Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-12-04

one occasion when the opposing press was
criticising bis great Pittsburg speech. he
said: s'If they make the issue that Pm the
rebel candidate. Pm bound TO be defeated. y
fhls consideration seemed to weigh on his
mind, and often when he supposed he ss
alone he would clasp his hand to his head
and cry out, "Oh, Obj as though suffering
from intense pain. He was advised to con-
tinue his wood chopping Saturday NATL
nees, and though severely chafed by the &C
counts Of them published in the New York
Times, he still pursued his open air exer.
Csc. On one occasion at Chappaqua, he
was accompanied by Mr.. johnson and bis
son. Mr.. johnson, Jr., chopped down the
lower limb of hemlock tree, which mar
roEly missed bis fathers head. "What do
You msap?" cried out Mr.. johnson, Sr.
''Do you want to kill me, Willie?' 81 wish
somebody would kill me-" responded Mr..
Greeley, in a voice Of extreme sadness.
Mr.. Greeley always said he did net expect
TO carry either of the States of Vermont or
Maine; yet the result of the State elections
there, Sept. 4 and 10, respectively, made
him more respondent than ever. Georgia
gave the Democrats q rousing majority on
the Sd of October, and bis spirits rose pro-
Oub nuC0y OLA 0fS1o l0lo-s
Ohio and Pennsylvania gave large ma
jorities for the Administration can
didates, and while the result IN
Indiana was still in doubt, he became utter
ly respondent; and for the first time his
most intimate friends began to perceive that
defeat in November might prove fatal to
him. He talked once of offering the port
folio of Secretary of State 10 Mr..
Charles Francis Adams, and in the next
breath be would lament large falling of in
the subscription list of the Tribune. Such
outbursts of incoherent expressions, follow
ed by psroxysms of rage, now became more
frequent and spontaneous. They came in
voluntarily, as it were, and always excited
anxious spprehensions among his friends;
but they were attributed to the fact that he
was too much deprived of sleep while
watching beside his wife. At length, on
the morning of OcS. 80, Mrs. Greeley died.
When the widowed husband was informed
of his wife's death he wrung his hands,
cried like child, and said, "0h, why didn't
you let me sit up with her; why did you
send me to bed? Nv poor wife, my poor
wife," Two days aEterward Mrs. Greeley
was buried. Her remains were followed
to the grave by large concourse Of people,
all of whom noticed aMr. Greeley's grief.
He returned, after the funeral, to
Mr.. JOhnsOn's, anG instead of Inter
esting himself abo1t his daughters and the
future, gave way wholly to detection. Il
was then be showed tie first positive evil
dence of derangement. The November
election seemingly did hot interest him. His
defeat did not seem TO surprise him. He
deceived his friends by receiving the news
with perfect in iiffsrencs. 1t was noticed
about this time that he would tell his pri-
vate business to every one with whom he
vas brou5ht in contact, aud 10 each one he
told a different story of his defeat, his
troubles, AID the iutdelity OF his supposed
friends. He would at times denOunce the
Democratic party, W ON he would accuse
Of selling ouC To the Administration. Then
he would viueatiy criClciss the course pur-
sued by the opposition newspapers, and es-
pecially the management of the Tribune,
and his fatal mistake IN allowing his name
to be used as a candidate for the Presi-
dency. Some days before that DR.. Edward
Bayard, the late Mrs. Greeley's medical
attendant, noticed thai Mr.. Greeley had a
restless and feverish appearance. he is a
homeopathic, but kindly prescribed for his
old friend as he correctly imagined that he
needed an anodyne. When returning home
on the night above mentioned, Mr.. johnson
mixed one Of the powders and gave it to
Mr. Greeley. The latter in taking it spit
half of it over his shirt front, and when re-
minded Of what be had done, said, sob, never
mind it. It is just as good outside IS in"
The following noon Mr.. Greeley was more
restless and haggsrd in appearance thSa
ever, and mr. johnson sent for his family
physician, DR.. E KnackOwizer, Chief Sur
geon of the German Hospital. DR.. Knack-
owizer recognized the case as serious one,
aud at oucs Iesorted to the most energetic
treatment. at first it seemed as though the
malady would yield to The treatment, and
at times the patient became gentle in dispo-
sition, perfectly rational and in apparent
good health.
LAST WORK ON THE TRIBUNE.
It was during this period that he wrote
his card resuming the editOrship of the
Tribune, published on November z. He
was iuexpTessiDly shocked, while reading
the Tribune on the following morning to
find an editorial article headed "Crumos of
Comfort" occupying as conspicuous posi-
ton as that of his card. This article, it
viii be remembered, spoke Of the Tribune
IS having been used as ga sort of Federal
employment agency" and said that for the
last twelve years every red-nosed politician
who had cheated at the CANVASS andfought
al the polls looked to the editor Of the 1Tib-
une to seCur his appointment as gauger,
or as army chaplain, or as Minister TO
France, and then closed with an insult to
the friends who had stood by Mr.. Greeley
during the campaign. 1t was written IN
der the supervision Of Mr.. Whitelaw Reid,
who had acted as editor of the Tribune dur
ing the political canvass, and was inserted
in the columns of the Tribune without Mr..
Greeley's knowledge. Mr.. Greeley hasten
ed to the Tribune Office. BE there wrote a
card denying his responsibility for the abu-
sive article, aud regretting its publication.
This denial he sent to his old friend, AR.
Thomas NJ. Rocker, foreman of the Trib-
utne printing office, ordering it to be placed
at the head of the Tribune columns on the
following morning. The denial did not sp-
pear. Ii was suppressed late at night by
Mr.. Whitelaw Reid. On ths following
day the Democratic newspapers
famed up with just indignation at
the "CIumbs of Comfort" article. They
naturally assumed that Mr.. Greo ley was its
author, and accused him Of the blacklist in
gratitude. Their rebuke and taunts deep.
| ly affected the veteran editor. Recognizing
the importance of an immediate denial oil
any knowledge of the article, he sent Mr.
! Reid another disclaimer, ordering its inser-
! ton in The next days issue. This denial
was also suppressed, and up TO this very
hour Democratic journals in the West and
South are bitterly denounclng Mr.. Greeley
under the supposition that he is the author
of The article in question. MIR. Greeley
never again visited the Tribune editoria
rooms. To friend, whom he met thre'
days later, he said in a hopeless tone o
voice: 81 don't go to the Tribune ofic'
any more: l have no business there. Blu
l want thous md dollars; and must have |
! th1us nd dollars. Ii you get it for me-
After long pause, as If be had suddenl.
! forgotten what be vas talking about, ht
! sad, Il am ruined" When his mind wa
recalled 10 TIE thousand dollars, Mr.. Gree
| ley toiG lis friend TIA he might leave th'
| money with bhs cashier of tho Tribune, anC
! it nigh ach HIM buS he dill not go to tht
| Tribune fl e any more. In few days al
| editorial ap )eared in the Tribune HEADED
! 'SS-z-GsiUns" 1t Was simply q summing
! up of the result of The elections, in Mr.
Greeley 3 old style, beginning the paragraph
with numerals. This was his last profes
sional effort. About this time he revisel