New-York tribune., 1875-02-13
PARTY OR COUNTRY: WHICH,!

leaders, and the 1ncVltaDle eIecJ upon tle
country of the policy which President Grant
commands the party to adopt. We can un-
derstand why many readers OF The TRIBUNE
men who love the name of the Republican
party for its history, and love the party for
the grand way in which it recognized its mis-
sion and through .all sacrifices and hardshlps,
discouragements and disasters, marched with
fixed and unchanging purpose to its accom-
plishment-should dislike the topic, and desire,
in the words of witty contemporary the day
following the November elections, to "talk
about something else" We can appreciate
such a feeling, and in some degree sympa-
thze with it. There is not line or letter
in the whole history of the Republican party
from the first syllable of protest against the
attempt to extend Slavery by the kansas-Ne-
braska bill in 1854-the discussion in whose
throes the party had its birth-dOwn to the
adoption of the last amendment to the Con-
stitutiOn which made sure to the freedman his
citizenship and crowned the work of the party
in which THE TRIBUNE has not the honest
pride of sharer of all the burdens and the
hardships, or bearer of more than its proper
ton of the odium, and q recognized and trusted
lplUtT III lUt USDl. W iIdiNfSl ihIpupiNf*h
party has in its history to be proud OF is part
of The TRBUNE's history and our inheritance.
Through these columns rang the first alarm
when Mr. Douglas, in 1854, struck the key
note of the conflict. During the pendency
of the Slavery question and the progress
of that great debate that ran on till the
gun was fired in Charleston Harbor. these
pages beamed and glowed with the purcst
patriotism, the most Jealous and intelligent
philanthropy, the wisest forecast and the very
best thought of the brightest minds 10 all the
North. Through all that busy, stirring time,
when the hosts were gathering and wise men
saw that the conflict WAS inevitable, while the
men who to-day are leading the Republican
party were worthless loafers or pettifogging
shysters, whose only political education or in
stipct was to hate Black Republican,"
THE TRIBUNE with it's lance in rest was always
foremost in the fight. 1t did not march abreast
with events it led them. So through the
changing fortunes of the war until peace came,
and then Though peace until within her
sheaves were garncred up the large results of
these prolific years, THE TRIBUNE led the Re-
publican party and led the nation. Has The
TRIBUNE, then, no stake in the honor of the
party and in its glorious memories?
What has the party to remember with pride
or satisfaction in all its history which The
TRIBUNE does not share7 Go through these
six years of President Grants administration
with lighted candle, and bring us anything
mplshed-anythng whatever of which the
party can boast-any act or policy or anything
else which q judicious friend can set up and
Il Ioo NJ fror oil ciHnu tvitbout a
sense of shame or pity When the war was
over and the sword was laid aside, and the ma
ton settled all its differences with an out
hand, The TRIBUNE looked into the
faces not of enemies, but of fellow citizens, of
men of the same race and blood, between whom
now all differences had been washed away. 1t
feeds no grudges, harbOrs no animOsties, treas
ures no unkndly memories. The labors of the
crusade the hardships of the march, and the
glories of the field it shared: in the plunder of
the camps it has no part. 1t recognized the
logic of events in the period of greed which u
condition of war had engendercd, and it lost
no time in turning its weapons at once upon
the corrupting infuepces and debasing ten
dencies which were the natural accompani-
ments of such time. If we have denounced
the corruptiOns and condemned the dishonesty
of the party in power, it has not been reck-
lcssIv or with wantonness. If any wel-mean-
ing Republican has been offended by tho
freedom of our criticism, and the per-
sistence with which we pursue the abuses of
power by men who call themselves Republi-
cans, we can only say that it has given us
greater pain than he could possibly have felt
TO find these abuses sheltered under name
of whose memories, traditions, and glories we
inherit so large a share. But country is more
than party, and truth is above all names. OF
what significance is the name of party which,
twenty years ago, was born out of opposition
to the extension of Slavery, passed through
all the stages of development till it cumi-
mated in the establishment OF the freedom
and citizenship of all men, and then fell into
the hands of men who brought neither inteli-
gence nor patriotism to the task of oTganiza-
ton and only contributed audacty and cum
ming to the wrangle for the spoils All that
remains of the party is the name. In common
with thousands of sincere patriots all over the
country, we should rejoice to see that rescued
from the men under whose bad leadership it
has been discredted and disgraced. But there
the courage and manliness, to make the at
tempt.
Without harmony or conference upon any
single question, agreeing in nothing except
to President whose will is alb
sOlutc and whom it is bewilderment to follow,
the party leaders propose now one supreme
effort to retain power by crime against the
Constitution and the peace of the country.
The gravity of the crisis cannot be overest-
mated. We appeal to Republicans in Con-
gress 70 consider we'll before they make such