The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-01


Independent, tho Party and the
Omcial Press.
BY some freak of the mail or from some
other occult cause the letter OF our new Special
Commissioner to Cuba, under date of the 21st
ult, has reached us three days after his COM
munication of the Oath, which we published
in the HERALD of Monday last. The i'm
portant interview with the Captain General,
which we now publish, will throw additional
Light on the correspondence which passed
between our Commissioner and General Cebal-
los. We observe that while the Captain
General registers his refusal to accord
the same privileges to Mr.. O'Kelly
that he did to Mr.. Henderson, on
grounds which have q suspicion of
pique rather than logic, he assures him
of his safety under the protection of vised
passport. Our Commissioner has certainly
placed the argument of his position before the.
Cuban Executive in light not to be misun-
derstood. As the representative of the HERALD
he can claim no consideration under any con-
ai!ion into which the neutral character of his
mission does not enter The neutral repre-
sentative of an independent journal is the
character in which he asks for facilities to
Judge unbiassedly of the deplorable warfare.
The Captain General neither in the inter-
view nor the correspondence, denies
point Of this representative capacity.
The nearest approach to his reasons for
denying the safe conduct would appear to be
that our present Commissioner must suffer all
possible dangers and inconvenience in the
fulflment of his mission, because our late
representative displeased, misrepresented or
deceived the Spanish authorities. Our Com
missioner, with high sense of duty accepts
the position, perilous though it be, having in
all courtesy informed the Captain General
what is the simple truth, that any accident
Detailing him will more probably result from
the refusal than from the extension of pro-
lection. The reply Of General Ceballos we
hold, however, to be strong guarantee for
Mr.. O'Kelly's safety, although not expressed
in formal order to his subordinates in the
island
Never in the history of journalism was
single journal so much the cause Of govern
mental and popular discussion as the New
YORK HERALD. Foreign governments feeling
something of its power, treat its utterances as
indications of the national intelligence in its
broadest sense political parties court its in
Auence without understanding the spring Of
its declarations. Rivals in art, the drama, the
law, on the floor of Congress become continu-
ally mystiAed as to its policy. why is it,
every one of these will ask, ''thnt the HERALD,
which supported the view held by us to-day,
does not follow us into the view We may hold
tomorrow" fhe answer Is frank ana
curt-Because the herald is truly inde-
pendent journal and pins itself to no govern
ment, to no individual, nor to any mans
policy. In this one respect of independence
it excels all other journals in the world,
as it stands at the head of all newspapers in
the particular Of collecting news Curious,
indeed while on this point Of news-collecting,
is it to ponder over the Diario' correspondent,
whose profound knowledge Of things in gen.
eral is evinced in his tribute to the HERALD
as o paper of advertisements and news. -
Much as he wished to hide this tribute under
petty superserviceable malice, it would crop
out in spite of all his poorly guarded inten-
tons to serve his patrons.
A proper gauge of this estimation of the
HERALD will be found in the regard in which
our representatives are everywhere held, not
merely as irresponsible partisans or personal
emissaries to color facts to suit individuals, but
as the ambassadors of q tangible independ-
emit power which has its master only in the pub
lie intelligence. We have agents in every part
of the world. When they serve us faithfully
we feel at liberty to praise them; when they
fail unnecessarily, Intentionally deceive us, o,
disappoint just and reasonable expectations in
any particular, We are not afraid as publicly
to condemn them. The scrutiny bestowed
upon their work and the important public
character which they fill place them, as Gen.
eral Ceballos observes to our Commissioner
more in the rank of ambassadors than any
thing else. This high trust-the great EN-
bassy of public opinion-causes their actions
and uttennces to be still more carefully
weighed Hence it is that our agents are moi
treated by us with the mincing leniency il
which other partisan, personal or merely Off
cial journals hide the shortcomings of theil
representatives. Our duty is to the public
and no personal considerations can weigh il
influencing our expression.
One side or the other of a question is moth
ing to us unless the truth inheres in one O
them We never hesitate to place both side
before our readers. When we thought Mr.
Henderson failed in his Cuban mission we die
not seek to conceal that fact as a journal no
having proper sense of it's public duty nigh
have done. When subsequently we found h
had accomplished more than we supposed q
first we were not sparing in our expressions o
approval. If this course puzzled some of on
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