The Portland daily press., 1872-10-21
The Fall of the Tribune.

Whether or not there is any truth in the
report that Mr.. Greeley is not to continue
the editorial management of the Tribune
after the 5th of November, it is clear that his
profitable connection with that paper is at an
end. The founder of the Tribune is the
author of its downfall, and we doubt if Mr..
Colfax himself would be able to save the in
evitable dropping off of subscribers during
the present fall and early winter. The Maine
farmers will not renew their subscriptions,
and hereafter Thursday will not be marked
day in the annals of the country post-office as
"Tribune day." the opening of the mail being
several minutes later than usual on account
of Tribunes to be distributed. So much is
certain, and it is probable that like effects are
observable in other States. What paper it
has been since the first of May! We have
seen it giving its aid toward the adoption of
an illiberal constitution forbidding negroes
to hold Office in one State; in another it has
allied .tself with impenitent Rebels and the
Ku-Klux in Successful effort to keep the
freedmen from the polls. We have seen it
abandon all those reformatory movements of
which hitherto it has been the most con-
spcuous champion. The Tribune-Horace
Greeley's Tribune-that used to offer welcome
to every new thought which was kindly and
humane, and that had word of encourage
ment for every laborer in the thorny way of
progress, has become obstructive, reactionary
and Thoroughly allied with the foes of human
ityl The Tribune that educated one genera
ton of Americans to be patriotic philanthre-
pists now endeavors to educate another gen.
Grafton to be merely unprincipled and selfish.
Its occasional vagaries mattered not, so long
as its managers were mere private citizens,
with only unofficial advisory powers, and so
long as its general direction was right. Its
editor was clearly too unsteady and too weak
in the matter of practical judgment to make
good President, but he was a glorious edi-
tor, and inspired more than one young man
with generous impulses and upright princi-
pies. But when the editor lost his integrity
under the influence of temptation that
seems too great for any American, however
eminent, to withstand, the tone of the whole
establishment was at once lowered. The
indescribable something characteristic of the
journal, which we may call the Tribune atmos-
phere, was instantly gone. There was no
longer any well defined purpose, except to
make Horace Greeley President. There was
exhortation to good works-no moral SEN
timent of any kind Instead of reform
journal. guided by.genius, it became mere
personal political organ, guided by second
rate intelligence. 1t now belongs to poor
class of journals and is one of the poorest of
its class.
The disappearance of the Tribune as great
political power is an event of considerable
importance, but tie struggle that is now end
ed has shown that newspaper, no matter
how able and influential, is not any more
able to live on its past achievements and its
past fidelity to principle, than a great man.
Other men have taken the place of the
Summers, Chases, and Trumbulls in the van
of progress, and the place left vacant by the
demise of the Tribune will not long be left