The Portland daily press., 1872-07-24
Letter from New York.

NEW YORK July 25, 1872
One of the most curious results of the can
didacy of Mr.. Greeley is the extraordinary
spirit OF magnanimity and forgiveness which
it has developed. Not only the EXTREMIST
rebels of the South rush eagerly to his sup
port, but the bitterest copperheads of the
North throw up their hats for him with well
feigned enthusiasm. But perhaps one of the
most striking exhibitions of ..H-ii.l .
...|r LAMB LIKE DoCILPTY
ever witnessed in political life is that evinced
by Dewitt c. Littlejohn, of Oswego, in pro-
nouncing for the Cincinnati and Baltimore
nominee. Littlejohn was for some years
member, and during at least three terms
Speaker of our house OF Assembly. He orig
inally belonged to the old Wing party, and
was strongly suspected of countenancing and
profiting by the jobbery and special legislation
which has so long been the disgrace of our
State politics. The Tribune denounced him
with such vehemence and pertinacity that he
was at last goaded into libel suit against its
editor. He did not succeed, however, in
clearing his skirts of the damning accusations
brought against him, and Greeley triumphed
in the suit. Mr.. Littlejohn therefore disap-
peared from public life. And now, to the
amazement of all who remember the fierce
war which was waged upon him by the most
powerful organ of his own party, he turns up
as the advocate of the election of his old an
tagonist. Whether this is to be regarded as
an act of confession and repentance on Lit
tlejohn's part, or as indicating that Greeley,
under the influence of his new associations,
has grown more tolerant of official derelic-
ton, must be left to conjecture. But if one
may fairly judge of Mr.. Greeley by the aver
age character of the few Republicans of his
own State who have enlisted under his ban
ner, the offences which he charged and sub
stantially proved against Littlejohn will
not constitute an insuperable barrier to that
gentleman's recognition in the dispensation of
the patronage" which forms, in the liberal
republican mind, the chief end and aim of
government.
If the people of the United States could get
a view of the
MEN WHO SURROUND MIR. GREELEY
they would be frightened out of all idea of
making him President. 1t isn't merely that
all the old plunderers of the Tammany Ring,
from Tweed up are for him, but the inveter-
ate traders in legislation, the hucksters in
politics, the class ofmen who have made our
whole political system disreputable, by turn
ing their partisan influence topersonal gain
who congregate in Americas, Blossim and
Lincoln clubs, gravitate to his camp with the
unerring instinct that it is their natural
home. -.... .=
1t is only just to admit that Mr.. Greeley is
far better than his followers I have no
doubt of his personal honesty But it has al
ways been weakness of his character tocon
fide in Enthusiastically people. And now that
he has voluntarily cut loose from the rank and
file of the Republican party in whose virtues
rest the hope of the country, there is the
greatest danger that in the event of his cleo
ton the nation would become the theatre of
such raids upon the Treasury as were so long
practiced in our city affairs, and which have
swollen the municipal debt to over an hun
dred millions of dollars inspite of burden of
taxation compared to which the federal levies
are trifing.
Ihese Things are well understood here by
all intelligent voters. Consequently Mr.. |
Greeley cannot command the suffrapes of the |
Democrats who revolted against Tapmany |
last year nor of the Germans who are heartily
for good government. His support must |
come from the Democrats and Republican,
who adhere to Tammany Hall. The latter
faction is comparatively powerless for mis-
chief now that its mask is off. u consists of |
office-holders who have maintained an organ |
ization within the Republican party because
they could thereby better serve the purposes of
Tweed 1t has the Police and other Com
missions created under Tweed's charter of |
1870. These would have been swept away
by the Legislature last winter but for a coali-
ton between the Greeley-Fenton Republicans