New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-18
GRRELEY IN nIIcnIGAN.
Speech Of Hon. Austin Blair-His Ar
raignmenf Of Grant and Endorsement
Of Greeley.


the political questions Of the hour. We
herewith produce bis admirable speech;
Fellow Citizens--I can rejoice with you
tonight, without any reservation whatever.
II will not be very difficult for me to sup
port Horace Greeley for President, because
/ have worked right along with him,
shoulder to shoulder, for the past twenty
years, and, fellow-citizens, it viii not trOu-
bic me to 90 along with him now. 1t Will
give me the most unusual pleasure to tes-
tify to lis fdelity-his manhood-a man
whom the people will recognize as repre-
sentative American and elect to the Presi-
deney. [Applause just at this time be is
the very man to fill the position that the
people have called him to. True, the times
are a little different now from what they
have been The Republicans and Demo
Gratis have had old quarrels, but they have
arrived at point now where they must ria
themselves OF these old differences. NOW
ID the time to establish peace over the cOun-
try and shake hands over the bloody ehasm
Of the past Let US fill up these chasms so
that they shall be seen no more. why not
come together! What reason is there Tor
keeping open this cOntestt Slavery alone
has been the bone Of contention. l have
had little experience in that myself, ana
You will pardon me if talk a little about
the past In 1913 LETT the old Wing party.
Buffalo to meet Salmon r. Chase, Van
Buren, and other Abolitionists, Free-SoiIers
and every other kind OF people to make
new prOnunciamentO for liberty. l heard
the same words about myself that l hear
now. They hurled epithets OF turncOat,
traitor, etc. Yes, had turned my coat ana
left my party, and 1t meant some
thing In those days to join Ab0li-
tionists and 20 through this country
proclaiming in the schOol-h0uses the
Declaration of Independence, which said
that all men were created equal. This was
a synonym Of reproach at that time, but
the people were honest, and every shackle
was broken from the slaves wrists. When
/ came home from that convention the peo-
pie secuted me on every side, but we got
HOO votes in Jackson county; the Wings
got 900, and the Democrats 1900. 30 we
came almost Immediately forth to victory.
From that day to the close of the war the
contest ragged and the victory was given to
u.s. Democrats, you must confess IT; we
have beaten you in that. You are glad OF
it. You would not revive IL If you could.
1t was Just as good for you as for any OF US.
Slavery is dead. Everything Conserving 1t
has been swept away, and why should not
the contest DO swept away too what IS
there left for Republicans and Democrats
to fight Overt Nothing. The old contest
has gone and Ieft MS notlIing-simply a
AHtAuBFFs NH Gun hUb abpAu " AsttAAoh
over that. There is something more 10
do. We must take q new departure
now and begin 70 look after the
conduct Of orr officers and gov
ernment We must come back to the
old landmarks of Jefferson and other great
men Of that time, and declare that we VIII
have honest men for Office and put down
fraud and corruption, ana depend upon pom
pulitieal morality. We mast do away with
The belief that al otiile-hoiders must steal.
That IS the work of to daV. 1t began at
Cincinnati where Horace Greeley was
norninated nomination fell upon the
country rs q surprise. Nobody expected
that man like Greeley would get The
nomination. They expected thai lew
political bummers aud tncksters would go
down there md nominate one OF their mum
Der. What occurred at Washington pre-
vious to his nomination? A gentleman
came 10 me from New York and asked me,
Glow will Michigan vote at Cincinnati Z"
asked him il he had any idea that Greeley
would be nominated. He replied that he
believed Greeley was the best candidate,
and would stand % good chance why,
looked on that man with surpriSe-just as
if he had come along with some circus or
show. They did not suppose, nor did they
mean that Greeley should be the man. Many
were troubled and disappointed at the
nomination of an honest man. Judge DAVIS
was found and the delegates compared
notes on hin, and found that he could not
be nominated. They then bit on Charles
Francis Adams, whose whole family is
family Of office.seekers, who has one son
wanting TO be Governor of Massachusetts,,
and will want TO be President as soon as he
gets old enough. Mr.. Adams is man OF
great ability aud learning, but he was more
satisfactory to the rich men and the arlst0e-
raey than to the men who hold the pillow all
through the great West. lie has not the
hold on the heartsOf the laboring classes OF
the country. lie was not the man Tor inc
position, and, after bRilOting for two days
In the convention, Horace Greeley, the
old philosopher of the Tribune was noml-
nated-a FefOrmer from the day he began
life and a powerful reform writer.
In him the convention found a Ut
representative for the position. Democrats
and Republicans were called upon TO come
forward and support HIM. The Democrats
did not want to do it at first. They said,
ooh, no, can't support Greeley; he has
said too many hard things about me ia the
past. Don't ask us to swallow Kim. Davis
would have suited us better. We are Scared
all over with blows inflicted by Greeley
during the last twenty years. Oh, no, don't
ask us to support him. But there came up
a voice from the plundered and beggared
South, that had been made desert by war,
y
ton since the war, Her great men said to
the Democrats of the North, If we can
take him. can't you He fought the hard
est against us, but now bears us no malice"
When the C0nfederacy fell, the benevolent
old man come forward and said, Let us
be- friends" He said to them, you
are beaten, and we row offer you the
hand Of friendship-general amnesty"
He encouraged them, and told them to
be of good cheer. He denounced the lnta-
NOUS carpetbag government and when he
said, 'Let the negroes vote, he said, Let
all men vote-put nobody down-no re-
venge-uo further hostility He asked,
"Will yua make an Ireland Of the Southf
VIII you continue TO destroy after destruc-
ton Win you not pardon when the
whole contest Is Over2" The South said,
"Horace Greeley is the man for us. He
fought us hardest and pardOned us first"
This argument went to the hearts of Demo
Gratis at the North. They began 10 wheel
into line. State after State. drop their first
objections and 90 for Horace Greeley.
They saw that the contests of the war
should be buried, and the present move
ment taken up to put down fraud. These
issues were in the Cincinnati platform aud
it pleases me to be able TO vote for Greeley
to represent them. Principles are OF more
consequence than men. The Cincinnati
platform is better than the one
made at Philadelphia. can support
Greeley on it because he feels
it and believes in it. l am sometimes told
by Republicans that l ought not to supper
Greeley because he is not the regular nomi
nee Of the party. / never cared muel
about success. / have been very success
full in getting with those who carried on
my convictions, and want to vote viii
the party now that will do it. They can
drag me away by the tail of the militar,
coaf at pbita1elphia TI.Oud aDD}ausa