The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-01-30
ONE MAN WHO WAS WISER THAN
MANY MEN,

MANY MEN,
The Republicans of New York are
gratfled that DR.. Chauncey NJ. Depew
has triumphed over his enemies who
sought to defeat his reelection as
President of the Union League Club.
The effort to defeat him recalls Horace
Greeley's letter, written soon after the
war, to some Union League Club
members. As the venerable editor
OF the 7fIbule was wont to remark, it
makes mighty interesting readlng."
Here it is:
New York Daily Tribune, May 23,'67
By these Presents Greeting To Messrs.
George w. Blunt, John A Kennedy,
John O. Stone, Stephen Hyatt and
thirty others, members Of the Ulioa
League Club:
GENTLEMEN-I was favored on the
10Th instant by an official note from
our ever courteous President, John Jay,
notifying me that a reqlisltol had
been presented to him for a special
meeting of the club at an early day for
the purpose OF taking into colsideTa
ton the conduct of Horace Greeley, a
member of the club, who has become
bondsman for Jefferson Davis, late
chief officer of the Rebel Government.
Gentlemen, shall not attend your
meeting this evening. l have an en-
gagement out of town, and shall keep
it. do not recognize you as capable
OF judging or even fully appreciating
me. You evidently regard ME as
weak Sc eltimentalist, mlsIed by mau-
din philosophy.
| arralgn you as narrow-mlnded
blockheais, who would like to be use
ful to a great and god cause, but
don't know how. Your attempt to
base a great, enduring party on the
hate and wrath necessarily engendered
by bloody civil war is as though you
should plant colony on an iceberg
which had somehow dritted into a
tropical ocean.
tell You here that ont of a lite
earnestly devoted to the good of human
kind your children will select my go
ing to Richmond AID signing that bali
bond as the wisest act, and will feel
that it did more for freedom and hu-
manity than all Of you were compe-
tent to do, though you had lived to the
age of Methuselah.
| ask nothing of you, then, but that
you proceed to your end by a direct,
frank, manly way. Don't slide off INTO
mild resolution OF censure, but move
the expulsion which you purpOsed and
which | deserve, if | deserve any re
proach whatever. All ] care Is that
you make this square stand-up fight,
and record your judgment by yeas and
nays. care not how few vote with
me, nor how many vote against me, for
| know that the latter will repent it in
dust and ashes before three years have
passed.
Understand, once for all, that | dare
and defy you, and that l propose to
fight it out on the line that haye held
from the day of Lees surrender. 81
long as any man was seeking to AVer-
throw our Government he was my
enemy; from the hour in which he
laid down his arms he was my formerly
erring countryman. s. long as any is
at heart opposed to the national unity,
the Federal authority or to that asser-
ton of the equal rights Of all men,
which has become practically identified
with it legally and nationally, | shall
do my best to deprive him of power,
but when he ceases to be thus | de
mand his restoration to all the privil
eges of American citizenship.
give you tair notice that | shall!
urge the re- -enfranchisement OF those
now prescribed for rebellion as soon
as | shall feel confident that this cause
is consistent wit the freedom of the
blacks and the unity OF the Republic,
and that | shall demand a recall OF all
now IN exile only for participating il
the rebellion whenever the count
shall have been 50 thoroughly paclf
that its safety will not thereby be
dangered.
And so, gentlemen, hoping II
will henceforth comprehend y
what better than you have d.
= cy;r, yOurS II opATE