Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-08-23
Speech Of Mr.. eIey at Portland.

PORTLAND, Aug. Is.
The following is the address OF Mr. Greeley i'll
the City Hall yesterday:
Mr. Chairman and Ladies' and G..ntl,men--
1t is certainly true that throughout the course
of my life, SO far as have been connected with
public affairs, have struggled, with such c;tIa-
city rs God has given me, for. first, impartial
and universal liberty second, for the union
and greatness Of our. common country, ard
third and by no means least, when the former
! end was attained, for early and hearty recon
ciliaton and peace among our countrymcn.
For this great end | have struggled, and hope
the issue OF the third is not doubtful | thor
OHghly comprehend that no personal cOnsideril-
ton has drawn this vast assembly together
Other higher and grandcr considerations have
collected yuu around me to-day.
1t is part OF the unWrlttcn law Of our country
that candidate tor the Presidency may not
make speeches in vindicatiOn a I'll CONNIE nda.
ton OF the PRINCIPLES whercuTrnn he il support
ell, the measures which his election is intend
81 to prOmOte-thOugh u candidate for the Wee
Presldchcy u.s. under II" such inhibition. not
merely acquicscc ia the restriction, | recognize
and atiiim its PrOprirty. The temptation Ia
misintcrprrt ami misr" prcs'n mt IL candidate tor
this higher post l. ~ great, the means OF cirCu-
l'tting such PcrVrrsions among people who
never see "A word of their rCfutatIOm are SO vast
that IA candidate has no moral right to sub lGct
his friends to the Perils he must brave, if not
invite, by taking part i'll the canvass. Yet there
is truth to be uttered in bchaIf OF those who
have placed me before the American people in
my present attitude, which docs them such hon
or that claim the privilege OF stating it here
and now.
This is the truth, that no person has ever yet
AIDE the fact known that he proposed to sun
port, or actively did support my nomination
whether 1T Cincinnati, ut Baltimore or in anV
action which resulted i'll sending delegates to
eltner Convention, rs basis and claim for
office at my hands. No one who favored my
nomination before either Convention, or at
either Convention, has sought Office at my
hands, either for himself or for any one else
Nor has any ono suggested to me that might
| strengthen myself As a candidate by promising
70 appoint any one to any important Office what
| ever. In IA very few instances, less than IL
| dozen, am certain, some of the smaller fry OF
| politicians have, since my double nomination
| limited to me that might increase my chanc"s
of election by promising a pOstotfict some
| such plac- to my volunteer correspondents re
| SpctiVclY- l have not usually responded TO
| these CVcrcurCs, but now give gen raj notice
| that should be elected, L will consider the
claims OF these untmely aspirantS after those
of the more modest and 7 ticent shall have
been fully satisfied. Applause.l
In two or three instances, have. been asked
to say whether 1 would, or Would not, if elect
I'd, cOntinc my appointments to Republicans
answer these by pointing to the plank III tie
Cincinnati platform wherein all who concur in
the principles theFcn set forth are cOrdia "
invited to participate in their establishment
who invited his neighbOrs to help him raise a
house and proceeded to kick them out of it so
soon the roof was fairly over his head. For
my part, recognize every henest man
who approves and adhercs to the Cincinnati
platform my political brother, and, as such
fully entitled to my confidence and friendly re-
gard.
one other point demands a word-those ad-
verse to me, ana what pledges have gwen to
those lately hostile to the Union to secure their
favor and support? l answer, no man or Wo-
man. in all the South, ever ask d OF me, either
directly or through another, any other pied ge
than is given i'll all my acts and words. From the
hour of Lees surrender down to this moment
no Southern nan ever limited to me an expec-
tatiOn. hope or wish, that the Rebel debt,
whether Confederate or State, should be as
sumed paid by the Union and no Southern
man, who could be elected TO IA Legislature or
made Colonel OF militia regiment, even sag
gested the pGnsiOning OF all the Rebel soldiers,
or any of them, even as a remote possibility.
All who nominated me were perfectly aware
that upheld and justified Federal legislation to
repress Ku-k!ux conspiracy and Outrages,
though had long ago insisted, strenuouSly
as do now that complete amnesty and general
oblivion, of the hateful past would do more for
Outrages, than all the force bills and suspen-
sion of the writ OF hGGedS corpus ever de vised
by man. Wrong and crime must be suppressed
and punished, but far wiser and nobler is the
legislation, the policy 10y which they pre-
vented.
From those who SUPPORT me in the South, I
have heard hut one demand-justice; but one
INSTRUMENTATION. They wish to be hear
tily reunited and at peace with the North, on
any terms which do not involve the surrender
be regarded and treated by any federal au-
| obey and uphold every law consistent with
equality and right. They desire a rule
which, allk6 LOT WllCe. ana black shall
encourage industry and thrift, and dis
courage rapacity and villainy. They
cherish a joyful hope, in which | fully
concur that between the 9Th OF November anu
| the 4th of March, next, quite number OF Gov
ernOrs and other dignitIrics, who, in the alb
surb name of republ canism and loyalty. have
for years been lilIng debts and taxes upon their
war wasted States, and follow the wholesome
example OF Bullock, of Georgia, ard se k the
shades oI private lltc-the darker and deeper
those shades the better for the msclves and Tor
N Inkind. And the hope that my election MAY
pet baggcrs, has reconciietI to the necessity
OF supporting me many who would otherwise
have hrsitatrd ami probably reIHS,ai
Fellow citIZ us, the depus. a fammanY RiIi :
has s'Olen about $50 900 100 from the .rtv Of
n W York. That was a most gigantic robbery,
and hurled its cOntriVers and ahetiors from
power and spiendor to impot4ncy ami infamy.
But the thieVing carpet-baggers have stolen at
least three times that amrunt-StOlen it from
people already Impoverished and needy ana
they still flaunt their prosperous vilIauy i'll the
highest places of the land, and are addressed as
Honorable and Exccllehcy. (Applause.)
think hear q voice from the honest people
of all the States, declaring that their iniIuity
shall be gainful and insOlcnt no longer, at the
furthest, than the 4th of March next. By that
time a national verdict will DE pronounced that
will cause them to fold their tents like the
Arabs, and silently Esteal away; and that. /
trust will lie the end of their stealing the cost
OF the good name of your country, and he we'll
being of her people
AT the conclusion of his speech Mr. Greeley
b sat down amid storm OF cheers.