Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-08-06

rebel agents ascertained from anoth-
er source what were the views of the
President they fiared up in great
wrath, issued manifesto to. the pub
lie, arged Mr.. Lincoln with having
changed his views, and the whole
farce came to an end. That there
light be no mistake upon the point,
the President sent Major Hay to Ni>
agara Falls with the following com
nunication, which was delivered on
the 10Th of July to Professor Hol-
combe
EXECUTIVE MANSION.
WASHINGTON, d. G. July Is. 1864
"To whom it may concern:
"Any proposition which embraces
"the restoration Of peace, the integ-
''rity of the whole Union, and the
abandonment of slavery, aud which
/ "comes by and with an authority
"that can control the armies now at
"war against the { nited States, and
"will be met by liberal terms en- sub
"stantial and collateral points, and
"the bearer or bearers thereof shall
"have safe conduct both ways"
(Signed) "ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
This carefully-worded communica-
ton simply epeats the precise con-
ditions. wh.oh the President had
stated to Mr.. Greeley in his letter
of the 9th Of July, and to which he
referred in that Of the 18th, but
which Mr.. Greeley did not convey to
these rebels, who we're then stop
ping at Niagara Falls. Any one
who will carefully study this whole
correspondence, beginning July 5,
1864, and ending July 20, and then
look at it in connection with cotem-
poraneous circumstances; will find ii
impossible to avoid coming TO the
following conclusions
l. That the correspondence was inaugurated by a
| letter which Mr. Greeley himself had written 10 W
Cornell Jewett "an irresponsible and half insane adj
yenturer" The contents of this letter are not known
to the public; yet IL is well known that Mr. Gree lev
was snitlen with sudden panc about the issues ri
the war aud was anxious for peace upon almost any
terms
2. That the emissaries of the rebel Government
who then at Niagara Falls designed through his
niaudlin peace synpathies to him as an instru-
nent for their own purposes and that they eectnal
| tool and fool of him; but did not draw the saga
cious Lincoln into their trap. There ia too mucl
| reason to believe that some Of the leaders of IN,
| Democratic party were prvy TO this movement snt
| had political end to serve by it.
3. That the President regarded Mr.. Greeley AZ (
restless, intrusive aud troublesome man. whom it wal
necessary to manage and if possible, put position
where he would do the least amount Of mischief
Nothing is more evident from this very cOrrespon.
dence than that Mr., Lincoln did not trust him as pc
ltical friend or rely upon his judgment. He rather
sought 10 protect himself and the Union cause agan
the errors OF his head. or Of his heart, or both.
/. That Mr.. Greeley did not faithfully convey e
these rebel emissares the conditions so clearly
by the President, upon which he authorized t.
tender them a safe conduct to Washington; and
hence, that he not only misled them, but misrepre
scented the President
s. That Mr.. Greeley was guilty Of great Injustice 10
Mr.. Lincoln the executive head OF the Government
and candidate for reelection, IL refusing TO permi
the publication of this correspondence with sucE
erasures In his letters the latter had propos-
ed for the purpose of avoiding their discouragng
injurious effects upon the public mind. Mr. LincolI
charged by the Democratic party with pursuing
| yacllatin course and repelng ali negotiations fo
peace Horace Greeley knew the charge 10 be false
yet he would not give his consent TO the best possible
method of correc ting it. He did correct it him
self but rather favored it, knowing the false posi
ton" in which his own course had put the Presideat
and knowing the thereof made by the D. mocrati
party and the rebel emssaries for the purpose of dis
crediting Mr. Lincoln with the people. The passage
| in his letters which the President desired to hay
omitted were those in which he had spoken of on
country "bleeding, bankrupt almost dying y a
longing for peace, aud shuddering ths prospect
fresh conscriptio1s of further wholesale
aud OF new rivers Ofhuman blood :" and as being il
| possible danger Of "a NortherA instruction Sucl
utterances coming from so distinguished Republican
as the editor of the New York Tribune seemed to tn
President unfit for the public ear IN the then eystin
condition of things Aud there is nobler act In hi
whole history than his willingness to be unjustly im
peached rather than have his country fer by a pu
LEGATION which would have at senoed his assail
ants.
These conclusions make anything
but an agreeable chapter IN the lift
of Mr.. Greeley While they reflec
most severely upon his judgment
they impeach his honor, fidelity, anC
integrity as a man. We do no
wonder that Mr.. Lincoln, who wen
into the canvass under false imputa
tons which it was in the power o
Mr.. Greeley to correct at any mo
ment, placed the correspondence
where it might tell its own story il
due season. 1t is notable circum
stance that this same George N
Sanders, who in 1864 was a rebel
and figures conspicuously in thi'
Niagara business, now figures as on,
Of Mr. Greeley's warmest supporter
in what the New York Tribune CALI
the "Reform canvas"
We take no pleasure in recallin!
the circumstances on which we hav,
dwelt yet, Mr.. Greeley now beins
candidate for tbs Pi esdency, ant
Endorsed by the men that misrepre
sented and maligned the lamontet
Lincoln in 1864 and that, too, will
his full knowledge Of the facts theI
and now-we think it due to th,
public that his own most extraordin
airy and censurablo course in relation
to Mr.. Lincoln should be distinctly
laid before the people, Mr.. Ray
mond, IN his "Life of Abraham Lin
coin" very justly remarks; at i
not easy now, any more than it wa
then, to reconcile Mr.. Greelev's &C
! ton in this matter with fidelity Il
the Union cause, or with good faitt
to the Administration, by which
alone that cause was maintained.
The fact, of which we shall take due
notice hereafter, that in little more
than a month after the termination
of this correspondence he headed 8
secret letter to the loyal governor;
of the Northern States, inquirine
whether it might not he expedient
to substitute another candidate il
place Of Mr.. Lincoln" here finds q
pertinent explanation. 1t was less
ian error of the head than a perversi'
ty of the heart.
THE REASON VIVA Democratic
correspondent of the Detroit Free
Press gives the following cogent rea.