New-York tribune., 1874-12-15
our own wisdom as through the favor OF
fortunate circumstances,-an absolute inde'
pendence of Church and State.
X. I. p.

Yesterday morning Tho Republic loaded it.
self to the muzzle with Outrages from Arkan-
sas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Ala
bama, the Court of Oyer and Terminer' ana
the Eighteenth Ward. discharged them all
with one tremendous report and stimuli
taneOusly disappeared from view. Whether IL
had blown itself out Of existence or only died
of exhaustion it would perhaps be impertinent
to inquire. 1t is enough to know that when
the smoke Of the explosion lifted, the New
York organ of the Administration was dis
covered to be shattered into hopeless frag-
ments. 1t will never roar for us again.
In some respects it was good paper. Its
facilities for obtaining news were not extern
sive, but it made the best use OF such as 1t
had, and it was able to command the services
of several clever and experienced journalists
who understood their trade. Its appearance
was attractive, and if it was never brilliant 1t
was certainly better written and better edited
than many journals which have achieved n
fair measure of success. Representing the
temper and policy Of the Administration wing
of the Republican party, it naturally looked
for support from tho Presidents friends in
this city, and had strong claim upon that
government patronage which is supposed to be
valuable to every newspaper in the first hard
months OF it's existence. And yet it is gone,
after brief but not uneventful life of pre-
cisely ten weeks and one day. Even office
holders seemed to take but a langud interest in
it, and much as strict party Republicans might
praise the politics of the new organ, they pre-
ferred the heresies of TIE TRIBUNE for their
1ai1v ia thaf 1a
upon the sympathics of politicians, or the
generosity of those who happen to be united
only in selfish struggle for place and money.
There are indeed two or three achievements
in the record of The Republic which will be
remembered. 1t discovered moro murdered
negroes in the South than all the other jour
nails put together, and it was the only news
paper in tho world which published intelligence
of the death of Queen Victoria and the cOnse
qucnt turmoil in the streets of London. But
it was upon its party sympathies after all that
it founded its chief if not its only title to con-
sldcratiOn, and its failure therefore conveys
lesson which politicians with moro money
than brains will do well to learn.
The trade of politics and the profession of
journalism are too incongruous ever to be
lie affiirs good newspaper will have decided
opinions, and so long as politics depend upon
principles it will generally hold moro or less
friendly relations with some political party
But when it consents to become the mouth
piece of a partisan organization it destroys its
own future it throws away its influence and
puts distractions in the way of its proper work
In these days of advanced and advancing jour
nalism there is no place for party organs. But
The Republic was even worse than party
organ, for it was q personal organ. 1t was
founded by the friends and associates of the
President, to promote his personal fortunes ;
to tell whatever stories would favor his plans ;
to keep back whatever would interfere with
them. A little curiosity, Of very mild type,
was therefore felt for a while in its utter
ances but when it astOunded the world with
it's misrepresentation of the Presidents inan-
cial views. and was officially rcpudiated in
consequence, all this ceased. Tho Republic
ought to have given up tho ghost the next
morning it had no longer the faintest excuse
for living.
One of the persons connected with it is said
to have remarked to reporter yesterday that
this catastrophe was 81 the death h-knell Of Re-
"publicansm in New-YOrk" We cannot
vouch for the story, but it is so Characteristic
of the spirit in which the paper was estab-
lished and conducted that it ought to be true.
In the theory of its founders there were no
Republicans, no patriotic citizens, no safe,
honest, and good men except those who took
care Of the Custom houses and applauded the
Administration all day long. Criticism was
treason; advice was impertinence; objection
was an outrage, and decent protest was
campaign lie.' The kind of Repubicanism
which such talk represents had its death-blow
on the 81 of November, and We are rather
surprised that its organ fingered SO long be-
hind it.