, 1872-12-14

A' oAA3 AAAs 4uSL 11b Juu EIDW tAG, Ill a1lreS6fD{
| me-, you do not speak to a menial.' Colone
Hamilton retired from headquarters, and, whe1
be WIS called to tho Portfolio Of the Treasury
said: I had no more expectation Of Office thar
| had Of being appointed Pope's Nuncio.'"
Now, substitute Horace Greeley for Washing
ton in the above, and you have tho counterpass1
or half dozen stories which prevail ses to :hif
roughness to individuals. He left no man worse
for mis- having lived. Like Richelieu, he might
say: MY art was Justicel" 4 live, real man
ls not marred, but made computable and
plain to posterity, by his occasional alterations
The great troublo with Washington's character
ls, that there is too little anecdote about him.
He Is always up and dressed, and grim for his.
| tory. The colt element in Greeley must always
stand out clearly in my estimate Of hina,-that
1usty excess OF health which took the road oi
pasture-de1d.
HIS RIVALS IN TIE PRESS.
met Henry J. Raymond in the lines in front
OF the City Of Richmond, in the summer of 1862.
It was at Michie's farmhouse, where WAS pro-
Vlded with bed, which I offered to share with
him. There we lald awake several nights, and
he gave me freely his opinions upon Greeley
and BENNETT, neither OF whom he liked. It was
tho dislike of mutual avocation, which can be
found, to certain degree, in any business, and
particularly in the professions. / have nlways
had, moro or less, q distrnst for ono influential
mans opinion Of another in the same district Of
lie or country. In tho rigor Of performance and
feeling, ne are mover wholly just to that which
ia IN daily friction with Us. Over the
springs up, and Thurlow Weed walks by the pail
Of Greeley, as lie may expect reconsidering
enemy to do like justice to his own memory.
We are worth to the world that which ire have
done in It, and Greeley's need Of encomium ID
unusually, IN even touchingly, large and generons-
What . scourge might he not have been, occu-
pying, as he did, tho daily domain OF thought,
Criticisms, and news-giving. It is fearful
power, this guu-mastership OF the deck, this non
elected magistracy OF the journal. He never
and #, in the discussion Of some topics, he
passed from the theme to the opponent, that is
the course Of all earnestness. a little lncharity
is the spice Of the world When man Says !:
honest about it,. What fiat, stale, md IN
profitable press it would be if nobody should
make face ut the editor over the way!
ruE THREE EDITORS.
The three papers which Raymond, Greeley,
and Dennott edited, have beon put side by sido
in public comparison, as if they we're the peers
% # s'ih sthss and as led not the lRo sae
OF the other tive, ,eitherin influence or in admuis-
tration. He lacked their aingleness of purpose
and conscious influence upon his age end the
soft and luxurious side OF life drew him from his
the newspaper, and wanted more Of public life
Mr. Bennett was the great materialist editor
the miner, shipper, and weaver Of the news
To his vast conception Of the newspaper, the
globe revo!ved and the stars appeared as news
matter, and no more. Shipwracks, comet the
conflict of nations, everything was created for
his use. To him, the newspaper was 4 mighty
ear, vide open to listen to tbs tread Of events
and repeat them indlscrinlinate1y. Greeley was
tue mind in the news, sometimes unwilling that
the news itself should appear in competition
with his purpose. Between these two, A{r. Ray
mond built up paper softening the savagery Of
the news and the vigor Of discussion, and
highly entertaining to people with nerves. who did
not SEQ the use Of 30 much enterprise or so much
earnestness. Mr. Raymond was IN unusually
affable and cordial man, with the graces rather
than the braces Of character; but all the fuss
that bis unworthy successors are making about
their fidelity to tho Republican party is aimed at
people who do not recollect how Rayu,on bolted
aB early as 1866. and the New York Tribune got
any temporary profits that ght have resulted
from his failure. mr. Raymond was writer Of
grace, without identity or marked Individuality.
He was blow to offend, because very sensitive
himself; aud, although he was very successful
man, he never appeared to mo to have great
nature, the gravity and impact OF which could
make one feel that something had stirred
abroad. =
GnEELEY's PRIVATE AFFAIRS.
1he point that was often made against Greeley
1uring the last campaign was, that he could not
take care Of his own affairs. The Same has al-
rays been said OF the greatest men. William
Pitt died in debt fifty thousand pounds sterling;
he Free-Tfade contest; Washington's % properly
appreciated steadily until tho end; JeIerson's
after days were harassed with pecuniary diff
:u}ties; and Robert Morris, who could snve the
:redit of his country, lived in 8 debtors jail |
When great general purposes absorb Whole |
:areer, personai thrift suffers by the I
devotion. Had Mr. Greeley accepted q
present Of 100000 from the liberated slaves
or his labors in their behalf, probably he
would have lost tho imputation upon his bust !
,ess-habits. It is as natural for ono wholly in
ent upon accomplishing his ideas to give away |
us money as to give away his labor. Had |
Ir. Greeley lost control Of his Newspaper at |
my period whilo he held it by the precarious
he criticism upon his business capacity night |
Ipply; but he knew his strength, and, although |
'lrtual1y mere employe, he vas as indispensa-
lie as any man can be in this world
AS PRESIDENT.
As President. e. had he been ELECTED his ad~
'orters; for tho manner OF his
lis healthy and driving public md
private life. He would have givon this Govern
mont the impress of large and manly nature,
'ure enough to have lived without lndulgences. !
nd to have come to its Magistracy by the most
ignal and exceptionablo kind of promotion ever
eon in our politics, that Of professional men
'IO1uolbu o9eI dal tu6 GIaQe8 OF paEi1ame11ar1anS
nd portfolio people. The dishonesty which is !
rowing to be the rule OF our public nnd COM
aercial life would have been repelled before that
discriminate editorial eye which could deal with
he days events like the news Of the night, re-
ecting the chan from the wheat. 4 moral into
alton would have passed throughout the land,
nd the mans one term would have been a new
tartlng point in our politics.
DEFEAT.
He fell upon evil times. Tho coalition at his
omination inspired distrust amongst timid
eople, and they stoned him like Stephen, with
be vulgar missiles Of cartoons and all th bIud-
eonry of commercial politics. When he was
eaten, the devil headed q atorchIight-procession.
Spent and gasping in all the 6bren of the great.
'er-burdencd nature, hs turned from the disaH-
ers Of the campaign to the familiar associat1ons
1 his family aud wife. The roof-tree WAS bro
en-. The hearth YVES cold. God pity him who |
as made the good fight, and lost his chimney
orner as well as the battle
FINS.
But this can be said over his grave more truly
IAN over the graves Of many Presidents and
onquerors:
g Here lies great public man. He was an
ugine Of his period.@His life VAS ever busy,
nd for the good not only Of the greatest num-
or, but Of all. All at some time felt the
;rength and use OF him. The injury that any
IL hin, do hta raw;od t,io