Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1872 — Mr. Greeley at Pittsburgh. [ARTICLE]

Mr. Greeley at Pittsburgh.

lion. Horace Greeley is foliowj ing the illustrious examples of Winfield-Scott, Stephen A. Douglas and Horatio Seymojir, and is j now stumping the country for President. Last Thursday he spoke in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and took occasion in his speech to character ize the Soldiers’ and jailors’ convention, which kart, concluded its session in that city on the day previous, as “a rehearsal of the pomp and pageantry, the blazonry and the circumstance of war,” and said that the 50,000 or 60,000 survivors of the late war present in that convention were “collected at a vast expense, with the civil purpose of rekindling the bitterness and hatred—the animosity and antipathies—the fears ahd exultations pf civil war for advantage of a political party,” and further that “the journals of Pittsburgh as well as the orators on this occasion have been trying their best to make us—the people—hate each other for partisan advantage.” Proceeding with his tirade of Copperheadism he finally observed: “Fellow-citi-zens, 1 demand that there shall be open, free discussion before the Southern people. If they prove that the people of the South want disunion I will consent to it/” It may be pois- ; sible that the Democratic party “have accepted the situation in good faith;” it is possible that the disloyal element of the South may be “thoroughly reconstructed;” but their chosen and accepted candidate for President is certainly the wicked, dangerous and openly" avowed secessionist that be was in 1860, 186-1 and 18G2. Mr. Greeley tefn years ago advocated peaceable secession. For fear that the ephemeral existence of a daily paper might not prove sufficienf.to keep his docrines before the minds of his country men, holucorpor3te¥that semi me nt into'

the pages of his History of the American Conflict that succeeding generations bright, imbibe the pois-.ojuqus,-teaching that- would- provofatal rto all republican forms of government. To-day as the}candidate of a party, wprijveLple.s. and sentiments he is the chief; exponent, lie unhesitatingly and exultantly proclaims the &aijte pernicious ami violent theory. Il Mr. Greeley is not a mad man, or is not drunken with the flattfery of the sycophants who surround him,., and consequently wholly irresponsible for what lie utters, he moans to say to the rebel element of the South and their Copperhead allies of the North “Elect me to the Presidency, then go to work among the disaffected of any section and stir up their discontent, fan up the flame of their chagrin, revive and invigorate their love for the ‘Lost Cause,’ make— the question of secession an issue at the ballotbox, and if any portion shall de-ei-le tliat they wish to- withdraw -IVom-thfiJOnion, I will consent that they shall go unmolested' T~will do as I recommended President Buchanan to do in 1860. No troops shall be called out to oppose the dismembefrnent of this nation.” This is what Mr. Greeley means if he means anything at ail. No other construction can be placed upon his words. But the idea of a peaceable secession of any section of this country from the rest is as utterly absurd as that an arm, leg or any other member of a corporeal body could remove of its own volition without violence or injury. If secession is attempted, whether with the consent of the itboHtit, therex-gilE be war. '