New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-07-25


KNOBS ABOUT CONSISTENCY.
The editor of Harper's Weekly can get no
room to explain the outrageous utterances we
have quoted from its columns, but Is still sadly
concerned about Mr.. Greeley's record. He finds
that in 1861, when the Journal OF Civilization was
pandering to the Secession sentiment in order
to keep for the Harpers their Southern trade,
Mr.. Greeley was saying hard things about the
shareholders and the Democratic party, and
generally making himself OdiOus to great
many thousands of persons who are now going
to vote for him. Mr. Curtis throws away his
time. Everybody knows what Mr.. Greeley's
opinions are and have been, for he has always
been in the habit of speaking his mind pretty
freely; but everybody, we dare say, does not
know what the opinions of Hdrpers weekly
used to be and instead of worrying about
other peoples records Mr.. Curtis will do well
to look after his own. Thus when he sees fit
to lampOOn Mr.. Greeley because he is ready
to forgive in 1872 the massacre of Massachu-
sets troops in Baltimore i'll 1861, he should
remember that in 1851, when passions were
so inhamed and treason was so dan
gerous even at the North, and a great major
ity at the South was hesitating between 10y
atty and rebellion, Hatpe's Weekly depicted
Abraham Lincoln as drunken boOr, reveling
over the grave of the Union and the Consti-
tuition, and Henry Ward Beecher, John Brown,
and Mr.. Lincoln as a trio of sanctimonious
sleek faced hypocrites boasting themselves
holier than George Washington. He should
remember that while Mr.. Greeley was doing
his best to uphold the Government, Harper'S
Weekly was fattering the Rebels, and Mr..
Curtis himself 1--WE are surely not mistaken in
his hand) was contrasting the typical North
ern man, Cotton Pork, esq" who thought
nothing so good as dollars, with the gentle
"menn on the other side of the line who alb
surdly gave preference to honor and patriot
ism. 1t would be awkward for Mr.. Curtis,
would it not, if we should inquire too closely
how he helped his country in the hour Of her
sOrest trial
And then Mr. Curtis thinks Mr.. Greeley
must be most ridiculous old person because
in 1860 he did not believe that we had right
to coerce by brute force the union of unwil-
ling States. What if we should ask Mr. Cur
tbs to copy this extract from an editorial in
his own paper of March 2, 1861
at would undoubtedly lie u very mschievous under
taking to keep half States iu the Union against
the deliberate wishes OF their people Whatever th'
popular feeing-roused to frenzy by the seizure OF forts
arsenas, revenue cutters and mints-night prompt Oh
the spur the moment there can be no question but the
enterprise OF holding the Union together by force would
ultimately prove futile 1t would be violation Of tho
| principle OF our institutions"
| Mr. Curtis's paper proposed to compromise
our difficulty by surrendering to Mr.. Jefferson
Davis and adopting the Montgomery Consti
tuition, so that Slavery might be comfortably
established in the United States forever more
and the Harpers might sell to the South ex
purgated books and newspapers, and collec
all their Southern debts. 1t was noble Pur
pose. What pity it miscaried