New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-02-20

party in this State. Ho stood by its cradle,
and has borne q part at least as important as
that of any other man in oil its victories and
defeats. He has only lately shown that his
hand has never lost its ancient force and cum
ming. When q ring of his juniors thought
they had made up slate without him, no
went quietly up to Utica, broke their slate,
and presented them with Gen. Dix as Gov
ernor, with his compliments. Ho renom-
mated the General, and though he could not
reflect him. he did moro than any one else
toward that end, and saw moro clearly than
others why he had failed. Politicians. as well
as other people, will therefore read this mani
festo with profound interest.
1t deserves attention for its strength end
clearness as we'll as for its origin. or course
there are things in it with which we disagree
We think Mr.. Weed is wrong in his estimate
of the Homestead law, and is too tolerant of
the fatal heresy Of expansion. But his views
on the currency, with that exception, are
sound and cOgently expressed; and in regard
to the purely political topics which are touched
upon, no one has more decisively and point
eddy probed the very core of the causes which
have defeated the Republican party. He
begins with those cOrruptions the exposure of
which have proved 80 damaging, bnt he
rapidly passes on to that great stumbling
block which has injured the party more
than anything else, and which will destroy it
unless it is done away with-the Third Term
aspirations of Gen. Grant and the timid at
titude of the party leaders in relation to them.
Mr.. Weed at least has no fear of offending
the President by giving his opinion. He dis
tinctly charges Gen. Grant with tie response
hility of allowing tho defeat Of the party
rather than dislvow these aspirations We
cannot but regret that one who sees this so
clearly should have seen it so late. The last
Convention was under Mr.. Weeds orders. If
he had made it declare against this miserable
intrigue it might not have altered the result.
but it would certainly have altered the figures
of the election returns. Unfortunately, the
support of the personal followers of the Prcsi
dent was thought more important than that of
conscientious voters, and, in sacrificing an i'm
porant principle to the organization, neither
was saved
The tmidity and reserve Of the professional
politician naturally pass away when one has
reached ripe age and an assured position, and
therefore Mr.. Weed talks wiH! delightful
sincerity and frankness about the evils or an
ignorant suffrage, of ignorance organized into
labor unions and strikes, and of the efforts of
his Republican friends to make capital out of
Civil Rights bills. He is, of course, always
Republican, and believes to n certain extent
in the atrocities of the White Leagues, as
shown in the letters of Hays and Sheridan
But he has too much common sense and regard
for law to accept the performances of Gen.
Grant in Louisiana. and hopes for some
solution from Congress which will rescue that
State and save the party from the disgrace
and disaster which now threaten it. The
whole letter is one of the most remarkable
contributions to the political literature OF the
year. 1t casts clear and needed light upon
the disnteprated condition of the party, and
suggests with the Authority due TO the COM
handing position of the writer in Republican
counsels, the indispensable measures of reform
which alone can avert Its ruin.