New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-13


went to Texas with too much parade
and circumstance llaughterl that too often was
found making speeches from the platforms of cars
and from the balconies of hotels when il would have
been much more dgnifed if l had simply delivered
my Address at Houston and returned to you. Well
gentlemen fully concur in the Justice OF that criti
cism and should have gladly deferred to it. Though
all / did say was said in the hope OF promoting
clearer and better understanding between the North
and the South would have preferred to speak more
deliberately and less frequently. But invitations to
speak poured in upon me by rail and by telegraph,
were not less pressing than numerous. could not
find time even to acknowledge, much less accept
those invitations so that New-Orleans editor was
somewhat excusable-though / trust not Justified
in suggesting that my farming, however Indifferent,
must be rather better than my breeding Laughter
/ answered when could / consented when could
and for the rest kept silence.
MR.. GREELEY AS A CANDIDATE
And here, fcllow-citizens, allow me to make some
reply to kindred criticism from the same friendly
source. 1t is urged in several journals, that my
name has too often been before nv countrymen in
connection with Office; and fully concur in that
suggestion. ILaughter.l If my own choice had
been consulted, you know very well that it would
not have been so. But am, to some extent, pub
| lie man; am identified with party contests and
! party principles; and am known to have reproved
and reproached better men than myself that they
shrink from public life, leaving the offices to be
filled by second-rate men, because frs-rate men viii
not accept them. have said this TOO often and too
publicly to be able now to shrink entirely ont of
sight and refuse to do the very thing which | have
! required of Others. So, then, during the last 20
years, if recollect rightly my name has been four
times before you as a candidate; once for the Con-
| stitutiOnal Convention, in which | for some time
/ earned Sc per day and paid s. for my
! board, and twice a candidate for Congress:
first in the lower district of this City, where |
perfectly certain to be beaten several thousand votes
! honestly and twice as many dishonesty. Our
/ friends in 1866 fit to my name for Congress
in that district, where have worked for the last
| forty years where know great many people, and
where whatever may have of property or business
| is located They put my name up and run me for
Congress, giving me all the Republican vote and
some more. Sc, again, last Fall, our friends in the
Sixth District saw ft-when l was Frustrated by
sickness and unable to fulfill engagements to speak
made for me by the State COmmittee-tO unite on
me as their candidate for Congress, and they sup
ported me in the face of twenty-eight hundred
Democratic majority in the previous contest. l
could not sneak to them, | could not even visit
them, but stood in my lot, and shared the fate OF
my party and Its other candidates. Well, gentle
men, there one ether time. In the Fail of 1869
your State Convention met, nominated a most
respectable and acceptable State Ticket.
and adjourned. My name was not even thought Of.
But, few d.os later CONSERVATION spread by
the news chat three leading candidates on that
ticket had puemptorily declined; Your State
Committee was hastily assembled and saw ft-bong
obliged 20 make a second nomination in order not
to let The election 60 by default and give up the Leg
islaturo without struccle-to fl one Of these
places on the ticket with my name. / was not con-
suited | knew nothing of their purpose. / was
absent from Che City, and returned after all had
been done and was told, Don't say word; you
must stand; that is the end Of it, and stood.
Now, felow-citzens am not at all grateful TO
the Republican party for these several nominations.
accepted Them as accepted any other public duty
that seemsto be fairly incumbent upon me- and did
what could tOsecue the success Of The ticket onwch
my name was printed l am very grateful TO those
, generous and gallant Republicans who in the face
of certain defeat, rallied around me and gave me a
bOuntiful support, running my name in each case a
little ahead of the average Of my ticket For that
support am grateful; for the several nominations,
not at al. Wei, gentlemen. the past is past, Let
tie dead bury their dead lam pcrfectlywilline to
pass receipts with the Republican party and say that
our accounts are now settled and closed. They owe
me nothing for being a Republican I could not
have helped being one if l had tried, and, being
Republican, il was in my nature to do ell could for
the success Of that party which embodied and en-
forced MY personal convictions was just as CRATE
FIJI 20 you as you were TO me. l was just as much
Ca.ihod 10y yoW cooperation as you were by mine
ana there the matter ends. Bat for the
future. ! can saw gentlemen, fully and
Heartily, that l need no ollce, /
Ges;rcUo Office ard. though | never shall decline
any nomination that has moi been offered me laugh
trfl. certainly shall seek no Office whatever. am
win Won and Of you willing to do my part; willing
IN lls. INV a.
work enough reasonable pay foT il, sufficient cOnsid
/ Grafton, with TOO much not0ncty; and the more
/ CUiet and peaceful my remaining days may be, tho
. h,ttg4 Snail be satisfied
HIS TEXAN TOUR.
Now, then, went to Texas to deliver On Amicnl-
tuIal Address at Houston, and delivered it. That
was my work, and il was done. But, on my way
down. Club of Union soldiers now living in New
Orleans pressed me to make speech 10 them in
their club-room, and did So l attempted in that
speech to vindicate the right of this nation; this Re
pnbc to that vast territory purchased by her
money and defended by the blood OF her sons;
organized into States by her Congress, and so
made an integral portion OF this American
Republic / argued that the southern part OF the
Mississippi Valley could not possibly wish TO be sep
arated from the northern part by two menaclng
lines of frOwning f0rtreSseS and hostile custom
| Houses urged-as | always have beneYed-that
never did the people living on the lower Miss
isspp IN their sober senses seek 10 ne droiceo ana
alienated from the people of the upper MISSISSIPPI
and affirmed the right of the American people to
| navigate that great river, from the Rocky Noun
tains TO the Gulf, unembanassed and unmpeded by
| any boom across its channel or by any gunbOats
stationed there to cause vessels 10 heaye-to for Gus
tom louise scrutiny and examination. SO | talked,
, | because ! so believed.
Then again visiting the little City of Column
bus Texas, the only place / did visit the
western side of the Colorado River-I was,
about this time of night, while sitting in my hotel,
waited upon by a German deputation, who
asked me to come over to their club-room
and talk TO them little while they being all loyal
Union men, Well went over. They had hastily
assembled crowd and spoke for half an hour, per-
| hnno IN, nin1cafinn and eXnlanaIinn of the late