The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-05-05
Horace Greeley and Northern Michigan--
Again.

A1OIoCC OEcclcy anu " VI tntAa <AAChAB@A~~I
Again.
The Editor of the New York zri-
5une, it seems, has declined publishing
our comments on that portion of his
Michigan Letter which represented the
Northern half of our State as ''cold and
in good part uninviting to the cultiva-
tor, being diversified with vast swamps,
by sterile gravelly knolls, and by dense
forests of but moderately valuable and
not yet readily accessible timber, SO
that its settlement is likely to be slow,
and its population sparse for genera
tions," Notwithstanding his private
assurance to us that he would do so, or
publish one of the dozen or more letters
that he had received on the same sub
ject. After a month of profound 81
lence, he has condescended to allude to
the subject in an editorial article which
is discreditable to his high reputation
as a man, and which will not enhance
that of the Tribune for candor and fair
dealing. Because some Surveyor,
Whose name is modestly kept in the
back-ground,) told Mr.. Greeley some
hard stories, years ago, about Northern
Michigan, just as the old Surveyors at
an earlier day mi represented the
Southern part of the State, he persis-
tently adheres to his opinion expressed
in that Letter, and bluntly discredits
all counter statements, in this fashion:
''This account of the north end of the
Peninsula was given us years ago by
citizen of Michigan of high character
who had personally traverscd it month
after month, and whose means of know
ing it thoroughly were at least equal to
those of any other person. Having no
imaginable motive for misstatement,
we did not suspect, and do not now
believe, that he made any; though our
impression thence derived may have
given to this steril, uninviting region a
greater extent than it actually covers.
Still, We never supposed, and did not
intend to state, that there was no good
land in even the EXTREMIST north end
of Michigan, but that, as whole, that
section was far less genial and inviting
to cultivators than the southern portion
of the State, and the corresponding
districts west and south of it. Such;,
we have no doubt, is the fact; census
would suffice to prove it. When, there
fore, we are told that Grand Traverse
or Gratiot, or some other County north
of Genessee or Kent, contains thous-'
ands of acres of fertile soil, we reply
that we never doubted it, but that the
general character of the most northerly
portion of the Peninsula is such as we
have stated. If it is not, we will thank
some one who knows it intimately and
thoroughly to write us letter setting
forth the facts, which we shall be glad:
to publish"
Now we have resided in Alichigan
twenty-one years, and have probably
seen as much of it as this ''citizen of
high character who traversed it month
after month";" and who probably did
the most of his surveying in camp, as.
was tRe custom in those days; and we
know that his representations to Mr..
Greeley were .fakse. "The general
character of the most northerly portion
of the Lower Peninsula is not at alF
what the Tribune represents it to be,
and the reiteration of his libel upon
one Of the very best portions of the
State, savors more of malice or mulish-
ness than good sense, and we know
that he possesses the latter, generally.
If Mr.. Greeley is disposed to be fair
and straightforward in the matter, and
give this much abused portion of the
State hearing, why does he not pub
lish the facts already before him instead
Of asking for more? He has enough
n w to refute all that he has said against
Northern Michigan.
He concludes his article with this;
appalling announcement:
eve are not likely to, repeat soon
our attempt to write an account of
Michigan intended to expediate her
settlement, having had so poor success
apparently in our late effort, but we
shall certainly at no time say anything
intended to do her injury"
Well, Michigan will make desperate
effort to survive, since he pledges him
self to say no more against her! But
will he repair the injury he has already
done? Michigan has poured into the
Golfers Of the Tribune probably not
less than one hundred thousand dollars;
Northern Michigan paying her full pro-;
portion, and has received in return
three-column letter from the Editor
containing a gross libel upon one-haIf
of the State, which be refuses to retract.
Perhaps Northern Michigan will con-
tinuc to swell those Golfers and increase
the power Of the Tribune to maIign
her, and perhaps not Grand Huvc,s
Herald.
f4 Ffom The LsuisviIk Joulh11