The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-11 00:00:00

Horace Greeley.

h ORACE GREELEY has raised a storm of indig-
nation in becoming security for JEFFERSON DAvis•
The act for which he is so bitterly attacked
is little
in keeping with what he said, wrote, and did within
the last six years. The strong point of the Nov
York Tribune was the immorality, not only of the
cause for which the Southern leaders contended, but
of their deeds in upholding the unjustifiable position.
Mr. GREELEY is responsible for the opinions of the
Tribune, and the Tribune has lost no opportunity of
denouncing the high crimes and misdemeaeourg,
of the governing clique directed by Mr. Davis.
the Tribune was right, it was no mere political dif-
ference that divided the champions of the Northern
and Southern cause. Not only did Mr. GREELEY
hold that Mr. DAVIS fought for an unrighteous cod,
but that he used iniquitous means to accomplish his
object. It was not a mere honest difference of
opinion that separated them, but principles of
action calculated to sever for ever those who
truly believed the denunciations they lost no Op-
portunity of uttering. The world would suppose
that Mr. GREELEY was prompted by the wish to
soothe political asperities, to furnish a striking in-
stance of forgiveness and reconciliation. But Air'
GREELEY'S main reasons, as given by himself, are
that JEFFERSON DAVIS could not have been con'
victed in Virginia without packing a jury, and, that
the prisoner's counsel desired him to become one ef
the bondsmen. The first is an assertion, which, if
even true, had nothing to do with Mr. GREELEY;
the other, ridiculous in its absurdity. It is 13°
wonder that public opinion should run strongly
against a curious proceeding, defended on ne
better grounds. When JOHN MINOR BOTTS was
pulled up by a friend for his part in this transaction,
he answered " that he would not permit dictation
in such matters," and he had a right, while al-
lowing others to judge of his conduct, to refuse a
reply to their animadversions. Had he simply eon"
fined himself to this, he would have said all that
was necessary ; and though his reasons, which we
here detail, are better than Mr. GREELEY'S, it
would have been wiser to have adhered to his right
of private judgment, without admitting the neces:
sity of justification. First, he thought it would
" have a harmonising influence ; second, he cow
sidered that Mr. DAVIS had been kept in prise°,
long enough without trial ; third, Mr. JOHNSON had
imprisoned him, and he wanted to exercise " mag-
nanimity ;" and lastly, he thought the Republican
party interests demanded the step."
Mr. GREELEY has, however, undertaken to en-
lighten and direct Northern opinion, and he cane,
complain if he has succeeded so well that the senti-
ment he has mainly helped to ferm, ends by ow
demning himself. According to the Tribune, gr:
DAVIS has been guilty of upholding an unrighteous
°
cause by unrighteous means—of endeavouring t
gain base and selfish ends without regard to the in;
jury inflicted on others—of wasting the blood and
treasure of the nation—of vilifying his countrr;
and of doing all this, by acts so grossly immoral
that no honest man, under any possible circuit,
stances, could have adopted them. These are the
doctrines expounded by the Tribune, for which Mr'
GREELEY is responsible, and the people -are not 3,
little shocked in judging of the faith Mr. GREII-E1
seems to have reposed in his own declaration!,
when he is seen thrusting his name where . °
was not required, as a bondsman for the prig;
cipal culprit. That the cause for which
fought and STONEWALL JACKSON died, should o'
denounced in these terms may be unfair, Ist
HORACE GREELEY, more than any other maul i
the author of such denunciation. Does be nt;
tend this act as a recantation, or has he been
merely seeking additional notoriety ? His CO11:
duct in this instance has been condemned by
an open vote of censure of the Union League
Club, a body composed of the most Pre-,
minent, the most upright, and the most talented
men of the United States. We have not seen gr'
GIEELEI's explanation, which we may get before
we go to press, but we cannot help thinking that
did really hope that he was offering the olive
branch and pouring oil on the troubled waters ; and
,
if so, however inconsistent his conduct, woula
be slow to condemn him.—ilny/o-American Times.