New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-23
Is the Tribune a NOn.Partisall
Paper2

rupert
The New York Tribune deems it necessary
to declare whenever there is an opportunity,
that it is no party organ, a declaration it
never thought of making in its former better
days when it was fair exponent of the fun
damental principles of the Republican party.
1t is true the Tribune is no party organ in so
far that it no longer represents a party but
merely faction, consisting of the most hetero-
geneous elements held together by mere ne
CATION, namely: their hostility to one man
that its originators and representatives arc
looking to Baltimore in breathless suspense,
well knowing that all their chances of success
are depending ON their Endorsement by their
former adversary, and that otherwise their
prospects for the present as well as the future
will be destroyed at one blow. Though no
party organ in this sense, the Tribune has
adopted the unfair warfare, excels in the
sOphisms, the malignant distortions and in
situations resorted to by avOwed party Or
gans not of the highest order. While it was
fairly and honestly fighting the Democrats
through many years, it seems to have been
their docile pupil at the same time, and prac-
tees now the tricks it has learned of them
against its old associates, the Republicans.
How glaringly and unfairly partisan-like has
been its attitude in reference to the difficult
and entangled Alabama affair! When Eng
land raised its dismal howl about the indirect
claims, it was settled matter with the
Tribune that it was entirely the Administra-
tons fault that had managed things so blum
deringly, had compromised our national honor
to such a degree as to make it next to impos-
bic to eXtricate ourselves decently from the
difficulty. The bad faith of this charge was
outweighed only by its clumsiness, for the
Tribune could not reasonably suppose that its
readers should be so destitute of memory as
to have forgotten that the Treaty had been
discussed, approved, and ratified not merely
by the Senate but by the whole people,
thanks to the Tribune, which had been instru-
mental in bringing it before the public and
as it was asserted, with the knowledge and
approval of the President. Never an inn
portant affair was more fairly and honestly
transacted, and if the Treaty nevertheless
were as defective as the opposition wanted
it, the whole Senate and the press have to
share large part of the responsibility, since
they have been its sponsors. Why did the
Tribune not open its mouth then for criticism
1t was then .jubilant over it like everybody
else, until it found it convenient to make
political out Of it. Of course it had to
abandon this position when the whole state
of affairs in England, the precarlous situation
of the Gladstone Ministry became fully known
mere, which had been driven to their unwar-
rantable course in self-defcnse against the
Tories. Then the Tribune struck another
keynote it blew defiance and spread-eagle
buncombe about our national honor and
would fain have urged the Administration on
a course that must necessarily have led to
the entire failure Of the Treaty and the
breaking Off Of all negotiations, with view
of reaping full crop of new material for de-
nunciations and of making an Investment in
the general disappointment and discomfort
that would have been the inevitable conse-
quence. How nice it would have been to
have this old difficulty finally and triumph
antly settled by the administration of
Horace Greeley! This eminently patriotic
design, however, has been foiled by the truly
sensible and honest course of the President.
Placed, as it were, between two fires, and
sincerely intent on carrying out the will of
the sovereign people, he has submitted the
whole matter to the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations, and though such action
may not be customary it is incontesta-
bly, legitimate, patriotic, and Republican.
So greedy was the Tribune for some mistake,
some fatal error, something to produce dis
satisfaction that it cannot conceal its disap-
pointment, and in the absence of any pre-
text to raise the favorite cry of 'usurpation
of power" it attempts to ridicule the Presi-
dent for what it pretends to be an acknowl-
edgment of weakness and incapacity. Such
attacks certainly do less harm than even
musquito bites, yet we should like to know
on what ground paper that evidently de-
lights in them can disclaim being partisan
organ.
Again, the other day the President sent
message to Congress, recommending legisla-
ton for the protection of the immigrants
against the swindlers andspeculatois who prey
on them, and often strip them of everything
to start life with in foreign land, and in