Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-09-03
GREELEY AND SECESSION!
What Constitutes q Secessionist p
A Fair Question Fairly
Answered.

/ many VI NbO btocAot AeSpuuiiSan
supporters of Mr. Greeley are men
who have for q score of years been
readers of his journal. While imbib.
ing the many noble principles for
which the Tribune used to battle,
they also imbibed vague idea that
Greeley was a man of ihfallible wis
dom and consistency, whose every
impulse and act would be for the
glory Of the nation. They grew in
to confident belief that Horace
Greeley can do no wrong" When
therefore the South threatened to
disrupt the Union, and the Tribune
leaders from Greeley's own pen took
violent ground in favor of their right
to do so and the lack of any legal or
moral right to prevent it, though a
few here and there dropped his pa
per and renounced him forever, yet
the great mass of Us overlooked his
error in the greater crisis that fol-
lowed, and thought it only tempo>
rary failure ofjudgment, which would
never be repeated. Aud now when
we call him "Secessionist," the Lib
erals and Democrats in the North
howl with indignation, though they
well know hat their brethren South
use his secession record as q strong
means of building up his cause in
Rebel circles.
Now we have no desire to apply
SO serious and damaging a term to u
man whom part of our citizens
think worthy TO hold the helm of
state, unless the facts will literally
and truly justify the appellation.
So We ask, what is secessionist? and
is man who has used his influence
over q million Of readers to justify
the Secession that was to build mp a
southern Slave Empire, Il suitable
man to uphold the honor and power
of our nation Any man, whatever
his influence or position, whether a
Southern Fire-eater or a Northern
Dough-face, who has at any time or
in any mannec advised the dissoIu-
ton of the Union, or argued its
practicability, or upheld the doctrine
that one or more states might with
Justice dissolve all connection with
this government, was properly Sc
cessionist Any man who has SO far
forgotten or denied bis fealty to the
land be calls his country, as to de-
clare that it might, co uld or should
be rent into fragments, has been not
only Secessionist but, so far as words
go, traitor, for he has thus favored
plans which, if followed up by overt
acts to carry them into effect, result
in treason.
There are Herald readers who still
deny that Greeley can be called a
Secessionist, and say that there is no
such proof against him. We ask
their attention to the following arti-
cles aud especially to their dates
From Ire Tribune, Dec. o. IseOl
We have repeatedly asked those
who dissent from our view of this
matter to tell us frankly whether
they do or do not assent to Mr.. jeff
erson's statement 10 the Declaration
of Independence that governments
derive their just power from the
consent of the governed, and that
whenever any form of government
becomes destructive of these ends, it
is the right of the people to alter or
abolish it,and TO institute a new -gOv-
ernment." ETC.. etc We do heartily
accept this doctrine, believing it in
trinsically sound, beneficent, and
one that, universally accepted,is cal
cuIated to prevent the shedding of
seas of human blood. AND IF 1T
JUSTIFIED THE SECESSION
FROM THE BRITISH EMPIRE OF
THREE MILLIONS OF COLO
NISTS IN 1776, WE DO NOT SEE
WHY 1T WOULD NOT JUSTIFY
THE SECESSION OF FIVE
MILLIONS OF SOUTHRONS
FROM THE FEDERAL UNION IN
1861. If we are mistaken on this
point, why does not somo one at
tempt to show wherein and why !?
For our own part, while we deny the
right of shareholders to hold slaves
against the will Of the latter, WE
CANNOT SEE HOW TWENTY
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE CAN
RIGHTFULLY HOLD TEN OR
EVEN FIVE, IN A DETESTED
UNION WITH THEN, BY MILL
TARY FORCE.
If seven or eight contiguous states
shall present themselves authentical-
ly ut Washington, saying, 1--WE hate
the Federal Union; we have with
drawn from tive give you the choice
between acquiescing in our secession
and arranging amieably all incidental
questions on the hands attempt
ing to subdue us on the other"-we
could not stand up for coercion. for
subiugation, for we do not think it
would ke Just. We hold the right of
self.government sacred, even when
invoked in behalf of those who deny
it TO others.
THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION on
LY A POLITICAL ARRANGEMENT"
If ever "seven or eight states"
send agents 10 Washington to say,
I'VE want to get out of the Union"
we shall feel constrained by our de-
votion to human liberty to say,
"J4et them gol" Aud we do not see
how we could take the other side