Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-08-01
SaiIg gaploeal,
rnrcr E,sou ,.urELFv.

A vOlCE FROM GREELEY.
The following card from Greeley, Of the New
York Tribune, appears in late issue in thai
paper. If seems that he is " backing down ,
before the indignation Of his party which il
being manifested at hisrecent course:
An individuals grlegs OF wrongs may be Of
little account TO others, but when the gravest
public interests are imperilied through persona
attacks and the coarsest imputations of basr
motives, the assailed, however humble, owes
duties to others which cannot be disTegaTded.
I propose here to refute months Of persistent
and euvenomsd defamation by the statement OF
a few facts.
AN charged with having opposed the selec-
ton Of Gov. Seward for place in President
Lincoll's cabinet. That is utterly, absolutely
false, The president himself being my witness.
/ might cali others, but one such is sufficient.
an charged with what is called cop 7osjng
the Administrations because Of that selection,
and various paragraphs which have from time
TO tiua appeared in the ITibgBs are quoted
to sustain this incnlpstion. The simple fact
that not oUe of those paragraphs was either
written or in any wise suggested or prompted
bY me, sgfices for that charge. Il IS time-I
have no desire TO conceal or beiiitle it-that
Ply ideas as to the general conduct OF the war
for he Union are those repeatedly expressed
by myself and others through the Tribune. and
Of course srs not those on which the conduct
% hat war has been bassA L is true that
bold aid have urged that his war canIGt,
must not, b. a lcng ons-tbs t~i@-nRs' be z =
tcUted Vgili tile l.sac1s srss7. aaPtszE -
vigoT, CT it will prove faiiuTe-that eTEIy
weeks flying Of the secession fzE dChsEtiy
within a day IS walk of Washington renders he
suppression Of tie revolt more difficult if not
doub, ful. L is true that thiEk a government
that begins the work ef putting down rebel
lion By forming "camPs Of insJuctieD,o or
anything Of that sort, is lisely to make very
long Job Of it.
It IS true that I think our obvious policy,
under The Circumstances, would have been to
be courteous snd ioHg-sufirTiug toward foreign
powers bnt Fes0late and ready in our dealings
with armed rebels; and it seems to ne that
the opposite course has been taken. But The
watchwoTd Forward 20 Richmoad!' - is not
mine, nor anV hing Of like import. I wish 10
evs5e no responsibility, but 10 rsPsi a personal
dispersion. So with regard 70 tie late article
urging a change ia the cabinet. While know
that sCme Of the best material in the country
enters iuto the composition Of that cabinet, /
Yet feel tb at charges might be made therein
with advantage 10 the public service. Yet |
did not write, and I lid not intend TO have pub
ljshed, the article calling for a change Of cabi-
= =
beEsiOn. I EhTurk fr0tn printing it in part be-
csase aDv good efiec- it might have was likely
70 be neutraiized bv the very course which b2s
been taken-that Of assailiDg me as lis sup
posed author.
[ have 20 desire in the premises but that
what is best for the country shall be done. IL
the public judge that this great end-an ener-
E=tic and successful prosecution Of The war
Will be most surely subseryed BY retaining the
g fa 4 n hat
The end being secured, the means are TO me
utterly ind different.
I wish 10 be distinctly understood as not
seeking to be relieved from any responsibility
for urging the advance Of the Union grand ar
nv into Virginia, though the precise phrase
forward to Richmondr' is not mine, and ]
would have preferred not to itera'e if. /
thought that that army, ore hundred thousand
strong, might have been in the rebel "a pitRl on
or before the 20lh inst, while | felt that there
we're urgent reasons why it should be there If
possible. And now, IL any one imsgines that
J, or any one connected with the IrlbaHc ever
commanded or ina gined any such strategy as
the uncbing of barely thirty thous3nd Of ihe
one hundred thousand Union volunteers within
fifty miirs Of Washington against ninety thou
sand rebels snveloped in a labyrinth Of strong
entertainments and uuTecoiRnojtered masked
batteries, thea demonstrSti9n wouit Be lost on
his closed ear. But ! will not dwell on this.
II / an needed as scapegost for all the
militsry biuBdeTs of the last month, 50 be if
Individuals must die that the nation may live.
II I can serve her best in that capacity, do
not shrink from the ordeal.
Hencefor5b, Ibsr an criticism in these col
INNS on aFFsY movements, psst or future, VA
less somebody should undertake to prove that
Gen. Patterson is d wise and brave command
er. He seems to have none to speak bis praise;
so if there ia anything to be said IN bis behalf,
] viii make an exception in his favor. O.her
than this, the subject is closed and sealed.
Cores spOnteBts and reporters nav state facts,
bot mast forbear comments. I know that
there is truth that yet needs be uttered on this
subject, butthis paper has done ice full share
al that Il onght, and perhaps more than is
cculd ford to do-and henceforth stands back
for others. O3ly beg TO be understood, once
for aiB, that IL less than half the union armies
directly az hand are hurled against al tie rebel
forces that could be concentrated-mors than
double their numbeT-Un ground chosen and
strongly fortified by the traitors, the Tribuse
does not approve ard should not be held re-
spoUsbIe for euch madness. Say what you
will of The past, but remember this FOR the fu-
ture, though we keep silence.
HeucefoTth, It shall Re the TTibuHe's sole vo-
cation TO rouse and animate the American peo-
pie fer the terrible ordeal which has befallen
them. The gFeat-FePUbIic imminently needs
the utmost eHerGcLs OF every loyal heart and
hand We have tried 10 serve ber BY exposing
breakers ahead and around her; henceforth, be
it ours 20 strengthen, in ~ possible ways, the
hands OF those whose unenviable duty it is TO
pilot Der through them. II more good is thus
20 be done, let us not repine that some truth
must be withheld fer calmer moment, and
for less troubled ears.
The Journal which is made the conduit Of the
most violent Of these personal assaults on me,
attributes the course If the Tribune 10 resent
meHt "sgaiUst those who have ever committed
The incapable ofsnss Of thYarting Mr. Gree
ley's raging and unsstiated thirst for Office"
EfI think this ju,tihes me in saying that there
is 10 Office in the gin of the government or Of
the people, which / either hope, wish OF eX-
psct, ever 70 hold. certainly shall not parade
myself as declining places that are not offered
for nv acceptance; bat | am sure the presi-
dent has always knowH that desired no Office
at his hands and this not through any viola
ton of my nlie above stated, bat through the
report or mutual and influential friends, whc
at various times volunteered to ask ne If
would Ia Ike any place whatever under the gov.
ernmenf, and were uniformly and concluslvely
assured bat would nst.
Nov et the wolves howl on I do not be.
Heve thev can g03d ne into another persona
notice Of their rawlings.
HORACE GREELEY.
JULY q, 1861.