New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-18
Nh. GREELEY,s ADDRESS.
The Welcome Home.

Enc WeicOme ft9mes ~
The New York papers of Tuesday contain
verbatim report of Mr.. Greeley's address
to those who welcomed him on Monday
evening. We copy from the Times:
FGENTLEMEN: 1t was not your fault-it
was not the fault of the Republican party
that the North and the South failed to un-
derstand each other before, and had sacri-
feed half million of their best and BRAY
est, burying them in bloody and untimely
graves. There never was time when the
representative men of the South were not
welcome to express their sentiments, and
advocate and enforce their convictions in
any city, in any county, of the free North.
[Applause.l In st. Lawrence, Chautauqua,
Onondaga, Washington, the eminent. and
eloquent champions of the Southern insti-
tutiOns and principles were always sure of a
patient and respectful hearing Zap
plause.] l do firmly believe that if one
hundred leading Northern men had been
equally free to. traverse the South, and
there advocate boldly but peaceably the
doctrines which the North cherished, that
that trouble might have been averted. But
such was not our privilege. There was no
time during the years of the early cOnten-
ton respecting slavery and its rights in the
Union, when l or any of you, gentlemen,
would have been welcome to traverse the
South, and unfold and enforce our views
and the convictions of the North. Never.
| recoilect distinctly that in that win
ter-that eventful winter-Of l860-6l,
the correspondents of the Tribune,
whom we were obliged to keep
traversing the South. were every
where obliged to conceal their business
and deny their connections. Brave
and true men they were, but they would
have been torn to pieces as if by wolves. if
known as Tribune correspondents. They
dared not address their letters to the
Tribune office, but had to address them to
private individuals in different parts of the
city in order that we might receive them.
So, during that momentous winter, i was,
for the first time. invited to deliver lee
ture at st. Louis. When had arrived
within hundred miles of st. Louis, at
Springfield, Illinois, l was met by a tele-
gram from the leading Republicans of St.
Louis advising me not to come, and my in
vitation was virtually withdrawn, and
was compelled to retrace my steps to the
North. / was not expected to say word
on politics.. / was going at the invitation
of literary society to deliver a literary lee
ture, and yet, in that winter, when men
say the Tribune was aiding and melting
Southern secession, no man who would
speak for the Tribune dared be known in
the South, and he who wrote for it, and its
editor, were turned back at the portals of
the South, because he came forward to de-
liver lecture unconnected with politics.
| wish it had been otherwise and that we
could have consulted and saved the lives of
that half million of brave and true men.
[Applause.1 t.,rr-las aa=. zl.
r.-t Jr WHY HE WENT SOUTH. l.-.
Two months ago, gentlemen, L, for the
first time, received formal and command
ing invitation to visit the extreme south
west portion of our common country. / at
first declined it peremptorily, believing
that it was not possible to spare time: but
friends crowded around me, invitation
poured ON invitation, and one friendly let
ter pressed on The heels of another, and
finally, men in New York, leading men,
wisely and worthily spending their money
in large schemes to open Texas to the
world and bring her into free and ready
with her sister States, said
to me 1--WE think you can do our country
good by going down to Texas" and there
were so many of these urgent applications,
that | finally reconsidered the matter and
agreed TO 60. Now, gentlemen, i hear
it suggested that l went to Texas
with too much parade and circuin-
stance, and that | made too many
SpCCClts lIOHl tuC rear VI I6llIUdu CARS,
[laughter,] and from the balconies of
hotels. when it would be more consistent
and dignitied if simply went and delivered
an address and returned again. Well, l
fully concur in that criticism. / would have
much preferred to take that course, and do
exactly as my critical friends would have
me do But that was not permitted. Long
before left my home, invitations by tele-
gram and letter poured in upon me, urging
me to visit different sections of the South,
and there speak words of peace and concili-
alton as between the North and South. /
couldn't find time to answer, much less &C
cept, these invitations, SO that New Or
leans editor was somewhat excused, though
trust not justified, in the suggestion that
Greeley's farming, however indefensible,
must be rather better than his reading.
Laughter / answered when / could, |
when l could, and for the rest
Kept silent.
..... ABOUT OFFICE-sEEKING.
And here, fellow citizens, allow me to
make some reply to kindred criticisms from
the same friendly sources. 1t was urged in
several journals that my name has too
often been before my countrymen as a can
iidate for office. [Laughter.] l fully con-
,ur in that suggestion. Laughter If my
OWN choice had been consulted, you know
very well it would not have been so. But
am, to some extent, public man; am
Identified with lparty contests and party
principles and / am known TO have re-
proved and reproached better men than my
self that would shrink from public life and
cave offices to be filed by second rate men.
Laughter. l have said this too often and
90 publicly to be able to shrink now en-
1rely out of sight and refuse to do the very
hing for which have reproved others for
lot doing. For the last twenty years, if /
'ecolleet rightly, my name has been four
lines before you, as a candidate in your
constitutional convention, and twice as can
lidate for Congress-first in the lower dis
riet of this city, where / was certain to be
beaten several thousand votes honestly and
vice as many dishonesty. Laughter Our
friends, in making their gallant contest
lgainst Andrew johnson in 1866, put for
ward my name in that district where |
ought for forty years, and know a good
many people, and where, whatever NAV
lave of property, it is situated-they put
ny name up and ran it for Congress. and
rave me all the Republican votes and some
more; and so, last fall, my friends in the
'iXth District saw fit, when was prostrat-
ID by sickness-saw fit to unite for me as
heir candidate for Congress, and support
ne against well-known majority in pre-
iOus contests. could not speak to them
r visit them, but l stood on my right and
ought the short fight of my party and col
eague candidates. There was another time
the fall of 1S69-when your State Con-
ention met and united on a most respect
BILE and acceptable State ticket. NV name
7as not even thought of. A few days later,
was spread by the news that
hree leading candidates ON that ticket de-
lined to stand, and your State Committee
ssembled and saw fit-being obliged to
lake sudden nomination-not to let the |
lection go by default, to fill these places
l the ticket, one of them with my name. |
was not consulted; l knew nothing of |