The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-10
HORACE GREELEY


n 'om ate Northern MonHly for A,,o,,st
There is a story to the effect that Mr.. Seward
'ce described Horace Greeley as great man.
iuu OF genius and power that if he had com
ION sense he would be dangerous. The errant
snoencies of Mr.. Greeley's mind have been so
Pmarkably illustrated during the past five or
years, that Mr.. Stewards epigram has
ont' A great man and great fool, com
Pned In one person, certainly presents an in
ngruous picture, which has the effect of
'floature; and perhaps it is proper, in de-
Eribng Mr.. Greeley, to adopt the mild euphe-
Ism OF "a great child" The conjunction of
nidish (not child-like) qualities with great
sntal capacity is the key to his character,
pa it is singular that, in the numerous bio
iaphies which have been published, this
sW has never been expressed.
Every reader of American newspapers has
n, at intervals, ridiculous oaricatures of
!. Greeley-bur lesques of the kind to which
public men are subjected, and which pos
$ some degree of humor or appositeness.
le car1caturist aims to bring out the leading
nus OF the man; in excess, it is true, but the
Hence is not successful unless il is readily
generally recognized as significant. The
'neatures of Horace Greeley invariably repre-
nj him as an overgrown child. His callow
nphcty of look and manner at once strike
artist as peculiar to himself
Physically, these characteristics are very
ipable. There is the looseness of the bony
ructure which belongs to immaturity The
esh is habby, like child's. The features
k the strong outline of manliness. The eve
soft and wavering, and has none Of that
andatOry energy which fires the look of ma
lrty. The gait is loose and shambling-a
aling along instead of a deliberate progress.
such body be typical of the mind which
Ohabits it, and its motions correspondent, we
aay readily understand how easily such a man
hight become the victim of his own ponde-
osIty, and merely stagger along the road of
bought, according as one faculty or another
enporarily moved him by its activity. In
7Elf, the human being is far more of a machine
& Aan most are willing to admit. Nor is it
Ough to say the body affects the mind. It
" Its purpose to represent the indwelling soul.
en- have to learn of each other through the
oty they also judge by the body. As Sweden
@g expresses it, there is correspondence"
setWeen the two.
Horace Greeley grew up rapidly to nearly
TX feet in height, at an early age This hasty
rOwth of the skeleton left the organic develop
psnt tagging behind. Naturally of nervous
enperament, and of large brain, his mental
Rctvity served to still further exhaust his
kGe of vitality, and thereby retard physical
hturity. There is some analogy between this
= petuous growth of his body and the opera
q ions of his mind. He generalizes and theo-
ses, freely and largely, but is very slow in
ling out the practical details of plan. He
Seetonizes, but never completes. Now, the
6rganic development of man is that which
&iyoc him bnth his csiua and aafiua
endurance as well as strength. Greeley's
te,vishness, nervousness, cowardice are due
hefy to his immaturity. His nerves never
proper masculine covering. When
+ eleven, he was thrown into an agony
Tor by the delusion that he saw VOLTS
hining in the dark by the roadside, and
wed two girls to escort him home. He
w dot bear the sight Of blood consequently
aliked hunting, and stopped his ears
bthers fred the guns.
( inability to control the bodily impulses
bed to its desires as well as its fears, its
\. hres as we'll as its pains. His mental life,
leed, usually absorbed his attention, often
ltter forgetfulness of physical wants; but,
Il en- the appetites were given rein, they would
os q the bit in their teeth at once, and run
sy with propriety. Both in childhood and
hdult years, Mr.. Greeley is described as eat
with the voracity of a famished man.
tith equal facility, and regardless of time or
Z lace. In fine, the physical lite of Mr.. Greeley
characterized by the twin faults of childish
1patience of pain and childish eagerness fol
stifcation. The only reason he is not more
sual is because the body, with him, is a
.st hard ridden, and rarely turned out to
Iad. His early liking for childish food, and his
tar advocacy of it, is consistent with his own
ysical immaturity. OF late years, and indeed
ali his life, except two or three years spent
boarding house kept on the plan of Syl
hster Graham-the apostle of bran bread
mr.. Greeley has eaten more or less meat
Vih mature years he has probably felt
o need of it, and learned to like it. But
1853 he wrote that it was "still his
berate Judgment that in the temperate
s' torrid zones, where a great abun
ae and variety of vegetable food is easily
shred, diet which includes no flesh meal
iseferable. If were to live leisurely, as
hoald choose, would say, Give me the bes
coductions of grains, of fruits, with abun
hce of milk, cream, ETC., and let me never
ain see animal flesh presented for human
b. Not having time nor means to make {
Orld for myself, try to accommodate m,
abits to the world that is, and eat meat
hioh is often the best food within reach.
d that time, Mr.. Greeley was forty-sevel
ars of age, and weighed one hundred ant
sty-four pounds. Since then, he has hac
SV years of comparatively light work, les
and good living, and must weigh at leas
hundred. His personal appearance just
the opinion expressed by him in 1858, tina
with light daily tasks, little responsibility
Ia an active outdoor life, think l nigh
tain the physical proportions and oleaginou
Humidity of an alderman"