The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-08-13

l lOI lOOus NOI AOA
means to make a world for myself, I try
to accommodate my habits to the world
that is, and eat meat, which is often the
| best food within reach" At that time,
Mr.. Greeley was forty-seven years of
| age, and weighed one hundred and
| eighty-four pounds. Since then, ne has
/ had nine years of comparatively light
/ work, less care, and good living, and
| must weigh at least two hundred. His
I personal appearance justitieS the optn-
/ ion expressed by him in 1858, that with
I light daily tasks, little responsibility,
and an active outdoor life, l think
might attain the physical proportions
/ and oleagiuous rotundity of an alder
man."
The mental life of Mr.. Greeley is not
unlike the physical. There is the same
| complete absorption in the occupation
of the moment, the same childish disre-
gard of circumstances, the same intol-
erance of whatever is unpleasant. His
mind does not work calmly and con-
siderately, but very passionRtely and
intently. He tastens on his own view
OF subject like blood-sucker. You
cannot tear him from it till he has
sucked all the life out of 1t, and falls off
from safety. Then he may discover
that others have thought truly as well
as himself, though he had called them
"fools," GLARS" and "villains," for
seeking to controvert his views. Even
4 his benevolence partakes somewhat of
the same selfishness. He gives because
it is painful to refuse. For long time
his heart could not restrain its careless
\ gifts TO whomsoever came, regardless
! of the prophecies of the case. He could
| not bear the sight of suffering. He gave
] freely and inconsiderately, to be rid OF
| 1t. But when experience taught him
that this system of giving only multi
| piled the number of beggars, It was stop
| ped. This almsgiviDg had been tncited
| not SO much by considerate kindliness
| for the object of it, as by impatience of
the feelings which the sight of want
| awakened. In word, it was a child
! ish benevolence, which the man grad
| ually outgrew. One day before the
war; a negro woman came into Mr..
/ GreeleY's room, and told her tale of dis
tress. He threw her five edollars-ag gift
liberal enough, truly, to rid the room
at once of the applicant. But the
ful that she fell upon her knees, and
began to call down blessings innumer-
able on the giver's head. This panied
Mr.. Greeley even more than her story,
| and he hastily silenced her. "Now,
| DON'T" said he, in his winning tones
I ''don't do that. Get up, and go way ~
In his theology. also, Mr.. Greeley
! illustrates his Illogical way of disre-
/ Rarding unpleasant facts when they
disagree with his sentimental theories.
I He denies hell, on the ground of
/ Gods beneticence. But transient pain
| is no more reconciLdbLe iOith that idea
than eternal UlISeTy, nor Is the mtSeTy Of
the individual for the sake Of the race
logically c consistent IGih il. II Mr..
| Greeley is able 10 argue suffering out Of
| eternity because ii is unpleasant 10 him,
tghy not also out Of his I0orkd for the
same TedSOn2
1t would appear, indeed, that physi-
, cal, mental, and moral qualities alike
unfit Mr.. Greeley for dealing with
practical life. He willfully absorbs
himself in what pleases him, and IN
sis.s upon shutting out everything
else from his vision. Especially does
he shrink from the idea OF violence, in
connection with any reform in the indt-
vidual, or in society. Ardent and per-
sistent as he has been in advocating
many good cause, the proposition to
use force never came from him. he
would never have made the mistake of
st. Peter, and cut off an ear. He has
none of that masculine, mature and
energetic Christianity which theauthor
OF "Ecco Homo" describes as mot the
emasculate sentimental thing 1t is
sometimes represented to be-" "War,"
he adds, "for example, and capital
punishment, are frequently denounced
as HRchTiStidH, because they involve
circumstances of horror, and when the
ardent champions of some great cause
have declared InaL Iney WOuIu peESe-
we're although it should be necessary to
lay waste continent, and extermlnate
nation, the resolution is stigmatiZed as
shocking and unchTiSttdH. shocking 1t
may be, but not therefore unchristian.
The enthusiasm of humanity does In
deed destroy a great deal of hatred but 1t
creates as much more. Selfish hatred
is indeed charmed away, but a not less
fiery passion takes its place." And the
writer goes on to say that even the
spirit which inspired the Crusaders and
others, Jealous TO do violence for what
they believed to be the cause of relig
ion, was not unchristian. cat any rate,
the ostensible object of such horrors
was Christian, and the indignation
which professedly prompts them is al
so Christian, and the assumption they
involve agonies of pain, and blood
shed in rivers, are less evils than the
soul spotted and bewildered with sin,
is most Christian"
1t Is obvious that character SO child
ish, and mind so self-absorbed as
Mr.. Greeley's, must have been more or
less the sport of circumstances. The
superficial observer may start at this,
then, an example of what man can do
in spite of unfavorable surroundings
Not remarkably so. Constitutional
qualities, good and bad, have made
him what he is; circumstances pretty
much alone, have determined what he
was to think, say. and do. He has
drifted quite passiyely on the current
of events.