Year: 1868

The National Infethgencer, organ OIL
the President, has a long article to
prove that the World is Radical Re-
publican newspaper. We make these
extracts


We have been favored lately with a
very large amount of matter from the
New York World on the subject of what
the Conservative Convention at New
York should or should not say; what it
should do, and what omit. These dis
sertatious are promised in very oracu-
lar strain, but we are far from regard
ing them as valuable contributions to
human thought. So far as they are
Democratic ideas, they are but the re-
affirmations of what has been often and
better expressed before, even by the
World itself; and so far as they are Re-
publican or Radical, which, we regret to
say, they arc in large measure, they are
but the feeble utterances of a neophyte
and half ashamed convert, and lack the
breadth, vigor, earnestness and ability
of full.blown saint in that church. We
are not certain that we should deem
these articles worty of reference, If it
were not that the U'0rld is not untre.
quently quoted as an exponent OF Con-
serv ative opinion. That it often main
tains Democratic or Conservative sea-
timents, and that it Affects to speak by
authority, is quite true; but that it is
an orthodox exponent of Conservative
doctrine we emphatically deny. Time
and time again it has advanced propo-
sitious offensive to the convictions OF
the Conservative masses, and made ad-
missions eagerly seized upon by the en-
emy, such as would have been conceded
by no steadfast and loyal Conservative
organ. Even when it has urged, not
without a certain sort of ability, Con-
servative views, 1T has done IL
in manner which seemed to
lack earnestness, and Indicated that
without much difficulty they
could have argued quite as we'll on the
one side as the other. Hence its utter
failure to guide and mold public opin-
ion. to which function it so ambitiously
aspires. In order to convince others, a
man must begin by himself believing.
The people will follow no shifting or
uncertain standard-bearer. They can
not be madc to right-about face every
week OF so by any editorial caprice,
even of those whom they trust, and
they do much larger part of their own
thinking than is commonly supposed.
And thus it is that papers like the IJortd,
which Jump about here and there, and
think they are accomplishing wonders,
are really no more than the fly which
undertook to start the carriage and
horses which had halted for rest.


The Horld, like free lancer, fights
sometimes on one side and then on the
other. No prudent general ever puts
such a force down on his muster-roll
without making provision for possible
desertions. Indeed, fairly considered,
the UiorM is not so much Democratic
journal as the New York Herald, which
makes no preteuce of that sort. If Rad
ical ideas, doctrines, and acts are to be
carried out in the Government, then 1T
is simply fair that the work should be
committed to Republican hands. The
position of the World is that the issue
of negro suffrage in the South is to be de-
termined, not by the Constitution or the
wishes of the white population, but by
the negroiZed governments themselves,
controlled by negroes, and shsckled by
test-oaths binding the voter to swear to
accept negro suffrage. A recommenda,
ton for the adoption of impartial saf,
frage is another proposition of the
Horld to the National Convention
which would come with excellent grace
from Mr.. Sumner or Mr.. Thad. Stevens.
There are many other Republicans who
like the World, have held to different
sides of the question at different times