The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-01-13
sIr. Greeley's Reply to Beast But.


! The viii of Beast Butler Is the law o
the Radical party. With the popular
branch of Congress (Which overshadow
and controls the other) at his back, anC
yielding implicit obedience to his DEGREES
he is stronger than the President. We
have therefore closely observed his eourse
to ascertain the progress towards the Uni
versal Amnesty which was promised the
| people of our State In the event of the
success of the Radicals. We have found
nothing to encourage the hope that the
pledge will be redeemed. The Beast is
implacable. He has been busy since
Congress met, fnding pretexts for that
body to go back on its pledges ON that
matter of reconstruction, and to furnish
occasion for gratifying his grudge against
the Southern people who hate him for his
meanness and cowardice. And yet this
man, above all others, is the recognized
and accredited mouth-piece of the nation
al organization of the Radical party. We
have lately published the gist of his re-
cent letter to Mr.. Greeley of the n. Y.
Tribune, in support of his policy of ven
geance; and We have now before us the
reply of the latter from which we will
quote below the points of greatest inter
est:
LITTLE REMINDER.
VII. A few words concerniI repentance.
which you think should precede en- franchise
ment. / shall not offend you by abiding to
the fact that you were till 1861 pro-slavery
Observation-Disclosures, sincerely so. At
length, great crisis, gleat national peril,
constrained you to cut loose from the party
with which you had so long and so efficient
ly acted, and seek the public good through
other associations. / am sure that some
things wear different aspect in your eyes
from that they wore ten or twenty years
ago; it would be strange, indeed. if they
did not. But suppose those with whom you
have acted since 1861 had met you at the
Threshold with the enquiry, do you re-
pent of having hitherto been Democratic"
L am sure you would have regarded the
query as an untimely impertinence- and re-
piled, Judge me by my acts. If L have
been dishonest and insincere hitherto, it is
not probable that L am now truthful and
patriotic. On the other hand, if have thus
far in good faith acted up to the light youch
safed me, shall probably do so hereafter"
AT all events, this seems to me the spirit OF
a true mans answer. So that my compat-
riot does right to day and purposes to do
right tome rrow, do not wish him to for
swear his self-respect by humiliating con-
LESSONS and abjurations with regard to |
what he thought right yesterday.
SMALLER MAJORITY THAN LAST YEAR.
| think you will not, on reflection, insist |
that your view prevails outside OF the Re |
publican party or outside of our own coun- !
MI a PG
that it has absolutely no champions save |
among those to whose passions it appeals, |
whose personal grievances it proposes (after |
a faShion) to redress. Grant that our pOlit- |
zeal adversaries, whether here or abroad, are |
partial jud7es, you must have read the stir
ring appeal of Victor Hugo to Juarez, i'm !
ploring him to spare the life of Macmillan, |
and must have discerned therein the voice |
of European Democracy, entreating us not |
to stain our great triumph with one drop of /
blood not inevitably shed in battle. / have /
heard no expression of opinion from a Eu-
ropean Liberal adverse to this; / think you /
have heard none. On the contrary, our /
friends across the Atlantic are proud of the |
lesson of humanity and mercy we have /
taught alike to insurgents and OppressOrs.
And, while | concede that majority of our /
party here are decidedly with you, rejoice :
in the faith that it is smaller majority than
it was last year, smaller still than it was the
year before, and must steadily waste away
until it ceases to be any majority at ALL
The murdeE bias .Rpt biS.h9Ari his victim
plating Che lawless execution of the Due
iEnghein; and, seeing how passions cool
and wrath abates. / confidently leok forward
TO the time when thousands who have ours
ed will thank me for what l have done and
dared in resistance to their own sanguinary
impulses. And, though l know that the
vision outruns the dubious, halt
ing, wayward steps of the multitude, | am
sure it does not mistake their general direc-
ton, and that the greatest poet of your own
State and vicinage, is only in advance of
the millions, not in conflict with them, when
he sings:
Thank God that have lived to see the time
When the great truth begins at last to
find
An utterance from the deep heat of man
kind.
Earnest and clear, that all Revenge is |
Crime"
In the Joyful trust that this will become
at last the common faith, and your own,
remain, yours,
HORACE GREELEY.