The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-07-11
Horace Greeley.

For many years Horace Greeley has
stood before the American public as one
Of the leading journalists of the land.
To say that he has not been to some ex-
tent successful as the conductor of
public newspaper would be to say what
everybody knows is not true. The ad-
mission that the journal of which he,
for many years was and is the head and
front, was foremost in the relormatory
school of politics in this country is only
concession that all, friends and foes
alike of the school have made, and now
make.
To say that he, as a leading journalist
has always stood to and abidcd by close
logical argument as the means or weapon
by which to overcome his enemy, and
secure the ultimate triumph Of the
principles OF the great national Repub-
lican party, would be a proposition that
no one ever dreamed OF believing. AS
a journalist advocating peculiar and
special doctrine in American politics, he
has more than once been on the very
borders of Billingsgate if not entirely
so, Very often has he gone upon the
principle, that sure way of defeating
his enemies, was to hold them up to
ridicule, heap upon them contumely,
which he did without hesitation or
mental reservation, and in doing so gave
unmistakeable proof, that he was the
equal if not the superior of the cele-
brated Captain Shandon.
If he has been a close student Of
statistics and political history, so has he
been of vocabulary Of cpithets, called
by many, good men, the glossary OF
blackgardism, and such phrases as, "liar,
thief, and scoundrel," were with him,
very often, emphatic, if not the climax
of his argument against an accomplished
foe.
Whatever Mr., Greeley may have
been as a newspaper editor, he now at
tempts to be what neither nature, nor
education has fitted him for, to wit:
President of the United States.
He is utterly destitute of the slight
est qualification necessary for the posi-
ton to which he aspires. The people
have not sought him as the man above
all others qualified for the office, indeed
have never thought him fit in any sense
to take post among those who have been
called to give direction to national affairs
in our march as a people to rationa
destiny.
Mr., Greeley it is true is before the
people as a candidate for President Of
the United States, but how came hi
there? Surely not by invitation of the
people. He is there as the candidate
of the disaffected portion of the great
Republican party, and the defuuct
Democratic party.
The disaffected, or in other words the
soreheads in the ranks of the Republi
can party called for meeting at Cincin
natl of all such who had not been per
mitted to feed from the public crib t'
their liking. They met; and who were
they. There were, protectionists, anc
free-trader, the rebel traitor aud thu
loyal citizen, the Republican and the
Democrat; all together, comparing notes
They selected delegates from among
themselves, gave each other credentials
as delegates, selected for their Presiden
a man noted az a revolutionist, who hac
left his native country for his own, an'
"his country's good" a man who ha
lived in this country about as long as h
has ever lived anywhere without becom
ing a disturber Of the peace OF tn
people, a man who grips all day lonI
over what he thinks the people will re
gard as profound German metaphysic
and scholarly ability. Such is the ma