New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-26

the needy laborers will receive the pay due
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How Mr. Greeley DleG--ssc was
Never Insane, but Exhausted.
Interesting Narrative OF Hts Conditioa Az
ter Bull Run--Dr. Bnyard:'s Observations
OF Him Previous 40 HI. Last Illness.
A reporter Of the New i ork Sun, who has
been interviewing DIR. Edward Bayard, Mr..
Greeley's family physician. gives an interest
ing account of the physicians views. DR..
Bayard said:
Now, will tell you all can remember of
his illness after the disastrous retreat of the
Union army from Bull Run. L can only give
you a general notion Oft. for must depend
on memory alone, and it occurred twelve
years ago. I made some notes OF my treat
ment and the symptoms of the disease at the
time, but l have been Unable to find them.
cannot even give you the date, but perhaps
the battle of Bull Run will fix it near enough.
1t was just after that. l was called Ill to
see Mr.. Greeley, and found him utterly pros
trated in body and mind. He was stretched
at full length on the sofa when L entered;
his face, which was usually very white, as
you know, was exceedingly pale even for
| him, and he looked to me as though he was
fast breaking up into total wreck. He took
very little notice of anybody around him, and
did not even salute me when l approached
him. He had lost his appetite, and was una
| BILE to sleep. His thoughts seemed to be
continually dwelling on one subject, and he
repeated these words all the time, seldom
varying them: 81 am ruined The country
| is ruined, and am instrumental in its ruin.
1 wish could die. never can survive it,"
boil him
that his mind was fast slipping away. There
was no evidence of insanity, however, either
then or at any time during the sickness.
saw what the matter was in an instant. Mr..
| Greeley had overtaXed his brain and body,
and the sudden reverse Of the Union army at
| Bull Run had fallen upon him like crushing
shock. He saw brother arrayed against
brother in deadly strife, and his name was
mentioned by his enemies as one Of the main
causes of the bloody war. 1t was too much
| for his sensitive organization, weakened as
it was by hard, unremitting toll, and he sank
under the blow and became as powerless as
babe. 1.-THE grasshopper had become a
| burden to him." He had been pouring his
very life out as from an open-mouthed pitcher.
1t was my business to reverse the pitcher
and save what little of vitality was left.
My treatment was entirely homeopathic.
| Its object was to arouse the vital spark so
nearly exhausted, and to resist the tendency
| to sink under his burdens, not by stimula-
ton, which abstracts but never adds to force,
but by remedies so adjusted under the ho-
mnopathic laws as to excite tho resisting
powers of his nature. I cannot now remem-
Der precisely what prescribed, but was
careful not to give him large doses, which
overwhelm the system. In ten days lbs was
we'll again and at his work as usual. He
had fully recovered his spirits, ate with zcst,
and slept peacefully.
| Reporter-You say that he never cyhib-
tied any signs of insanity?
| DR.. Bayard-Nevcr. lie was perfectly
sane, but laboring under depression of spirits
caused by great shock to his sensitive Or
ganization, which had been weakened by
constant overwork Of mind and body.
| Reporter-And in all respects except the
phase of insanity Mr.. Greeley's disease was
similar to that which recently ended in his
death?
DIR. Bayard--So far as | can learn, pre-
cisely similar. l was not called in to see
Mr.. Greeley IN his last illness, and Of course
can only speak of that from what l have
heard. 1 can easily understand, however,
that Mr.. Greeley might have been irritable
without being insane. Deserted by the
| blacks, for whom he had fought all his life
deserted by the Irish, whose best Trend lie
had proved and finally sent from friends
house to a private madhousc, wasn't that
| enough to make man crazy: He wanted
gentle treatment, kindness, quiet; in the
place Of that, so far as l can understand,
many were continually irritating him. y
| man in his condition may fly into passion
without necessarily being pronounced insane.
| One of the doctors himself says that Mr..
Greeley was in constant antagOnism to them.
Does it follow from that fact that he was
crazy? I think not. However, L cannot
| talk much upon the subject OF his death, for
had nothing to do with him at that time.
l can illustrate the trait of character of
which 1 spoke in the beginning, that Mr..
| Greeley, when at work lived in the spirit of
his work and forgot himself, while reaction
| inevitably ensued. l went with him to Bal
tmore just before the election, and even
then l could see the WEAKNESS OF frame
creeping over him. He would lie down
whenever he had an opportunity, and seemed
in nowise interested in the people around
him. He was becoming exhausted and telt
irritable. l took him to see remarkably
fine garden. 1t was only a short distance,
and knew he was interested in such things.
He started with me but soon sat down, say
ing he could go no further. Whom he step
ped upon the State Agricultural Society's
platform, however, all the exhaustion seemed
to leave him, and he delivered one OF the
finest speeches I ever heard. AS soon as he
had finished, however, the reaction came,
and he was down again-away down. l
don't know that l can tell you anything
more.
The reporter thanked DR.. Bayard, and the
interview closed
The Presidents Salary.