The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-12-05
THE DEATH OF HORACE GREELEY.


Horace Greeley, the great editor, and re-
cent candidate fK the Presidency, dlsd in
New York, on Friday evening last.
AS early as the preceding Monday rum'rs
were circulating that he hal become insane
This, however, WAS c1ntradicted But we
presume even then his mind had become Sc
rionsly affected by the utter prostratlon an
arrangement Of his nervous system. He had
but recently gone through a terrible test OF
his nervous and mental balance After the
remarkable campaign he made through seve-
ral of the stern States, in which he deliv-
cred as many as eighteen speeches in one day,
and the wonderful display of his versatile ge-
MUS. he WAS called TO the bed Of his sick and
diving wife, before he had time to recuparate,
by rest. from the strain upon his organism
For two weeks he was constantly by her side,
SC freely eating Or sleeping during tina. time.
Then came the crushing defeat for the high
est Office in the nation, tho candidacy for
which had bssa bestowed upon him by two
National Conventions, with what wore be-
loved by himself and friends. fatterng pros
meets of success Aided to the chagrin and
modification incident to this result, the bust
ness..of his paper, the Tribune, had been
much crippled, as is asserted, by its recent
course and management. It had evidently
been supblanted by the Times in the con
Gdeuce of the party, which it had been main
" instrumental in building up. He had es-
tranged from HIM many Of his warmest polit-
ical friends, and was reproached with an effort
to destroy the very organization which, more
than to any other man, owed its strong points
to his sagacity and force Of intellect. Then
| followed the loss at sea, by the wreck of the
Inflated Missouri, of the betrothed Of his only
daughter.
This accumulation Of disasters aud reyer,
ses, coming upon him at time when his
nervous system was utterly Frustrated by
ogerwork had the effect to crush down his
physical strength and destroy his mental vlgor
and balance The whole man gave way, and
d ,ath came to his relief During tho wan
dernes of his mind, he remarked, "the coun-
try is gone, the Tribune IS gone, and I am
gone" He did not recognize his most init
mate friends, not even his daughter. A gen
tleman named Weed familiar acquaintance,
called to see him, aud he asked if he knew
him. His eyes wandered and garea, and he
said he had never heard Of him before.
Horace Greeley was born in Amherst, n.
H., the 81 Of February, 1911, and was there
fore in the CID year Of his age. His early
youth was devoted to the farm, during which
time he displayed remarkable disposition to
read lie peru-ed all the books he could
borrow from his neighbors. He then enter
ed printing Office, and from 1926 to 1880
was an apprentice in the Office OF the Nor
thera Spectator published in Vermont. The
paper suspended, aud he then went to Now
York, whore aztec engaging in various otlces,
he star ted in 1910, the Log Cabin, a cam
paign paper in the interest of Harrison for
the Presidency. It was quite success, and
develoned pevsoaper talent iu Mr.. Greeley
that In after years placed him at the head OF
the editorial profession in the United States
if not in the world. In 1871 he commenced
the Daily .Neav York Tribune with which
his life had been associated up to the time of
his death Besides his wonderful abors as
chief editor Of this paper, for over thirty
wears. he had written various books Yves a
lecturer, and engaged in other intellectual
pursuits, which proved the possession Of one
of the most remarkable brains ever bestowed
upon man.
| Mr. Greeley was an original thinker, al
ways lending aud never following. AS an
editor, his writings were terse and forcibie,
sometimes harsh from their incIsive style, but
fresh and attractive. The secret Of his inhu-
eoce and power as exerted through the Tri-
bune was doubtless attributable more to the
Independence of his style, than any other spe-
cial popularity. He rarely ever received the
dictum of party as conclusive Of the inherent
practcability Of the measures suggested, but
investigated aud closely Analysed for himself,
and announced his conclusions frankly, bold
" and defantly Hence it was, he frequent
" felt himself called upon to antagonize, in
regard to some especial features, the party
with which he vas identified Ia this re.
spect. his editorial life is Instructive, and con-
tains the true idea OF elevated journalism.-
| He thought for himself and gave expression
to bis conclusions when once reached, regard
less Of consequences.
Ills mind was emiuently speculative. He
was a proyressionist, without at all times be-
ing logical. Hedelved into the deepest ran
ges of metaphysics, and not uafrequently be-
came confused and mystided. Forgetting
that there are mysteries in the sacred wri-
tings, which are too deep for the solution Of
the mere speculative intellect, in reli1 zion he
sometimes became skeptical. lie seemed to
have faith in the truth Of nothing, that did
not stand the test of his own intellectual cru
oil 10 IFarnvar saekino something new he