New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-04-11
Greeley fn 1870 and 1872.

There are good many suggestions worthy
of consideration in this article from the Mis-
soui Democrat:
The Missouri boilers of 1870 were mspar-
ingly denounced by the great and good Mr..
Greeley. His journal had no terms too harsh
for them. They were demagogues, renegades,
Copperheads, traitors. Not only were they
censured, but in truth they were grossly and
utterly misrepresented in the Tribune. They
were declared to have betrayed the national
party and cause, and for free trade. This
journal ventured to give the denial to those
aspersiOns, and Mr.. Schurz contrOverted them
in the Senate, but they were nevertheless
persisted in. Our position was that the bolt
was local and temporary affair, not involv-
ing the loyalty Of the participants in it to the
common Republican cause, and that when the
proper time should come they would be found
III the ranks OF their party and uncOmprOmis-
ngly hostile to Democratic ascendency.
The proper time has arrived, and it is now
pertinent to ask not only where are the Mis-
souri, Liberals of 1870, but where is Mr.. Gree
ley? We are happy to assure Mr.. Greeley,
and he may readily satisfy himself of the fact,
that the tens of thousands of Republicans
who voted for GratZ Brown in this State, and
were so stintlessly slandered by him for doing
so, have falsfied the calunnies he then heaped
upon them and we regret to add that, while
they are doing this, he is himself fulfilling the
part which he prophesied for them. Two or
three of their leaders have yielded to the
temptation to which he also has succumbed,
and he now stands with these two or three
taithless leaders, while the liberal masses of
Missouri repudiate both him and them. He
cannot have studied the progress of events
and the signs of the times in this quarter if
he is not uncomfOrtably suspicious that this is
the fact.
The Missouri boilers of 1870 pleaded their
local cause within the local party. They man
fully piled argument, remonstrance, and per-
suasion, to determine, if possible, the cOmpo-
| sltl0n and action of their State convention,
and with all the force they could muster they
went into their convention. Mr.. Greeley,
who then gave them his prettiest abuse, now
supports a standard of revolt against his
party, bolts the national convention in adj
vance, and instead of directly seeking to in
fluence its complexion and action, proclaims
war upon it and its candidate beforehand.
lie is for the Cincinnatlans and a Democratic
coalition in the national campaign, and is, in
effect, laboring to keep out of the Philadel-
phla convention even those who might render
its results acceptable to him. Not only this,
but he is hand in hand with ree-traders
Against his protectionist convictions and
against his own teachings on the ma
tional issues, Mr.. Greeley joins a Republic
can cabal for a Democratic alliance three
months before Republican convention can
have done or omitted aught to Justify his dis
pleasure, thereby FORGETTING his right to COM
plain of its action, whatever that shall be-
How does his course contrast with that of the
Missouri Liberals of 1870? He accused them
of free tradeism, but they have not had
enough of it to separate them from protec-
zionist Republicans. His Republicanism does
not prevent him from affiliating with free ira
ders and the opposers of enforcement legisla-
ton under the amendments, against his party.
But we can come to his relief and demon
strate his consistency. With us in 1870 the
question was one of so amending our State
Constitution as to restore the suffrage to those
who were DISTINGUISHED for disloyalty. 1t was
also with us a question of Republican strength
in Missouri in 1872. With Acknowledgement
either unrepealed or repealed by an exclusive
Democratic victory, the Republican party in
Missouri would have been MORALLY shattered.
In opposing and denouncing us then, Mr..
Greeley did his best to make Missouri forever
a Democratic State, and he is now apparently
doing his utmost to bless the country with a
Democratic Government. In this view he
may still claim the jewel Of consistency.