New-York tribune., 1921-12-23

temhcr 0. 1868, when the exigsneiee of
tne war caused that paper 10 vanish
and the Young editor Joined Folks
army IN the futile campaign against
sherman and was chief Of scouts In
inc last campaign or Johnston 5 army
Starts Paper in Nashville
Al the end Of the war he went back
TO Nashville, and with two follow SOL
diers Of the Confederate army. Albert
Roberta and George F. Furviss, re-
vlved The Banner Of that city, with
some succcss
Then came the opportunity 81 HIS
life. The Louisviiic Journal long
famous under tne cdisorship of the
cssayist, wit and poet, George T.. Prem
ticc, was falling into decay. Prentice
was old and had Cost dis grip and the
owners OF tAe paper sought a new
editor. The election fell upou Wat
terson and he took charge o. the paper
IN thc spring of 1858, Prentice being
retained as an editorial writer. A
lively war soon arose between "'Thc
Journal under Watterson's aggressive
direction and The louisville Cou uriar," ,"
directed by Waiter n. Haldcmsn, which
ended IN the fall Of that year in the
consolidation of the two papers as
The Courier-JouTral,' the first mum
Der Of which appeared on Novem ber
5. 1858. Al the same time the old
louisville Democrat was absorbed
practically leaving the Louisville field
free 70 the two young men.
For two years Wattrrson was busted
chiefly with the duties of manarln~ .
editor, but upon the death OF Prentice
in 1870 ne assumed his rightful place
as the chief editorial writer Of the
,-t- Ill
vide attention as one OF the fcremost
! spokesmen of the New South" Be
( fore the war he had been a Unionist.
! during the war he had been militant
( eeccssionist, ard after the war he was
an uncompro missing champion of com
piete reunion. lie fought with pen
I and tongue for acceptance of the con-
( stitutional amendments, for the rights
: OF the negro and against the u-Kiux
outrages. But he was also, OF course,
against the carpet baggerS,' and IL
was in pursuit OF the latter campaign
that he became one of the leaders in
the movement which resulted in the
! Democratic nom nation of Horace
Greeley for the Presidency in 1S72.
Spokesman of Tilden
our years later camc the most
striking political episode in his career.
.
/ Tilden he accepted election as d Rep
resentativc in Congress in 1875, to fill
out an uncxpired term. Mr.. Tilden
wanted someb odv III the House who
could speak, forcibly and upon whom
he could depend as his spokesman, and
he naturally turned to the brilIiant
young editor and orator who Rad pre-
sided over the convention which had
nominated him for the Presidency.
In. ef
Ways and Means Committee, and made
some notable speeches on the EIec-
toral Commission which amply justi-
fed Tildena choice of him as lia
parliamentary spokesman. Watterson
believed, of course, that Tiiden had
been elected and strove With might and
main TO have him seated. He went to
New Orleans to fight against the Re-
publican plan TO count the votes OF
Louisiana for Hayes, and when his ef-
forts in that direction proved vain he
took up the proposal of Robert Nc
Lane, Of Maryland, that great multi
tudes OF citizens, unarmed and orderly
should throng to Washington to de-
mand the seating of Tilden. Waiter.
son at first intended, with Tildenis ap-
provai, TO make in a speech in Con
gress a demand for such a demonstra
ton, but later decided to do 80 in an
address TO the Democrats OF Washing.
ton on Jackson Day, January 8. 1877
referring 10 the Impending seating ol
| Hayes, he said:
Il hope to sec assembled in this city
before this outrage is consummatcc
one hundred thousand unarned free
men exercising the peaceful right oi
petition" A few hours later a great
ado was raised in the House over thi.
utterance,. and the next day the whole
nation was talking of it. But the plar
was not fulfilled.
Coiner of Epigrams
When the electoral contest wa.
finally decided against Tilden, much q.
he regretted it and convinced as he wa.
Of its injustice, Watterson loyalty &C
cepted the result. In 1880 he stroye ts
have Tilden again nominated for the
Presidency, but failed He was him
self vigorously proposed as a Demo
cratic candidate for the Presidency il
1892 by a number of newspapers, bu'
he gave no countenance TO the scheme
Indeed, he always deprecated sugges
tions that he should TAXA any Office
and insisted upon confiaing his officia
life TO the single term, or part CT
term, in Congress.
Natterson was writer and speake
4 of exceptional power and pungency
Possessed Of all the charms OF llterar,
and artistic culture, in his poNtica
editorials he had the supreme facult,
Of adapting his style TO the matter il
hand, 80 that sometimes he used a pol
ished rapier and sometimes a battle
AK or bsudgeon.. No man was NOR
outspoken or fearless, and none wa
less hesitapt in criticizing his ow,
party.
Many Of his epigrammatic uttc-ance
became familiar and historic, such a
, his declaration that IN ascertain. cam
paign the Democratic party wa
marching through a slaughter-hous