The New York herald., 1872-10-15
THE LIBERAL REPUBLICANS.
A Lady Orator Speaks q Good
Word for Horace.
Crowded Meeting at the Cooper Institute Last
Evening-Miss Swasie and Mr., Crozier on
the National situation-The Difference
Between Grant and Greeley

publcans at the Cooper Institute last evening" and
In spite OF the depressing influence Of the October
elections, very fair degree Of enthusiasm ex-
hibited Perhaps, however. considerable share
OF the audience was drawn to the meeting mainly
by the announcement that the principal speaker
would be o rising feminine orator. The platform
was bare OF decorations not even being draped
with a solitary nag; there was no band, nor was
there the customary array OF vice presidents.
At little after eight O'Clock Miss Minnie Swasie
the lady Greeleylte, was escorted upon the plat
form by MI. Crozier, and sat down In the red
morocco leather easy char that had been reserved
for the chairman Of the meeting. This lady was
formerly professor of elocution at vassar college,
and in her clear enunciation and skilful manage
meut Of voice and gesture, displays the good effects
OF careful study OF the mechanical necessities OF
effective oratory. She is also very prcpossessng
In appearance, and dresses with iTreproachabe
taste.
After few words OF introduction by the Chair
man Miss Swasie stepped forward and was hailed
with vigorous voley OF cheers. She began by
protesting against her arguments being considered
on any other grounds than their intrinsic merits.
1t was an Old prejudice that woman's reasons
were no reasons. There was some foundation OF
truth for this sneer. in SO far as it true that
woman threw too much feeling and earnestness
Grafton Of Mr.. Greeley's claims to the Presidency
she intended to throw aside the question OF
woman's suffrage Mr. Greeley had always said he
opposed woman's suffrage, but that he would
waive his opposition whenever 1t should appear
that majority OF American women desired to
vote. This was fair and honest. The advocates
OF woman's suffrage had lately appeared to.regard
wOman's suffrage as the only political issue now
worthy Of consideration, and OF such women 1t
might perhaps be truthfully said that wOman's
reasons were no reasons. Her plea for Greeley
was that by natural capacity, by education and ex-
perience IN public affairs, he was better than
General Grant. Greeley represented the living
present, the wide-awake democrats and earnest
republicans who were reused to the needs OF the
hour. General Grant represented dying organi-
ZatOn, bent only upon seiZlng the spOils of ONCE.
Greeley represented the shell of the egg with good
yok In IN It Grant represented the shell he'll Of egg
for these reasons, the success of Greeley In NOvem
ber inevitable. the republican party, in its ori.
party party, Of xarrins elements. e. When Lincoln i,
sas ne soanen ns
with arms IN their hands. The late unpleasant.
ness ensued, and democrats IN the North had
which brought Into % being left S"s to it, te It was
second time President Of the United States; it was
held together simply by the cohesive force of pub
lie plunder. The democratic party had, on the
past, and had at last succeeded in obtaining plat
form that met the needs of the hour, despite the
most powerful and trusted Of their leaders in the
past. At the Baltimore Convention the old aims
the breath OF life was breathed into the Old demo
cratic party With the new coalition party men
were nothing and principles were everything.
She preferred Greeley to Grant because Grant
was military man and preferred mill
tary methods, while Greeley was states
man ana nrEd eg and sns
say anything in disparagement OF Grants fair mill
tary fame but as President she held him to strict
accountability. General Grant was educated at
West Point; he had studied the art OF war; and had
never studied anything else. No civil question in
his life, and that was for President Buchanan. The
verdict of history would be that tic Was the most
consummate wire-puller we had ever seen as Presi-
Dent, When he became President he did not call to
his counses statesmen like Trumbull but sur
rounded himself with vena and corrupt politicians
and wire-pnllers. He had disgraced himself by
being the most unblushing gilt-taker there had
been In office. She considered that Grants gift
taking tendency had had most painful effect upon
our politics. 1t was claimed that we have no posi-
tive proof that Grant had taken gifts since he had
become President; but habit once formed could
never be broken, and these gifts had been given
with clear foresight Of his being elevated to the
Presidency. General Grant had always shown him
self subservient to rich men, and was it then
wonderful that he should be surrounded with
rings9 The military instinct prompted him to seize
on everything he could grasp Tor himself and his
followers as contraband OF war. There was not
single relative OF his that could be found who did
not hold an ONCE: and If he were found Snowman
would give him 100000 year to go on exhibition
as the "WOnder of the Grant Family Then, in re-
gard to the Alabama claims, Grant ought only to
have claimed what was right, and when he had
claimed anything he should have insisted upon It's
vile Bourbons as a Convention of political hyenas,
met together to dig up the dead body OF the old
democracy and feast upon its carcass. The Con-
ventiOn had been called together by the Grant men
and its expenses had been paid by desperate Grant
wrepulers. The GRANTEES must be fast drowning
Bourbons. No man was more tempted by thieving
schcmers than a great editor, and yet the unant-
was an honest man. No money could buy
him; no man dare offer to bribe
newer been gaser He would reesy to the the
White House with clear conscience and blame
less liie and he would leave It with an irreproa"h-
able record. Miss Swasie next defended Mr.. Gree
ley from the charge of inconsistency and went on to
say that she never expected the State elections to
go for Greeley. PENNSYLVANIA was gained to Grant
by fraud and money; in Ohio the liberals had not
been by any means beaten and in Indiana they had
achieved a decisive victory The people had de-
see to his election. Grants success had been
gained by throwing his reserves into the skirmish
line-a very poor policy In war and worse in
politics. The Grant papers now urged their party
more than ever to work, and they all knew what
tain to win, for right was on their side and God
was with the right, and II was bound to to be sue
cessul. 1t had always been popular error to
shower down rewards upon successful soldiers,
but Mr.. Greeleys election would be the triumph OF
the Republics mightiest civic champion. Miss
Swasie was greeted as she closed with loud ap-
plause.
Mr.. +. X. CR0zIER then spoke. He said that Miss
Swasies speech had proved what she herself had
disavowed-the fitness of woman for politics.
There was going to be Senatorial election in
Albany next year, aud he would like to see that
strutting peacock, Conkling removed and Miss
Swasie put in his place. Not single great anti
slavery leader OF the republican party stood by
Grant to-day. He did not wonder that the republl.
can party was corrupt; any party that had passed
through the experiences OF the war must be cor
rupt. What he objected to was that they did not
own up TO their stealing. The difference between
a Tammany thief and republican thief
was that the Tammany thief came up to
you In Robin Hood style and took your money,
while the republicans always opened their
thevery with prayer. The national campaign had
but Just begun, and he believed from his soul that
Greeley would win. We had now President ufl-
trained in public affairs, and Ben Butler to-day was
the controlling leader of the republican party.
Grant was only President of a mart of his marty.