New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-09-23
ret1H BEEp AS A PUBLTSHER.
continue.

URIAH HEP As 4 PUBLISHER
II is not necessary for us to repeat that we
have not very high opinion of the resurrec-
ton business. We think it would be wiser TO
discuss living questions and TO judge men by
their cotemporaneous attitudes and profess
SONS. But the opponents of Mr.. Greeley have
thought otherwise. Their Committees in Con-
gress have set dozens of Government Clerks
20 ransacking the files of The TRIBUNE for
thirty years past, for the purpose OF culling
what phrases and expressions may be found
in its thousands of columns indicative of the
fact that Mr. Greeley was Republican, and
opposed the Democratic party with his charac-
teristc frankness and energy. In this work
there has been no paper more industrious
or more dishonest than Harper's Weekly.
1t was this paper which, pending
the Baltimore Convention, introduced a
Indignantly libelous caricature of Mr..
Greeley, representing him as gloatng over the
destruction of Southern homes, and fortified
this picture by quotation from THE TRIBUNE,
which it attributed to Mr.. Greeley, though
not written by him, to which false date was
given for the obvious purpose of aggravating
the violence of the expressions used. So, just
before the Convention met, it paraded dozen
separate quotations from THE TRIBUNE, to each
of which, in defiance of the rule of journalism
which its co-labOrer and admirer The Euenlag
Post is now endeavOring to enforce, and in
absolute ignorance of the fact it assumed to
state, it recklessly subscribed the name OF
Horace Greeley. Each was violent attack
upon the Democracy, as prO-Slavery party. 1t
styled this collection, "A Posy for Baltimore
in the hope of preventing this same Democracy,
as a party, from accepting the constitutional
amendment prohibiting Slavery, and guaran-
teeing civil rights to the negro, as finGlity.
The work thus begun has been kept up. We
think it rather trivial business, but if these
gentlemen like it, we will not quarrel with
their taste. We will rather humor it, by Civ
ing them meal of their own cold victual.
1t is pretty we'll known that the publica-
tons of the MessE. Harper arrogate to them
selves the power If Judging what true Repub-
licanism is. The. are so hagrantly loyal and
Northern that thy attempt to read such men
as Senators Sumner and SchuZ and Trum-
bull out of the party as not sound on the
negro. They continually libel and bespatter
the names of thee illustriOus Republicans as
false to freedom and progress ;aand as to Mr..
Greeley, they hav, taken such loyal horror OF
him that last week they represented him as
an accessory after the fact to the assassna-
ton of Abraham Lincoln 1t seems really
worth while to see whether these are exactly
the men to whom Republicans should apply
for credentials OF their Republicanism. When
they were not so rich and prosperous as they
now are, they published book by Drs.
Reed and Mathelon, descriptive of their visit
to the Congregational and Presbyterian
Churches of america. This book, while
speaking of Slavery with some severity
was much more bitter in its refer
ences to the Aooltionists of the day. The
HaIpers published it, therefore, not imagining
but that it wouli be acceptable to their South
ern patrons. But all its criticisms of the
Abolitionists wGe nullifed by its disapproval
of Slavery, and the Southern heart was out
ragged by it. Ole able editor, of The Columbia
Telescope Is. C.)took long shot at the Offend
ing publishers and brought them to the
ground. They wrote letter of apology so
cringing, 80 siritless and abiect that after
all these years it gives a kind of nausea to
read it, This the way leading Northern
publishing home groveled and whned under
the lash of a pity provincial editor in the
South:
NEw-YoRK, Dec. 81, 1885,
SIR: We noticed in your paper of the 18th inst,
remarks upon bok published by us (Reed and Mathe-
sons Narrative), which you give word Of caution
respecting the publication Of books containing offensive
sentiments on the iubect Of Slavery.
Feeling confident that your remarks so far they
late personally tons were intended in friendly spirit
we give you thinks them and beg leave TO
you that nothing tan be further from wishes in
than any ending Of press to the dssemina
ton of doctrines obnoxious, lin this point of view
sure. OF course, IS you must be aware, We cannot
read, or procure 10 be read, all the books pub
lish we are cireful TO do so when we have
reason 10 suspect anything improper but in
many instances obliged to rely on the reputation
literary and persna OF the authors. In the case OF
Reed and Mathesol's Narrative applied to by
those gentlemen o publish their work, and we ascer-
tanned that they were highly esteemed as gentlemen
and Christians heir work, therefore, was not exam
ined and indeed, at that time the subject OF abolition
had not become thu occasion OF much excitement as
It has since unhaIpiy caused We had no suspicion OF
II whatever.
To convince youthat we have no desire To make
publications medium OF ineendiary circulation"
will merely state mat have in several Instances AZ
declined having nyihng TO do with works. both Of
foreign and domesc origin, which have been offered to
finding that hey were In thA respect ohIoctlona
BILE although We have every reason 10 believe that, on
other ACCOUNTS. they would sell extensively. .n8 -i
You have no doubt heard Of hl. Abdy's book, which