Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1876-02-22
OUR SPECIAL NEW YORK LETTER,
"Turn Back the Hands. u
NEW YoRK, February IL, 1877

that of the second and TO air. w hitelaw
Reid, editor of tho New York Tribune, that
of the third of these attempts. When mid
night prowler applies the torch to,a highly
cumbntibls house. the law holds that man. if
caught, on the charge of arson, and if the
charge is proved Furnishes him as an incen-
diary. Mr. Blaine excited the profound dis
gust of the whole country by his mischicvous
harangue in the House ON the suffcrings of
prisoners during the war. Not one man who
ever suffered could be benefited by that
harangue; not one interest of tho country
could be subscrved by it; not one worthy OBJ
jec. which an American Statesman favorable
to the stability of the Union would have in
view, could be possibly promoted by it
Nothing would havo saved its author from the
Kissing reproach of his countrymen but ono
thing, aud that was determinations from the
other side. An over-zealOus adversary sup
piled that. Prorin,us Ufralcgon ardrf. Mr.
Hill kindled another fire. brand and threw il
back at Dir. Blaine. Another coufaeration
followed. For a moment tho great heart of
the people was throbbing with anger, and the
passions of the war were invoked by the
Mephistotics of Maine and tho Hotspur Of
Georgia. But no sorcerer could call them
into life. They were dead. The extinct
volcano emitted no flame. The scheme was
worthy of Satan, but tho men who wore the
Blue and the Gray sent the Ithuriel-spcar of
a common Christianity aud common patriot
ism cleaning through the air with the bright
ness of the sun, and in an instant the moral
atmosphere was cleared.
Dir. 81 rtou's second attempt in the Senate
to excite the war passions followed Mr.
Blainc's in the House, and more humilisting
failure never befell public man. Not a
ripple of excitement followed. The "bloody>
shit" will never be waved again in tho face
of the American people. Should the rotten
borough delegations from the South to tho
National Republican Convention succeed in
nominating Mr.. Morton for President, that
'blcodJ~stir:" will prove his political wind.
iuS sheet.
The third and mos. surprising attempt of
all to force us into fighting our battles over
again, comes from the mild manucred young
gentleman who occupies tho editorial chair Of
Horace Greeley. There is a Pecksniff flavor
about Mr.. Reds conduct. lie is highly
moral person. He will not even allow the
name of the New York Times or Sun to DO
published in the Tribune They would con-
taminateit They both have made the gravest
charges against the editor of the Tribune,
which if trae arc enough to disgrace him, if
false to disgrace them. Day after day they
repeat them with every variation of oppro>
brium. Meantime Mr.. Reid assumes moral
eminence, and gives no sign. "You arc
ool>pigeon of the stock gambler Jay Gould -
shouts the Sun; ''You have deliberately lied
about your circulation, aud We will forfeit ten
thousand dollars If We can't prove it!' Gays
the editor of the Times. Not one word says
the Tribune. A few years ego this same Tri.
June, and this same Mr.. Reid, won't down on
their knees, fguratively, to the Democratic
party, and shouted themselves hoarse over the
wrongs of the South, aud the tyranny, cor
ruptiou and misrule of the Republican party
Every pipe burst forth with notes Of peace
every pen was set to the sweet words of praise
the Democratic party and Democrats States
men, North, South, East and West were the
true aud staunch friends of the Union, the
last refuge of deSpairing patriots, the willing
and only remaining benefnc.ors and CO.
laborers of the Liberal Republican column.
There had been time when the Tribune pro
claimed "evcry Democrat horse thiet, -
those who hadn't stolen horse would do it il
they got chance. But tina. day was passed
Why "turn back the hands," and indulge an
unnecessary rGm;nisccnce? Wasn't the war
over, and were not tho dear Democrats the
only patriots in the country, eaving and ex>
ceptinS the little crterie behind the Tribune
of Liberal Republicans, who had already
rushed into tho arms of the we'll beloved
Democrats Well, the Democrats were mag
unanimous. They didn't ''turn back the
hands," They took the Tribune at its word,
and made its editor their candidate for Pres
ident. What a saturnian interval of tran
guilty followed! Mr.. Red's oloqnence
gushed cut all over the Tribune, and Denoc>
Ear -,
many Hall by tho side of the big Chiefs he
caught up the refrain of State rights, and in
vitcd to tho Tribune sanctum the most in
veterate life long Democrats, throwing open
his columns to them, killing for them the
fatted calf of Tribune hospitality, and deco
rating mis- windows, walls, and very root top
with illuminated pictures of long divided but
reunited brothers, "Clasping Hands Acros,
The Bloody Ckasm."
But Mr. Greeley was net e!scted President,
ard the budding hopes of Mr. Reid were
blighted in the nippi.:.g frost of that dismal
November day. uc has found it tr:hs en-
barrassin: to tako back all his sentimental
vows and promises aud love>locks, and TO.
three years has been calling them in one by
one. and sending them in contrition to his
long neglected mistress, the Republican party.
He went to Washington some time ago, and
was chaperonod about the town by MIR. Blaine.
was dined aud wined by him, and came home
aud made tho Tribune the mouthpiece of the
ex-Speaker fer the Presidency.
And now Mr.. Reid is warlike once more
"Turn back tho hands," he vociferates again
and again. A little boy had nickname, and
the Democrats have given that poor little
boys father an obscure office. Treason is
rampant, Democracy is weighed in the balance
and found wanting; "turn back the hands"
Mr.. Reid has finally succeeded in taking the
bread out of the mouth of the obscure clerk
who was father of the dead little boy. That
ought to be glory enough for one day.
Yours, &c,
PETER PoRcUP1NE, in.