The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-06-10
MONDAY EVENING, JUNE 10, 1872
THE BREAE

Immediately after the nomination of Mr..
Greeley by the Cincinnati Convention, it
looked as though the action of that body
would be universally accepted by the lead
ing politicians Of the South. The unanirni-
ty with which the southern press responded
to its action and approved its nominees,
disclosed the most extraordinary, if not UNI
accountable fact, that Horace Greeley had
hold upon the Southern heart that nobody
had dreamed it possible he could possess.
Hats were thrown up for him with as much
apparent incongruity of action and prepos-
terousness Of individual relationship, as
would be shown in a quaker's dancing a
hornpipe or cutting double-shufile pigeon
wing with a French dancing master. The
era Of miracles and impossibilities of HUI
man occurrence seemed to have set in, and
the mythical lamb and lion were about to
lie down together.
But q second and soberer thought is talk
ing possession of the public mind, and the
Cincinnati nominee for the Presidency is
being weighed in the balances of an impair
tial public judgment, with result that is
anything but satisfactory to the lifelong
hater and most persistent enemy of the
South that the North has ever produced.
The letter which we publish to-day, from
the pen of one Of the ablest men in the
State. as well as that which appeared in our
columns on Saturday, from an able and dis
tinguished veteran in the cause of Virginia
conservatism, shows that a break has been
made in the drift of public opinion, and that
the midsummer madness" which seized
upon the people Immediately after the Gin
clnnati adjournment, has spent its delirious
force, and is about to be followed by a
more rational view of the situation than
could possibly have grown out Of less alb
normal zeal in the first instance. .
The letter Of the Hon. JAMES LYONS.
which we should have published on Satur-
day but for an unusual pressure upon our
columns, presents so sharply the ground of
objection to Mr.. Greeley. viewed from
Southern standpoint only, that we can hard
ly see how it is possible for any Virginian,
acting from principle or with reference to
any possible advantage to accrue to the
South, to support Mr.. Greeley in prefer
ence to General Grant. The arraignment
Of the Tribune editor is such that no plea
but that of confession, or, possibly, confess
sion'and avoidance, can be entered. There is
not word of it that Mr.. Greeley can deny,
or that any friend of his can take exception
to as a matter of indisputable record. 1t is
historically the record, and assigns to Mr..
Greeley his true place in the history Of our
late sectional strifes. The writer hardly
needed to make the possible exception in
the case OF Mr.. Seward-the Tribune edi- |
tor occupying the forefront of sectional
controversy, leading to the disastrous civil |
war which Virginia craftsmanship sought |
so Intellectually to avert. No charge to
grand jury could be more terse, compact,
or dispassionate, than this letter of Virgin
las ablest lawyer. He follows Col. Mos
by and President Ewell in their general
line of objection, and indicates more ex-
plicitly than they his individual purpose,
should the Baltimore Convention present
an unexceptional Democratic ticket. AS
between Greeley and Grant he is equally
emphatic in his preference for the latter
over the former. l .#
We regard it as Z" fixed fact " that the
Baltimore Convention will endorse the
action OF Cincinnati. Nothing but the de-
'ided expression of opinion from such men
IS Judge Lyons and the Hon. John S. Gil
ner, in the South, will prevent it. And
we regard it equally certain that if the
cincinnati nominees and platform are
ldopted at Baltimore, there will be A DEM
'cfatlc bolt, and straightout ticket nut in
ne field. In either event, we regard the
election of Geneal Grant as certain. AS
'galnst Greeley he will unqestionably carry
virginia by handsome majority. if there
anything like good judgement and sound
'oiitical forecast displayed by the Republi-
ans in the State. They should act with ,