Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-09-27

A CAMPAIGN OF LIES.
Tho Tactics of Greeleyism--A Con
trast Fairly Stated.

If there be either wisdom o.
power in personal abuse, that fact
will become established beyond all
further question 10y the Presidential
campaign Of this summer. 1t will
become established because, first, it
was never more completely relied
upon rs ali effective weapon; and,
second, because it has been almost
exclusively used by one side aud
RETAINED from by the other. If,
therefore, this way of appealing to
the public mind is the most ctfcctual
in reaching and convincing it, that
will be made the more apparent by
the contrast between the two par
ties and the success of either
Whatever may be said on the score
of truth OF good manners, as to the
policy of the INSCRIPTIONS and un
mitigated personal abuse - if it
really be an expedient policy, that
will be shown in the triumph of the
Greeley prrty. 1t has been held
hitherto that anything is fair in love
or in war; perhaps, six weeks
hence, we may add politics as an
other exception to the rules of ordi-
nary morality, or else conclude that
here, also, honesty is the best policy.
1t can hardly fail to be obvious to
everybody that Mr.. Grceley's friends
are relying upon the personal abuse
and detraction of all those who are
opposed to him to secure his cleo
ton. Perhaps it should be said, in
defense of this method Of political
warfare, that Mr.. Greeley's parti-
sans had no alternative, for, as they
had nothing to say in his favor, the
only path that was left open to them
was to resort to the abuse of the
other side. In that path they have
walked and labored with the zeal of
martyrs and the energy Of pioneers,
and if they do not achieve a tri-
umphant success the fault will not
be theirs.
This feature of the campaign is
the more remarkable because the
candidate of the Greeley party is
peculiarly open to this sort of per-
sonal attack. Mr.. Black, of Penn
sylvania, though he afterward &C
cepted Mr.. Greeley as his candidate,
said at the opening Of the campaign,
that 4 more unfit man for the Presi-
dency could not be found either in
this world of the two that came after
it. We doubt if this struck any
body rs an extravagant statement of
the case. There is not in the whole
country any man nearly as notorious
as Mr.. Greeley, and he is notorious,
not for such cxcellencics and virtues
as he may have, but for his peculiar
tiles, ccccntricities, and absurdities.
All these are remarkably salient and
remarkably tempting to animadver-
sion and ridicule, and yet the for
bcarance, almost tenderness, with
which he has been treated by his
opponents is rs marked rs his char
acteristics. 1t has been assumed
that these were so we'll known, that
it was only necessary to point out
to the common sense of the country
how manifcstly disastrous it would
be to put man so unfortunately
distinguished into any place Of trust
or power.
How marked the contrast has been
on the other side it is hardly neces-
sary to point out. The campaign on
their part is remarkable chiefly for
being like the Trojan hero, 'inex-
haustible III falsehood." The Ti-
bm,e's persistent adhesion to dis
graceful forgery Of its own we have
exposed within the last two or three
days; the World is pursuing the
same course in regard to Mr.. Dana,
of Boston, while it cannot pretend
to doubt the evidence that it's first
statement in regard to that gentle
man has not the least foundations;
the Tribune. of Chicago, has brought
up again story Of present Of land
to President Grant by Mr.. Jones for
a consideration, which very story
that very Tribune looked into year
or two ago, and found to be utterly
without foundation; and all these
papers, and all tho other Greeley
papers Of tho country, have accept
cd as true, and continue to publish
as true, a statement, resting on pure
ly e.c purte aud second-ha testi-
mony, in regard to a direct but
paltry bride said to have been given