Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-08-14

]
demanded him as the only man who could not
be beaten and my firm conviction is that
had no aspersons been cast upon him, he
would personally gladly have been mustered
out.
More than a year ago, expressing to me
privately his earnest wish TO leave public toll,
he said, that at West Point he counted the
days, the hours, and even the minutes TO
elapse, before he should be graduated, and
that, with like eagernoss he counted the
time that would complete his Presidential
service and often, before vindictiye Injustice
had reused him to resistance, those who knew
him best, and among them the ablest and
purcst members of the Senate, continually
expressed soicitude lest he should refuse to
run again, and leave the party distracted by
rivalries. aud with no candidate so strong.
The Republican party has been blamed for
fee, but the mass Of the party, though appre.
ciatiDg his eccentric genius, has believed him
erratic, and not possessed Of the practical
wisdom, moderation, or business capacity to
make a useful or safe official. As often as
he has been tried in public station, he has
failed. His brief career in Congress was a
sad fiasco ;-he more than once excused his
course by saying that nc voted without un-
derstanding the question: and bad voted as
he did not mean to. Congressional Globe,
ls4S-9, vol. 90, 269, 1861 lie involved
himself in questions Of veracity which COM
PEELED him to retreat from his statements I;
and on one occasion was confronted on the
door by members who fatty testified to the
untruthiuness Of what he said. Globe as
above)
Truthful history will never record that
when Horace Greeley deserted the Republi-
can party for presidential nomination, he
owed the party nothing or that the party
owed him a great and unpaid debt or that
the party was wrong in not selecting such a
man for high public trusts The verdict will
be rather that he spoke like a scheming in
crate, when on the 18th Of June, 1871, be
said to a street audience, " | am perfectly
willing to pass receipts with the Republican
party, and say that our accounts are now set
tied and closed"
War and diplomacy were not enough for
Mr. Greeley, and he soon turned fnancier,
and assumed to dictate the financial policy
He first opposed the legal tender act, but un-
expectedly came out in its favor, and con-
tinued to advocate paper money, until the
channels Of trade were glutted with it, aud
gold went up to $3.50.
After this he changed his mind, and as late
as February 10, 1864, he would charge sympa-
thy with the rebellion upon man who op-
posed greenbacks or advocated specie pay.
ment.
With the vast issue of illegal tender :"
notes business of course expanded, and mer-
chaudise and property were bought at double
and treble their old prices, to be paid for in
paper In this condition Of things, Mr..
Greeley violently demanded the resumption
of specie payments. Practical men saw, as
the event has proved, the wisdom of a grad
ual approach to a specie basis; it was as GER
tain then as it is now, that to compel the pay
ment in gold of debts contracted in paper
worth less than half as much as gold, would
be to strew our land with wreck and ruin.
Moreover, it would have been impossible
without miracle, for government, banks or
people to pay specie when Mr. Greeley de-
manded it. Men Of sense everywhere cried
out against such an attempt, and demanded to
know how We could suddenly resume Mr.
Greeley was ready with answers. The chief
answer was The way to resume is to re-
sumo :" On the 18th Of January, 1866, be
said that more six per cent uutaxed bonds +"
should have been put out, and, in that way,
"every obstacle on the part of the Treasury
to an instant resumption should have been
overcome"
On the 9th of June, 1861 he came out
with this staggering programme commend
II to free traders, property owners, anti-in-
come tax men, and all men blessed with no
better sense than common sense:
We believe in taxing so as to pay the
debt in ten years. To do this the national
revenue should be about s50000O,0 600 per
aunum, or the same as in 1866. Had it been
kept there, we might have celebrated our
countrys centenary on the 4th of July, 1876,
completely out of debt. And we hold this
might have been done by taxing with steady
purpose to diminish the number of idlers, or
uselessly employed persons, and increase the
proportion Of productive workers, without
prejudice to the national growth or prosperity.
Here, for example, are a good many thousands
of our people who have incomes of $4,000
up to 81 100000 per annum Suppose these
were to pay ten per cent. income tax what
of it They will live less sumptuously, or
board less bounteously, for few years-that
is all. They will still enjoy every comfort,
and will be growing richer if they choose"
These are a few Of the gems Of Mr.. Gree
ey's financial theories, and those who did not
accept them were visited with epithets and
reproach.
ask business men to look back now, and
think what would have happened had Horace
Greeley been President then.
With this one passage before you, would
you as business men trust Mr.. Greeley to run
cider mill and fnancier for it2
In case of war, how all would lean on him
as commander-in-chefo of the army aud navy.
In case Of financial crisis, how steady he
would be.
In case of riot in New York, or outbreak
in the South, how his name would strike ter
ror into babes and men,
In case of q storm, next to going to sea in
washtub, what would be so safe as the ad-
ministraton of such a MANI
He who changes his mind often, upon the
gravest matters, should be tolerant Of differ
ences of opinion.
Yet, in the blind staggers of faction, the
American people are challenged to scan and
decide upon this record.
Such coalition, and such nomination,
mean chaos and disorder. You see this al
ready in North Carolina, where the American
flag is showered with stale eggs, and where
the mob refuses to allow honored citizens born
there, to speak and you will see it at every
step until the curtain falls in November.
{" Liberal Republican governments have
been tried in other States, and until the re-
suits were felt, they succeeded. They tried
in Virginia nominating a Republican for
Governor, on bargain with the Democrats !;
many Republicans were entrapped, and Vir-
ginia is cursed with n rule which the best
Democrats are ashamed Of
They tried in West Virginia fusion be-
tween outs" and Democrats, and now West
Virginia holds debate in her constitutional
Conyention on the question of nullifving the