Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-07-28

ifiends and by the admissions compel.
led by bis worth from the worst Of
his enemies at the very mention Of
his name.
Saysyesterday's Tribune IN enforced
praise Of the man:
ASA Packer, \ smart Connecticut
boy Of old fashioned Yankee stock
len his native State when seventeen
years old. with some $40 in money
aud clothing Of about equal value, and
brought up in Susquchanna county,
North Pennsylvania, where he ap-
prenliced himself TO learn the trade
of carpenter and joiner. which he iol-
lowed for some years thereafter (;
marrying in due season, and buying u
tract Of wild land, which he proceeded
10 clear and ill. AT length be pulled
up stakes and struck for Mauch
Chunk, the heart Of the Lchigh coal
region, whence he ran n coal boat TO
Philadelphia, then started store, and
soon engaged extensively in buying
coal lands, building railroads, &c, &C.,
whereby he grew rapidly and enor-
mously rich He is now worth at
least twenty millions OF dollars. and
we believe he came honestly by them.
Though we do not belong 10 his thrifty
class, we appreciate them as useful
men, and believe the world is better
for their existence"
Though clumsily told, this brief
story of the facts of Asa Packers life
Ito which. as will be seen, il does in
sufficient Justice--contains yet enough
TO demonstrate the mould and mettle
of the man, and that ability and inieg-
rity in the discharge Of his own affairs
which will guarantee his worthy over
sight Of those OF his adopted State.
Nevertheless, in what follows this
reluctant summary of Asa Packers
career, the comments are so double
edged as TO wound the hand that
wrote them. In bis feeble effort TO
break the force of his own statement,
the Tribune proceeds to remark: ave
don't like the idea Of making Gov
ernor out of one whose chief distinc-
tion is the ownership Of twenty mil
lions of dollars" Nor does the Demo
cratic party like or propose to enter
tain any su b idea, Mr.. Greeley. The
"chief distinction" " Of Asa Packers life
is far from the accident of his wealth.
It rests in the sagacity and honor and
honesty with which be attained this
wealth, and upon lbe noble philan-
thropy with which be has dispensed il.
Yet there is "an idea, there is ''chief
distinction" which this critic does
like, and on the embodiment aud pos
session Of which he bases his personal
esteem, respect, and friendship" Tho
man who slurs Asa Packer slavers
Daniel Z. Sickles The one is in his
view unfit 10 be Governor. The other
is proper to be Minister TO Spain and
the recipient Of praise in the Tribune
and of the greeting and praise of its
editor For the gentleman, Christian
and philanthropis:, Mr. Greeley has
suspicion, sncers and abuse. For the
whoremOnger, mail robber, pimp, pan
derer, adnlterer, murderer, defaulter
and mutinecr, Mr.. Greeley has ''per-
sOnal esteem, respect and friendship"
Mark the differuncel Asa Packer
LETT hume and embarked IN life with
his entire youthful savings netting
seventeen dollars. Daniel E. Siekles
began at about the same age with ono
hundred dollars, extorted from the
credulous generosity Of Peter Cooper.
This generosity he abused by squan-
dering the money, which was a loan,
in such licentious courses as led the
man Of whom he bad borrowed it, and
who would have willingly doubled tho
amount 10 an honest debtor, 10 cut
him off forever. At the period when
Asa Packer was "apprenlired to q
carpenter and joiner" Daniel 4.
Siekles was budding burglar of the
mortgage of a trust estate, for the
theft OF which he stands indicted at
the bar of his native city today.
When Asa Packer chad married In
due season." Daniel E. Sicklcs was
living in open commerce with n public
prostitute. and is credibly reported TO
have solicited for her from others such
attentions as he gave her himself At
this stage, il was Packer the mechanic
and Siekles the pimp.
While Asa Packer was "clearinr
wild land and tilling it, Daniel 4.
Sickles was robbing the Broadway
postotfice and sitting check by jowl
with his ard the public's trull in tho
Assembly chamber ut Albany.
While Asa Packer was amassing
wealth and distributing il with dis.
crimination aud abundance 10 which
the benefactions of Mr.. Peabody alone
are equal, Daniel L. Sickles, having
been pimp, burglar, mail.robber, ballot
box suffer, and defaulter, became in
quick and suitable succession ndultcrer
and murderer and radical.
Among the acts which Asa Packer
has done TO attract the distrust of Mr..
Greeley has been the endowment with
half milliun dollars of universityin
which the youth Of his State are gra-
tuitoudy educated 10 all the practical
sciences and ia tho principles and
practices Of business career. As tho
outcome Of his magnificent bounty,
the Lehigh valley is filed with happy
homes 20 day--bomos whose heads or
whose sons he las educated. and 10
whose success in life and to whose
standing and eminence in this age his
hrnevolenco has chiefly contributed.
Impoverished men and women, desti.
tate orphan children, deserving and
struggling charities, needy churches
Of all Christian faiths, know the name
Of Asa Packer ouly 70 bless il. Ho
has maintained them from the riches
with which Heaven has rewarded his
honorable and industrious labor, and
ten thousand subjccis of his lavish
generosity to-day rise up aud call him
blessed from all parts Of the keystone
State.
Among the acts which Daniel +,
Sickles has done TO win ''the personal
esteem. respect and friendship" Of Mr..