Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-05-21
Greeley and Secession.

The friends of Mr. Greeley say we
take him rs We find him to-day, not
as he was yesterday or the day be-
fore. We do not believe in sudden,
thorough, reliable, fundamental radi-
Cal change of principle or character.
The tree that produced bitter, shriv-
eled fruit last year will not doff its
essential nature and grow generous
Pippins and BellHowers next season.
We know this much about farming.
Greeley in his History of the Ameri-
can ConHict"-Vol. l, page 359-
(anybody can read it) has set forth
his Vows upon the right OF secession.
Quoting an extract from the New
York Tribune on that page the author
thus proceeds:
"Nay, we hold with Jefferson TO the in
"alienable right Of communities to alter or
"abolish forms Of government that have be-
"eome oppressive or luxurious, and IL the cot
"ton States shall become satisfied that they
"can do better out Of the Union than in tive
"insist in letting them 60 in peace. The
"right 10 secede may be a revolutionary one,
"but il exists nevertheless, and we do not
"see how one party has right TO do what
"Another party has a right to prevent. We
"must ever resist the asserted right of any
estate to remain in the Union and nulify and
"defy the laws thereof. To withdraw from
"the Union is quite another matter; and
"whenever considerable section Of our Union
"shall deliberately resolve 10 90 out, we shall
"resist all eoereiV4 measures designed TO keep
"them in il. We hope never 10 live in re-
"public where one section is pinned to another
"by bayonets."
We might be disposed to forgive
Mr.. Greeley if the suddenness and
terror of secession in 1860 had dis
turbed his judgment. But after he
had opportunity to reflect after the
close of the war in his "History of
the American Conflict" he sanctions
the same doctrine. By the publica-
ton of his history, as far as his in
huence extends, he teaches the pres
ont and future generations of bis
countrymen that "if a considerable
section Of the Union shall deliberate
ly resolve to 90 out" no co-ercive
measures are to be resorted to ITO
keep il in" The existing and parent
government is not to be considered in
tho birth and indepen dence of now
nations claiming large portions of its
territory, with institutions and inter-
Ssts utterly hostile to those of the
parent government. Mr.. Greeley
propounds this rule. not for the crisis
of 1860 bat for all time-tkdt any con.
siderable portion Of the Union is at tib-
erty to secede, provided on .f1H discus
sion IL deliberately resolves TO do so.
Although the independence of con.
tiguons and rival nation occupying
our former territory may continually
endanger our peace and security, and
even our existence, we have no right
to object to this peaceful dissolution.
The author Of proposition so
raonstrouS who in permanent historic
form attempts to inoculate the minds
OF the rising generation with the idea
that any attempt to establish a new
and rival government on our terrific
ry cannot lawfully be resisted and
crushed out, certainly ought not to be
placed in position when he might at
tempt to put his therories in practice.
The maintenance of our governmen emit
has cost rs too much blood and treas
IRE to commit its destinies or confer
Presidential honors or power upon q
man who would be unwilling to crush
out by physical force 80 considerable
portion OF the Union" deliberately
and unanimously resolved (ifso it be-
in the erection Of @ rival nation with
10 our jurisdiction, which, by its own
power or by combination with other
hostile nations, may put our national
existence In peril.
In the next four years we do not |
know what dangers, external and in
ternal, may threaten rs. With: Grant |
as President we feel perfectly secure.
Why should We trust the practices of
q President whose theories and prin-
olpes lead to inevitable destruction |
We entreat our countrymen to pause
before they regret President Grant
and not to trust their destinies TO the
hideous and vile convention of politi-
cal gamblers that met at Cincinnati.