American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-08-24
THE NEXT PRESIDENT.
Speech Of Mr.. Greeley at Portland,
Maine.
UDpledged, Unhampered by0Mee- Seek-
ers-The South Desires Equality, Re.
lief From Carpet-baggery, Peace
and Reconciliation,

AbaC SVusAs ssSSH1VS L4Odhuys
lief From Carpet-baggery, Peace
and Reconciliation.
PORTLAND, Aug. 1.-THE follow
ing is the speech made by Mr.. Gree
ley at his reception here:
Hesaid he had struggled through
out his life for, first, impartial and
universal liberty; second, unity and
greatness of our common country
third, and last, but by no means
least, when the former ends were
attained, for an early, hearty recon-
structiOn and peace among our
cOuntrymen.
UNHA MPERED BY OFFICE SEEKERS.
He recognized the propriety of a
candidate for the Presidency max
ing no speeches, yet there is a truth
to be uttered in behalf of those who
have placed me before the American
people in myfpresent attitude, which
does them such honor that l claim
the privilege of stating it here now.
This is that truth: No person has
ever yet made the fact known that
he proposed to support, or actually
did support my nomination, whether
at the Cincinnati or the Baltimore
Convention, on the basis of claim
for office. No one who favored my
nomination before either convention
has sought Office at my hands for
either himself or any one else nor
has any one suggested to me that 1
might strengthen myself as a candi-
date by promising to appoint any
one to Office. A few of the smaller
fry of politicians have since my
double nomination, limited to me
by letter that 1 might increase my
chances by promising pOstOffice or
some such place to my volunteer
correspondents respectively. have
not usually responded to these over
lures, but 1 now give general no.
tice that should / be elected l will
consider the claims of these untime-
ly aspirants after those of the more
modest and reticent shall have been
fully satisfied. [Applause.]
WHO SHALL HOLD OFFICE.
In two or three instances l have
been asked to say whether 1 would
not, if elected, confine my appoint
ments to Republicans. I answer
those by pointing to that plank OF
the Cincinnati platform wherein all
who concur in the principles therein
set forth are cordially invited to
participate in their establishment
and vindication, 1 never heard of
a man who invited his neie hbors to
raise a house and proceeded to kick
them out as soon as the roof was
fairly over his head. For man who
approves and gives his adherence
to the Cincinnati platform as my
political brother and as such fully
entitled to my confidence and friend
" regards.
SOME RADICAL LIES NAILED.
Some other points demand word {:
those adverse to me ask what pledg-
es have given to those lately hos
tile to the Union to secure their ia
vor and support. 1 answer, no man
or woman in all the South ever ask
ed of me, directly or through ano.
other, any other pledge than is Civ
en- through all my acts from the
hour of Lees surrender down to
this moment. No Southern man
ever hinted to me an expectation,
hope or wish that the Rebel debt,
whether ConfederateOrS State, should
be assumed or paid by the Union.
No Southern man who could be
elected to Legislature or made
colonel of militia regiment ever
suggested the pensioning of Rebel
soldier or any of them as a remote
possibility. All who nominated me
were perfectly aware that 1 had up
held and justified Federal legisla-
ton to repress the Ku Klux conspi-
racy outrages, though had long
ago insisted as strenuously as now
do that complete amnesty, genuine
oblivion of the bloody, hateful past
would do more for the suppression
and utter extinction of such out
RACES than all force bills and sus-
pension of habeas corpus ever de-
vissd by men. Wrong and crime
must be suppressed and punished,
but far wiser and nobler is legisla-
ton and a policy by which they are
prevented.
JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION.
From those who support me in
the South 1 have but one demand
justice; but one desire-reConcilia-
ton. They wish to be heartily re-
united and at peace with the North
ON any terms which do not involve
the surrender of their manhood.
They cherish joyful hope that they
will attain these ends as citizens
not as culprits, SO long as they up
hold and obey every law consistent
with equality as right. They
desire a rule which, alike for white
and black, shall encourage industry
and thrift, and in which I fully con-
cur; that between the 9th of No
vember and the 4th of March next,
quite a number of governors and
other dignitaries, who in the absurd
name of Republication have for
years been piling debts and taxes
upon their war-devastated States,
will follow the wholesome example
of Bullock, of Georgia, and seek