New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-29

} whole TRUTH should still vote for him
against rebellion at the ballot-box, to which
disloyalty gives all the strength, and childish
crcdulity all the character.
To stop now for criticism OF such faults as
those OF General Grant is like blaming a
man 5 awkwardness when he is defending
you against an assassin.
In proof that the conspiracy l charge is
real and no fiction, | need not cite Jefferson
Davis late speech, or the confession of Mr..
Greeley's adherents. Every impartial man
who comes to us from the South bears wit
ness that the mass of Southern whites are
wholly unchanged in opinion and ready for
another revolt whenever the way opens.
The widespread organization Of the Ku- Klux
shows the same thing. That organization
existed only because public opinion there
cheered it on, and in suppressing it our Gov
eminent had no title of help from the former
rebels. All this was to be expected. 1t
would be contrary to history and experience
were it otherwise. To put the slightest faith
in the protestations of copperheads and Sc
cessionists, made only to get office, is build
ing on quicksand. With the exception of
Mr.. Sumner, no leading Liberal Republican
does really put any faith in those protesta-
tons. Theirs is not case of delusion. They
are hypocrites, not dupes. They know well
|
ing to help it and risk the consequences.
They know that Mr.. Greeley's election means
the negro surrendered to the hate of the
Southern States, with no interference from
the nation in his behalf; that it means the
constitutional amendments neutralized by a
cOpperhead Congress, our debt tempered
WITH and our bonds falling twenty per cent
in every market. The Democratic million
aire who is willing to risk this has already
"hedged." lie holds millions ofConfederate
bonds, and is plotting to make on them more
than enough to pay four times over for all he
loses on the national securities, and then
safely laughs at the small bondhoders he has
duped.
Observe that count as Mr.. Greeley's allies
only the copperheads of the Democratic
party. 1t is loose talk to say that he has
joined the Democrats. Such statement is
an insult to the Democracy. The exact
truth is, he has joined the copperhead wing
of the Democracy-its worst element. They
are his reliance.
know some honest war Democrats wish
to change their base and accept heartily the
result of the war. All honor to them. But
their place is not with Greeley, but with
Grant. They fought at his side; there thew
should stand to-day. I know it is hard to
confess mistakes but L practice what l
preach.
If Gen. Grant is set aside, who is offered
us in his place? Horace Greeley. need
not tell you, my friends, what Horace Gree
ley is. We AbOlitionists know him only too
well in the weary years of our struggle. He
had enough of clear moral vision to sec the
justice OF our cause. But he never had cour.
age enough to confess his faith. If events
had ever given him the courage, he never
would have had principle enough to risk any.
thing for an idea. A trimmer by nature ant
purpose, he has abused even an American
politicians privilege of trading principles fol
success. But for lack of ability he would
have been the chief time-server of his age.
never knew till now any of his eulogsts sc
needless and undiscriminating as even tt
claim that he was a sincere man. AS for his
honesty, for twenty years it has been by
word with us that it would be safe to leave
your open purse in the same room with him
but as for any other honesty, no one wa.
ever witless enough to connect the idea will
his name.
Mr.. Sumner trusts him as g. lifetime Abo
litionist." This is certainly news to you ant
me. You and I know we'll, when Abolitionis
was term of reproach, how timidly he hell
up his skirts about him, careful to put wild,
distance between himself and us. You vii
: find few working Aboltionists who stood il
! tho trenches from 1910 to 1860, willing t
! trust the negro race to Horace Greeley.
can remember the day when he and his fel
low Republicans quoted our criticisms upoi
them as certificates that they were no Adolf
tionists. We can give him just such certifi
cate now with a clear conscience. Judged b.
the files of the Tribune itself, there never wa
an hour when Horace Greeley could have beef
trusted with the care of the black man 3 rights
! No man has known better than he how T.
out of the convictions of other men. Fo
himself he never had a conviction. Men con
, trast his former praise of Gen. Grant with hi
fault-fnding now. Neither his praise nor hi
, blame is of any account. Neither comes fror
! the heart. Both are measured and weighe
out with shrewd calculation for effect. Ex
, anime the files of the Tribune and you will Sc
that whenever mems convictions on any sub
tject got keen edge, Mr.. Greeley was Away
ready to blunt them with a compromise. II
is only acting the part he has always played
4 Men laugh when some stirring and loyal sen
tence is quoted from the Tribune of 1862 O
, 1864, and Horace Greeley Immediately prove
, that he did not write it. But you and al
, ways knew that three-quarters of the loyalt
, of the Tribune was struggled into it in hi
, absence, or in spite Of him. If his letters an
communications to Lincoln, during the dar
! wears of 1862 and 1868, are ever publishe
: the world will see what you and have a
+ ways known, that he could hardly have aide
q the Confederacy more unless he had enliste
q in its ranks, or taken seat in its cabinet.
l.. If, as Mr.. Sumner says, Mr.. Greeley is
r "lifetime AbOltionist," how comes it thai
II till within three years, Mr.. Sumner hardl
V ever got kind word and never had an
: hearty support from the Tribune? How ofte
n have Mr.. summers friends heard him exps
n tate at length on this point! On the floo
+ of Congress he has stood, for many yeal
It the incarnation of the anti-slavery move
n ment But he has again and again CON
$ planned that, instead of giving him any SUI
port, the Tribune has constantly belittled hi
: efforts and put obstacles in his way-cheel
= ing his opponents and carping at his meas
e ures, or at best damning them with fain
d praise. My recollection Of these well
grounded complaints is so fresh that loo
e at Mr.. Summers picture of Mr.. Greeley wit
c unfcigned astonishment. Even the suppose
g conversion of the Southern rebels is not S
e wonderful as that of the Tribune into a sur
s porter of Charles Sumner.
v Doubtless we could find a man who would
i even if elected by rebels, still use them 70
|. his own purposes. And it is possible that
O in rare moments of exceptional courage O
d virtue, Mr.. Greeley may dream of doing SC