The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-06-04
Greeley and BrOWn--Lcttcr from Cen
cral Beaurcgurd.
New ORLEANS, MAY 81,

New ORLEANS, May u, 1872.
To The Editor Of the Ncau Orleans Times:
| am informed that many of my friends
were disappointed at not obtaining q re-
spouse to their call for my views relative 10
the subject under consideration at the great
meeting of the people ut the st. Charles
Theatre OIL the 18th instant, especially when
was one of the sIgncrs of the call for that
meeting, and had BEEN selected as one of the
vice-preSidents on that occasion. did not
respond for two reasons-in the first place,
able orators had been selected to address the
meeting. and they were entitled to the floor;
secondly, not being public speaker, I might
have used language which might not have
expressed exactly my meaning, thereby do
Ing perhaps more harm than good.
IL is but seldom that take part in politics,
which offer generally little attraction to me !;
but when the questions ut issue are vital to
the safety Of our institutions and welfare of
the State or country, every patriot should
step to the front aud assume the individual
responsibility which belongs to a proper
manhood. We have reached, / think, one OF
those critical pcriodsof our history when we
should chang out our tanners on the outer
walls" We are now in greater danger OF
losing our liberties and the little that is left
of our property than in the fatal year of
1865. We had then "hope" to guide and
cheer us along the dreary path we had before
us 4; but now all is darkness end gloom above
the horizon, and we should be careful in the
choice Of the pilots who arc to take us to Il
port of safety; they should be well ac-
quainted with the bars and quicksands which
lay in our course. .. ..r-:.. r.t
| proclaim it rs my conviction that the
hour has struck when the voice of the pee
plo shall be heard, revcrhclating in loud and
clear tones, from one end OF the Union to
tho other. In times of national peril it IS our
privilege, Us well as our right, To be heard i'll
public assemblies, and no citizen should
shirk that sacred duly.
The old parties are powerless to save us.
We must call OH all discontinued elements
and parties to unite with us to resist the en-
croacllnentS and corrupting influences of the
Government under which we arc living, or,
| should more properly say, "dying," for Il
slow but sure political death is now staring
us in the face. What then, may be asked, is
the remedy that we have ut hand? 1t may
be an unpleasant one to many OF us, nut we
had better make Il virtue of necessity and
accept it ere it he too late.
To ME it appears plain that to insure sue
cess we must all unite under the banner OF
81 the Constitution and the laws" "reunion
and REFORM" g honesty and universal am
nesty." That banner has been lately raised
at Cincinnati under the leadership OF Gree
ley andlBrown--in the past, two Of our most
earnest and dangerous enemies, but two also
of the purest and most honest of men, who,
when they shall have said to the country,
81 Let us have peace" will mean it, and will
give us peace in spite of all opposition. For
my part, prefer having MS friend one who
has been my open and fearless antagonist to
one who has ".fricndship on his lips, but
hatred in his heart !"
In conclusion, may ask my friends II we
are likely to go amiss by following the eXanl-
ole of such men as Seymour and Blair. Dem
ocratic candidates for President and VICE
President in 1868, and of Charles F. Adams,
who would have been very acceptable to the
Democrats, it is said, if chosen by the Clnc1n-
natl Convention i'll preference to Horace
Greeley? Those gentlemen, we are informed,
approYe. and endorse the nomination OF
Messrs. Greeley and Brown, and adopt the
Liberal Republican platform! why should
we be more hypercritical than they areY Are
they not supposed to be better judges than
we are Of the merits and qualifications of the
candidates, who canos should command sue
cess? Let us then bury the Ratchet. forget
and forgive, on both sides, and march In sohd
phaianX to reform and victory. <,r..s5s>
F'<.',. - g. T. BEAuREGARD.