The Van Buren press., 1867-07-05
A Loyal League Laid Out.
LITTER PROM HORACE GREELEY.

Evidently the cnrs annoy him by theil
barking, but they get handsome spank
ing for it: ..
by THESE PRESENTS GREETING
To Messrs. George w. Blunt, John A.
Kennedy, John o. Stone, Stephen
Hyatt, and thirty others, members oI
the Union League Clnb.
GENTLEMEN: was favored on the 10th
inst, by an official note from our cvel
courteous President, John Jay, notifying
me that a requisition had been presented
to himfipr "a special meeting Of tn,
Club atan early day for the purpose O
taking into consideration the conduct D
Horace Greeley, a member of the Club
who has become bondsman for Jeifer
son Davis, late chief officer Of the rebe
government" Mr.. Jay continues:
"As | have reason to believe that the
signers, or some Of them, disapproye OF
the conduct which they propose the Club
shall consider, it is clearly due, both to
the Club and to yourself, that you should
have the opportunity of being heard on
the subject; beg, therefore. to ask on
what evening it will be convenient for
you that call the meeting.' etc, etc. 4.
In my prompt reply, l requested the
President to give you reasonable time for
reflection, but assured him that | wanted
none since / should not attend the meet
ing, nor ask any friend to do SO, and
should make no defence, nor offer aught
in the way of self vindication. am sure
my friends in the Club will not construe
this as implying disrespect; but it is not
my habit to take part in any discussions
which may arise among other gentlemen
as to my fitness to enjoy their society,"
That is their affair altogether, and to
them ! leave it.
The single point whereon have any
occasion or wish to address you, is your
virtual implication that there is some
thing novel, unexpected, astounding, in
my conduct in the matter, suggested by
them as the basis of their action. Ichoose
not to rest under this assumption, but to
prove that you, being persons of ordina-
ry intelligence, must know better. On
this point, l cite to you scrutiny of the
record
The surrender Of General Lee was
made known in this city at IL D. M, of
Sunday, April 9, 1865, and fitly announc-
ed in the Tribune Of next morning, April
10. On that pery day l wrote, and mex,
morning printed in these columns, "a leader
entitled "Magnanimity in Triumph"
wherein said:
Here follows extracts from several
editorials from the pen of II. G., recon-
mending that there should be general
amnesty and no confiscation. After
quoting from an editorial Of April 18th,
he continues
The evening Of that day witnessed that
most appalling calamity, the murder ol
President Lincoln, which seemed in an
instant to curdle all the milk of human
kindness in twenty millions of American
breasts. AT once, insidious efforts were
set on foot to turn the fury thus engen-
dered against me, because Of my pertina
cious advocacy of mercy to the vanquish-
ed. CHANGING to enter the club bhorse
the next Saturday evening, l received
a full broadside of your scowls, ere We
listened to a clerical harangue intended
to prove that Mr.. Lincoln had been prov.
identially removed because of his notori.
Gus leanings towards clemency, in order
to make way for successor who would
give the rebels full measure of sterr
justice. was soon made to compre
hend that | had no sympathizers-ol
none who dared seem such--in YOU
crowded assemblage
And some maladroit admirer having, 9
fews days afterward, made the club {
present ofmy portrait, its bare reception
was resisted in a speech from the chair by
your then PRESIDENT speech whose
vigorous invective was justified solely by
my pleadings for lenity to the rebels.
at once a concerted howl of denunca
ton and rage was sent up from every side
against me by the little creatures whom
God, for some inscrutable purpose, per.
mits to edit majority of our minor
journals, echoed by a yell Of" Stop my
paperl' from thousands Of imperfectly
instructed readers of the Tribune. One
impudent puppy wrote me to answer
categorically whether / was or was moi
in favor of hanging JEFF. Davis, adding
that must stop his paper if / were not
Scores volunteered assurances that
was defying public opinion--that most Of
my readers were against meas if Icoult
be induced to write what they wished
rather than what they needed to be told
| never before realized so vividly tht
bascness of the editorial vocation accord
ing to the vulgar conception of it. Tn,
din raised about my ears now, is nothing
to that ! then endured and despiscd.
am humiliated by the reflection that it i,
Cor was) in the power Of such insects tc
annoy me, even by pretending to discove
with surprise something that / have fol
years been publicly, emphatically pro
claiming.
Upon the Republicans having, by des
! pcratc effort, handsomely carried on