Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-09-08

THuRLow WEED AND HORACE GREELEY -
c. 4. Dana, late Assistant Secretary Of ar,
now editor Of the Chicago Republican. gives
his opinion OF the two New York politicians
who are now IN a cat and dog fight before
the public, as follows Mr. Dana is severe
on both Of them but he knows one CT them
certainly, well, for be was Mr.. Greeley'= as
sociate on the Tribune for years. and he
| doubtless tells the truth of both. He SAYS
The fact will hardly be questioned that. dur
ing the last fifteen years, the legislation Of New
! York has become notorious for its corruption;-
/ that Mr. Weed has exercised over it an author
ity contested and assailed indeed, but still re-
naming in his hands; that his immediate friends
I have been the parties most deeply interested in
corrupt grants and discreditable projects At Al
I bany: that he has steadily defended them and
their schemes; and that, from poor man, he
has become a very rich one FIR m all these facts.
the inference seems irresistible that he is more
responsible than any other individual for the
corruption of public virtue in New York; and
it is this belief which has raised what would
else have been mere personal controversy into
the proportions Of question Of national concern.
If it is public calamity that a man like Mr..
Weed should have turned his back upon his own
earlier career and have lent himself TO sap the
very foundations Of the republic, for the sake Of
pelf, the record respecting Mr.. Greeley, though
not ore Of degradation from avarice and public
corruption, is almost equally lsmentsble- There
is no doubt that Mr.. Greeley was secessionist
at the beginning of the war. and remained
secessionisi all through II. With timidity and
debility amounting to cowardice, ard that most
his convictioLs when he spasmodlcally support
ed the government in lis efforts 10 crush the re
bellon falling IN with every prepOsterous
scheme that fools ike Colorado Jewett and
scoundrels like Jacob Thompson devised IN the
interest Of the rebels /; proposing now the inter
vention Of Switzerland and now that Of Louis
Napoleon as the means Of settling the war; con-
sorting with Fernando Wood and the most trea-
sonable copperheads, hating Mr.. Lincoln and
abusing Mr.. Stanton, because they objected TO
his absurd notions, such as that the rebels
should be bought of with four hundred millions,
and because they persisted IN their duty IN spite
Of him; it is imposs ble to find a more deplor-
able catalogue Of unpatriotic, useless, and dis
creditable vagaries, than his during these four
years. Nothing but his great talents and The
confidence Of the people in his former sincerity
in beh If Of the right, have prevented him from
becoming an object Of general contempt. Meth
er c&n any longer be called leader Of the
people. TIE conservative wing Of the party
does not confde in Mr.. Weed, nor the radical
wing in Mr.. Greeley. The lack Of patriotism OF
the one is distrusted quite as deeply as the cor
rupt tendencies of the other, though Of the two
the latter we regard rs at present infinitely more
dangerous to the public welfare But it Is time
that their personal polemics should come to an
end This long round OF mutual recrimination
in which they indulge every few months Is about
as improbable and tiresOme as the objuraiions
of old women in the market places. Let them
try and have it all out now, so that they will
never need to speak of each other again