New-York tribune., 1872-05-23
COMMENTS ON MR.. GREELEYs LETTER.
HOW 1T Is RECEIVED IN wAsHINGToN-sENArOR
SUMMERS OPINION.

acceptance created O marked sensation In political
circles here 1t the absorbing topic OF the day In
all quarters The opinion was unanimous among men OF
all parties that the letter was very wise and strong
one and that it would greatly aid the Liberal movement
The Administration were constrained TO admit ts
and many of them expressed surprise and disappont
ment that the letter. while vigorous and powerful as
they expected it would be- contained no weak points
open TO their attacks The most marked effect produced
by the letter upon the Democrats In Congress
Those who had been Greeley men ever since the
nomination were delighted and a number OF
members who had been opposed to lndors-
ing him at Baltimore, or had remained strictly
noncommittal frankly declared that they were con-
vinced that Democratic party ought to rally 10 Inc
support of the who fully compTehended the chr
acter and importance OF the reforms they sought 10 make
in the National Administration The sudden transition
OF many from doubt 10 decision and from opposition to
support was remarkable Last night the Greeley move
uent was at lower ebb among Democrats than at any
time since the nomination made at Cincinnati To-
night the tide runs higher than ever in his favor ana
promises 70 sweep all opposition away except that OF
very few Bourbons who aiding Voorhees, to create
split in the Democratic ranks for Grants advantage
Senator Sumner said, in conversation with irlehd
tonight that Mr. Greeleys letter strong one ana
bore evident traces Of having been prepared with de
liberation and care He did not know that the effect OF
It would be to increase Mr. Greeleys chances, but coud
not that would lessen them In referring 10 'he
action of the approaching Philadelphia Convention he
said he had not been in the busy circle OF politics tha
he never mixed IN the tumult Of political conven-
tions and discussion but that philosophy and
logic led him TO believe that the wise
course for the Philadelphia Convention to pur
sue would be to make Cincinnati, so to speak, its OBJ
ecve point He said the part Of wisdom Tor the poll
tcians who assemble at Philadelphia would be TO
nominate a man who could administer the seyerest
blows to the Cincinnati movement; that the Republican
party is now divided large portion having gone TO
Cincinnati and that Philadelphia should choose man
whose thorough and lifelong devotion to Republican
ism, and whose high character and attainments
would bring back those who had separated
from the party of the Administration and unite
again into strong and unbroken column like the old Re-
publican party it stood when the present Executive
was elected. He said that such man was obviously
not Grant who instead Of drawing strongly from the
Cincinnati movement, would add to it, He said as for
himself he still hoped that Philadelphia would see the
folly of again nominating Grant but that until after the
Convention assemblies he cannot declare his intention
as TO the future. In this connection he showed his
friend and gave permission to tue following tele-
graphic correspondence:
LITTLE Rock, Ark, May %, 1872.
To The Hon CHARLES SUMNER. Washington b. F. Rice
that YOU viii support Greeley We think it is not true,
and is reported to catch the coored men in tue state
WASHINGTON. D. C.. MAY p. soi isi2
J. p JovEs. LitHe Rock. Ark. / wait action Of the
Philadelphia Convention hoping for nomination that
will unite the Republican party which Grant cannot.
NO CoNCFALMENTs-No EvAsIoNs--No JUG
GLERY.
From 71e Springfield Republican. (Ind)
Ever since the Cincinnati Convention fin
lshed its work and its way, the public has been
waiting with impatient curiosity not untlnged with
This curiosity at last gratifed The letter under the
e5gIy and Critically read by hundreds Of thousands Of
author, az
country IL has nothing to fear from the most attentive
reading the most exhaustive study II has no conceal
ments nO evasions jugglery OF any
kind 1t is strikingly characteristic not only IN its
style, which is masculine, iDclsye and Greeeyish In
very high degree but in It's frankness its funess its
felcous comprehension of the popular mood, in that
rare political sagacity which In Horace Greeley
ALWAYS appears an instinct rather than acquisition
Our amabe friends of the Grant party who have been
huggng the hope that the old editor would be betrayed
into folly imprudence, and so furnish capital
for their in the approaching canvass now md ont
what We have been telung them All alOng-that they
mistaken in their man. shrewder political letter
Is rarely penned so Iaf IRON losing tOtes ~ Is se 70
make them s keyed III inc same tone as te LIBERAL
platform address, but IL surpasses them in the ervor
and drecness OF its appeal 10 the common sound
judgment and warm impulses OF the American people
ana should not be surprised to see II practically
supersede them for the uses OF the canvass IL is good
writing his letter, Mr. Greeley has bad two great advan
the first an accurate comprehension Of and cor
9c5 cSS ~ n syliTv To Write u, Frankiin's Engs6 The
result Is that when he has said his say, the common
people, who elect Presidents. will little TO add
subtract Rarely are me chords Of pr.he opinion swept
alton that the adjusting Of taxation Is the proper work
OF Congress- and that 1t is nOpart OF the Presidents
ness to dictate veto discriminate between the
herents OF the different economical theories in his ap
aid OF RE sneciaI REFORMS to he Wronsbt
out and the special abuses to be corrected by liberal
Administration, Horace Greeley recOgnizes-and has
compelled all VINO read his letter recOgnize-the fact
that stands in this canvass for something far deeper
and wider ana higher than any all these individual
issues Something which OvershadOws while 1t embraces
them. He stands for q return from the rule OF the
sword to the rule of law; the region of military
methods and
government and civil liberty from all these later
mos and alterations and and bitter memories 10
the elder patriotism and brotherhood which knit ali
Americans closely together IN the body O the Repub
to obdTe eyerVtne else and the noble words In when
be announces it, will ring III American ears long after
election day has passed
LETTER WORTHY OF A PRESIDENT.
From The Brooklyn Eagle
Mr.. Greeley's letter OF acceptance will be
found in another column. Sometimes such documents
by Presidential candidates read only for the intrinsic
Significance that attaches TO them sometimes because
they are thought TO he the guarded expressions not
mnch of the candidate himself OF the eOterie OF
friends who have him in charge Rarely are they read
because they expected to conTavene every rule OF
conventional politics. in their frankness, force and
ceptiOnal vigOr and elevation OF tone Mr.. Greeley's
TO the full He measures the hour by the platform and
the platform by the hour, and enforces both with
sentiment that are but psychological transcript
OF his life. His letter, aslde from the per
sOnal bearing has toward him, Is IN itself cOntribu
tiOn to political ethics hardly any other III this
country could have made with so much cogeney,
a snap judgment against the production because 1t
restates the platform of Cincinnati II they find any
difference between the document and Mr.. Greeeys
terpreaton Of it, that iuc gment viii stand If not not
If they maintain that It has been the custom Of
ali candidates with the ability 10 do So 10 recast the
platform their letters Of acceptance their criticism
upon Mr. Greeeys action in that respect will have all
the weight Of cense that attaches the elaborate dis
questions that used to be made on the candidates
clothes. We believe the letter will prove a
timely and growing reinforcement to the Liberal
seutlfneut that from the first has steadily
progressed from Endorsement TO high en-
tbusiam among its friends ard which has already ex
cited the grayest apprehensions OF those who at first