New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-09-21
on HONESTY AND INTELLIGENCE.


cause we cannot give it u certificate of integ-
rity or ability. But we fail as yet to see in
its columns any evidence that our admoni-
tons have produced that godly sorrow which
leads to repentance and reformation. Instead
of admitting the truths which we have uttered
with genuine regret il denies them, and strives
in vain to refute them by irrelevant arguments.
For instance, it insists that it must be doing
well morally because it is doing well mate
rally. II says: "lt is now, we believe, with
Zone exception, or at most two, the most
prosperous paper in the city, which shows
" that for some reason or other the people are
"Wiling to give it their patronage This is
probably true; after The TRIBUNE and Herald,
The Post ranks among the most dourshing
papers in New York. But this fact says moth
ing for its moral influence. great many
people advertise in it, and then buy
it to see ii their names are spelled
correctly. But it certainly does not rank
among papers of large circulation. 1t OK
cuses this by saying that evening papers are
mot usually on n level with morning papers
" as puryeyors of news; nor is the
"demand for it as vivid or extensive in the
afternoon IA it is III the morning. Ebis
|
need not lack circulation witness The helrs,
which prints an edition twenty times as large
as that of The Post. After all, however, The
Post does make money; but this gives no adj
ditional value to its political opinions. The
late James Fisk made money faster than Tho
Post The mistake which our once respected
contemporary makes is in thinking its cash bal
ance means moral weight. 1t rashly seeks con-
troversy with real newspapers on the strength
of its dividends. 1t is as if a mich COW should
insist on going into the bull ring for a fight.
OH the strength of her tactical product.
Now we would firmly but kindly repeat that
The Post does not exhibit enough honesty nor
enough intelligence for fair political cOntr0-
versy. We will mention one or two instances
of this. 1t said recently, and repeated the
statement several times, that Mr.. Greeley was
as much Il Know-Notkng as Henry Wilson
ever was. To be sure, it retracted the inyen-
ton later, but an honest paper would not
have said thing 50 false, and an intelligent
paper would not have invented story so i'm
probable. 1t charged us with Lying" and
with forgery" because we printed complete,
ungarbled passage from one Of Gen. Dix's
speeches which proved something it is now
convenient and agreeable for the General and
his supporters to forget, and after we had
shown The Post was in error it went on reiter-
ating its monOtonous chant as if it had been
set for eight days and could not stop.
Only yesterday it gives evidence twice
in the same number that it cannot be
relied upon either for integrity or for inteli-
gence. Is it intelligent to say that a century
ago the Archbishop of Paris was an "omnipo-
"tent functionaryn and could and did, hang
people for blasphemy And is it honest to
say, as The Post says, that in tho Cakes Ames
bribery matter "the only evidence, absolutely
"the sole, unsupported evidence, is the er pGrte,
interested, and hearsay testimony of single
"man, of whom the public know nothing, and
"who was never heard Of before outside Of
"his own narrow circle ~
In two long articles Tho Post sticks TO this
thesis, never once referring to Mr.. Cakes
Amess letters which have been published
over and over as the principal evidence W
sustain this charge of colossal bribery. In
one of these letters to McComb, dated wash
"ington, Jan. 25, 1882 Mr. Ames says:
"You say must not put too much In one locality. I
have assigned, far have gyep TO four from Mas
sachusetts; one from New-Hampshre; one Delaware; ;
one, Tennessee; one-half, oho two. Pennsylvania;
one Indiana; one, Maine; and have three to place.
which shall put where they Will do moet good to u.s.
am here on the spot asd better Judge where they
should CO. think after this dividend is paid should
make our capital co., and distribute the new stock
where IL will protect US Let them have the stock
par and profits made In the future. The 80 per
cent increase on the old stock want for dis
tribution here, and Alley is opposed 10 tho
division Of the bonds says he will need them" &c. &C.
Knowing nothing of Col McComb, we should
think that even The Post might see that this
letter goes to sustain his sworn statement,
enough at least to Justify demand for inves-
tigation. In Mr.. Cakes Ames's next letter Of