The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-06-05
Horace Greeley Defies the New
York Union League

in the Tribune and World of Thursday, a
letter or proclamation to and in defiance
of the New York evening League, from
which we mako some extracts.
BY THESE pnEsEaTs, GREETING;
To Messrs. George W. Blunt, John A.
Kennedy, and forty others, members Of
the Union League Club:
Gentlemon-I was favored, on the 10th
instant, by an official note from our ever
courteous President, John Jay, notifying
me that u requisilion had been presented
to him for "a special meeting OF the club,
at nearly day, for the purpose of taking
into consideration the conduct OF Horace
Greeley, member of the club, who has
become bondsman for Jefferson Davis,
late chiefofficer of the Rebel Government"
[Mr. Greeley then quotes from the
Tribune to show that from the day of
General Lees surrender, t. the day of the
assassination of Lincoln, he had advocated
clefnency and forgiveness towards the "ex-
rebels. u aThat appalling calamity" he
goes on to say, "seemed in an instant to
curdle all the milk OF human kindness in
twenty millions of American breasts. At
once, insidions efforts were set on foot to
turn the fury thus engendered against
me, because Of my pertinacious advocacy
of mercy to the vanquished. CHANGING to
enter the clubhouse the next Saturday
evening, ! received a full broadside of
your scows, Gre we listened to clerical
harangue intended to prove that Mr.. Lin
coin had been providentially removed be-
cause of his notorious leanings towards
cemency. in order to make way for a sue
cessor who would give the rebels full
measure of stern justice. / was soon
made to comprehend that had no SYM
pathizers-or none who dared seem such
lin your crowded assembage. And
some maladroit admirer having a few
DAYS aftcrward made the club a present
of my portrait, its bare reception was re-
sisted in speech from the chair by your
then president-a speech whose vigorous
inveclivc was justified solely by my plead
ings for Ienity to the rebels.
At once howl Of derision and rage was
sent up from every side against me by the
little creatures whom God, for some in
scrutable purpose, permits to edit ma
iority of our minor Journals, echoed by
yell of "Stop my paper" from thousands
of mperlectly instructed readers OF the
Tribune. One impudent puppy wrote me
to answer categorically whether was or
was not 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 could be induced to write what they
needed TO be told.
Gentlemen, l shall not attend your
meeting this evening. | have an engage
ment out Of town, and shall keep 1t. d"
not recognize you as capable of judy ing
or even fully experimenting ne. You
evidently regard me as Il weak sentiment
talist, misled by mauldlin philosophy.
| arragn you as narrow minded block
heads, who would like 10 be useful to II
great and good cause. but don't know
how. Your attempt to base great. en-
during party on the hate and wrath ne.
cessarily engendered by a bloody civil
war is rs though you should plant ~ colo
ny ON an iceberg which bad somehow
drifted into tropical ocean. tell you
here that, out of life earnestly devoted
to the good of human kind, your children
will select my going to Richmond and
Esirning that bail.bond as the wisest act,
and will reel that it did moro for freedom
and humanity than all of you were COM
petcnt to do, though you had lived to the
age of Methuselab.
l ask nothing of you, then, but that
you proceed to your end by direct,
frank. manly way. Don't sidlc off into a
mild resolution of censrrs, but move The
expulsion which you purposed, and which
| deserve, if deserve amy reproach what
ever. All care for is, that you make
this square, stand-up fight, and record
your Judgment by yeas and nays. | care
not how many vote with me, nor how
many vote against me; for / know that
the latter will repent it in dust and ashes
before thrco years have passed. Under
stand, once for all, that l dare you and
defy you, and that ] propose TO fight it
out on the line that have held from the
day Of Lees surrender.
l give you fair notice that shall urge
the re-enfranchisement Of those now pro-
scribed for rebellion so soon as shall feel
confident that this course is consistent
with the freedom of the blacks and the
union of the republic, and that ! shall de-
rand recall of all now in exile only for
participating in the rebellion, whenever
the country shall have been so thoroughly
paci6ed that it's safety will not thereby
be endangered And 80. gentlemen.
hoping that you will henceforth compre-
hend me somewhat better than yon have
done. | remain, HORACE GREELEY.
New York, May %, 1867.
= During the trial of a suit in West