New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-21
Louisiana in Arkansas. if this notorious scheme
is persisted in TO the end.

MR. GREELEY As A POLITICAL EDITOR
We have said not little of the character of
the late MIR. Greeley, but there was phase of 1t
to which specific allusion must yet in Justice be
made. So much of his life and strength was
given TO politics, he was so identified with the
partisan struggles of his time, so warm an
admirer and so good hater of tho course OF
public men, so stanch q Wing and so uncom-
promising Republican rs to principles, how
ever little he might regard names, that men
came not unnaturally to think of him rs
simply q partisan. Nothing could be more
curiously unjust No critical Judgment could
he more easily and authoritatively refuted. 1t
is as if one who is always giving should be
| charged with selishness; as IL q hoeral
| religionist should be accused of theological
| hatreds. All who have been other than care
less readers of THE tribune know that, in the
conduct Of this newspaper, he never suffered
himself to be betrayed by any considerations
of party expediency into any polite sophlsd-
cations of the truth. He was quite as sharp
censor Of those with whom he was allied as
of those to whom he was usually opposed.
| He was never for a moment blind to the mis-
takes and misdeeds of those with whom he
was politically associated. As he was in the
beginning SO he continued to tho end, for
accusations of inconsistency did not in the
least brighten him from unremittingly saying
that which he believed to be true. How little
he was merely party man is evident from
the fact that scores of public characters who
were nOminally with him were constantly and
noisily accusing him of treason, and were just
as constantly laughed at for their pains. No
member of the party was so often read out
of it, no newspapers jibed and snarled
so bitterly at TIE TRIBUNE as those
which called themselves Republican. When
poor, struggling, and almost without any
save political friends, he said in the adyer-
tisement of the first number of this journal
that he should give TO The Wing Administra-
ton ga frank and cordial, but manly and in
dependent support. Judging it always by its
Z" acts, and commencing those only so far as
they shall seem calculated TO subserve the
} great end of all gOvernment-tbe welfare of
the People" "My leading idea" no said
= years afterward, "was the establishment of a
journal removed alike from servie partisan
: ship on the one hand, and from gagged,
mincing neutrality on the other. :
% believed there was n happy medium be-
tween these extremes-a position from which
"a journalist might openly and heartily adj
vocate the principles and commend the
2 " measures of that party to which his convic-
; tons allied him, yet frankly dissent from its
course on a particular question, and even
denounco its candidates if they were shown
"to be deficient in capacity or (far worse) in
, integrity. l felt that journal thus loyal
" to its guiding convictions yet ready to ex-
pose and condemn unworthy conduct or IN
cidental error on the part of men attached
ito its party, must DO far more effective,
"even party wise, than though it might
always be counted on to applaud or repro
"bate, bless curse rs the party'S prejudices
" or immediate interests might COON to pre-
SCRIBE
The day of small beginnings went by.
The journal founded by Mr.. Greeley with
such noble resolution, adherng to these cath
Ole and conscientious principles, became
strong and prosperous; and we ask of thou
sands upon thousands still living who for
more than quarter of century have been
daily observers of TIE TRIBUNE if, under the
| immediate direction or under the inspiration
of Mr.. Greeley, it has ever, making due
allowance for human infrmity, fallen below
the standard which from the first he deter
mined upon. 1t was Wing journal, but was
it ever the unquestioning slave of the Wing
party or of the Wing leadersP 1t was a Repub
lican journal, but did it ever seek TO hide the
| faults OF to extenuate the errors of the Repub
lican leadersi When was il the custom of Mr..
Greeley to take measures upon trustf When
did he fear, while favOIing the candidates of
o Convention, to cast contempt upon 40 much
of it's platform as failed to commend itself to
his head or to his hearth So well was this
understood in all political circles, that his sup
port of any party measure years ago ceased to
be counted on as o matter of course, so that
when he did heartily acquesce in any
policy his cOuntenance had value in
deed! Yet some persons protested to be inf
nitely astonished when he declined TO support
Gen. Grant for reflections those who were
honored by his confidence knew that his de-
termination had nothing whatever to do with
his own nomination. This was in a manner
forced upon him by circumstances. His own
success and that of the cause committed to his
hands were naturally identified in his own
mind; it was easy to say when he was grievin9
for the country that he was grieving for him
self; but those who flippantly uttered such
suggestion were absolutely incapable of APP
preclating the rare nobility of his nature. He
was public creature, and had nothing so
much at heart as the fidelity of his country
to her professions. He was often hardly less
anxious and perturbed at crises when he was
neither named nor thought of for office.
There is the party man who IS nothing more
than a mere politician; whose days are spent
in the management of intrigues, and whose