New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-05
PARTIES IND Politics.

1t il tolerably we'll known that we anXiOusly
desired the nomination by the Democrats OF
Chief Justice Chase for President in 1868.
This desire was grounded in no special wish
to see Mr.. Chase in the Presidential chair, but
had a much broader impulse. We did not
calculate that he, if nominated, would or
would not be elected; what we hoped for
was the emancipation of our political adve, .
saries from position of antagonism TO the
enfranchisement of the Blacks which was no
longer tenable-whch, since the complete ex-
tincti0n of American Slavery, had become
absurd and out of date. We heartily wished
to see. an end of a controversy which had no
more a rational basis or motive, any more
than though it related tothe eclipses and hail
storms of the last century; for we desired to
fix public regard on Economic questions-on
Protection, Finance, Retrenchment and Co
operation.
A weak Ohio journal, which cannot cOmpre-
bend that any one should wish his political
opponents wiser or better than they are unless
he purposes TO join them, asks
Does Mr. Greeley's hObnObbing with the passive
Democrats and counseling them with oracular advice
indicate that he Is going over, bag baggage and TRIB
UNE to the enemy His Missouri letter has this sound
and signication far read IT, He says, for
instance that the Democrats should have had Chase for
their candidate and that the result of such con-
test would have been promote the return OF genuine
peace and thrift aud he adds that the Democrats must
take for 1872 like Gratz Brown or Trumbull,
or Gen Cox aud thus help to pacify aud reconcile our
country anew VIII Greeley and THE TRIBUNE support
Gratz Brown, Trumbull, or Cox, on Democratic
platform and nomination for tho next Presidency in
opposition Grant regularly nominated by the RepuO-
NIL on LETT
AnsWer by The Tribune
Mr.. Greeley is not likely to support any one
"on Democratic platform :" for the excellent
reason that he is not lin party sense a
DemocIat-never was, and is not likely to be.
We had not supposed that any one could live
in 40 intelligent State as Ohio in ignorance
of facts so obvious.
And now, while we do not, never did, and
probably never shall, belong to the Dem
ocratic party, we do greatly desire that
said party should take soundcr and
more wholesome views of certain
great public questions than it has recently
done. This desire is not limited by our anx-
iety that the rights of the Blacks, as freemen
and voters, should DO longer be contested
Here, for instance, is the question of Protec-
ton to Home Industry, on which we are in
full accord with the fathers and founders OF
Denocracy-Jefferson, Madison, George Clin-
ton, Simon Snyder Daniel ID. TOmpkins,
&C., &c. The Democratic party has
somehow drifted away from its old
mooriDgs, and holds doctrines on this
subject nearly identical with those OF
most Federslists in our boyhood-the import
ing, shipping, banking nabobs OF Boston and
New-York in 1864. Most gladly would we
persuade the Democrats to return to the wiser
counsels and more beneficent conceptions OF
the apostles of their faith though, even were
they to do 80, we might never unite with their
marty. because of our differences on other
questions.
III there he those who would have their poll
tical sdyersaries as wrvDg headed perVerse'