New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-05
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1872
uorace Greeiey's Death.


produced degree of consternatioh anu STU
cere regret all over the country, $" m"e"
aeeper as it has fallen on the people Ike
.hunderbolt from cloudless sky; since MS
surroundings. for reasons thus far incompre-
h.nsible. purposely concealed his illness,
and even his temporary abode from the pun
Lie until short time previous to his dea'h'
when all hopes Of his recovery had been ADAM
doned. When man Of ripe old age, aiter
the close of long and useful career van
;.h.s f,om our midst, the event will not pro-
dnce ANYTHING more than the awe inherent
in death; and though we may painfully mss
the familiar face, the congenial spirit, we
take il as part Of the unalterable order OF
nature. But Horace Greeley was yet in the
,,,;aa,c ofhis career; for more than generation
no had been before the American people in
eessantly and indefatigably active in connec-
ton with all the great questions and struggles
xhich have moved the country ever since,
and It was only yesterday when we iao 10
exert all our energies to encounter him at
the head of a powerful party apparently as
full of energy and vitality as ever, contending
for the highest position that the confidence
and respect of the nation can bestow. There
was. moreover, another feature which tends
to make his death even more keenly felt than
would be that of many other highly deserv-
ing men in public station. lie had pecu-
liar Gift of putting himself in direct relation
with the public, of establishing sympathetic
r.nnort between them and himself far above
that which the position Of a journalist or
pelitician in itself is likely to produce. Many
Of the thousands who were accustomed to
seek in the Tribune for their chief informa-
ton about political and social matters, al
wsvs felt as if it were the chief editor him.
self. individually, with whom they held intel
lectual intercourse, and who advised and
enlightened them to the best Of his ability.
Just az natural it was that on the other side
the adherents of the doctrines which he most
strenuously opposed shouldhate him the more
intensely, as the individual embodiment OF
those principles and tendencies.
Mr.. Greeley's ability as journalist can
hardly be overrated. He became the creator
of a paper which, for nearly generation,
had not lis equal on this continent. Its
forcible, powerful, and brilliant leaders, the
perfection of style and form, the interesting
correspondence from all parts o. the world,
the manifest earnestness Of conviction and
devotion to all humane and noble purposes,
the decorous, dignifed tone which prevailed
in it. and which, Notwithstanding all the in
tensits produced by party strife, was gener-
ally observed towards antagonists; all these
features its readers will always remember
with pleasure and appreciation, and many
an aspiring young journalist is indebted for
his style to the model offered him by the
Tribune. Even when Mr.. Greelcy's numer-
Gus political and literary pursuits or travels
prevented him at times from doing his usual
editorial work, the Tribune was no less the
fair exponent of his intellect, his principles,
and tendencies it was his spirit that i'm
parted tone to it, and manifested itself in
every line. When after his nomination he
resigned the editorship, in order to devote
his whole activity to the campaign, very
marked contrast was noticeable. Deprived
Of its guiding spirit, the Tribune could no
longer maintain its former level, and sunk
rapidly to depth from which it may possibly
never rise to its former height.
During the Presidential campaign, when
Horace Greeley had left his former associa-
tons to become the representative of the
opposing party, it became necessary for Re-
publicans to point out his inconsistencies,
selfcontradictions, and eccentricities, in Or
der to show him as an uncertain, unreliable
man who could not be trusted safely anu
wisely with the management of the national
afairs. Certainly his judgment was far from
unerring; he was by no means proof against
undue influences, and consequently had to
abandon more than once position after hay
ing assumed it with the whole intensity Of
his nature but this defect was largely out
weighed by the deeply humane and kind in
stincts of his great and loving heart. When
his mind went wrong aud his judgment failed,
his love of mankind, of truth, Of justice and
liberty, his respect for human rights, his
benevolence and magnanimity led him again
into the right path and enabled him TO accom-.
plish incomparably more good in the service
of great causes than his errors ever could
damage them. Indeed, the latter fell harm
less to the ground, as they were almost in
variably too transparent to exercise dam
gerous influence, while on the contrary,
nearly every great measure in the direction
Of liberty, justice, humanity, and progress
has had a powerful advocate and champion
in Horace Greeley.
1t is thought that the labors aud excite.
ment of the canvass connected with the
shock he received through the death of his
wife, were more of strain on his body and
mind than his constitution could bear, and
that even if successful, he would probably
not have lived much longer. Great as this
strain was, We think that nevertheless Mr..
Greeley, with his wonderful elasticity and
his marvellous working powers might have
lived and recovered If it had not been for the
crushing sense Of his reverse. When State
after State went against him, he could no
longer fail to realize how fatal an error he
had committed in severing not only the ties