Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-08-14
Fred Douglass on Horace Greeley.
EXTRACT PROM MS RICHMOND SPEECH.

EXTRACT FROM MS RICHMOND SPEECH.
But let us come to the great question that we
are here 'e,S;scuss to-day. We are going, in
the course Of few months, to choose a Pres
ident and Vice President Of the United States
and you aud | and all Of us are to have q
voice, free voice. an uncontrolled voice, an
untrammelled vote on that question. We are
going to have il, and now it is Of the gravest
possible consequence what the choice Of the
American people shall be in regard to that
hear from several sources that all the in.
telligcnt colored people Of the South are going
to vote for Horace Greeley and b. Gratz
Brown. Well, hope you won't have many
such intelligent ones in Virginia.
Now, did not come here to abuse Horace
Greely. / didn't come here to say harsh
things Of him, nor Of Gratz Brown. can
call man a knave and a fool, or a mean.
miserable wretch, and all that sort Of thing,
if want to- but that don't prove anything.
| should like right we'll to be able to vote for
Horace Greeley. | should like to do it on
the score that he is working man, and on
the score that he is an editor, a brother ed.
tor with me. ! should like TO vote for Ilor.
ace Greeley if | only knew which Greeley
my vote would elect. But there is just
where the trouble is with me. He is many
sided man. There have been good many
Horace Grceleys You know when Cough
presented hirself st ths door Of the Taberna-
Gle Of New ork, he said to the doorkeeper
Let me in am Cough" "I'll be ID
it | do" said the doorkeeper " there are no
less than seven Coughs gone in here already"
There have been a great many Horace Gree
leys 10 my time knew one once who used
to say red-hot things against slavery. |
liked that man. Capital man he was. If
my vote would elect that Horace Greeley, and
was sure he would stay put" why, |
would vote for him. But there is just the
trouble, gentlemen. In voting for Horace
Greeley we don't know which Greeley we are
trying 10 eect-whether it is the Greeley
Of thirty years ago, of twenty years ago. or
Of ten years ago, in the van of the republ-
can party, or the Greeley Of to-day at the
head Of the democratic party.
Now, my friends, | will be short What
the South wants, what Virginia wants, what
the whole country wants at at this time above
all things, after this terrible ten years Of com.
motion, after this terrible ten years Of agita.
ton and suffering, is quiet and repose, by
which all the old wounds in the body polite
shall be healed, and the nation come into one
homogeneous whole. That is what we want.
We want that above all things You and
know as we'll as we know anything, that there
can be no repose, no security without certain
ty My objection to Mr. Greeley is that he
is an uncertain man that he is a vacillating
man that he is at the present moment in
doubtful company, to say the least. Any un-
certainty and doubt at the head of our affairs
cannot be other than disastrous to the high
est interests of this country. What we want
at the helm is a clear bead and firm and
steady hand, and these we have in Ulysses s
Grant We want certainty We do not
want candidate that is neither fish, flesh nor
fowl. | object to Mr.. Greeley on the ground
that he is ambiguous, sort Of amphibious
animal, living on neither land or water, nei-
ther a republican nor democrat; neither
protectionist nor e.trader; in favor of
Capitalization and against it; in favor of ku-
klux laws and against them opposed to Tam
many and with it. Well, | said | was not
going to say any harsh things about him, but
let me tell you, my fellow citizens, speaking
as a colored man, regard the election OF
Horace Greeley as one Of the most calamitous
events that could possibly befal this republic.
What we want, repeat, is certainty We
know Ulysses Grant, we know Henry Wilson
"a straight line, no snuosity, no double deal
ing, no divided voice, no uncertain sound TO
their trumpet. Ulysses Grant is friendly 10
all classes The worst enemies that he has
cannot accuse him of malice. He did not
approach General Lee with haughtiness nor
with malice. They had met and disputed on
a great principle. The principle was decided
in Grants favor. He bore himself meeky
he bore himself in a manly way, and to-day
cherishes as affectionate feelings towards the
people of the South as toward any other peo.
pie in the whole country. know the man
like man in the presidential chair and the
man that sits next him such as the poor peo-
pie of my own race, as well as poor people
of every other race can approach, and ap.
proach easily. Talk about military rings
and inaccessibiity 1t is false, every word
man to approach, holding high public place
in this country, that have ever known
The humhlest man may approach him, and in
his presence will be put thoroughly at ease.
1t is good to have such man down there at
Washington, at the head of this nation this
democratic nation this nation which has at
last settled down upon the broad principle of
the Declaration of Independence, that all
men-all men, not part of them-are crea-
ted equal.