New-York tribune., 1885-03-29
CONSIDERATIONS FOE CERTAIN CRITICS

CONSIDERATIONS FOR CERTAIN CRITICS.
Republican friends. whose good opinion we
value send in an occasional complaint because
THE TRIBUNE speaks warmly, whenever it can,
of the abilities and personal character of the
Presidents appointments. "YOu have even
praised the new Minister to England" complains
one, q in spite of his having been notorious
@Copperhead during the War, and revier of
Abraham Lincoln. You must know also that
she was the counsel retained to screen the
avillanies of the Emma Mine swindle, as well
as the favorite railroad attorney of Jay
"Gould. How can you speak well OF sending
q this man to represent the Nation in Great
Britain :"
But, good friend, what would you have 2
What under heaven did you expectf Did you
| not know that the party which carried on the
rebellion succeeded at the last election What
more natural than that they should send such
| man to represent them In London The ruling
classes In Great Britain, who equipped the
| Alabama, and took the Confederate cotton loan,
| and welcomed Mason and Slidell, and glorifed
| jefferson Davis for having founded a Nation,
| can now learn from the Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United
States that they were all right, only, like some
people at home, quarter of a century too early.
| But why not 2 Did you expect anything else,
when the combination of the Solid South with
| the City of New York, aided by Henry Ward
| Beecher, George William Curtis and James
| Freeman Clarke, turned over the Government
of the country to the party that had tried to
| break it up2
| OF course such appointments are coming. AS
our people make their bed must they lie in
| it. But we are eager to recognize any good in
| the results Mr.. Phelps is in private life most
estimable gentleman, and his intellectual rank
| is high and we are heartily glad 10 say SO. AS
| for sympathy with the party that carried on
the rebellion, is not that the logical outcome Of
| last November Was 1t not thenceforth Lin-
evitable that men who were on the wrong side
during the tremendous struggle for the life of
the Nation should come to the front Tho
career of the Democratic party, considered as
whole, during the war was infamous. 1t was
| the sole reliance Of the Confederate forces
| every Rebel was a Democrat. 1t furnished all
| the traitOrous towards of the NOrth-every Cop
perhead was Democrat Nevertheless this
party, suppressing the colored vote of Southern
| States by fraud and violence reinforced by
| Curtis Higgiuson, Beecher and their allies In
the Northern States profting by Burchard's
| monumental folly, and with the help Of intem-
perate temperance people, managed to obtain
| control of tie Government. 1t would have
been worse than idle to expect that the restora-
| ton of the Democracy would not have been fol-
| lowed by the "vindication " of the men who
felt happiest when the boys in blue lost battle
The TRIBUNE-which does not hold that q
party in opposition ought to kick against the
ordained-commended Mr.. Phelps. in spite
of his war record. 1t is indeed bad one, but
then 1t is no worse than that of thousands of
his fellow Democrats. Apart from that the ap-
pointment was creditable, since there is no
question in regard to his ability, learning, ex-
perience and character. 1t is our wish and our
patriotic duty as far as lieth in us to live peace
fully with and support this Administration,
since ours is a Government of the people. But
If we should draw the line at Democrats who.
when the country sorely needed friends, arrayed
themselves with her foes, what chance would
there be of our doing anything of the sort
The old set is back and all that sensible men
can do is to make the best of it. Lamar. the i'm
passioned defender of Jefferson Davis sits in
the Cabinet and displays the flag at half-mast
In memory of an unmitigated scoundrei who
was believed to have plundered the public
treasury OF nearly million dollars and con-
spired to wreck the Union which he had sworn
to protect, and who certainly did conspire to
burn New York with Greek fire. Tweed died