Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-06-07
FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
His Reasons for Opposing Greeley

From the New National Era.
The smoke and dust have now
rolled away; one of the least honest
political movements our country
ever witnessed has just reached its
eliminating point and vanished.
The scene is truly bleak, icy, and
desolate. Two figures, cold and
grim, are all that are visible of the
Cincinnati Convention. The lawyers
have gone home to their books, the
merchants to their counters, and the
professional politicians to wisely
await the result. Not one of the
men who voted for Horace Greeley
or Gratz Brown as candidates has
the remotest idea that they can be
elected. The only shadow of such
a possibility-all know-depends
upon one Of two most impossible
things: One is that the Democratic
party will refrain from making any
nominations, and accept those Of
the Cincinnati Convention; and the
other is that the Republican party
convention, soon to assemble in
Philadelphia, will abandon its pre-
ferences and accept its candidates
from Cincinnati. In either of these
eases Messrs. Greeley and Brown
would have something like chance
of being elected. But neither of
these Contingencies is possible.
The Democratic party can hardly
be expected to disband at the bid
ding of Cincinnati, and accept
candidate like Horace Greeley, who
has fought that party in every phase
Of its history, during nearly forty
years. To surrender its organiza-
ton, its prestige, its strong hold
upon nearly three millions of Amcri-
can voters, on conditions so absolu-
tely insulting as those offered by
Cincinnati, would imply a baseness,
an emptiness Of political conviction
of which even the Democratic party
cannot, we think, be Justly accused.
Whatever may be said of that party
it's leaders are not fools. They
know very we'll that the power of
this country, when not welded by
the Republican party, must be WELD
ed by the Democratic party. They
know very well that any mere third
party must prove ephemeral. They
know, too, that to give up their
nominations is to give up their Or
ganization, and, in fact, to cease as
a party.
But suppose the Democratic party
knavish and foolish enough to com
nit this almost unimaginable sui
eide, the prospects of Messrs.
Greeley and Brown would hardly be
much improved. The very act of
party infidelity and disgrace embra-
ced in it would be likely to send a
larger number Of Democrats into
the Republican party than will be
lost to that party by the bolt of the
Liberals, and hence leave the Re-
publican party stronger than ever.
Besides:
Let the country know that the
Cincinnati movement is only the
thin veil to conceal the grim featur-
es of the old Democratic party, and
that the conflict is, after all, not
between Cincinnati and Philadel-
phia, but between the principles of
the Republican party and those of
the Democracy, and the old spirit
of freedom and loyalty will burst
forth again, bearing Grant and
Colfax, or whoever may be the can
didates OF the party, triumphantly
to their high places.
Ofcourse, Messrs. Greeley and
Brown cannot hope to be taken up
by their old associates-whom they
have abused and deserted-going
out from them because no longer
of them. Having sought to scuttle
the ship-and failed-they cannot
suppose that her passengers and
hands will now turn around and
vote to give them command. They
who boast that they have "burnt
their ships' must now be content to
stay on the other side.
But we are told that the people,
the honest people, will rush to the
polls in November, and elect Gree
ley and Brown. Nonsense all! The
people care but little for theorists.
They are plain and practical. They
take no steps in the dark. They
are neither capable Of political
miracles, nor believers in them.
They send no missionaries to the
moon, and are quite content to re-
main on this planet, without repin.
ing because they cannot be here