Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-30

/ yosSOOo Va tAlO tCclOCnCts DO OlOpPOo eA
substance for the shadow IF great distinc
ton. Otherwise the history and enduring
rewards of Greeley's industrious and use
full career are full of announcements Il
young men who, without capital, persona
influence or powerful friends have the bat
tie oflife before them. He leaves an hon
ored name behind him and the high reward
of an encouraging example as an American
journalist and self-made man.
TEIbune's Account of His Last HOur'
The Tribune furnishes the following &C
count of the illness and last hours Of Mr.
Greeley:
So, far as any OF ais associates knew, Mr.
Greeley was in almost as good he alth a:
usual when on the day after the election be
wrote the card announcing his resumption
OF the editorial charge Of the Tribune. His
sieeplessness, known TO few, became
greatly worse, but for years be had suffer
ed more or less from the same difficulty,
and now 1t Is clear that sufficient allow
ance had not been made for the intense
strain upon him throughout the summer,
especially during the last month of his
wife's illness. But it soon became evident
that his strength was unequal to the bard
task to which he set himself. He wrote
only three or four careful articles, not one
Of them half column in length; most nota-
bic, perhaps was that entitled "Conclu-
| sions," wherein he summed up his views
of the conVass. In all he wrote less than
three and halfcolumns after bis return, con.
tributing to only four issues of the paper.
Two or three times he handed his assistant
| short articles, saying: 'sThere is an idea
| uUnrfh v1aipr hr1f r hon g. -
work it out properly, you had better put it
In shape" At last on Tuesday, the
18th inst, he abandoned the effort to visit
the office regularly, and sent for the family
| physician of Mr. A. j. Johnson, friend
with whom he was guest and In whose
house his wife had died. Every effort was
made to induce sleep, bat ne grew steadl-
ly worse till 1t became evident that his
case was critical. DR.. Geo. Q. s. Choate
and others were called In consultation, and
finally 1t wss decided to take him to DR..
Choate's residence, two or three miles dis
tant from Greeley's own country house at
Chappaqua. Here he received the unre-
hitting attention of DR.. Choate,
and here DR.. Brown Sequard, DR.. Brown
and others were called in consultation.
The insomnia had developed into infamma-
ton of the brain, and under this the vener-
sted patient rapidly sank. At times be
was delirious; st other times IS clear headed
as ever. He lost flesh and strength with
startling rapidity and in few days the
! possibility Of his speedy death forced itself
into unwilling recognition. 1t was not,
however, till Thursday that his
associates and family brought them
selves to admit 1t, and even they
still chung to his faith in the vigor
of his constitution. On Wednesday night
he failed very rapidly. Thursday afternoon
and evening he seemed somewhat easier.
During the night be slept very uneasy, NUT
tering occasionally, and frequently raising
his right hand. Towards morning he was
more quiet, and bet ween 8 to 9 o'clock fell
into nearly uncot scious condition, which
continued with some intervals through the
day. He made occasional EXPLANATIONS but
many Of them in consequence of bis extreme
weakness and apparent inability
to finish what he begun were unintelligible.
About noon however, he said quite distinct
~, aud with some force: 81 know that my
Redeemer liveth." During the day be re-
csgnized various people, his daughter many
times, the members of his household at
Chappaqua, Mr.. John Il. Stewart and Mr..
Reid. Onthe whole, he suffered little and
seemed to have no more than the ordinary
restlessness which accompanies the last stage
Of disease. During the day his ex-
tremities were cold, and there was
no pulse st the wrist; the action of the
heart was very Intermittent and constantly
diminishing in force. He had not asked for
water or been willing to drink it since bis
stay at DR.. Choate's, but during Friday he
asked for it frequently, and up to within
half hour Of the end he manifested in va
rious ways bis consciousness of what was
going on around him, and even answered
in monosyllables and intelligently qGes-
tions addressed TO him. About hat
past three he said very distinctly: SIT is
dOne," aud beyond the briefest answers to
questions, this was bis last utterance. His
younger daughter, Miss Gabrielle, was with
him through Thursday evening. Through
out Friday the elder daughter, Miss Ida.
was in constant attendance, as she had been
during the whole of his illness, and Mrs.
Greeley's before him. Other members of his
Chappaqua household were present with
Mr.. and Mrs. Jno. r. Stuart and few
other friends. Nothing that science or af-
lection could suggest was wanting to ease
the l4st hours. The wintry night had fairly
Set in when the inevitable hour came. With
out sleighs were running 10 and fro
bearing to Chappaqua the nearest telegraph
station, the latest bulletins which thous-
anjs of anxious hearts in the great city near
by kept demanding. Within, the daughter
and few others stood near the dying man,
who remained conscious and seemingly ra-
tional and free from pain, though now too
weak to speak In the adjoining
room sat one or two more friends and ply
sicians. At ten minutes before o'clock
the watchers drew back in rever5nt stiffness
from the bedside. The great editor was
gone in peace, after SO many struggles in
honor, after SO much obloquy.
The Tribute of Political Opponent
The Times tomorrow in an editorial on
Greeley's death says:
Greeley's loss in journalism is one which
cannot be replaced. The incidents of his
last sickness were peculiarly distressing, aud
from all that We can learn his reVerses
during the late campaign cannot alone &C.
count for them. Had he been successful,
the probabilities are that he would not have
lived, so over taxed was his strength, and
so utterly broken down seems to have been
his constitution. The labors and excite.
ment of the canvass we're more than his
body or mind could bear.
We shall not attempt at this moment to
do justice to Mr.. Greeley as q journalist
and public man. His life is part of the
history Of the country during thirty years,
and the time has not yet come when it can
be impartially considered. It is certain
that Greeley's name will always be
honored in connection with the anti slavery
struggle and with many important meas
ures which he fought fer with remarkable
vigor simply because he believed they were
right. Into these subjects We will not now
enter, for the country is scarcely rid of the
din and turmoil of memorable and an
unhappy past.
Historians will do justice to Greeley, and
in the meanwhile his couptrymen will be
strangely forgetful if they failed TO pay due
tribute to his memory. He has been before
them for almost generation, and be has
had their confidence in many trying periods
of our history. Let us now remember only
his virtues and his genius"
The feeling ia this city in all quarters is
one OF profound sorrow at the death of Mr..
Greeley, which is universally regarded In
the light of national calamity.
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