New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-22
GENERAL GRANT INDICATED.

III Is next charged that Uenerai trant Is
responsible for the reconstruction and dis.
reimbursement laws.
To this declaration reply unhesitatingly
| and defy successful rejoinder to my aver
ment that at no time, from the first incep
| ton of the correspondence Of Grant, previ
Gus to the surrender and the paving the way
| thereto of General Lee and his brave army
at Appomattox, did Grant ever favor by
recommendation any laws in this connection
not originated and passed by Congress. And
that he was from principle and as a soldier
| opposed to them, his whole course shows.
And his subsequent acts, as well as his mes
sages, prove it. But as President he was
compelled to execute the laws of Congress.
His oath Of Office mot taken in vain being
| obligatory and unless he executed the laws
he would, be liable to Imprisonment.
| GRANTS last annual message contains the
| following:
at may well be considered whether it is
| not now time that the disabilities imposed
| by the fourteenth amendment should be re-
moved. That amendment does not exclude
| the ballot, and only imposes the disability
to hold office upon certain classes. When
| the purity of the ballot is secure, majorities
are sure tie elect officers rejecting the views
of the majority. do not see the advantage
or propriety Of excluding men from office,
merely because they were, before the rebellion,
Of standing and character, sufficient to be
elected to positions requiring them to take
oaths TO support the Constitution and admit
ting to eligibility those entertaining pre-
cisely the same views, but of less standing
the former violated an OATH while the latter
did not. The latter did not have it in their
power to do so. If they had taken the oath
it cannot be doubted that they would have
broken it as did the former class. If there
are any great criminals distinguished above
all others for the part they took in opposition
TO the Government, they might in the judg-
ment of Congress be excluded from such an
amnesty. This subject is recommended to
your careful consideration. The condition
of the Southern States is, unhappily, not
such as all true patriotic citizens wouli like
to see. Social ostracism, for opinions sake,
personal violence, or threats towards per.
sons entertaining political views opposed to
those entertained by the majority of the old
citizens, prevents immigration and the flow
of much needed capital into the States late
ly in rebellion. 1t will be happy condition
of the country when the old citizens of these
States will take an interest in public affairs,
promulgate ideas honestly entertained, vote
for men representing their views, and toll
crate the same freedom of expression and Of
the ballot i'll those entertaining different po-
litical convictions
Now who, under the heavens, in all our
land is more responsible for the passage of
the Ku.Klux, reconstruction laws, and sus-
pension of the writ Of habeas corpus than
HORACE GREELEY, ferries of that's so j nor
will the Cincinnati and Baltimore nomina
tons ever save him from this responsibility,
whether people condemn them or not.
[Cheers.]
HON. B. II. Hills MEASUREMENT REFUTED.
And here l wish to call your especial at
tention to some statements of Mr.. B. II
Hill in this connection, made in a recent
speech at Atlanta. He said:
"Mr. Greeley has said and done many
things which need not tell you do not APP
prove-you do OF approve-but Mr.. Greeley
has always been in favor of one policy which
relieves me of the most vital objection to his
support. He never has at any time approved
of those features of the reconstruction policy
which disfranchised the virtue and intelli-
gence of the South and enfranchised the ig
norance and vice Of the South. He has stood
up like man from the beginning and pro-
tested against every one of these odious
features of the reconstruction policy"
In opposition to this unwarrantable and
marvellous assertion, recall your attention
to the speech of Hon. Daniel II. Voorhees,,
of Indiana, and the letters of Col. Mosby,
Col. Benz. S. Ewell, John Fl. Gimer, Hon.
James H. Lyons, ex-Gov. Wickliffe, Gen
Lonsstreet, and scores of others who might
be quoted, besides the whole record of Gree
ley's life, as published in the columns Of the
New York Tribune, in contradiction of this
statement Surely no one man in the
United States has written and published
such persistent and unequivocal articles in
favor of reconstruction, Ku-Klux laws, and
disfranchisemcnt as HORACE GREELEY, and
confess my amazement at reading the
above unblushing paragraph from any man
who has ever, for one moment even, been in
public life. l now ask honest men of all
parties and all colors to listen to this Ian
guage of this suddenly became immaculate
Democratic candidate for President of the
United States. daughter
"When the rebellious traitors are OUtr.
,chelmed in the field, and scattered like leares
before an angry Wind, it must not be to
return to peaceful and contented homes.
They must find porerty at their .tiresides,
and see prication in the anxious eyes of
mothers, and in the rags of children. -
Horace Greeley.
Comment on this utterance is unnecessary
by any living soul Thank God the dead
hear it not And again he said:
81 therefore, on every occasion, advo-
Gated and justified the Ku Klux act. hold
it especially desirable for the South and
if it does not prove strong enough to effect
its purpose, hope it will be made stronger
and stronger" [Oh, and sensation.]
Aud on the 2lst April, 1871, after the
Ku Klux bill had passed Congress, the New
York 7ribune-i e. Horace Gree!ey-said
this:
SIT is great point gained that there has
been legislation Of any character upon this
question The lawlessness at the South has
been greatly fostered by the heretofore seem
ing indifference of Congress and the North
to the outrages committed upon loyal citi-
zens Legislation, however imperfect. was
calculated to restore the confidence of the
friends of the Union and to warn its enemies.
The bill, now become law, should be en-.
forced with such power and frmness as to
intimidate those who seek to regain poli:i-
cal power by outrage and crime, and to pro-
tect fully all friends of order and peace,