Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-05-21
Mr.. Greeley's Attitude.
rFrom the ST. Louis DrmocRar.

1
same time darkened by great par
ty insisting that the nation should
permit the indefinite extension of
that despotism and protect it as lib
erty itself. This demand was made
in the name of State rights. 1t was
declared that the q aion was league,
the parties to which, not the whole
p ,ople, were respectively the guard
ians of the freedom of their citizens.
This was the cardinal distinction of
the old Confederation, the leading
doctrines of the party that opposed
the adoption of the Constitution, the
fatal heresy which the Constitution
was framed TO extirpate in order TO
make security and nationality posi-
BILE. Thus Democracy aimed 20 an
initiate liberty, the Constitution and
the nation at once. Its dogmas tri-
umphant would not only have cx-
tended slavery over the territories,
and consecrated it wherever the Fed
eral ensign foated, but would have
given the resolutions of '9S the sane.
ton of the Supreme Court, and have
installed latent secession in every
State. The conscience, the sense of
justice, the devotion to liberty, and
the appreciation of the Consti,
tuition and Nationality--all these
sentiments of good and thoughtful
men were appealed to, and resulted
in creating the noblest political par
ty the world had known. 1t embod-
led the broadcast definition and most
unselfsh inspiration of liberty, with
the truest conception of the nature
and mission of the American Consti-
tuition. The fathers fought for their
own freedom in the name of the
rights of human nature. The Repub-
lican party stood up for those rights
in the person of degraded race, and
for this degraded race as representa-.
tive of those rights and of the integ-
rity of the American people, denied
together. 1t was a championship of
liberty for mankind and for the Ma
ton as the hope hope of mankind
The work involved vast war, with
sacrifices that will be the awe and
wonder of history, in the teeth of
difficulties unparalleled, and with no
precedent that could encourage
Few thoughtful men do not feel that
Providence guided the struggle
The best elements of the coustry
were enlisted for the Union triumph,
mainly solicitous that it should be no
merely nominal victory, but one of
the cause which alone justified the
contest. This wise solicitude secur.
ed the last three Amendments to the
Constitution, each in careful terms
devolving upon Congress the duty of
its enforcement, whenever necessa-
ry, by appropriate legislation.
The party which through all this
crisis has fought Republicanism in
every stage and in every measure re-
mains compact, organized and ag-
gressive, and proposes to win the
control of Congress 1t sullenly sub
mits to what it cannot help, but is
determined to help what it can. 1t
assures the ex>slaveholders that
with it in power to say whether, how
far and in what way, the Amend
ments shall be enforced, they have
nothing to fear. We see the ex slave
holder looking to the Democracy to
WELD the Congressional power, and
the ex-slaves looking to the Repub-
lican party to retain that power
Meanwhile the Northern Democrat
and Southern Democrat join in reit>
Grating, with the chariest modisca-
ton imposed by necessity, the old
anti National construction OF the
Constitution.
The country is in the condition Of
a ship with certain definite perils in
sight ahead, and with unknown dan
gers beyond the horizon, with par
ty at the helm believing in whatev-
err seamanship shall prove necessary
to any emergency, and party clam
oring for the helm that has once &C
knowledged that it could do nothing
but let the craft drift upon the rocks,
and is now anxious to put an end to
more comprehensive principles of
steering. Can we safely trust this
party with the administration of the
Amendments Shall we permit it
to reshape Southern civil society p
Shall we confde to it the future of
the nation? These are questions
which Mr.. Greeley now answers in
the affirmative, since he has joined a
coalition to put himself in the Presi-
dency and the Democrats in possess
sion OF Congress, and has promised
that be will veto no measure which
he can persuade himselfis not uucon-
stitutional. Only few months ago
Mr.. Greeley declared that he depre-
Gated "a Democratic national iris
umph as one OF the gravest of nation
al calamities." Now he proposes to
lead the Democracy to the defeat of
his own party in the Presidential car
vass, with q moral certainty that
such defeat implies a Democratic
House of RepreseD tatives, and in all
likelihood will result in Democrat
ic Senate.
Turning his back upon his long
record, both as protectionist and as
Republican, Mr.. Greeley now seeks
the Presidency over the Republican
party composed as he knows it TO be
of the intelligent and patriotic mass
es who saved The country in the past
and must be relied upon for its Sc
curity in the future. No amount Of
good service or reputation for hon
esty can redeem such course. Moth
ing can prevent its true appreciation
by the masses.
rca AS bad q man as Andy Johnson