Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-07-27

his weakness, his large ambition his love
of patronage and power. They knew that
he had gone back on the administration
not because of any marked defect, much
less of corruption or wrong, but because
ms voice and wishes were all too much un-
needed in the distribution of offices. The
Tammany men had seen, too, how readily
he could control his unruly member when
sufficient largess was rendered him. The
same disposition to manipulate and con-
troll affairs was manifested during the ad-
ministration of Mr.. Lincoln.
Mr.. Greeley can not live out of the sun
shine. He must have adulation. When
denied him by those from whom he ex-
poets it, he turns upon them (of expedient)
with firm invective, if not with coarse
abuse. Yet we do not believe that he
thinks himself or that he means to be
man of expediency. His firm adhesion,
through evil and good report, to his doc
trines of protection and anti-slavery are
denial to any such imputation. But yet
he is swayed by circumstances. He never
dared to oppose Mr.. Lincoln as he has
Gen. Grant. He knew that Mr.. Lincoln
was more than his peer in craftsmanship
and intellectual force. He opposed the
present Administration because he felt
that Gen. Grant, whatever his knowledge
of affairs, good sense and ability in other
| directions and in other forms, could not
meet him on his own chosen ground.
| There was the same kind of expediency in
thisas governed him when he was approach-
ed by Carmichael in the name of the Dem
ocratic party, on the side of his ambition,
and offered the support of that party to
raise him to the Presidency for considera-
tons such as it would seem none but q
Tamany man could entertain.
To yield to the demand for Democrat
ic cabinet, though degrading to one whose
life had been spent in battling for the Re-
publican party, and in denunciation of the
EXTREMIST sort, of the Democracy
was not so bad. But when he
could. deliberately entertain the proposition
to pension the Confederate soldiers who
had been wounded in the effort to destroy
the very existence of his government and
country, and advise concerning the meas
ure being put in requisition to open the
way to attainment of the crown of his am
bition which had been held up before him
6y the Democracy, we are forced TO the con-
clusion that his ambition has overcome
him, and that he has yielded to the infiu-
ences of the Tammany Ring, which, when
he could no longer withstand the force of
public feeling, he denounced in no meas
ured terms. az
We should be glad if Mr.. Greeley
could deny the truth of the Big
hampton statement-glad if he could
deny and set aside the Exposure
of the arrangement between himself, Fen
ton, Hutchins, Carmichael and Seymour.
He has not done this. The article in the
Tribune is but an evasion of the real ques-
tion 1t is not denied that he was party
to his nomination at Cincinnati; it is not
denied that such nomination was consent
ed to with.all the means gotten UP to con-
summate it, as prelude to the pre-ar-
ranged doings of the convention ut Balti-
more. If Mr.. Greeley has not sold himself
to the Democracy, let him say so. If he
has not promised, if elected, to place DEM
ocrats in his cabinet; if he has not agreed
to assent to pensioning rebel soldiers; if
he has not virtually consented to restore
the Democratic party to power, so far as
his prospective official influence would go
to effect it, let him, in as clear and unmis-
taxable terms as he has denounced De-
mocracy, declare it, or ever after hold his
peace.