, 1872-11-30

The saddest Story Of the Century,


NEW YoRK, Nov. 29.-Alr. Greeley ia dend
| The mournful news creates profound sorrow
throughout the city, mingled with a most pain
| tu1 sens& Of its suddenness. There has been 30
| much mystery and concealment regarding the
first appearance and progress Of his illness. that
tho following complete review of his last days.
! from to-morrow's Sun, will bo read with the
| deepest. interest:
I When the Hon. Horace Greeley first learned
! Of the precarious condition of his wife's
health, he was preparing to start on
his memorable speech-making tour through the
New England States. He had promised Chief
| Justice Chase to visit him at the residence Of
| Senator Amasa Sprague On two conditions,
namely, that he should receive the nomination
/ of the Baltimore Convention, and that Senator
| Sprague should declare himself sympathizer
| With the Liberal Republican movement. These
| two conditions, it was thought, had been full
filed, and not believing that his wife Was danger
ously ILL., Alr. Greeley loft New York for Bristol,
t r. l., on the Sd of August The
| following day he visited the Chief
| Justice, and, after attending 8 clam-bake two
days later at Silver Springs, near Providence, he
passed through Rhode Island to his native State.
At Manchester, N. H., Aug 7, Mr. Greeley
was honored with great popular reception. In
| response to cries for q speech, he spoke briefly
of his early days and his family history The
following day he spoke at Concord on the
future Of Now Hampshire, and the next three
days he spent in Bradford, among the noun
tains, and made the ascent Of Mount Kearsage,
| nearly GOO feet above the surrounding country.
On Aug. u, Mr. Greeley delivered speeches in
Tilton, Laconia, Plymouth, Lisbon, Littleton,
Whiteield, and lancaster. The following day
he spoke at GoEham, and on Mount Washington
the next day. Aug. II he went to Portland
Me-, where he was. received by the whole
people, and in the City Hal delivered power
full political speech, the first made by him during
the campaign. The severe criticism made by
tie opposition press on this speech yisib1y af-
fected his spirit. His viyacity and fund of llu-
NOR seemed to leave him, and from that time
he bccamo subject to fits Of giddiness. That
night he was serenaded, and he responded in q
manner indicating that even his friends should
be dissatisfied with him, and if bis life was to
end he would consider that he had
not lived in vain. From Portland he
went to Augusta. The speech he delivered
there read like an editorial article. He said his
business that Of Journalist; by that he
had earned what he had spent and the little he
had kept. It's tone partook Of dependency.
The1 retracing his steps, ho stopped at Ports
mouth, and spoke of the recollections Of his
early childhood and the part his forefathers had
borne in the war for Independence. At Rye
Beach he spoke again, and there, for the
first time since leaving Portland, he became
facotious. On the 18th Of August be spoke at
Hampton Beach, and then began his journey
homeward, passing through Boston and the
larger towns Of Massachusetts. He WAS enthu-
sastically received ali along the route. At
Worcester he sadly remarked to friend that he
hoped the people would be as Jealous and dnumer-
GUS On election day. His rest was broken and
very irregular uring the entire journey.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Greeleys health became more
impaired and Mr. Greeley's spirits more droop-
ing. The leaders OF the Liberal Republican and
through the Western States. At first he strenu-
ouEly refused, out, when urged, he reluctantly
consented. On the morning Of September 18 he
started on his Western trip. As he bade adieu
to one Of his most intimate friends, grasping his
hand, he said: "H + thought I could
be elected would never make this trip but
want to leave good record behind me-" That
day he delivered speeches at New Brunswick
and Trenton, N. j., Bristol, Dowingtown,
Coatesville, Pa1ksburg, Penningtonvi1le, Ian
caster, Mount Joy, Middletown, Harrisburg}s'
Newport, Mifain, Lewistown, Huntingdon,
Tyrone and Altoona, Pa. The following day he
addressed large audiences at the State Fair at
Indiana, Pennsylvania, and at Green's
burg, and delivered memorable speech
at Pittsburgh. This speech WAS full
Of fire, and even bitterness. Cincinnati, Louis
vile, Indianapolis, aud Cleveland we're next
visited. At Louisville and Cleveland attempts
were made to assasBinate him, but fortunately,
they proved abortige. At Louisville brick was
thrown into his carriage by negro. It missed
its mark and struck Ex-Governor Randolph, Of
New Jersey, who sat beside him. At Cleveland
stone WAS thrown through car window. The mis-
sile. e.strueh man wearing awhite hat. Afterward
an attempt was made to throw the train from
the track, but this, too, WAS unsuccessful, and
Mr. Greeley lived through those scenes without
an expression OF fear or even regret that things
should have so happened. He seemed to
avoid the subject, but they had d telling effect
on his health, and produced Bleeplessness.
Travelling through the iron and coal regions of
Pennsylvania, he reached New York Sept. 28.
and that night was serenaded at the Lincoln
Club.
During this absence Alr. Greeley never slept
over four hours at time. Through the day
he would often doze in the car, and catch
snatches Of sleep, but when awakened, either
by the stop of the train or to make speech,
his 1aggard and carevorn expression of coun-
tenance WAS always more expressive of fatigue
than any remarks he was ever heard to make
Meanwhile, Mrs. Greeley's health had been
rapidly declining, and she had removed from
Chappaqua to this city. aIr. johnson, of No.
1923 West Fifty-seventh street. had placed suite
Of apartments at her disposal. Those the in
valid occupied with her eldest daughter, Miss
Ida while A1r. Greeley had rooms in the s1mo
house. It was then while passing sleepless
nights at the bedside of his dying wife, that
Horace Greeley first began to show symptoms
Of great mental depression. On ono occasion
when the opposing press was criticsing his
great Pittsburgh speech, he said: "f they make
the issue that I an. the rebel candidate,
I am bound to be defeated This
consideration seemed to weigh On his |
mind, and often when lie supposed
he was alone, he would clasp his hand to his