New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-14
JOURNALISTIC SMILE"

:, =. norvou. anxiety to strike at the Ad-
~ of President Harrison over the
NM r. C.r,,;p Nahan and through the lat
"Ns" sa,,o.s to the Quill Club OF this city, Oh
-, ar' ',;rht last 1.-THE Newly DIRK Evening
nss... h. f,ilod TO take heed to its steps, and,
~, ;d,,Ic;,c in n Journalistic SMILE at its
WIN ''.'a.noss has tumbIcd hcadong into
journalistic pit. ,-..s 49,. ..;
Contan Mahan, in speaking OF the unratri-
ot;c course of a certain minority OF inc Aincr-
cor pross during the Gillian trouble OF eigh-
toon months ago, had said that " the most dan
,o,ous clement in the situation then was that
'o.,;o, IF orr press which suggested the crronc-
ous idea that the country was prepared to tfihc
with its right to rcparaion Just as the great
ost sn,rc TO the politicians of the French Rcvo-
Irt;or and the greatest promoter OF that war;
.a tho u,teranccs of the revolutionary so
.;o,;o, IT Great Britain, which encouraged the
rso,oh holicf that the British Government had
not its people at its back" Upon this state
mont of an analogy, whose foundation IN 1acV
;s undcniablc. 1.-The Post makes this ludlcrous
comment: "This illustration, explanatory OF
the way Pitt was led to declare war against
tho French Republic, Is so fancifuj that 1t de-
nriycs Captain Mahan's charge against our
rross in connection with the CHILEAN trouble II
I'll ia force. The American press may
we'll smile a journalistic smile over Captain
NIahans impeachment
The American press will doubtless smile some
kind of smile at learning that :" Pitt declared
war against the Republic" 1t was, as all
savc "The Post" know, the Republic that
,tnip
* possible to try to wriggle out OF the evl-
dent blunder by asserting that the Republic
vas forced TO declare war by Pitts course :
but this explanation, though long the received
legend. has been SO effcctualy di,pelled that
ma of the cilme,t of recent h>toran'-Mr
Lecky-has felt it due to the memory OF ri't
to retract what he had once written to tha'
effect Says Mr.. Lecky, in his History OF
England in the Eighteenth Century, Vol. w.
naoc 131: There are few pages Of English
history which have been more grossly and mis-
cbievously msrepresented | must acknowl-
edge that many years ago, mlsled by most
misleading pamphlet of Golden and by the
much higher authority of Buckle, introduced
into my History of Ra,ionaism sentence
blaming Pitt for the French War; 1t shows at
least that | had no undue bias in favor OF the
conclusion to which a more careful Inyestl9a-
Con has led me-"
"The Post" evidently clings with fidelity
that must provoke smile, journalistic or other
wise. to the traditions of its long past YOUTH
There is something almost touching III the
simple faith accorded by it to the letter OF the
CHILEAN diplomatic correspondence. The true
inwardness of Chiis course, the splllt which
dictated it. was the fear lest the apology due
for a brutal outrage should be construed into a
humiliation. injurious to tho position Chill mad
achieved among Spanish republics by her mar
tial prowess. Having delayed the expression
of regret through the period in which, like Mr..
Blanes prompt explanation to Italy, 1t could
appear only as an act of graceful concession,
she found every succeeding day adding to her
embarrassment. What in the beginning would
have indicated only the courteous instinct of
a high-bred gentleman, eager to atone tor an
unprecedented injury, would now wear, IN the
eyes of the world, the aspect OF sulky sub
mission extorted by necessity. Could Chlll
have hOped for a successful issue, she would
have refused to the end and had Mr.. Iiar-
rison's Administration wavered, she would haye
risked the issue, msled by the tone of some
of our press. Upon this war would have 1ol-
lowed for. whatever the temper OF this or that
official. the American people were not pre-
nared 70 acouiesce in the murder of American
scamcn for no other cause than that they wore
the United States uniform. Fortunately, Mr.
Harrison stood Enthusiastically firm, and war
was averted.