The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-23

nafoila OF the wreck Oh Jut Odu lldBO u6 CuDd
Proceedings of the Protestant Episcopal Con-
vention, African NJ. E. Conference, etc.
--@--
MIR. Greeley and the New York Union
League Club.
Mr.. GREELEY has returned q very appropriate
answer to an impudent summons from the
''New York Union League Club" to appear
before it and explain why he went bail for
JEFF. Davis. 1t will be found in full on our
first page. The Club will come off second best
in this contest, for it is not only stepping out
side of it's proper province of action, but it is
also attacking an antagonist who has the pub
lie ear, and who, despite the outburst of cheap
indignation which his personal enemies are
just now indulging in, has the confidence of
the great mass of men of all parties. Mr..
Greeley's going bail for Jeff. Davis was not
political act, and the "Club" had no more
right to inquire into it than it would have to
ask him what kind of bread he eats for break
fast. The "Union League Club of New York;
will find that Mr. Greeley can get along with
out it much easier than the Club can without
him. Its course is foolish and reprehensible
to the last degree.
We confess we have no sort of sympathy
with the hullabaloo that has been raised over
Mr.. Greeley's course in this matter. The
Government has had two years in which to
prepare for jeff. Davis trial, when it did not
need two days. 1t is as well prepared to try
him to-day as it ever will be. There is no
good reason why the trial should not go on.
There is no question of fact to be settled by it,.
Everybody knows the facts in the case, and
his conviction or acquittal would not change
the public knowledge of those facts in the least.
Why, then, has the Government refused to try
this man? AS long as he was held prisoner,
asking vainly to be tried, he became quasi
martyr. He ard his friends could constantly
point to the direct and palpable violation of
the Constitution, which says that Gin all
criminal prosecutions the accused shall enjoy
the right to speedy and public trial." etc.
Instead of standing before the country as a
great criminal, he was fast becoming a popular
martyr to continued breach of the organic
aaw. Nothing could have had worse effect
than to keep him in that position. The
proper way was to have tried him long ago.
AT the time of his original arrest, he might
have been tried by military commission,
and the public would have sanctioned it: but
not now. But if the Government was not
going to try him-if the only alternative was
between his longer Imprisonment without trial
and his release on bail, we say that it was far
better to admit him to bail. And, in this view
OF the case if Horace Greeley thought fit to 90
upon the bailbond, it was his own business
with which no political "Club'' has anv Ficbt
to interfere.
Mr.. Greeley is consistent. From the dav Of
the overthrow of the Rebellion, he has main
tanned the doctrine of unlimited clemencv
towards those who took part in it. At the
same time, he has advocated the fullest en-
forcement of the great principles of freedom
which trlumphed in the war; while very manu-
OF those who are now barking at his heals
have tried by all possible means to rainst o+o
the Rebels in full political power in the Trnio,,
MIR. Greedy shows that in all his lono NOV
fare against the South he has acted onIv fro,,
the inspiration of great principles. Malgnei
by the Southerners as no other public ma,
of our day, not even Phillips or Garrison ba
been, he has borne away from the contest n
shade of personal bitterness-or resentment
The triumph of the principles for which h
has fought lifelong battle is all that he ask.
We confess that we despise most hearth
those arrant hypocrites, like the Weeds an
the Raymonds, who, turning aside from the
persistent efforts to reinstate the Rebels
political power at the expense of the ver
principles which formed the basis of the grei
contest on the loyal side, now seek to make
little capital against Mr.. Greeley for acting i
perfect consistency with the views he hs
always maintained. These men, while shoutin
about JEFF. Davis, would put the country unde
the feet of Rebel principles and Rebel policy
Mr.. Greeley would dismiss JEFF. Davis to il
evitable obscurity, but would establish til
principles of freedom and equality, which mad
our triumph over the Rebellion worth an,
thing, upon an immovable and everlastir
foundation. Mr.. Greeley will live in I'll
affections of tens of thousands when the'
maligners of his will have been utterly 70
gotten. Despite all his eccentricities, no ms
of the present day has labored more effectivel
and, we believe, more unselfshly, for IL
good Of humanity than Horace 6reeley'