Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-12-12

school to walk the streets. Rarely, ii
ever, could they be heard peacefully.
The time came when the the entire South
was interdicted territory to Horace Gree
ley. unless he was willing to be brutally
murdered. The time came too, when
he received the best possible testimonial
of the fruitfulness and efficiency of his
services in the anti-slavery cause, mob
attacked his printing office. It was not
that he supported the war-lnany other
papers in the same city were doing that
as vigorously too as the Zribune-but
it was because the mob believed that if
there had been no Tribune there had
been no war. And the mob were right.
When Horace Greeley began his labors
there was no political conscience in the
press, nor in parties-very little in the
| pulpit. The men who had such con-
science were generally considered to be
infdels That such a conscience was
awakened, that it was braced first to
resist the encroachments of the slave
power, and then to defy its insolent an
cry threats of disunion and war, that it
never f1inched, but accepted as solemn
duty from God, the contest of war, and
sorrowfully, but willingly, laid whole
hetacombs of the choicest youthful life
upon the altar of his country. All this
is due to Horace Greeley, more than to
any other one man of his time. One
thing that gave him such an influence
was his earnest advocacy of the doctrine
| of protection. He believed that our
| dearly bought labor could not compete
with the cheaply paid labor of Europe
| Encourage manufactures-you thereby
| give labor to the mechanic, create
market for the products of the farm
| you make all labor more remunerative,
and in the end will be found to have
cheapened the price of the manufactured
articles which you have protected.
Right or wrong, as matter of political
economy, it will not be disputed that it
gave him a hold upon the working
classes. The intelligent mechanics and
farmers of the country felt that in him
they had a true friend. He counselled
them to temperance, to frugality, to
cherish a manly independence, especi-
ally by scorning all pecuniary dependen-
cies, to form lyceums, debating socie-
ties, libraries, neighborhood societies to
discuss farming. He went himself to
lecture upon all these subjects, and thus
gained audience for anti-slavery senti-
ment.
The preacher did not propose to ana
I'VE the character of Mr. Greeley: He
did not know him. But he might add
that one thing which impressed him in
reading the Tribune, was the man in the
paper. 1t might not be easy to tell
what that is in one article which causes
one to feel the writer, and in another no
more causes one to feel hinstha tree
or stone. But it is in some Writings and
not in others. Other men write as pure
English. Other men use as weighty ar
guments. Other men are as sincere and
candid. But they do not impress them
selves upon one as he did. He always
seemed to come with his paper to lay the
weight of his presence and personal
character upon the argument. | will
venture to say, said the preacher, that
hundreds who read the Tribune and
never saw the editor, fe,t the influence
and magnetism of this invisible personal
presence.
The preacher then proceeded to notice
the conrse pursued in the political con-
test just ended. He belonged, himself,
to no political party. 1t is some years
since he had voted. He had given up
the practice of voting for the privilege
of speaking-of preaching from the
pnlpit without being heard as partisan
speaking. not from conscience, but
the interested motives of a party man.
When the movement began which cul-
minated in the Cincinnati convention.
he sympathized with it. Its end seemed
to be good and only good. 1t appeared
to him that the promises made by the
administration when it came into power
bo1 f,,1S
had not defied the politicians, who had
always, more or less, controlled every
administration we have had. But he
did not approve the nomination of Mr..
Greeley, not that he considered him lln-
fit for the office. In looking over the
list of American Presidents, it seemed
some of them, now of one party, and
now of another, might well endure Hor-
ace Greeley. But he was too vulnerable. |
He had written every day almost upon
every conceivable subject of national |
interest, written under the pressure and !
excitement of 1.-The moment, often with |
imperfect data before him, and it would |
be easy to snatch sentences from the |
columns of the Tribune, which torn
from their connection and read in ignor-
ance of the circumstances which in
spired them, could be made to mean
whatever party feeling dictated. More
over he had been an uncompromising
foe of the democratic party. 1t was
doubtful whether they could be brought
to support him, especially as they were
to come to him and not he go to them.
But he was nominated, and then begun
a series of attacks which for baseless-
ness, for malevolence, for cruelty have
never been surpassed in the history of
political contests. The preacher honest
ly and anXiously desired to know wheth-
er Horace Greeley had become rene
gade and traitor, an associate and part
ner of drunkards and thieves. He then
gave succint narrative of the proceed
ings of the Cincinnati and Baltimore
The former adopted an
excellent platform. The latter adopted
that platform. He thought that it was
a matter of congratulation that the
party did so. He then pro-
ceeded to notice the charges against Mr..
Greeley. 1t was said that he was vac
illating. But in what respect The
three measures which he strongly sup
ported were the limitation of the presi-.
Dental service to single term-opposi-
ton to American slavery-and protection
to home industry. When did he ever
prove recreant to these principles ?
When had he ever wavered in their sup
port? 1t had indeed been said that he
had renounced the doctrine of protec-
ton, to catch the votes of free traders,
by saying that if the country demanded
free trade, he would not, if elected, op-
pose it; that it was said he has refused
beforehand to perform his constitutional
luty. and veto what he disapproved. But
for the life of him, the preacher could
perceive no difference between this and
the saying which over and over again has
been applauded as most patriotic and
tatesmanlike-"I shall have no will to
oppose to the will of the people
1t had been said that Mr.. Greeley de-
serted his party and Joined the democ-