The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-12-05
THE END OF A BUSY LIFE.

llORACE OREELEf uleu at my miu
utes "past six o'clock on Friday evening
last. IL was conscious at the time, aud
his passing away was "peaceful.'
In those words the telegraph
flashed over the country, over the ocean
and the world, the death of one oil
Americas foremost, most, honored, use.
ful citizcns-the CROMWELL of his time,
surged up from the depths of our noble
democracy to lead vast reforms along the
way to success to sDite great blows
against human slavery, and, not blessing
as he smote to witness its downfall to see
the land it disgraced forever free from its
occursed influences That was the work
that his strong hands and brave heart and
wise brain were set to do, and that was
the work that under beneGcent Provi
dence they accomplished. Dead, at six
ty one, and as noble duty as man ever did,
nobly discharged. Ifduriug these late days
disappointmeuts, sorrow and pain touch
ed him sorely, in the infinite mercy Of
God they were all swept aside at the end
and his passing away was full cf peace.
There is no American journalist, sin
cerely honoring the profession of journa
lsm, who will not fnd in the announce
ment of the demise of Horace Greeley
cause for the profoundest regret there is
no American citizen honoring the lives OF
those who have made the country strong
and great who can regard the death OF
Horace Greeley with any feeling INSOFAR
able from sorrow.
He was the head and front Of wise, re
liable, honest journalism he was the first
Of living journalists. He was states
man, patriot and humanitarian. A
great man great in his wisdom, in his
honesty, in his devotion to his fellowmen
At the last, an unsuccessful man. Pos
sibly. But who can say that The ambi
ton of his last days was honorable to him
as it was honorable to his country, that {
man who had fought his own way from
ahject poverty to such aspirations as bis
had been born to and reared by it. There
was no dishonor in his failing to reach
the goal for which he tried He made
his best endeavor, and having done tha
he could have waited had he lived, anC
pow being dead his memory can wait, fo
the wise future to decide whether he wa:
right or wrong in seeking to be President
We cannot praise such man. Wha
he has done puts to shame the weaknes
of what we may say. In his "Recollec
tions of Busy Life" he said that h,
would like, after he was gone away to hi
rest, to have it remem bered that he es
tabished the Tribune That was to keel
his memory green among his country
men. He might also have said to kee]
it always in grateful reverence. Like al
men who do their work well, no matte
what their work may be, he knew tha
he had done his well, and in his wis
sincerity he asked that he might be KEEP
in recollection by it.
To appreciate it ALL we must recognize
the services to, country and to maukin,
that the journal be founded did durin,
the thirty one busy years in which h
made its policy and controlled its affairs
There was no reform suggested that i
seemed wise to him to favor that he dit
not favor in the columns of the Tribune
there was no Improvement projected 70
the mechanical department of grea
newspaper which was not given a trial il
the mechanical department of the Tr,
6nne there was no public enterprise, n
scheme of charity or Christianity planne,
for the good of mankind that vast no
helped by the Tribune there was n
question of politics or statecraft that it no
fairly and intelligently discuss, and, whil
it neglected no minor issues of the tim
during all the period of its existence, i
fought slavery with such power, skill an,
honesty, that slavery was abolished, an,
by no means more surely than by the in
dignant protest Of humanity created
against it by the Tribune
For thirty one years he ,cas the Tri
bune He stamped upon it indelibly hi
strong personality OF thought and feeling
As writer he was vigorous, lucid ant
convincing not always polished, yet al
ways forcible. His editorial utterance
bristed with thought and fact, and, how
ever they may have erred in judgment
they still commanded attention by reason
OF their authors established integrity O
purpose. lie was too pure statesma,
to be good politician, too frank maj
to command the sympathy or support o
partisans. He placed great reliance up
on the honesty of others, and was oiter
deceived by them. But unto the last b.
kept his simple faith in the truth of man
kind In his death journalism has los
Its ablest representative, the country al
honesty, wise patriot, humanity tru
friend.