The Van Buren press., 1871-06-13
NO. 2
Mr.. Greeley at the American Union Club

club on St. Charles street were densely
crowded last night with members and
guests. for the purpose Of meeting and
extending an official welcome to our dis.
tinguished visitor, Horace Greeley.
a committee consisting of Messrs- @.
p. Houghton, w g. James and r. D.
Mitchell, escorted Mr. Greeley from the
st. Charles hotel 10 the club-room, where
he was introduced to the assembly by
Judge Hoaghton, who made few ap-
propriatc remarks.
Mr. Greeley then addressed the audi
ence to the following effect:
Mr. Greeley, stating that he had been
already warned that the assembly before
him was not political association, but .
social organization composed Of the ex.
soldiers of the United States and defend
ers of the Union, hoped that In referring
briefly to the great public questions Of
the day he would not trsspass on thslf
established rule This city, and shs prsS-
ence Of this audience here was IN svi.
dence Of the indivisibility Of that Union.
a proof that part could never be greater
than the whole Notwithstanding the
political heresy that the Union was the
creature of the States, the city Of New
Orleans and State of Louisiana told q diff
rerent truth They told that this great
sea bound city, the metropolis OF the
South, and the territory surrounding, was
wrested from European dominion by the
blood and sweat of the American people;
that it was acquired originally by the
money and diplomacy Of the Union, aud
was designed as refuge for the genius
and for the development Of the resources
OF the American people. Where. he
asked, were the Union creature OF the
States. would New Orleans or Louisiana
have been today The Union had filed
it with American people, divided 1t into
territories, which became States judged
of their proper dimensions and OF the
proper time to admit them to equal priv.
ileses within that Union. IL was mon.
strous mistake to suppose the Union tbs
creature Of these States, and the belief
identified as properly southern be con.
.dered beresy That they belonged to
the general whole, he did not pretend to
deny, that they have rights he had al.
ways claimed Applause His polite.
al creed had been founded on the senti.
ments of the great men the South gave
to the Union. He knew OF no one who
was more to be believed in than George
Washington, southern man, but ma
tional southern man. Never in the his.
tory OF the country had its administrs.
aeen distinguished by greater dignity,
integrity, purity or capacity. We had
made no .eal progress in government
since the days of Washington Chief
Justice Marshall, in the thirty three years
Of his official career. did more to organ.
ize the government and puts its theory
into practice than any living man. No
achieved more with his pen than oil the
swords ever used, with the exception OF
two or three. Washington's farewell ad.
dress was especially designed to do away
with all narrow ideas Of dismemberment,
and no document Of an ancient or mod
ern times did more than that farewell. II
those were southern. ideas the speaker
was southern man; II they were not,
he was not 1t was never contemplated
that any State, however large, should be
empowered to nnllify the tie.
] believe in sweeping away proscrip-
ton and Acknowledgement. ! believe
that my country is crippled when she 10
not allowed to avail herself Of all the
talent in the country. ! was the first ad-
vocatc of the adjustment Of all disfrsn-
chisement The necessity Tor that has
passed. II was not right to allow the
enemies OF the Union to control impor-
tant issues and Illustrate our armies by
Union ballot boxes but no such neces-
sity exists now. insist, in behalf OF the
whole American people, 1t Is no griev.
ance to Mr.. Akin not to 60 to congress,
but it is grievance to Mr.. Akin's con.
s,tuents. There would not be Ku.
klux in the land now if there had been
general amnesty five yeals ago. 1t would
have reunited the people and healed the
wounds produced by the war. For That
he had struggled, and time was not far
distant when every American would have
his fair say at the ballot. box and the ma
jority rule. The lesson taught by the
war had been dearly bought, but it was
worth the cost. Pronunciamientos might
do for South America, but they were not
suited to this people, and he thought they
had discovered that in one experiment
The speaker was, Of course, listened to
with the most earnest attention, inter-
rupted by frequent applause.
When MIR. Greeley sat down the mum.
erous gentlemen present were introduced
to him by Judge Houghton, and there
was general shaking Of hands, which
however gratifying to the welcomers,
must have been rather fatiguing to the
welcomed.
The reunion was pleasant in the ex.
tremc, although recent continued fatigue
compelled Mr.. Greeley to retire at an
early hour
Mr. Greeley leaves New Orleans to.
dav for Texas. We understand that he
will compromise New Orleans on his
route to return home, and it Is hoped
that he can I've induced to deliver lee.
ture when he comes among us again.