, 1872-12-05
Deaths Doings.

Horace Greeley, the noblest represen-
tative American of this or any other pc
riod of our national history. is dead
His death at this time cannot be regard
ed by the thoughtful and impartial as
less than a national calamity. His
mighty genius, which for the last thir-
ty years has had greater influence in
directing and controlling public senti-
ment than that of any other living man,
had but Just eliminated in his determin-
alton to no longer give to party what
was meant for mankind" and upon him
more than upon any other were the
hopes of the non-partisan portion of the
American people centred as a just medi-
utor in party conflicts and an allayer OF
factional strifes. By an inscrutable
providence, which thwarts the purposes
and annuls the verdicts of men. Mr..
Douglas was cut down under like cir
cumstances, at time when his future
usefulness SetIucu tiiO ihoo1 Pio'i'A'S .
and excited the highest hopes OF his
countrymen. Under like circumstances
Mr.. Lincoln fell by an assassin hand,
when the hopes of the country, OF all
parties and sections, We're centred In
him as the man of all others who had
the power and influence to restore peace
and prosperity to the country. Like
Webster and Clay, Mr.. Greeley failed to
obtain the highest political office in the
gift of the American people, because he
was too great man to be circumscribed
within party limits, or to be made mere
party President. Greater than any of
these was Horace Greeley, because he
raised himself, by his own uuaided eff
forts, from the very lowest to the very
highest intellectual and social estate. All
of the others named had some advanta-
ges of early education, some aid from
family influence, patrons or friends
Greeley, from his earliest childhood,
had absolutely Hone of the Fictitious aids,
not even an attraction Of face Or person
to win the sympathy of others.
More than forty years ago we were an
apprentice i'll printing office in Erie,
PENNSYLVANIA. One day at that time
boy apparently about sixteen years OF
age, though nearly twenty, came to the
office in search of employment. A more
unattractive or promising specimen OF
humanity could rarely be met with. His
unkempt hair was the color of tow; his
face perfectly colorless and as lnexpres-
sive as lump of dough; his speech
whining and stammering from excess OF
bashfulness, and his dress i'll keeping
with his person coarse blue cottHn
roundabout and trousers, blue stockings
and brogans, and a cheap felt hat. He
had white swelling one leg, which
was not then cured, and which crippled
him for life, giving him painfully awk-
ward gait; and upon the whole, more
pitiable object we scarcely ever saw. or
one which appealed more powerfully to
our unsophisticated sympathies. When
he had gone away, disappointed IN his
application for work, he was the subject
of much jocular comment i'll the Office
upon the style of boys seeking to be-
come printers, the proprietor jokinSly
proposing to employ him if We would
sleep with him. We took him at his
word, and went in pursuit of the forlorn
boy, with the chivalrous purpose OF TAX
ing him under our special protection at
all hazards, but found he had already
engaged with Mr.. Sterritt, of the Erie
Gazette, at ten dollars month for a
year. We did not. however, surrender
the care Of our protese. several years
our senior, but instituted ourself his
champion against the ridicule of all the
printer boys of the town, and a more
grateful, faithful and affectionate friend
we never found. through life. When he
had faithfully served out the year for
which he engaged with Mr.. Sterritt, no
offer could in6uce him to renew the en-
gagement; he had determined to go to
New York to seek his fortune. With
the savings of his years wages he
bought his father yoke of steers with
which to clear up and cultivate forty
acres of hemlock land on the then wild
border of Pennsylvania, il Chatauqua,
county; bought himself a new suit of
clothes at cost of less than ten dollars,
and started on foot for New York, with
but five dollars in his pocket, and act
ually reached his destination, partly on
foot and partly on canal boats. Keeping
dis travelling expenses within his means,
with few shillings left when he arriv-
ed in the city.
Nearly two years afterwards, in 1892,
having in the mean time lost all trace
of him, we Unexpectedly met him in
New York, but little changed in appe ar
Snce, and frantically delighted at the
meeting. He had not had constant or
very remunerative employment as a
printer; had purchased all his clothing
at second hand, no two articles of ap-
garel corresponding or fitting his person;
xv,cf hoardino at n eheaD boarding EouSe