The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-12-18
We beg that readers will

pardon us Tor THIS unseemly mastery
which our emotions have got over an
hahitually cold pm. Something must
be pardoncd to the infirmity of our
poor human nature.
We have really no heart for the duty
Which is laid upon us on this occasion.
If our feelings wonltl permit MS to take
the posi- ion of mere outside spectators,
the fit thing for us to do would he to
make just. uncolored estimate of Mr..
Greelcy's character and career. But
the circumstances of his death strike
rs as so inexpressibly tragic and affect
ing, that we have no command Of our
critical faculties. 1t is difficult to think
of anything beyond the grief inspiring
spectacle of such a death following so
swiftly upon the great eclipse and ex-
,ingnishment of the hopes which Mr..
Greeley hid good reasons for enter
tanning dnring some stages of the re
Cent, crushing canvass. ''The stars in
their conrsesn seemed to fight against
him. He returned from that tatiguing
tour in the West, in which his facnl-
ties shone ont in a surprising blaze OF
illuminating splendor, to find his poor
wife in the last stages of her long de
cline: and with a devotion like that
which he felt in the days of their early
youthfui love, before time aud dis
ease had i"paired her beauty, or do,
nestle trials had effaced the bloom of
their first affection, he WAS cons antly
at her bedside, with the fidelity of a
ministering angel. passing anyions
days and sleepless nights which, under
less exigent circumstances, would have
been due to repose after his recent ex-
haustIess lahors. The strain upon his
physical endurance, and the more tre-
mendous strain upon his qnick emo
tional susceptiDilities, was too much
for him. Tue bow was not merely
bent. but broken. The strength Of a
constitution never weakened by any
other excuses than overwork, gave
way: the chances of life which belong
ed to him by hereditary longevity
(both his father and grandfather lived
to be upwards Of eighty were squan-
dered; and the vessel so rndeiy tossed
in these recent tempests was thrown
upon the beach an utter wreck. 1t is
the saddest ending Of a vigorously use
full life that we have ever known.
We must defer, for day or two. the
estimate which mi ght reasonably be
expected of rs of MIR Greelcy's great
career as a journalist, and his impor-
tant relations to the public life of the
country. How can We proceed TO a
cool. critical dissection of his cliarac-
ter, while his body is scarcely yet cold
in the con1nering embrace of death
We hope torecovcr sufficient cQuanim-
| ity for this necessary task, but we do
not possess it now. Had we been mele-
iy outside spectators of his life, this
duty might not have been difficult; but
! having been admitted to his intimate
confidence, having seen him fox many
years in his hours of relaxation, having
known every member of his family in
Il constant Interchange of pleasant hos
pitallties. it does not lie in onr heart;
to cooily take his measure as we coult
easily have done five were in the pos
ition Of mere outside spectators. On
grief and sympathy get the better o
us, and our sorrow is too deep and sin
cere to permit lis to utter anything
now but this nnrestrained Ontpomins
of our feelings. Within day or two
when we have recovered our compos
nye, we shall recur TO this melancl,ol,
subject, and try to dojnstice to srea
: reputation achieved in our own love-
professionally. Y. World.
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