Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-05-08
HORACE GREELEY AS A CANDIDATE.

The reception given by the country to-
the nomination of Horace Greeley for
President, is what might have been ex-
pected. Thousands of Americans Ii ave
admired Mr.Greeley for one and anothe OF
his peculiar traits of character, but rev
ever thought of him in connec ton
withthe Presidency. His nomination
received in Congress with laughter, said
our Washington correspondent. In many
other places il was doubtless received III
the same way. This is easily explained
No man of human powers can write or
talk as much as Greeley has, without say
ing many foolish things. His eccentricities
have furnished Mast so rich field,
that his hat, coat and comic figures
are naturally associated with every men
ton of his name. II he is not already
known in this connection to the great
IN ass of voters he assuredly will be before
the day of election, and We venture that
Nasts pencil will harass the old philoso-
pher more than the pen of his most vim
dictive opponent. But Greeley's eccen-
tricities aIe weak points in his character
and make him exceedingly vul nerable a4s'
a candidate.
The truth is, those most familiar with
Mr.. Greeley would most mistrust bis fit
ness for President. But it is said, is he.
not generous and liberal and honest and
skilled in State craft and would he not
make a good President? We answer
frankly that we recognize him as warm,
hearted and magnanimous and hone st,
But with magnaminity President shouldi
have judgment and firmness. With kind
heart and generous impulses, he should
have prudence and consistency. With
honesty, he shout have stability of char
acter. His State craft is subject for specu-
lation. Mr.. Greeley has many traits of
character to make him warm frien DIS and
popular with the masses, but if we ex-
anime these, they are the very traits hat
W Guild make him unsafe as a ruler.
We have often admired Mr.. Greeley an
an edi tor, and'often had good reason to
tn NIX him harsh, severe and unjust He
is magnanimous, but he is also vindictive
Woe to the man who crosses his path. His.
pen is trenchant, and he has used it with
terrible power. Ask his free trade friends,
who have been charged with carrying
British gold in their pockets, about his
generous impulses! He bailed jeff Davis
when arraigned for treason, but if he had
had the power, he would have hung and
quartered Andy johnson, because he did
not agree with his party. He eulogiZed
Lee and Jackson at Nicksburg, but he de
nouncedTrumbull asa peIjured, bribed trail
tor Tor voting mot guiltyI inJohnson'sim-
parchment trial. He denounces corruption
in Grant, but he had for long time very
soft words for Oakley Hall and Tweed, who
were plundering New York. These are
not partisan lies las he would say but facts
in his history that show, his kind heart
and generous impulses are not always pre-
vailing virtues in his character.
These points are worth remembering
when men are enthusiastic for him now,
who ten years ago drove men out of
the State for reading his Tribune
They afford some good food too for re-
Election to those who all at once think him
such marvelously proper man for Presi-
dent. We present them i'll all seriousne SIS.
as evidences of that want of judgm ent
and of tirmness as would render him an
experimental and unwise ruler.