Year: 1878




purposes of the allied Solid South and Tam
many. we have feelings of high respect
Respect not so much for their intelligence as
for their amiabllity and kindness of heart.
We should have, perhaps, a greater respect
and warmer admiration for their trust
fulness and faith if they were a llttle
more charitable toward those who can
not help being sceptical on the sub
iect, and who refuse to indulge III the gush OF
Cancellation. We are criticised by some OF
these people with great freedom-and that
means that they charge insincerity hypocrisy
and dishoncsty-because we have felt con-
strained to call attention to what seems to us
the aggressive spirit of this political al
lance; to point out the direction OF Its
noIicv and its real Interior purpose. 1t Is,
we are free to say, q thanklcss task to SIT
in Judgment upon the motives of individuals
or parties; to question the sincerity of their
professions, or scrutinize suspicously their
conduct. 1t is much pleasanter to gush ana
be gushed over; to trust and cOniido, and Tor
a time, he it ever so short, believe whatever
is told us. But it must not be forgotten
that the amiable souls who do this and
rail at the uncharitabeness and unforglvlng-
ness OF the sceptics who cOldly doubt ana
call for proofs, arc extremely liable to
wake up some morning and find them
selves the victims of imposition. The gall Is
very, very bitter to which such honey Is
turned. For the unsentimental practical observer
there is no such rude awakening The dis
coveiy of the deceit enlarges his experience
and enriches his philosophy, without sOurIug or


hau
platforms and watched the course OF
the parties that offered them TO very
poor purpose who has not learned
that there are no such confidence men" III
the world as political parties; none that are
so habitualy given to deceit, and whose pro-
fessons and promises are so proyerbially wide
of their performance. We include all parties.
All need watching. All tend by the inevitable
law of their nature to demagOgism and de-
ception. We trust no party for what 1t says;
only for what 1t does. We bring the Demo-
cratic alliance to the test accordingly, not OF
what its representatives say about burying the
past, but what they actually do.


The TRIBUNE has been criticised for incit-
ing sectional feeling anew and reyiving old
animosiiies in its recent treatment of political
QutStlOUS II II Nbdl SNh NiNi iAii'iN BA'''A''''
the feelings and purposes of Southern Demo-
Gratis, with magnifying matters OF small
moment, as showing their rooted hostility to
the North, and with hypocritically pretending
that tho appointment by Il Democratic
Congress of Confederate soldiers TO official
positions shows an evil purpose. when it is
well known that Republican Administration
has made the same sort Of appointments, and
the fact has drawn no rcbuke and Occasioned
no comment. For these things, and for dwell
ing upon the danger to the public treasury
and the public credit from the ascend
ancy of the South, THE TRIBUNE Is
charged with gross partisanship and
manifest inconsistency. Let us sec We take
leave in the first place to say to these critics
on the score of consistency, that The TRIBUNE,
earnest and stout as it was for amnesty and
for the restoration of the rcbellious States, at
the earliest possible period, to all the rights
they had forfeited by rebellion, and
vigorously as it advocated and maintained
the policy of nOn-interfeTencc with the states
by the Federal Government, was never given
to sentimental theorizing upon the subject,
nor ever INDUCED in the gush of concilation.
The whole subject of reconstruction has been
treated by THE TRIBUNE from the beginning
as a simple question of governmental policy.
The problem, to the solution of which 1t sum-
moned the patriotism and intelligence of the
country, was not what punishment was due
the rebcllious, or what magnanimity should be
exercised by the victOrs; nor whether the
rcpcntant should be forgiven and the stubborn
prescribed; but simply what was the best pol
icy for reGstablishing sound, strong and
united government. If it has claim for
gratitude it is not upon a section which cir
cumsfances made it seem to especially be-
friend but upon all the people who do now,
or shall hereafter, enjoy the benefits of this
Government.


And now that the Southern States have been
freed from Federal interference, and are in the
endowment of equal rights with all the States,
THE TRIBUNE weighs the conduct OF their
leaders and statesmen with the same cold
impartalty and justice. 1t says to them, for
the Republican party and the North, "There
4" YOU are now, gentlemen, free from Federal re-


"straint, relieved of all disabilities now what
I" do YOU propose to dOT And 1t isn't un-
handsome or unkind or unchartable to re-
member what they aspired to do once and
failed; and to consider their conduct some
what narrowly now to discover whether they
intend to try it again. 1t is only common
sense and common prudence. We did not ask
or expect them to express repentance or regret
when they returned to the Union after their
failure They have never done it. We
should hardly have trusted them if they
had. They have come back, for the
most part unchanged in spirit, if not in pur-
pose. The TRIBUNE does not Judge them
harshy or mnjustly when it says these men
are extremely liable to undertake again the
experiment they failed in before. 1t is only
human nature that they should. We say