Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-12-24
THE HERALD.
HORACE GREELEY.
Evsats Of His BusT Life-His Domestic Char
aeSsr-His Lost Boy -Heugis.s Views-
Horscs In Society.
tErom III, Ny. rrIbuns. HOv. 500

tErom the N. Y. Tribune, Nov. 30J
MS DOMESTIC Characteristic Boy.
Prominent as were the relations OF
Mr. Greeley with the public no one
can fully comprehend his character
withoet following him into the retire
ments Of private and domestic lie.
He was man Of singular purity Of
nature. No foul word or unseemly
iest was ever permitted to escape his
lips. He cherished the strongest at
tachu ent to the ties of family and
home. No man had keener sense
Of the power of kindred blood. His
domestic tastes had the force of q
passionate instinct. His devotion to
his Invalid wife through years Of pro.
tracted suffering exhiti'id the char
scter Of q religious sentiment. The
innate poetry Of his nature was con-
centrated upon his children. His
love for the GLORIOUS boy" whose
early death was q perpetual grief
seemed less like a reality than ro-
nance. This child, whose radiant
beauty was never equilled in "the
sunshine Of picture," cannot be for
COTTON in any remembrance OF the
father. His sweet and gracious ma
ture was no less attractive than his
personal loneliness. His sudden
death, nearly twenty-five years ago,
left feeling Of loneliness and DESC
lation upon the heart OF Mr.. Greeley
for which the lapse Of years brought
no assuaging influence. when at
length" he writes Of himself. "the
struggle ended with his last breath.
and even his mother was convinced
that his eyes would never again open
upon the scenes of the world, | knew
that the Summer Of my life was over,
that the chill breath of its Autumn
WAS at hand, and that my future
course must be along tho down.hiIl
Of life"
RELIGIOUS VIEWS,
In spite OF his absorption in poll
tics, literature and Eeculia cares, Mr..
Greeley was man OF earnest re-
ligious convictions, and although
without any trace of superstition in
feeling, or aceticism in conduct, cher
ished q no less ardent devotion to biz
religious faith that if he habitually
wore a cas.sock or cowl. When
only ten years old he was led by u
passage in ancient history to- rehec
ton on the character Of the Divine
Government. In the course Of his
childish speculations he became con-
vneed of the essential benignity of
tho Divine character. At that time
ne had never seen one who had called
himself Uniyersalist, nor had read
page by any writer of that denomi.
nation. Soon afterward, however,
he became familiar with the course
Of argument made use of by the ad-
vocates of the system. His previous
convictions were strengthened by
their roasonings, and, with the dill
gent perusal of Scriptures, he was
confirmed in the faith that all suffer
ing is means of discip inc, and will
finally result in universal holiness and
consequent happiness. Throughout
bis life no was constant attendant
on public worship, and numbered
many Of the ministers of the gospel
among his warmest friends. In mat
ters Of religion he lived in charity
with all mankind. lie never forced
his creed upon the attention Of others,
nor received his articles OF faith from
human dictstion. Intimate with the
highest dig itaries of the church,
from the Catholic preate to the
Methodist bishop, be preserved his
freedom of belief and his indepen-
dence Of mind.
IN SOCIETY.
Ia general society Mr.. Greeley
vas always himselt-irank, com
municative, Astounding in converse.
ton, though with an occasional ap-
pearance Of reserve growing out of u
certain absent mindedness in which
his preOecupied mind sometimes
tempted him to indulge the wisdom
Of his speech seasoned with frequent
dashos of humor, and his whole bear
ing marked by a genial good nature
rather than any pedantic adherence
to the formalties of etiquette. But
if not addicted to artificial courtesi~
Ca he displayed sweetness Of spirit
and gentleness of demeauor, in per.
feet unison with the juvenile play of
his features and the beautiful inno-
ceuoc Of his coustenance, which dis
armed the severest prejudices aud in
spired feeling almost akin TO i'd l.
airy among those who knew him
best