National Republican., 1873-06-02
TUF wFrKIY RFprnT,fcAN
REaENRRITIoN IN JOURNALISM.

A cotemporary, referring to q recent state
mcnt In New York journal In which charges
Of corruption wero preferred against the pub
Usher Of Washington paper, said "Hs
Washington newspaper was subsidized, name
II. The character Of the Washington
journals Is as dear to their owners a. the
character Of New York city papers Ia to their
proprictors." Now, hero 10 q sentiment
which wo can heartily and wholly indor,e.
There has boon eutirely too much unjust and
uuiouudcd criticism Of the Washington press
by the country, and especially by tho New
York city papers. From time to time We
have been compelled to read the most reck
less and unfounded charges In tho column.
of papers which could not, II they wore called
upon 10 do 90, succeed by any possibility In
establishing the truth Of their assertions In 4
court Of Justice. II Is high time that these
ISLANDERS should bo brought TO an end, and
that the Journals Of Washington should reso-
lutely stand together In defence Of tho char.
acter aud reputation that IL, as our immacu.
late eotemporary says, as dear 10 thom rs to
anybody else.
We have during tho last few years been
shocked and scandallEod by these painful at
tacks, and have often wlshcd that We could
SEQ some means OF arrestlng them. For In.
stance, only within fcw months certain
journals IN some Of our sister cities have
dared day after day to indulge In the most
reckless abuse Of one or two OF our city Jour.
mails. With an utter disregard Of truth and
common deccncy they have thrown In our
faces charges OF bribery aud corruption Of
the most fagrant character. Special CORE,
spondontson Newspaper Row have yoracious.
ly seized upon stray morscls Of evidence, or
what purportcd to DO evidence In the Credit
Nobllier transactions, charging that ten thou
sand dollars were paid for some service or
another, We forget what. But that Is not all.
We have been told Of corrupt practices In the
North aud the south-All having their head
quarters In Washington ofieos-strctching
away Into the Carolinas out to tho Northwest
ern States, and even unto tho plains among
the Indian tribes and settlements. We
havo been told about claims and
contracts until we arc positively sick
and tired Of them. We have had reports
OF investigating committees of Congress
attempting to prove that tho pure aud spot
less publishers Of Washington newspaper
had been paid so many dollars line for the
expression Of editorial opinion. All this ID
exceedingly painful. But 1t Is not all. We
have been broadly told that Washington Jour.
nails have been bought and purchased 10 sub.
serve all manner Of corrupt schemes to run
this man for tho Presidency or pull that man
down in fact there Is no manner Of political
wlckcduess that has not been laid at the doom
Of the press Of this city, and why or where-
fore 1t should bc so VIC have always been at
loss TO understand.
II is a great comfort aud consolation, how.
ever. to know that q determined effort Is to
be made to rcpel and repudlate these charges ;
10 introduce new era In our journallsm-an
era OF purity and regeneration and spotless-
ness; that In future the wholesale llbels
upon the press Of Washington should not
be allowed 10 go unanswered and unrefutcd.
lu the consciousness Of purity and guile
lcssncss we arc certain that We shall be
able to build up new name aud q new fame;
that the wickcdness that was hitherto said to
have obtained here shall give place to an al
together different condition Of afiairs, and
that the hoart-rondlng stories about this and
that wlckedness shall give place to sweet 10
gends OF virtue and goodness and bcnenccnco.
The change Is blessed change indeed. The
world Is growing better and better every hour.
Tho sinners Of to-day become tho saints
Of tomorrow. There Is, we arc told, JOY
in heaven when ono orrlng one Is converted.
How great must DO tho cxultAtlon when q
whole ofiiceful of thom turn into tho narrow
pathway to which 1t was feared they would
remain forever strangers.