New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-18
MIR. GREELEY AT THE AMERICAN
UNION CLUB.


the purpose of meeting and extending an Of
fetal welcome to our distinguished visitor,
Horace Greeley,
A committee consisting of Messrs. G. P.
Houghton, w. g. James and K. ID. Mitchell,
escorted Mr. Greeley from the st. Charles
Hotel to the clubroom, where he was intro
duced to the assembly by Judge Houghton,
who made few appropriate remarks.
Mr.. Greeley then addressed the audience
to the following effect
Mr. Greeley, stating that he had been al
ready warned that the assembly before him
was not political association, but social
organization composed of the ex-soldiers of
the United States and defenders of the
Union, hoped that in referring briefly to the
great public questions of the day he would
not trespass on their established rule. This
city, and the presence of this audience here,
was an evidence of the indivisibility of
that Union, a proof that part could never
be greater than the whole. Notwithstand-
ing the political heresy that the Union was
the creature of the States, the city of New
Orleans and State of Louisiana told a
different 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 1t was
acquired originally by the money and
diplomacy of the Union, and was designed
as refuge for the genius and for the
development of the resources of the
lN, nIyAI
the Union a creature of the States,
would New Orleans or Louisiana have been
to day9 The Union had filled it with
American people, divided it into territories,
which became States; judged of their proper
dimensions and of the proper time to admit
them to equal privileges within that Union.
1t was a monstrous mistake to suppose the
Union the creature of these States, and the
belief identified as properly Southern
he considered heresy That they be-
longed to the general whole, he did
not pretend to deny, that they have
rights he had always claimed. Applause
His political creed had been founded on the
sentiments of the great men the South gave
to the Union. He knew of no one who was
more to be believed in than George Wash
ington, Southern man, but a national
Southern man. Never in the history of the
country had its administration been dlstin-
guished by greater dignity, integrity, purity
or capacity. We had made no real progress
in government since the days of Washing
ton. Chief Justice Marshall, in the
thirty-three years of his official career, did
more to organize the government and put
its theory into practice than any living man.
He achieved more with his pen than all the
swords ever used, with the exception of two
or three. WashingtOn's farewell address
was especially designed to do away with all
narrow ideas of ACKNOWLEDGMENT, and no
document of ancient or modern
times did more than that fare
well If those were Southern ideas
they were not, he was not. 1t was never
contemplated that any State, however
large, should be empowered to nullify the
tie. During his trip South he had a con-
versation with Mississippian, who claimed
TO have been a Whig and opposed dsunion.
However, when his State went out, he CON
sidered his paramount allegiance should
remain with his State.
The doctrine, the speaker declared, was
never learned from the Wing party.
When there was war of giants
in the Senate, and Haynes, of South
Carolina, talked of notification and State
rights, Daniel Webster answered it with
a crushing denunciation that resOunded
throughout the whole country, and rejOiced
the hearts of Southern men as well as
Northern men. When at later day South
Carolina ATTEMPTED to carry out that doc
trine, Andrew jackson, another Southern
man, answered in a mastery proclamation,
taking even stronger grounds than Mr.
Webster. Edward Livingston, his Secre
tary of State, and a native of Louisiana,
very probably wrote that proclamation. If
that was not Southern doctrine, then
George Washington, John Marshall, An
drew Jackson and Edward Livingston were
not Southern men. As for him, though
born in New Hampshire, and resident of
New York for over forty years, he believed
in the whole country [Applause. Had
the attempt to divide it succeeded, it would
have been another Poland distracted by
feuds, and eventually a prey to foreign
arms; or another Germany, with smaller
States at almost constant war for years.
Germany delivered herself from that
afflictiOn, and to that he attributed her sue
cess in the recent war. When nations or
communities appeal to the argument of
war they should abide by the decision.
There was no withdrawing from that tribu-
nal, and he believed no doubt existed as
to what had been the result. Though
he felt he was OBTAINING his hearers
longer. perhaps, than he should, there was
another question on which he wished to
touch. The Americans are diverse race.
We sprang from different natiOnalities of the
world, as we'll as from different races. We
have established the equal civil and poll
tical rights of all classes. Circumstances
devolved on us the necessity of making this
declaration, and the time came when we
were compelled to make it. There was no
other way. We who defended the national
life are prepared to give it a consistent, de-
fensive and logical execution. They are
not kindred in race or blood, but they are
here and are not likely to move away We
need all the talent and labor we have, and
have room for twenty times as many. Should
our limits become too small to contain all
they could be easily enlarged. TCheers
Extension is only question of time. A
time will come when the Canadas will be
ours. just as Russian America is now, and
the West Indies just as Texas is.
Let us live up to that,
All natures difference
Makes all natures peace
If Idon't choose to invite you to my house,
don't invite Inc to yours. Take your place
and win your spurs. There is opportunity
for all. When we can realize that, we can
stand on our own two feet without treading
on each others toes. We will find that in
stead of being a cause of weakness, equality
will he source of unity and strength |
am disposed to acknowledge the equality of
all races. God made some men black be-
cause they were in places where it would be
an advantage to be black. Don't despise
him, loathe him, or desire to trample on
him.
If we had followed that rule we would
have saved the aborigne, now nearly exter-
minated. l believe the negroes are destined
to increase and become a valuable element
of the Union. They are not my enemies
who chose to be my enemies six or eight
years ago.
l believe IN sweeping away prescription
md dis frou I faa1 tbot NV