
through fault-hnding The wantonness of sure power
the seduction OF large opportunity, and the pervertng
influences that aggressive private interests are always
exertng over party that controls the Government ser
ousy threaten its decay and destruction 1t easy to
ioin the common herd Of aerers that surround Pres
dents and Cabinet Ministers. and Congressman, and
bend flexible for the sake of personal thrift But
Congressman Nor they the truet servants Of the
party whom these officials represent OF the country
whose holiest trusts they have assumed.
II the Republican party maintains itself in govern
men another four years. 1t will be because OF the Sc
we're discipline 1t has received at the hands of the nde
pendent Republican and of the more independent
Republican leaders in Congress during this current year
Sumner has done hoer work for the party than Cam
eron and shurz has better served Gen. Grants future
Rpfer he he WI
owe it moro TO the warnings and criticisms he has
ceived from such journals The Cincinnati Commercial
The Chicago Tribune and The Springfield Republican
-truculent often and possibly unjust as sometimes,
they may have beenhan he will to the fawnng syco-
phancy of The Philadelphia Press the hesitating
ceaed unfriendlneSs of THE NEwYoRK TRIBUNE or the
cold cautious approval of The Boston Adrertiser.
Excessive unjust criticism very tcures itself.
and rarely does harm its object. But what is
people, party President, is blind approval and
indiscrimnate praise. The truest safety for people,
party and President, lies In the fullest exposure Of
weakness wrong and the sharpest call to the highest
duty and the noblest action. Faithful the wounds Of
friend; and, while the Of Independent critic
by always pleasant path, it lis tnat OF the
highest service TO the public 1t is easy to appaud but
better to watch the progress opubc service with
censorous eye The will not always win laurels
but the community reaps benefit from his work.
Comments By The Tribune.
Since this journal is charged above with
concealed unfriendliness to President Grant,
it is clear that we need not defend it from
any possible imputatiOn of servility or syco-
phancy. And it Is certainly true that we are
not seeking the reelection of Gen. Grant as
President. Should he be the Republican can
didate, we shall of course support him to the
best of our ability; but, pending the nomina-
ton, we may be fairly charged with "un-
friendliness" to running him or any other
man for President w$ile he wields the vast
patronage of that high Office. We ardently desire
to see the principle established that Presi-
dent shall have no aspirations except to serve
the country eminently and win thereby last
ing and enviable renown. So much for the
unfriendliness; but how as to the "con-
" cealedfo We have talked in this fashion to
all who would hear us for months; we should
have written it ere now if we had not been
anxious to postpone all discussion regarding
the next Presidency till next Winter. Be it
then, now and evermore that what
The Repubhcdn terms our unfriendliness to
Gen. Grant is, at all events not "cOncealed.n
And, now that our freedom from undue bias
or thrifty fawning is established by The Repub-
lican,s testimony, we are impelled to say that
the treatment of the President and his Admin
istration by the self-styled independent Re-
publican press" has for months been ungen-
erous and unjust We have had greater Pres
dents than Gen. Grant, but scarcely one who
less deserved the running fire OF lnvidious
carpng and fault-fnding to which he has been
suhiected Inv those " indeueudentD OTaClos