New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-15

| For there ia not only great com orr III the
thought Of being so watched over. but there
| is real consolation in the reelection that when
ever we do ANYTHING that we do not ourselves
know tho real motive of, we shall learn all
about it presently from the interpreters.
And yet-ve venture with the greatest dli-
fdence and hmiiIty to say tive have some
times thought these persons were just the
mcresi trhe in tho world too hasty III their
| interpretations that there were cases III
winch n little delay might insure greater cor
rectnrss. or at least might us the mortl-
fcatIon of pursuing a course Inconsistent with
thcir theory of our motives and plans VI
course whatever The TRIBUNE may do can
MAKE no difference with the facts. After these
persons have assigned the motive and indl-
Gated the purpose Of The TRIBUNE in any
particular, it is the fault or the misfortune or
tins journal if it fails to regulate its conduct
accordingly. We are led to these reflections
hv tho fact that n few DAYS ago, when II APP
pearcd that the Democratic press Of the coun-
Try accepted Mr.. Tilden's denial of any
guilty knowledge of the cipher conspiracy a.
hi, complete and absolute vndicatl0n. HE
TRIBUNE sid that the irresistible logic OF
that conclusion pointed TO his denomination.
In doing this it was flying directly in the
face of the Interpretation the Demo-
cratic and semi Democratic InscrutauiItieS
had put upon its motives II was not nm
I'll the day following that we learned
from them the fact that THE TRIBUNE had set
the Cipher Investigation on foot for the purpose
of killing off Mr.. Tllden a Presidential can
didatc, and that the result, beng perfect yln-
dication of his integrity aud innocence, was II
bitter and grlevOus disappointment To u.s. Now
il j. very plain from this cllsIlng Of views that
one or the Other-clthcr The TRIBUNE or its
interpretcrs-shoud have waited day. OF
course we have not the assurance TO suggest
that the Interpreters might have waited but
we may properly say that if We had known
that The TRIBUNE was bent on killing oil Mr..
rilden, and was so disappointed n the result
we should hardly have done 80 Inconsistent II
thlug as H. point out the duty Of his party TO
rcnOminate hlm.
Were il not for these explicit and positive
statements OF our interpreters ANA commen-
GATORS, we should say that TIE TRIBUNE neither
urged nor opposed tne cipher Investigation :;
that it SIMPLY contributed TO political history
l,s Transitions Of certain yerJ interesting and
mysterious documents, and ay0Wcd lis willing
ness 10 assist in any inquiry that should be
ordered as to their auth nIity and genuine
lps-, Their drift and meaning, ami their bear
nv ON current political events. We should say
iiilt TIE TRI8UNE tran .atcd these documents
10 interesting news. IN the exercise Of it,
functions ~ the lending American newspaper +;
that ~ a believer in the legality Of President
Hayr-'s title IL commented upon them rs PROV
ing the nsiucerity and dishonesty of those
who attacked it; ana that having diStUlsted
he professions Of the party that ciamored so
loudly for purity of elections and admmstIa-
i've reform, it offered in thcsr dispatches tne
proof that It's suspicious were warranted and
IT. dlstrast well founded. We should say that
TIE 1RlBrNE was not disappointed; that 1t
knew lir. IIiden TOO well 10 suppose that ne
would ever enter plea Of guilty, and 1t knew
the party and its press and leaders too well
20 doubt for a moment that, ~ che face Of any
amount Of overwhelming evidence, they would
accept the hIm,cst defence or bare DENIAL
as q perfect viudcation. II Was never que,-
non for single Instant, after the necessity
for an investigation was recognized by the
marty, whether he would be indicated It
was only a question OF arrangement Of details
who and how mtuy should be thrown over
board, and how many could boz saved
ont Of the wreck. And as to killing off
Mr.. Tildcn, wo should Say that The TBwCNE's
only desire in this regard was that the Demo-
cratic party should say, upon . full Inyestiga-
non whether their candidate was SO bad a
man rs to be in completely with the rascals
who tired 30 buy the Presidency, or - weak
"a man as to surround himself with this sort
OF people, who, under MS very nose, In his
own house, plotted tncr devIitry without his
krowlrdge And If we were TO assign 4 par
u,an motive, We should say that LIE TRIB-
rNF, Instead of wishing 10 Kill of Mr. Vidrn,
desired rather that ho should be indicated
and rchabiiitated as a candidate. aud that the
peou!e be allowed TO vote upon the question
whether, upon the wnOc. a man who had been
air his life in p0tics-in NcNYork politics,
aud Tlmmany Hall at that-a State Commit
tee chairman, aud reputed 10 be a manager
of uncommon sagacty and shr"wdness-
whether snch a man could nnocently surround
himself with such men as Pclton, Weed AID
Marble, aud be entirely ignorant Of their pro-
ceedIn5s; and whether. that beng so, he is u
proper man for President of the United
states.
This is what we should have said about
the motives and purposes Of HE TRTB-
UNI. if it had been permitted before the
lu4rrutabiitics unfoided their revelations.
Il is now too late. and we can only legret
that TIE TRTEUNG committed itself before il
found out from these sources exactly what it
WA driving at.