The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-05-23
VIEWS OF eoEoSEt, Holm g. MosBY.

Ny Dear ir:--I have received your favor
ipquirng my position in the Presidential
contest. Of course, if a Democrat IS noml-
mated shall support his election with all my
heart; but if it is reduced to question of
choice between General Grant and Greeley [
shall support the former My own views of
policy were. after the failure of the Cincinnati
Convention to nominate man acceptable to
Democrats that the South should hold from
the contest and not commit itself to either
until the Philadelphia Convention had nomi.
mated its candidate and declared platform
of principles. For if,the whole South were
committed in advance against the election Of
General Grant, what motives could he or his
party have to try to conciliate us? Now, why
should the South array itself on the side of
Greeley, her unrepentant lifelong enemy,
against G eneral Grant? I am no apologist for
the oppression We have endured from the Fed
eral Government; but will the partlsans Of
Greeley, point to one act that was odious to
US that he has not justified and approved?
Nay, more. The tyranical acts Of Congress
sioual legislation were an expression Of a
Northern sentiment of hostility to the South
for which Horace Greeley, more than any
other man, Is responsible. General Grant has
been the instrument of executing many laws
! obnoxious to US, which were enacted under
the pressure Of a public opinion created by
Greeley, which, no man could resist. The
pen was mightier than the sword Now
what is offered to the Southern people by the
nominee of the Cincinnati Convention as
consideration for their votes! Amnesty
which simply means the relief Of few thous-
and men from the disability imposed by tht
8 Fourteenth amendment. But the President
has no control over shis-it requires two
thirds vote Of Congress to effect it. IF the
Southern vote is to be bartered for such
paltry consideration as this, why not bargain
directly with those who have the ability t.
pay what they promise? Does any man doub
that the party in power would gladly grant
of Virginia alone? Ifso, how is there les;
VI VI uisnopor in a coalition with Greeley or
such condition as this than with the party
: who can give you now all you ask The
: only difference that l can see is that in the
e one case you bargain with set Of polilica
bankrupts and Adventures, whose pledges
will be redeemed about as soon as the Con.
federate debt-apd therefore they will be pro-
fuse in promises in the other you may al
least expect to receive the small pittapce re-
qulred. Tell me one single reason why /:
, Southern man should prefer Greeley to Grant
} They say that Greeley is honest-then Sc
+ much the worse, if he is honestly opposed t
all I hold dear. They say he has abused
carpet. baggers-which, by the by, are only
the natural product of institutions which be
| J,n I'D 1,,t L -. H.
this class (who assumed at Cincinnati to rep.
: resent the South) for his nomination, surely
t honest Horace won't, if elected, go bask on
his friends. They say, too, that he is the
:, friend OF amnesty, and yet he advocated the
impeachment of johnson for pardoning rebels
! On his recent electioneering tour through tho
South when he looked on the land where he
''had made solitude and called it peace,
his heart was for moment touched with q
a sentiment Of pity for the Southern people, as
. we'll as a desire for. Southern votes, and he
!. was tempted to say few kind wordssfor which
he was swift to make atonement, when on his
return to New York he retailed to gaping
crowd of his admirers the fabulous stories OF
ku-klux horrors, and applauded the yigor
OF the Administration in suspending the
, habeas corpus in South Carolina and enfor-
cling the Ku-Klux laws
The men. who, as old Isaiah tells us; cook
cd their breakfast with one end of :. stick Of
wood and made an image Of the other, which
they worshipped, were not more unreasoning
idolators than those who are now prostrating
themselves before Horace Greeley. In both
cases the virtues of the idol exist only in
imagination Of the worshippcrs. l don't
choose to bow to such shrine. and am not
led captive by such enchantments and if we
are compelled to go through tic ceremony Of
choosing master, to me there is less of hui
initiation in accepting the soldier to whom
Lee surrendered his sword, than the fanatic
} whose teachings have been " the Had of ali
our woes"
l am, very truly yours,
JOHN S. MosBY.
Capt. A. G.. Babcock.