The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-03-22
The philadelphia Convention and Mr..
Greeley.
From the New York Times.


Greeley's refusal to sign the call of the
National Committee for the usual nom
mating convention. This feeling is par
ticularly strong in theStates where cleo.
tons are pending, and where the sight
of the Tribune distributed under Demo-
cratic franks, by Democratic committees,
is not uncommon. There lie, so far as
we can see, room for but one opinion of
Mr.. Greeley's course. 1t is simply an
act of treachery to political obligations
which were voluntarily assumed, and
a general observation of which is abso.
lutely necessary TO the continued use
fulness of the party. IL is "a practical
declaration, more significant than words,
that Mr.. Greeley is controlled more by
his prejudices and passions than by his
desire to see the right and just cause
win.
The National Committee is nothing
more nor less than piece of machinery,
contrived TO render the continuous and
consistent action Of the party possible.
Its duties are divided into two portions
the supervision of the campaign fol-
lowing the Convention by which it is
selected, and the determination of the
place and time for holding the next
National Convention. The first part of
its duties the present National Commit
tee discharged three years since. All
that remained for it to do, was to pro
vide for the meeting of the representa-
tives of the party to consult in regard
to the nominations, and the declaration
of principles on which the party should
60 before the people in the Presidential
election of this year. 1t is plain that if
the party is to exist at all-if it is to
make any effort whatever 10 impress its
country-this simple action of the Ma
tional Committee must be taken. 1t is
difficult to see how any one whose duty
it was to share in that action, could un-
dertake to prevent it, unless he had
made up his mind that the party ought
to be dissolved, and the Government be
abandoned 10 the Democrats, who stand
ready to seize it at the first opportuni-
ty. If all the members Of the National
Committee had chosen to do as Mr..
Greeley did-to refuse to take part in
selecting the time and place Of the Ma
tional Convention, and TO refuse to sign
the call for one, there would have been
an end of the Republican organization
for the time being. Practically near
approach TO anarchy in the party must
have been the result, and the severest
possible blow would have been dealt TO
the principles the Republican party rep
resents.
Every one must see that with the
members of the National Committee il
was not question of whom the party
should nominate, or what principles it
should announce; it was only question
whether the party should nominate any
one, and whether it should absolutely
surrender all the principles it ever pro-
fessed, and take no steps to avow new
ones Moreover, this was a question
which the highest authority in the
party-its representatives in the last Ma.
tional Conventian-hadd decided before
hand, and that decision the National
Committee had no right TO undertake
10 abrogate. The very existence of the
Committee grew out of the purpose of
the party to maintain its organization.
The Committee was appointed for that
chiefly. To decline to perform that
plain duty in something as indefensible
as for Presidential clector to refuse to
assist is casting the vote of his State. If
any member of the Committee could not
attend to its duties, it was his business
to resign, and give an opportunity for
the selection of some one who could.
But 10 remain in the Committee and
decline TO act with it was to betray
trust perfectly well defined and compul-
sorry in its nature.
1t surely cannot be said that Mr..
Greeley's independence would not allow
him TO do otherwise than he did. That
would be forcing the doctrine of indie
pendence beyond all reason. Mr..
Greeley is, as every man who hopes to
influence political action must be.
partisan. He knows as well as any one
what are the necessities of associated
action, and he has exhorted the "men
and brethren of his party to observe
them, times without number. He is
even an extreme partisan. He did not
hesitate, for instance, in the name Of
the party, TO denounce Senators Grimes
and Fessenden for their action, in the
impeachment trial, with n bitterness
that utterly ignored the claims of indi.
| vidual Independence, or even of official
duty. And he has been known to as
sail his friend Hank Smith for partisan
direlictions, with severity which that
gentleman's swindling of the widows
and orphans depositors in the Bowling
| Green Savings Bank has never for "a
moment called forth.
We point to these facts in order to
say that any force that may be claimed
for Mr.. Greeley's abuse of the Republi-
can Administration on the ground that
he is at the present moment repreSe1-
tative Republican, cannot be fairly al.
lowed. In his present attitude, Mr..
Greeley has been untrue to the simplest
obligations of Republican. He has
betrayed one OF the most important
trusts Republican could receive, and
one concerning which he had had left
to him no discretion. He had done
what he could, as the representative of
the Republican party in its highest
Executive Committee, to interrupt the
organization of the party. Whatever
he says or does politically must be in
terpreted in the light of this fact, and
in the light of this fact his political
sayings and doings are of small import
ance, except to those few persons who
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