His apologies and his probable future writings are a net plus on the side of the RKBA, a big plus if that one faux pas article is the sum total of the "damage" done. It's not like he had spent a career trashing RKBA and then did a turnaround. He voiced an assumption of a purist who was sour on the thought of people using improper tools for the craft he loves and as a purist he didn't see any other use for those tools. It was like the thought of someone using a fine skeet gun as an entrenching tool. His problem article brought a ton of education down on him and he did not reject it. He took it in and opened his eyes. That is not to deny that the impending loss of livelihood may have triggered his successful re-education. Paraphrased -the prospect of being hung in the morning concentrates the mind wonderfully from a quote whose author I do not recall.
He used to earn a little extra money by ghost writing for various people. IIRC, a minister named Dodd got himself convicted of a capital offense (theft?) and was sentenced to be hanged despite all efforts to obtain a pardon.
In due course his "last goodnight" was published, and somebody noticed that his style had improved a great deal from his previously published sermons. Some of Dr. Sam's acquaintance taxed him with having "ghosted" the good reverend's final speech (which of course he had), and he responded, "When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully."
. . . just happen to know this because I am re-reading Mr. Boswell's outstanding biography of Dr. Johnson, and the Dodd episode went by a couple of chapters ago.
If you have not read this book, do. It's a landmark in biographies, one of the first of the genre, and it's very well written and entertaining. What's more, you don't need to read it in great gulps, you can dip into it anywhere and enjoy yourself (I keep it by my bedside for that reason.)