, 1872-12-05

OF " bran bread Philosopher, and mere
he formed friendships which were of
great service in bringing his remarkable
abilities before the public. During the
long time that We occupied sleeping
room in common, we do not recolIect of
ever" having seen him asleep in bed.
When we retired at night, We left him
reading, and when we awoke in the
morning, we uniformly found him at
his book. He then wrote for the public
prints, but never during his hours of
labor or study, but at short intervals of
rest, sitting on the lower stringer of his
printing stand, with a galley across his
knees. He was probably the most in
dustrious worker the world ever produc-
ed. With keen appreciation of sensu-
al enjoyments, he never indulged any
appetite or diversion which would in
terfere with the great purpose of his
life the acquisition of knowledge for
the benefit of his kind. But few years
ago he said to us, that he had imagined
that the most perfect state of happiness
would be attained when he could lie on
on sofa all day and read novels, free
from any earthly care. But there was
no day during his life when he would
allow himself that pleasant relaxation
from persistent toll.
Horace Greeley's subsequent career
is an important part of the written
history of our country. familiar to every
reader throughout this broad land. His
writings through the periodical press,
books and popular lectures, have educa-
ted the present generation OF Americans
and revolutionized the policy of the Gov
ernment. The Tribune, founded by him,
attained circulation which no other
newspaper had ever had; it went into
every school district and rural hamlet
throughout the Northern States, and be-
came the habitual reading of almost
every youth within those lines and
moulded their political opinions before
they arrived at years of manhood. 1t
revolutionized political parties and gave
to the Republican party all its triumphs,
reserving to the author only the odium,
taunts and jeers of those who profted
by his labors.
No man so widely known was ever so
little understood as Horace Greeley. We
have bnt referred to the incidents of his
early life within our own observation,
that the obstacles which he had to over
come, and which had a marked influence
upon his character, may be better ap-
preciated. Entering life amid poverty,
care and suffering. he inherited an I'M
dying sympathy for toiling and suffer
ering humanity of every kindred and
phase upon the earth, and determined
to devote the best energies of his life to
the amelioration of the condition of the
degraded and oppressed of every nation
ality, kindred or tongue; hence he was
characterized as fanatic and reformer,
an agrarian and communist; but he
was no leveller, infidel, contemner OF
law, or enemy of social organization.
Inherent physical infirmity and an en-
feebled constitution made it necessary
for The prolonSation of his life to main
tain the most abstemious habits coarse
and simple diet, free from exciting
and he was sneered at as n
bran bread philosopher. He had no
time to waste upon the mere ornaments
and Establishments of social intercourse,
and he was called eccentric and ascetic.
He was honest and earnest in the ex-
preston of his opinions, and he was
called bigotted, dictatorial and factious.
He YVES thorough practical man in
all his ideas and measures. He desired
no reforms which would weaken the
social bonds or lead to RIGHTEOUSNESS or
anarchy. His philosophy aimed at moth
ing which would impair the religious
or moral sentiments OF community. HIS
tastes and moral sentiments were as re-
fined and gentle as could be acquired
by the highest state of cultivation. He
was a poet of no meal order, passion
ate lover of music, painting and the
fine arts generally, great admlrer OF
all the elegancies of refined life, and
sought to give his children advantages
which would not only make them use
full but ornamental men bers of society.
He was keenly sensible of the imper-
fectio MS of his own early training, and
alive to ridicule called out
by his person or manner. This was
the weakness and plague OF his life. His
point seems to have been
we'll unders TODD by his enemies, and to
that were all malicious shafts directed.
The foul, malicious and libellous carl
catures of Harper's journal of Civi]i-
zation,'' as certainly and as maliciously
sped his death as did the bullet of the
assassin the death of Mr., Lincoln, and
in our view the murderer of the latter
was the least cowardly and not the most