New-York tribune., 1878-12-31

of peace and Justice and the security Of
Change ne fonsht this battle than fty years
last article that he wrote for his paper was
nno,yIeSssd az one OF its most powerful champions
Mean while General Jackson had declared Ior ry
depcy; and in 1929 year OF Jackson's transportation
Mr. Coes drd and Bryant ieeame ohiei ha,toi; n
be cherished for all other freedom. IL was American
liberty not what tue MssT bs hind MYSTERIES of tho
CrItU II was the freedom of the citizen III tDe Stte
and the freedom of the State IN the Union; was @
erty under law that he sought for, Tor ne knew ta
awess revolution s remedy more appaing l ,nan tle
evils would oIse lie aad 3nisa lne sr 1S toward the
southern States but when nuicaton was proposeu as
snsanfs General Jacksons proelamation-true to Ma
tionai union in 1St2 as ne was III 1851 a. M, n,
But from the day that Bryant began 10 enit Ihe ios
there was but one question when was really suprene
The ouestion which like huge stOrnl-coild IN lDe
mt catueifng with every moment augrier iorce ana
more appalling fury-the qnrstl wlh whose nhii anu
tremsndous settlement the land still heaves III nad al
nareutly Disappeared deceinl calm that followed
inc Missouri struggle, ,buthe Isl pehetIai an s
,c,uf more Of tempest be stayed was hear Mlthln
tur wears of Bryauts removal New York IN te moral
antIsIavrry appeal OF Lundy and Garrison, biyant
sreed 10 thr ardent leaders of that great agitation rs
The Iulttue Of editors and poll ieans setrd 10 lhe
indrrnt and hesitsune 100 cola Snu reiuu'"ht M IT., M
from the Southern States and the West indes as
yto lsl9, there Is phGtCsrapue and Of the
slaves, but they are the pictures OF a seemlnsy
passtonless observer There Is no apparent SENSE
~ wrong no flaming Indignation, no denuneiatlon {;
an occasional mpulsive expression only SHOWS MS Ite
M TIs re- eiTIint and moderation however, always
SO most inpr sSve. anu gave 10 his
prose whether In letters or addresses OF h
ccs however strong the public iteling or hot Tue ue
hntr In, yelgnt ana value which 30 OTtn eNhale IN
greater erycr of expression But tme DIcaln VI tne
Irours did not relax his moral fibre. The Oltercr at e
ne ir,, corn shucking in Carolina and In the
orange groves Florida, The Tranquil .trahEer
in the Cuban coffee estates ana lhe
sugar pIan ations Manzas, who observed everything
ana quietly asked travellers questions wac mol untrue
To he sIhrit that had nhaed VITA his native breath
amOng the Northern hills.
HIS ATTITUDE IN THE ANTI-SLAVRRY CONTEST
Through all the great slavery contest from le2o 10
lsGI which included the prime oi MS nanhooh byahls
conrse WAS determined by his own love OF liberty
and instice, by his temperament aud conscience
He repelled the repyoacnes OF friends equal
~ with the gibcs OF enemies. when the
~ moral appeal swclled to an agitation under
heard N tauucn Hall justihng tnc assassination OF
LoVrioy and AmercAn ireemrn speaainE Tor HDrty III
New York Nere scnced 10y mons. and with no consnn-
ing wrath Of protest the rcSpcc ahic public opinion
OF the cityaithOugh Bryant a. thluk deprecated tIe
agitation as mistaken lis methcd. and necessarily
uteiy defended the fundamental rRhl oi dlscuSsIon
winch was the practical and essential antl-slnyery
demand. Early IN S37 when the House or Rcpre-on-
tatyrs tried 10 slihe the antl-,laNery petitions
Well nave tried tO blow sun-BIyant denounced
the folly and the wrong Of attempting 10 "muzle DIS
coored voters Of New.York asked the Leg slauro to
grant them suffrage upon the same condllhs W'h Tue
white vOteis-Bryant sustained thc4i prayer Il, JUS,
ana disdained any Difference To ext IN u dicta,l"h
whether from the South rom tl' h"fth OF from from
any other quarter. WIN The same ctaI perception
and iunexbir pIInciple be held that Congress hnd
District ~ Columbia ana he sitrnY condemned all
Interference with tie night Of auy body OF citizens
anywhere ~ the country 10 aoiaro then views
upon subject by petition 10 thcr rtpresehtauNcs
To-day full sunlight Of cunstli utonhl personal
liberty. these angry debates seem Ike the strange
remote and unreal like those of Atd battle Ia The
But IN telling the siory of tue lie ot reverend citizen
VITO tue beginning ana ibc eud oi tal tremendous
contest the lUggle III which mo iusfiuiiphs ana I
ururit les all love aud trust were tried bE blood
and IRE, emerging at last to victory but emerging onJ
through
"And love ana mans uuoooqu, able mind 3"
victory not for side. for m not for provn
Cia sections bat Tor National Unoni moi Tor tue Noiih
Tor tnc south, bdl Ior Ah' sa unIIrIsa ib'iIS
in telling ttory uI sucH lt Tue men ana the CON
tests old days spring again 20 hght We see how con
nuuus IA tie stream of history ana We learn OnrC more
that welfare OF liberty ana civilization - inirustrd
TO precisely those qualities whlch Bryant displayed ia
Is temperament was conservative in the sense
bui his political convictions and JHpahics were ia the
same se1se uoera and democratic, The Old FcIcra iis
trust OF tue pie which ~ later days and udrf other
be- justified a. only proper fear OF iOs Acr id
corruption, S1s a.Sist ~ & MEL - ~ t. " Ton
and beichccnt American history of cthta "asadaubi
which hhdred. Aa ~ Pl1p iahty "alnFd
the youns poet look In his Own hct and wrie, -
his good genus taught Bryant to vot nlo hs own mart
and believe. lie knew hls 10. ud De- therefore trusted
others He had among tuc hls the virtues, tuc
habits, tue character that mako popular government
simple aud praccahc and he did uot DOUBT .DAt under
fe uutararl circumstances uf Tue country, how Yer
political conditions mght he coppiicaioo b5 tAe lare
infusion ui otncr blood Olhcr lrad!aouS the gct
aunrll which our institutions make o. tue conscious
dignity ana seliFespec, oi IunIn n"tl. H' . De li
sWcrcd IN Ways we might not ue H"ie 20 mrtste bnt
VII experience ana scIkhoFedgc adinon4sh We VIII
But from the first to the last, bis democracy
meant "A rabble nor mob, but q courtituu"lauy self
restrained people. Bryant, indeen' va, warn pal,E
man. II was hery nature Nhich al"als Ia@ penealn
The placid aud cOldy reserved manner ana wuich at
times flashed suddenly INTO vehement expression lhe
verse of 30 poet Is absolutely sInc, and the
lines u the tender poem To hln Wir' on ne Ihurt me-
trayagant man 30 apparently P"-si1niess,
were unquesuonaby the ierY!d expression oil so!i-
knowledge:
"Anl wrath has left Its the Ere of hell
has left lie ri ghifu scar upon a. SOUL
With what force he restrained himself we shall
not know, we only know win whnt sncceT-
But his habitual moderation ana cllmnrss
not the gift OF an easy Bmpnhiic
self-command In all the political strife OF the
half century &c was a foremost combatan But his
politics uad no persona aims during ila Ine he held
but two public ofices-those OF town CLERK
d na 'iie' he was aSa EesiF IN sGo
mere honorary position, and be declined even an
dislike OF any kind Of public lfe There IL, indeed DO
nOber ambition than TO l great Office greaty. but 1t
place never aured him. and ms lofty aims shone
pure in perfect independence as the Nirgna beauty
In all thr long tumultuOus years Of his editorial life
does any mcmory however searching or censoros re-
pure, measure that lie defended, except from the
profoundest conviction Of ts usefulness To the country
one cause that he advocated Wncn any friend OF liberty
OF humanity, of good government would depl0re When
In the British Parliament after hard and
weary and doubtful struggle Of twenty yeare
the bill uf william WilberfOfco for abOlshng the
British slave trade finally passed, the historian
says that sir Samuel KOmiily surprsed the staid
House OF Commons ntO loud and long accanaiIOns by
comparing the greatness and happiness OF Napoleon
BOnapartc then in the zenith OF his imperial giOTy with
those him would this day kiy his head upon hls
pillow remember that the save trade more
30 II is the lesson OF this editorial life thai public
vice. the Tesplendent aud the most Justly renowned
shore, Cabinet or Congress. however great
md a.
vate citizen like Bryant who for half a century, with
conscience and knowledge with power and unquailing
courage, held the hand aud OF his country
her own glorious ideal.
Durmg all this time the sturdy political editor the
ch ef i'm flr ctfV Mr. snvs