New-York tribune., 1872-12-03
VOICE OF THE PRESS
THE GREAT WORK or A NOBLE LIFE.
PROM Ths Nes rort World
Mr. Crcelev lived throueh the moHt cycntftll

tion OF the Republican party IN l5i ana MS t11ucn
death In ls9, the etnpendous civil conynsons through
which have passed have merely Translated into acn
aud recorded In our annals. tho fruits OF hs tnog
and the strenuous vehemcnce OF his moral convictions
whether he was right or wrong Is question on wnon
aietory viii dspuo tho Influence which this temarkabo
and sngulary endowed mH has cxcried In shaping the
great eNcnts cf timc. Whatever may Do the utho
Judgment OF other classes OF his couniynon respecting
yaluo Of bis vices the colored race when 10
must always reeosze him as tho chief author OF their
emancipation from slnNory aud their equal oinensnp
chief credit chip tossed on the surface OF resist
Il was Mr. Greeley more than any other man, who let
loose the winds that lifted tho waters ana drove FORWARD
heir toamng tumbing bllow, mr Greeley ma dcp dghs
before Mr.. IAncon's election became possible e con
trbuted moro than any other man NV ~ eson and bp
chief adviser MI Seward were anxious M tho exelng
expectant Winter OF 1901 TO preoipitae an unaVod
4 II was he, carrying a majority Of the Republican
me Conflict that tho OF the slaves an
ndspensabe element of success Mr. Lincoln stood out
and resisted rdiculing emancipation proclamation q
"a bun against the comet Mr. Greeey reused the
Republican party by that remarkable leader signed BY
hs name aud addressed to Mr. Lincoln, headed The
PRAYER of Twenty Millions" the effect OF which the
Presdent tried 10 parry by pubic ietisr 70 tne eqlor
Of THE TRIBUNE, written with all the dexterous lnge
nuty telling apness OF phrase OF which Mr. Lincoln
Bnt Mr. Greeley VIGOROUSLY carried the Republican
party which he had done more than all oeI men 70
form with him and wltnn two months after Mr. Ln,
coins flo iting reply to the Prayer OF IWehy Mohs
reluctance overbOrne, and he was constrAhgd
issue his celebrated Proclamation, which commtted "
Government emancipation and staked the success VI
the that issue.
This eliminating achievement, the greatest OF hr
Greeeys life, is the most signal demonslraIoh o, ~
talents IL was sudden random stroke. ~ was the
effect Of accumulated, eyerriSng widening deeper
Ing sure am o e. wcn dnd nnI 5ose mpe Waters
at last burst through and bore down every barrier
Mr. Greeley had long been doing al ~ MS power 70
swell the tide OF popular feeling against Slavery and 1t
chiefly in consequence OF the tIenenu4us loie ns
had given to the movement that that barDaros lns-
tuition was at last swept IL Il the most extra
ordinary revolution ever accomplished hy single mhl
\ with no other instrument than public Journal.
II NAV pe said indeed, that Mr.. Greeley had many
in The ProteStrnt Reformation; had Cromwell in the
Commonweath; so had Washington in Revolution;
SO had Golden the repeal Of the Corn laws They
spective Innovations which they championedi and by
as lust title Mr. dtecey viii hold the first place Win
pOsterty on the roll OF emancipation IDS Is the lleh
In which he will be remembered so long as the history OF
o" a he sa5 again that Mr. Greeleys efforts in this
direction were aided by the tendencies OF his time. But
so we're Luther's and Cromwers, end Washngton's
and everybndys who has left great mark on his age
and accomplished things full OF consequences TO future
"a e @ y dT 5s enSer iG % b m con
plee sympathy with the developing tendencies OF MS
\ own epoch.
This is necessary 10 make him the embodiment Of its
spirit the representative OF its ideas the quickener OF
IL passions the reyiver Of its coursge I'm adverse turns
the cause eonsnt whose action hey watch in every
emergency and whose guidance they follow because he
treserie i'm which Mr. Greeley has been behind his age,
the march OF progress even he has ac
since Henry Gays death he has the noted
and active champion Of Protection but tnat eauss
STEADILY declined until the forced the Government
strain source VI revenues and since tue close o
ideas have made surprising advances
on this subject he was the disciple OF dead masters
school he acquired that dexterity in handlng the
weapons OF controversy which proved so eecuve Wsh
master and led n movement in the direction towand
which the rising popular feeling was tendlhg M DIee
of negro Slavery its most distinguished, powerful
a and effective advocate.
Thsis his valid title to distinction and lasting fame
Instrumental this and the chief means OF ITS attain
ment, he founded public journal whch grew under
his direction TO be great moving % tGIee one m Sng a bsve
atesed his energy and abilities, but TINS Is secondary
II is the use he made of journal when he had ere
sted T. the moral ends % 70 when ~ bcmnl toni
he devoted IT, that will give nun his genuine pace IN
n he had had no higher aim than supply the market
for current Intelligence, as great merchant snpphes
rank with the builders up OF other prosperous establish
ments by which passing cOtempOrary Wahts were sup
niied h1 would have had no claim on the remembrance
Of coming generations But he regarded his journal not
moral and political ends an instrument whose great
notencv for good or m he fully cOmprehended and for
whose salutary direction he felt corresponding
His simple tastes inexpensive habits his contempt for
the social show and parade which the chief use
other aims made il impossible him to think Of THE
TRIBUNE merely sourceof income, ana he AWAY
managed It mainly with view TO- make IL an etncleht
organ dusng opinions which he thought conducive
I to the public welfare.
1t was this which distinguished Mr.. Greeley from the
onnderg of other important Journals who have, In recent
years taken from With him the moral ann was
doTr1aIism as he looked upon IT, was not end but
means 10 higher ends He may have had many mistaken
the moral earnestness with which he pursued his
on, ana his constant subordinaion OF private interest
to public objects nobly atone for his oecasionarerors
Among the means by which Mr. Greeley gained and 40
long held the first place among American Journalists
his manner Of writing His negative merits as
writer were great and 1t would be surprising 70 nnd
these negative merits so rare as 70 pc tte m 70
perpetuaiy upon our notice. He had no verbiage.
we do not merely by this that he never used
superfuous word (which in fact he rarely did, but that
he kept quite clear OF the hazI Ideas wheh
on his argument and expressed the others in the fewes
He began at once where the pth Of his argument be-
gan aud had the secret possessed by few writer's Of
no cha sft the simple wheat This perfect
absence OF cloudy irreleyance and ncumberng super
fluffy was OF his popularity as writer His
readers had to deyour no huks to get at the kernel oi
Besides these negative recommendation. Mr. Greeley's
style had positive merits Of very high order The
of these was in the native structure OF ms mind
original mental qualities. and not any special culture
that pruned his writing OF yerDlage ana reaandancies
Whether 1t happened TO be sound idea or crochet u
stood before his mind with the oearness OF an oect In
He never oped at and around like one feeling in the
dark He saw which side he could lay hands on IL
with the rmest grasp 1t his yiyidness OF ceBcep
ton which made Mr.. Greeley Clear and succ:1ct
writer Ho knew precisely what he would be at aid he
hastened TO say II in the fewest words.
n His choice OF language. though often homely and
soetines quaint coarse, always adapted u his
purpose lie had great command OF racy phrases In
common use and frequently gave them an unexpected
turn which envened his style by sudden stroke OF
grotesque humor But these touches were rapid
detained him. he kept graphing with his argu-
Y ment and hurried
This peculiar style aided by the ardor OF his feel
lngs and his vehement moral earnesness Bent on con
yncng he tried 10 fash his meaning on the minds Of
his In the readiest and manifest way and he