The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-01-04
The Tribune.
From the New York SUM-

We are glad that Mr.. .Whitelaw
Reid got hold Of the Tribune, and we
hope he will do well with it. He has
hardly had chance to show what he
is capable of heretofore. Mr.. Greeley
remarked, in regard to the manage
ment Of the Tribune during his candi-
dacy, that Mr.. Reid, being mere
l0cam teseas-it was rare for Mr..
Greeley to use a Latin phrase-could
not do as he might, if he were differ
emily situated. Now, however, he
has full swing, and we shall see what
stuff he il made of. We hope it is
good. G .re
The project of bringing Mr.. Colfax
here might have resulted, possibly,
in securing the renewal of a large
number Of subscriptions though
even that is problematical for such
an arrangement might have offended
more than it would have pleased. 1t
could hardly have been gratifying to
any friend of Mr.. Greeley to see a
leading political opponent seated in
his editorial chair almost before the
sod had fallen upon him. In mur-
der trial in Brooklyn the other day a
witness testified that q wife, sitting
beside . corpse, remarked taht if it
were her husbands she would dance
on his grave. Now, al act very nearly
akin to this proposed performance of
the derelict wife would, as it seems to
us, have been the placing of Mr.. Col
fax in Mr.. Greeley's shoes. It is
much more decent to retain Mr.. Reid,
and we trust it may prove more ad-
vantageous to the concern.
The project Of making the Tribune
the leading Administration organ in
this city, too, under any management,
had in it something of unfairness
as well as Of disrespect for Mr.. Gree
ley's memory. Moreover, it was q
thing more easily said than done.
The Iimes has fought the fight
whether q good fight or not-and,
without descending to Gov. Marcy's
mercenary doctrine, "To the victors
belong the spoils," it cannot be dis
puted that whatever of honor or of
advantage there may be in the posi-
ton fairly belong to that journal. It
not only belongs to it, but we think
it could hardly have been usurped by
Mr.. Colfax, Mr.. Blaine, or any other
man as editor of the Tribune. We
say unrcservedly that nothing ever
made us, think half so meanly of Presi-
dent Grant as we should have thought
Of him had we witnessed on his part
any want Of appreciation Of the sup
port rendered him by the Times.
We do not believe Mr.. Colfax could
have borne the burden of a daily pa
per. The attempt might have killed
both him and the Tribune. He had an
attack Of vertigo year or two ago,
and he could not have stood the
work. The position would not have
been easy to him. Editors are born,
not made, and Mr.. Colfax was not
born an editor. His experience with
a local sheet at South Bend amounts
to little or nothing. Besides, he has
enough to do in making explanations
of his Credit Mobilier operations.
What Mr.. Reid means by his saluta-
tory we are somewhat at loss to UNI
derstand. He seems to avow himself
a non-partisan Republican; a bolt
upright independents, with a decided
leaning particular way an unopin-
ionated man with his opinion made
up and to propose to make a milk
and-water Administration paper.
Well, even this may succeed. We
have lived too long in New York not
to know that great deal of watered
milk is SOLE: here.
It is something to know that what
ever in other matters its course may
be, the Tribune is to be jealous i'll it's
devotion to Horace Greeley, and care
full to preserve green the memory of
it's remarkable founder.