Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-08-27
Greeley as a Peacemaker.

We must assume that in his heart
Greeley adores peace, but the blum
ders of his head always disappoint
the wishes Of the former. In 1860
his heart longed for peace, but his
blind and frightened judgment per-
suaded bin that the surest road TO
peace was to permit the Southern
States, if majority were so inclined
TO create within our own territory,
hostile Independent and rival ma
ton, the purpose Of whose national
sovereignty and existence would be
to corrupt the principles and destroy
the power of its northern neighbor.
A merciful God and the good sense
and patriotism of the Republican
party, and Of patriotic Democrats
who united with them, saved the
country from ages of anarchy and
bloodshed that could have had no
termination but in the destruction of
liberty, and the growth Of a military
despOtism. And shall the truculent
coward who in 1859 and 1860 would
have surrendered the hope of man
kind and allowed the flag Of seces-
sion and slavery TO wave in triumph
over the CONTROVERSIAL he become
the President of the Union which,
had his advice been taken, would not,
as Gen. Dix says, be in existence.
General Grant says also "let us
have peace, But it is for the Amor
lean people to decide who is the
wiser peacemaker, he who would
grant to secession and slavery what
they demanded, or he would crush
them both and thus eradicate the
root and cause of secession and war.
As long as the anti.slavery contro-
versy was confined to elections, the
ballot box and newspapers, Greeley
was a capable leader, but when the
controversy assumed the form of an
actual war, organized armies, bullets
and bayonets, the frightened and as
tonished editor of the Tribune advo-
Gated peace for the present at the
cost of perpetual war 10 the future
Mr.. Greeley has obtained his fame
as an educator of the people; be has
manifested neither legislative nor
administrative capacity. In Con-
gress he exhausted all his energies
on the matter of mileage and failed
to reform any body; elected a mem.
Der of the last Constitutional Con.
vention in Now York, he left tina,
body Disguised cursing it from Alba
ny to New York. 1t il in view Of
possible internal and external dan.
gers that nations need a wise and
firm executive. In time Of pro.
found peace at home and abroad for
the next four years anyone might FL
the presidential chair; in fact We
might get along very well without
any president. But we can't tel
what will occur during this time, es-
pecially if Mr. Greeley should be
elected. Will the Constitutions
amendments be nullifed, as Jerry
Black anticipates, and will slavery
be restored ? Shall the r, bel soldiers
be pensioncd ? Shall shareholders b,
| paid for their slaves, still asserting
the right of establishing slavery ia q
new form. The possibility of The
election Of Mr. Greeley, however
slight, sensibly affects the premium
on gold already; who can imagine tn,
uncertainties that would paraIysc th,
business world in case of his election
Not knowing the future, the mex
four years may present crises as dan
gerous as those that confronted Blu
chanan in 1860, and Mr. Greeley re-
sembles Buchanan in cowardice,
not in principles.