Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-07-17
nER. aRMnLMx's RnuoRD,
Its Manliness and Indepen'
dence.

consistency, but to excite sectional ana
party prejudice agAins. him BY repu6h'hing
what purpor, 10 70 articles from old tiles OF
the New York Tribune, oontaining very
bitter uIteranosS upon the political and sec
tionSl questions OF the day, and particularly
upon the subjsc, Of slavery and the South
Perhaps il is considered that this is but
fair set of against the Inconsistency charged
upon General Grant, in his having formerly
voted for Mr.. Buchanan, and his alleged
declaration that he did not desire to use his
sword in any war for the abolition Of slavery. |
Apart, however, from the question Of oOnSiS.
,suOy, the attempt 10 make an editor of a
public journal responsible for every article
aud paragraph IN l., when he was not the
managing editor of the paper, but only one
out Of dozen editors, the most able and
oOuSpioiouE no doubt but still one OF many,
is upju 10 the extreme, and as absurd as il
il unjust That Mr.. Greeley has been 40
GbhtiOniSt from the beginning, and has e1'
pressed himself in strong language about
the institution of slavery, 10 undsniAble,
though We viii engage 10 match his ssronges.
expressions on that topic with the well
known sentiments Of Washington, Jefferson,
Marshall and other leading Virgiuians upon
the same subject. It must also be evident
that man working in party traces may be
compelled to modify himself in some meas
ure to conform, TO the requirements Of his
position, and we oAu only Judge him fairly
when he stAnds out from his surroundings,
aud without .rAmmslS Of any kind speaks for
himself General Butler, though voting
sixty times for Jefferson Davis in the Char
lesion Convention, 10 admitted BY his pres
ent political associates to be free from per
sonal aud individual responsibility for what
be did in party traces, and ye. Mr.. Greeley
IL 10 be held responsible not only for what
be said in the same relations, but for all hiS
numerous associates said in daily press,
aud from mhich ne was often absent for
months. The fair way is 10 look upon Mr..
Greeley, not the New York Tribune, as be
fore the public for the Presidency, and to
take him when be stands out from bis paper
segregated and in his own individuality, as
in bis letter OF acceptance, eIpoundiug the
principles Of the Cincinnati platform. We
muSt Also bear ia mind that Mr.. Greeley,
even when working in party traces, has re-
psHtsdly broken through them, and that 10
times Of great sectional and party excite
msu1, when il required not only rare indie
pendenee, but exalted moral courage, to
cast of sectional and party trAmmelS, and
when he had few associates 10 so doing.
On these ocoasiOnG he has proved ~ regard
lssG Of his own interest or those Of party
~ When, in his famous article of November
o., 1866, on "Ths Truo Basis Of Rsconstruc-
ton, be sacrificed his prospects for Unit
ed States Ssna.orsbip in behalf Of principle
and humanity. Before this article appeared,
and as early as April, 1865, the day after
General Lees surrender at Appomato1, Mr..
Greeley published leading article in the
Tribune, hsAded" MAguAnimity 10 Triumph,
10 which, AgsiuSt the fierce passions of the
hour, he expressed himself as follows
ave had hoped to print herewith the
Presidents proclamation Of amnesty and
oblivion to the pATlisAns Of the bAffl sd REBEL.
ion, and We DO not ye' despair Of receiving
il before We go TO press, though no portion
Of has yet been received.
1--WE hear men say-'Yes, for
give the great mass of those who have been
mislsd into rebellion, bat punish the leaders
~ they deserve But who can accurately
draw the line between leaders and followers
in the prsmiSes2 By what test shall they
be Disseminated Some Of the Arch.plot
tora Of diSunion have never taken up arms
in lie support, nor have they led any impor-
tAnt post in its civil service. Where is
your touchstons Of leadership We know
none
On the next day he published an article
on Reconstruction, /" beginning with reply
TO the question of an Euglishmsn, "WhAt
will you do with your Poland after you
shall have conquered h2n 1--WE will liber-
ate the Poles" In the article above re-
fsrrsd to, Of November q, on "The True
Basis of Reconstruction, which he per
sisted in writing, although warned by his
friends that Il would lose him his election to
the United States Senate, which the LegiE-
IAturs then chosen was understood to favor,
occurs the following:
"ThAs have long held the main founda
tons Of genuine, enduring rsssttlemsnt Of
our disturbed aud upiurnsd national struo-
turs TO be universal amnesty and i'm
partial suffrage, must be tolerably well
known. IL only remains to be said that
commend them not as reciprocal oonees-
sions, but ~ common bsuehIs. trust our
great differences are to be composed and
ended BY no grudEing, higgliug compro-
miss-uo peanut diokor. IL is essential to
the North that the South should be thorough
ly tTAnquilizsd and treasured il Is essential
10 the South that her principal body Of az
rculturAl lAborsrs-her peasant cultiVators
should live and labor in contentment
based on perfect trust that their rights OF
person and propsrty-thsir earnings and
ther homes-Are ~ secure and inviolAte a.
those OF the proudsst magnAte in the land.
There is no Northern, NO Southern interest
In ths premises, bat . common interest Of
NaaNsh PoOples
am Tor universal AmneIty-so far az immu-
nifty from fear Of punishment or confsoation
"a oonesrnsd-evsn though impartial suff-
LAge shouId Tor the present be resisted and
In the spirit Of the foregoing, Mr.. Grosley
repaired IN May following to Virginia and
became surety for Jefferson Davis. On his
return TO New York he received . summons
70 appear before the Union League olul
ana respond to an arrAignmsut Of his con
aOs'' His latter, IN reply, administered
severe SAsoriGsion TO the elub, viadiOA.iu,
Ia disnihod and prOmp, vay his course
AAd winding up with the following.
"oentlsmsa, l HhAn not attend youY mes,
'HE this evening. have an snTaTsmSU