The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-05-06
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held nv the national army
That put Greeley in an un-
comfortable position. He could
not condone the attack on Fort
sumpter and he did not join the
hvstericsl crowd that had taken
IN the Forward to Richmond
cry. To justify his position he
issued g signed statement which
contained this:
Il wish to be distinctly under
stood as not seeking to be re-
lieved from any responsibility
for urging the advance OF the
Union army into Virginia
though the precise phrase For
ward to Richmond is not mine,
and I would have preferred not
to fterate IT. I thought that the
army, 100000 strong, might
have been in Richmond by July
20. :. But II anyone imagines
that I or anyone connected with
the Tribune ever commended or
imagined any such strategy as
the launching of barely 10000
union volunteers within so miles
OF Washington against 10000
rebels enveloped in a labyrinth
of strong intrenchments and un-
reconnoitered masked batteries,
then demonstration would be
lost on his closed ear.
But I will not dwell on that.
II am needed a. a scapegoat
for all the military blunders Of
the past month, 20 be n. Indi-
viduals must die that the nation
may live. II can serve her best
In that capacity, do not shrink
from the ordeal.
Now let the wolves howl oni
I do not believe they can goad
me into another personal notice
of their rawlings"
At this time anything that
Greeley or anyone could do or
say would not have taken the
country out of war. The die had
been cast, but Greeley with
many others was overwhelmed
by the thought Of the suffering
that would be caused regardless
OF the outcome.
Greeley WAS 30 overwhelmed
bv the Union defeat at the Bat
tie of Bull Run that he suffered
a nervous collapse and was in
bed six weeks with an attack
of brain fever. His first edi-
torials after his recovery urged
Lincoln to end the war by a
compromise on the slavery issue.
This finally took the form Of a
personal letter to Lincoln head
ed. THE Prayer Of Twenty Mil
lions" urging Lincoln to free
all the slaves that escaped into
the Union lines and permit the
South to restrain the others in
slavery.
Replying TO this, Lincoln wrote
a long letter which included this
paragraph:
my paramount interest In
this struggle Is to save the
Union; IL Is not either to save
or destroy slavery. II could
save the Union without freeing
any slave, l would do 1t; II
could do II by freeing all tbs
slaves, 1 would do so: II l cOulC
do II by freeing some and leav
ing others alone, 1 would als'
do that"
Lincoln's reply did not hell
Greeley and gave James Corridor
Bennett in his New York Herald
an opportunity to express th'
i'll feeling that still remained
because Greeley had entered hi
field.
Bennett characterized Creole,
as a crazy, con I mp ibl'
wretch" a monster" who hat
''instigated this dreadful civi
war for years past, and carefully
nurtured and fostered the abo
lition sentiment with which HI
hoped TO poison and kill tn
Republic"
Bennett declared that Greele.
"would not cease TO do evil unit
the government or the peopl
shall lose patience and suddenl.
annihilate him and his infamou
Tribune" and predicted that 81
we decide TO hang the abolition
lists, poor Greeley shall swing OF
the post Of honor the head o
tail Of the lot"
Utterances of this characte
in the Herald helped incite
mob 10 attack the Tribune of
flee and Greeley barely escapes
with his life.