Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1872-05-30
THE ATTITUDE OF THE DE
MOCRACY OF TENNESSEE.

If there be within the scope of politi-
cal experience, 4 truly AFFECT position, 1t
belongs to the Democracy Of Tennessee.
With 4 haste almost impairment did the
Democracy of this State accept the re-
suits of the Cincinnati Convention. 1t is
now a matter of history and uncontra-
dicted BY the few honest men who partici-
pated III that Convention, that the Liberal
movement there i~naugurated, which was
TO reform the administration of our Gov
eminent, was in common p~arlance a put
up job, manipulated By tricksters of
whom no sane being could hope or expect
anything honest. When Gratz Brown
succeeded (and lie was by the way not
even a delegate to that doubtiully consti-
tuted Delegate Conyention) III gett ng
Horace Greeley, the Constable of Chap
paqua, nominated for President, every
child in the United States with the least
intelligence, could at once name HIN
who should hold tie second place ON that
ticket. Hence the bargain and sale there
consumated is apparent. And with a
haste worthy of a noble cause.-the De-
mocracy of Tennessee, while the Northern
and Western wings Of their party, hest
tated, feeling the dangers their time-hon-
ored principles would have to encounter
by SO mad u step as the Endorsement of
Horace Greeley, their most vindictiye foe,
swallowed ticket, platform and all. Let
US analize this step, and see to what
logical conclusion we shall come.
Since the close of the war, all that
was asked of the Southern people by the
Republican party, was to accept in good
faith the amendments to the Federal Con-
stitution. How our Democracy resisted
it, is a matter of history. They would
not, and they could not acknowledge, that
they were wrong in participating in the
rebellion, they held fast to ancient Dem
-cratic doctrines, the States Rights dogma
included. In that it appears they were
sincere; but if sincere then, how are they
now? Have they, by indorsing Mr.:
Greeley, said in SO many words, I'VE
were traitors during the war-we deserved
subjugation, confiscation and disfranchise-
ment, as a punishment for our treason"
because in favorIng Greeley they favor the
man who, of all others, Is the best living
sxemplifcation of the violent measures OF
the Republican party. But they say
MIR. Greeley came out for universal suf- |
frago and bailed Mr.. Jefferson DAVIS
two things very dear to Democracy"
But they fail to say that the ueiccrsdl
sx6ragc, which Mr.. Greeley advocated,
Included that most unpalatablo dish to
chivalrous Democrats, called Negro suf-
frage."
The bailing Of Mr.. Davis would no
doubt have been accomplished without
the self-sacriicing philanthropy of Mr..
Greeley. When a Nation or a Party ad-
mits that their entire past existence was
based upon error, and in one moment sets
aside the teachings and examples of years,
it is a sure sign of decay, if not of abso-
lutte degradation. Hence, we must cues
tion either the past or present honesty of
purpose of the Democracy OF Tennessee.
If Sir. Greeley, who declared up to q
very recent day that Southern slave-hold-
ers were Barbarians, border-rufians, out
laws, ~drunkards, dead to all tie refined
feelings of humanity, he no doubt ex-
pressed his honest convictions, for we
unite with the Democracy (for argument
sake) in calling Greeley an honest and
CONSCIENTIOUS man. Ii during the war
there was in all this land, one who would
nave gone to any aud every extremity to
punish the South, that man was Greeley.
If there was one with whom the iurpeach-
ment of Andrew johnson was a mania,
that man was Greeley. And why was
Mr. Greeley such an uncompromising
champion of Impeachment? Because
johnson was a true friend of the South,
and wanted to restore to her people all
the rights which they possessed;before the
war. When General Grant submitted
his Southern Report to Congress. no one
assailed it with more bitterness than the
Phil ,sopher of the Trj6unc, and it was
only after Carl Schurz. another of the
combination Of Liberal Republicans, sut-