New-York tribune., 1899-04-17
THE MAYNARD SISTERS AGAIN.
MISS rARDELL EXPLAINS HOW SHE USED THE
PHRASE TO EMPRESS MR. GREE
LEY's ATTITUDE

PHRASE TO EXPRESS Mr.. GREE
LBY's ATTITUDE
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In The Tribune for April 2 find In ar
ticle headed The wayward Sisters" letter ad-
dressed TO yourself and signed by James Oliver Of
Burlingame. Kan. Mr.. Oliver quotes In this letter
from article OF mine in "McClure's Magazine
the following paragraph:
When Horace Greeley advocated letting the
wayward sisters go In peace. Lincoln said nothing
publicly. though in Springfield II was believed that
he considered the policy dangerous and Illogical :"
He invites me to quote any sentence which Hor-
ace Greeley wrote. or to substantiate by wit
nesses any words that he ever spoke. advocating
without material qualifications such policy"
When wrote the above paragraph had In mind
certain editorials which appeared in The Tribune
in 1850. In which Mr.. Greeley advocated the right
Of peaceful secession. In The Tribune for December
1860. In answer to the question from correspond
ent, DO you or do you not hold to the theory
that peaceable secession OF one or more of the
States Is utterly beyond the power of our Govern
ment to admit" Mr. Greeley quoted Thomas JEFF
ferson on the right Of revolution inherent In peo
pies and said: THAT may be a very od-fashioned
doctrine. but actually believe in it, And we
cannot help seeing that II 1t justified the colonies
in revolving from Great Britain 1t equally justies
a fourth OF the Union In cutting loose from the
rest for which shall seem to them sufi
cient" On December g. in editorial entitled
''Mr. Clingmanns Proposition" Mr.. Greeley says:
IF they (the slave States) some OF them choose
dnstead) 10 secede and their people seem earnest
and decided In so doing. we would let them 60 but
not pay them for going" On December 10 The
Tribune said edtorialy: :" II the people OF
eight contiguous States shall pretty unani-
mously resolve to secede and up for themselves
we think they could do so. and that it would be
most unwise to undertake to resist such secession
said again: I'VE have repeatedly asked those who
they do or do not assent to Mr.. Jererson's state
ment In the Declaration Of independence that gov
o the ne and he
form Of government becomes destructive OF these
IL and 10 institute new government etc. We
do heartily accept this doctrine, believing it in
sally accepted is calculated prevent the shedding
OF seas OF human blood and II it justified the Sc
justify the secession of FIVE millions Of Southrons
G% the 1ssy nSn " 1851 sr hs seuen ed
eight States send agents to Washington to say say
constrained by devotion to Human Liberty TO
say Let them go And we do not see how 1--WE, we could
nict with those Rights Of Man which We hold para
mount to all political arrangements. however con-
venient and advantageous"
l used the expression '.wayward sisters, go in
of the policy Of eais aoTns peaceu secession did
not intend to put these words into MI SreeIey .,
Gnss sio whsn y perR. is ng
ing in this regard but think the above quota
tions show clearly that Mr.. Greeley in December.
1860. did advocate letting the "wayward sisters go
in peace" II worse came to worst: His concern at
that moment was not to preserve the Union but TO
prevent compromise on the slavery question
Ny authority for the second part Of the para
graph in question is article from the Spring
field 0ll) correspondent OF The NewYork Her
ald' OF December e. 1850 In which he says: "The
position OF The New-York Tribune relative 10 the
right TO secede does not find much favor with the
Republicans out here. 1t Is universally pronounced
untenable I am all but certain that Mr.. Lincoln
himself pronounces it dangerous and illogical
I shall be obliged 10 you II you find room in
your columns for this communication
Washington. April II, 1889.
IDA NJ TARBELL.