New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-23

he trusted in its speedy triumph. 1t was no
selfish ambition which led him into the lad
eral movement He had been fighting oil MS
life for the ideas which gave birth to the
Cincinnati Convention. Peace, self-goyern-
ment official purity, the one-term principle,
were always cardinal doctrines of his political
creed. He was so hearty and consistent
Civil Service reformer, that two years ago ne
peremptorily suppressed an able arucio
written for the editorial page of this paper
by SO conspicuous a political theorist as
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, because
it indirectly opposed substantially the
same scheme Of reform which the President
has since accepted from his commissioners
and promised to enforce. He insisted upon
the one-term principle, as the best safeguard
against party corruption, from his first APP
pearance in political life to the end OF his
career. He never surrendered his beliet IN
Protection to Home Industry but recognizing
that, in the existing condition OF puphc
affairs, it could not be the vital issue or ma
tional contest, he demanded that 1T should be
again, as it had so often been before, q matter
of liberation, not the shibbOleth of party ortho-
doxy. He never vexed himself with schemes
for the nomination at Cincinnati; and he
always assented to the justice of the view
which his nearest editorial associate consist
emily urged upon him till within fortnight
of the Cincinnati Convention, that he was an
immeasurably greater man as Editor of The
TRIBUNE than he could be as President. But he
took deep concern in the framing of the plat
form; and when the principles OF his whole
career were formulated in those admirable
resolutions, he believed that he saw the begin
ming of a movement which would purify and
reiuvenate the Republican party, and through 1t
give peace, happiness, and prosperity to the
land. His formal nomination by the Demo-
Gratis at Baltimore was carried, against his
wishes, on the judgment-perhaps mistaken
of his near friends. He depored what ne
deemed an unfortunate error and took the
earliest opportunity of protesting that he was
no less a Republican than ever before. That
his lifelong enemies had accepted at last
the faith which he had preached for
thirty years, that the old pro-Slavery party
had come TO profess the doctrine OF
equal rights, the old Secessionists to de-
clare the perpetuity of the Union, the Rebel
South to acquiesce in the consequences OF the
war, taking gracefully alike its blessings and
its burdens,-this was the crownlng achieve
ment of his honorable life; this, and not the
personal glory of the nomination, was what he
looked upon as his great reward. 1t certainly
never entered his mind that just as his adyer-
saries had learned to adopt his principles, he
himself should abandon them.
Neither was it his idea that THE TRIBUNE
should be in the future any less truly Re
publican paper than it had been in the past.
He. speaking through its columns, had been
the earliest, the most earnest, the most pow
erful apostle of the Republican party. lie,
more than any other, might be called Its
founder. 1t had taken from him many OF its
noblcst characteristics, its most benefi-
cent aims, its wisest policy. But he val
ued it for its principles not for
its Offices. He never hesitated to with
stand its caucuses and conventions whom thoy
subordinated the support OF party principles
to the ambition of party leaders. He never
allowed THE TRIBUNE to become the organ
of selfish clique, or even of the Administra-
ton he most respected, and whenever he de-
tected an attempt to drag great patriotic
organization at the heels of faction OF place.
hunters he raised his indignant voice in pro-
test, never stopping to count the cost to him
self. So would he still have done, had he
been permitted to remain. He would have
made THE TRIBUNE still tho defender of
that pure Republicanism to which the
country owes its present prosperity,-the
Republicanism which in adversely was
fred with generous impulses, and lofty designs,
and the spirit of heroic patience, and sacrifice,
and hope. So far as an Administration re-
NAMED true to this ideal party, it might de-
pend upon his cordial friendship. But Repub
licanism always came first in his mind; the
Administration, whatever it might be, came
aftorward.
In taking up the unfinished task which fell
from his hands few weeks ago, we happily
have the men whom he brought around him,
the facilities which he accumulated, and means
so ample that when, few days since, over
half a million Of dollars was paid for the bare
control of the paper, we, knowing the worth
Of what Mr.. Greeley had built up, bid higher
and bought 1t back. Making allowance for
the fact that THE TRIBUNE is practically without
improved real estate, this indicates by far the
highest price ever paid for newspaper on this
continental price greater, we may say with
out offense than any other journal on the
continent, with the exception of The Herald,
could be expected to command. But hence
forth there is no price whatever with which
any stranger can buy tit is beyond reach.
So fortified, we purpose continuing our old bat
tie against injustice and Ignorance under the same
Republican banner which Horace Greeley up
held SO stoutly and so long, and on the same
policy of candid independence which it was
one Of his latest acts to reaf1irm over his own
signature in these columns Naturally we
shall nrefer to support as FIR az possible an