American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-06-01
The Situation.
Editor american Citieen j.:

EUttOf -1Wtj tCUN Sttt~tN
During the war it became ncces-
sary to pause, occasionally, and as
certain the situation of the contend
ing parties. and the actual condition
of the Confederate cause. l hope
the .ssobcr second thought" will in
ducc You to initiate this course in
the present emergency, when 1t
would seem thaS chaos has really
come again to bcwiIdcr our senses
and perpleX our political conduct.
The action of the late Cincinnati
Convention took the country by sur
prise. and has astonished the Demo
Gratis as much as it did the Republi
can party-at least that portion of
it which supports Grant, and which
is composed of the '.fools and thieves
i'm Office" the nomination of Horace
Greeley was the bitterest pill which
could have been offered to the left
wing of the Republican party, for
tits the signal of Grants defeat in
the coming contest.
Now, in this emergency, what is
the duty of the Democracy! Shall
we support the Greeley ticket, and
defeat Grant, or shall we nominate
a Democratic ticket and fight both
wings of the Republican party in the
great battle! In your issue of 18th
May you declared for regular Dem
Ocratic nomination and the old plat
form. But this, l hope, will not
preclude you from acting, cordially
and heartily, with your Democratic
friends if it be determined by the
Baltimore Convention to take the
choice of evils and cast the Demo
cratic vote for Mr.. Greeley. 1t is
true that there are many reasons for
opposing such an alternative-such
as the antecedents of Mr.. Greeley
his violent opposition to the South
before and during the war-his Alb
clifton principles-his advice and
advocacy of the Ku-KluX law, and
many other measures equally Objec-
tionable and obnoxious. But there
ate many other reasons, at least as
powerful for our supporting the
nominee of the Cincinnati COnven-
tiOn-such, for instance, as his efforts
in behalf Of general amnesty and a
complete restoration of the Southern
States, and the Southern people, to
their rights in the Union. Ii all
this lie is evidently opposed by that
portion of the Republican party
which adheres to General Grant as
their first choice for the presidency.
1t is true that Grant, individually,
may not entirely approve of the Bit
ter hostility of Congress towards
the South, but so long as he acts
with the infamous wretches whose
most ardent wish is to crush us out,
we must regard him as particeps
criminis as a partner in the crime
and treat him accordingly. Nor do
we fear that, in any event, any con-
siderable portion of the Democracy
will support Grant, as it was init
mated by Mr.. Voorhees,, in his re-
cent speech; and the action Of the
masses tells us too plainly, should
the " sober, second thought of the
Democracy at Baltimore declare for
supporting the nominee of the Gin
cinnati Convention, he will be elect
cd by a very great majority in the
contest.
And what shall we gain by such
a course? A complete triumph over
the most obnoxious doctrines of the
Republican party, and if we do this,
we shall have accomplished all that
we desire. Plutarch tells us that
it was a saying of his grandfather,
Lamprias, who was a physician,
" that the second best remedy was
the best, if the patient thought it
the beSto
In pursuing the course l intimate,
herein as best for us to pursue, in
this great emergency, Mr.. Editor,
there is no need that you shall re-
cant your editorial of 18th May, but
in Difference to the amenity which
has always characterized the Demo
cratic party, you may gracefully
(and, may l not hope, cheerfully!)
endorse the action of the Baltimore
Convention.
VIRGINIUS.
EnR TILE AMERIcAN CIrIzrN.