The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-07
Letters TO III, G..

Letters to II. g.
From the World
There seems to be a perfect mania on the part
of some Southerners to write letters to Horace
Greeley, as if that modest philosopher had not
explained himself very often, or as if he were
accessible TO an argument or capable of con-
clusion. If they could only understand his for
mula they might save themselves and him a
good deal of trouble. All the lucubrations of
the Tribune may be easily summed up in a few
words:-Major, Horace Greeley; minor, Horace
Greeley; conclusion, Horace Greeley, to which
he properly adds, with consciousness of tri-
umph, q. E. ID. We defy any human being, after
sitting down anything which the white-coated
philosopher has written, to come to any other
residuum. Let us take his last to Governor
Perry. and you see at once that his mind is as
slack-twisted as his frame, and that his logic is
as shaED bling as his gait.
Before the war, at least, there were four
millions of human beings in the Southern
States who we're no more citizens nor parts of
the people than the Gladialors were citizens of
Rome, or the HelOts citizens OF Sparta Since
the war, they do moi occupy any other position
tCVards the States or the Union than they did
helore. They are no part of the people, and
they cannot be made such without an amend
ment OF the Constitution. Such is the law as
settled by the history of the United States and
the decisions of the Supreme Court.
Now, when this proposition is presented to H.
G. as basis OF are ument, how does he meet it?
With-HOrace Greeley.
Again: South Carolina asserted the right of
secession. II. G. was rather clear that she had
the right She exercised it, Now, one thing is
perfectly certain that, ii she had the right and
offered 10 pay her share of debt and purchase
all the property OF the Union within her boun-
daries, she did everything that was right fair
and honorable and that denying the right and
maintaining an armed force within her limits in
forts commanding her waters, was unjust and a
n ftHar
If she had not the right of secession, then she
was the aggressor.
Now, how does H. G. address himself to this
proposition?
In the first place, he denies that the people
seeded, because the blacks had nothing to say
about it. They had nothing to say about
the secession from Great Britain IN l776,
just as they helped the Union army To such
statement we get-dlluted in many words-only
Horace Greeley.
But again H. G. insists that the people of the
States were not in favor of secession, and would
like to have had a popular vote on the ordi-
nances What are we to conclude from such an
assertion? Why, naturally, if there had been a
popular majority, that secession was right. Is
that what the Tribune means? OF course not
1t has denounced Copperheads and Rebels too
virulently for that. Why, then, bring that for
ward? Because it was the duty of the inhabi-
tants OF the Southern States not only to satisfy
themselves but TO satisfy II. G. OF the wide ditfu-
sion and strength of their convictions. This
stupid nOnSeguatur has been repeated so often IN
the tribune that it would seem as if a sense of
the drearlness OF its nonsense must have pene-
trated any brain; but when a man, instead of
looking out at the world, looks In at H. g., he
chews the cud and brings and returns the same
mashcated morsel from the stomach to the
mouth.
The "tag" of the letter is peculiarly Greeley
ish and not at all Horatian.
when before did the victors in so mighty a
struggle say to the vanquished, Let us hence
forth be equals?" ... ......
We never heard that Governor Perry or any
other man sought to be more than the equal
4 OF Mr. Greeley, but Mr.. Greeley has for many
years struggled to make an inequality between
himself and Governor Perry, and has succeeded.
! 1t has cost good deal OF blood and money to
produce the inequality, but the thing is done.
We have bought for Mr.. Greeley the right to
extort from Governor Perry, not an admis ion
OF Mr. Greeley's equality, which was not denied
but OF his own inequality. What Mr. Greeley
thinks equality, is that Governor Perry shall
not only agree that Mr. Greeley is his equal
but that somebody else whom Mr. Greeley
chooses to have mis- equal shall be so too
Any person of decent intelligence perceives that
such a proposition involves the inferiority OF
Governor Perry and the superiority of II. G. {;
that 1t carries with 1t mastership on one side
and subjugation on the Others but the Tribune
has an effective answer-Horace Greeley.
Mohammec, sword in hand said to the tribes
of Arabia:-" "Mohammedsm or eXtermination 4"
The tribes fought and were beaten. Tnose
not killed became Mussulmans. ''The victor in
the mighty conflict said to the vapqushed, Let
us henceforth be equals'n Ii. G. would proba.
bly,, II made to undergo circumcision to spit on
the cross, and to take care of four wives, have
some little doubts as to the Justice and magma
henceiorth be equals" but nothing short of such
a surgical operation and such an increase of
domestic duties could ever put into his head the
ordinary notions OF Englishmen and Americans
M NalH