, 1872-12-05
DEATH OF HORACE GREELEY.
From tie Ne1o York Tribune,

FROM L1E 1fe1 I0TE 1T16HfE-
:. The melancholy announcement Of the death Of
for few days his family and intimate friends
have admitted to themselves it's possibility sfalls
upon us al with the shock Of sudden calamity
He had reached, indeed, ripe old age, but time
had not laid it's whitening touch upon him; his
splendid constitution easily bore the strain Of
enormous labor; his mind Was as fresh, and as
strong, and suggestive as in the prime Of life;
his generous impulses were unchilled
by disheartening e1perience. Through
the trying campaign which has just closed, his
physical Ylgor. his tact, his intellectual activity,
surprised even those who knew him best, and
seemed to promise many years OF uHefu1ness-
Looking atwhat he might yet have accomplished,
We wonder at the mysterious dispensatlon Of
faculties are still ~unwea1ied. Remembering
what he has already done, ne stand with bowed
heads beside the open grave, and thank the.
Good Master who has permitted his servant to
complete 80 much Of his great labor, and to.
reap 30 many Of it's fruits.
For, after all, though detraction, and disap-
pointment, and domestic sorrow may have
clouded his last days, this was the happy ending
of noble career. My Gfe," said he some
years ago, "has been busy and and anxious, but
not joy1ess. Whether it shall be prolonged few
or more years, am grateful that It has endured
so long, and that it has abounded in opportuni-
ties for good not wholly unlmproyed, and in ex-
Periences Of the nobler, as well as t. the baser,
mgusS 5,t 9l IN has @oo for tbe &C.
dustry, the education, the general culture, and
the social improvement Of his country, as veil
as the story Of what he has accomplished in
guiding its political destinies, We may leave to
an impartial posterity. tits too soon perhaps, to
Judge correctly how great has been his share in
moulding the public sentiment which dictates
lawe chooses Presidents, creates armies, and
controls public events; but it is certain that no
history Of the most critical period in our
national life can ever be written IN which
Horace Greeley shall not be 8 conspicu-
GUS figure. Enormous as his personal inAu-
ence Wes in politics for the better part Of
q generation it was not upon this that ID his
latter years he looked back with the great
eat satisfaction. That he had shaped the course
Of Administrations, directed the purposes Of
parties, created great organ Of opinion, taught
statesmen to sit at his feet and Senates to listen
for his approval, these we're not the tests by
which be would have measured his SUCCESS
The vanity Of wealth, the unreaGty OF power,
the worth1essness Of popular removable estl-
mated them Ill at their true value. The no
b1est career in ibis eyes, was that which is
piYeu up to others wants. The successful
life WIS that which Is worn out U conflict
following was the ambition to alleviate human
misery. and leave the world little better than
he found it. That he had done this, was the
consolation which frightened his last days, and
assured him he had not lived in vain.
by the suffering and oppressed He WAS old
when he saw tha downfall OF the barbarlsm
against which he had battled for quarter Of
q century. Honors and abuse. prosperity and
reverses, were his by turn in this long con
test, but his sturdy arm never faltered. and
his heart never failed. He took patiently the
buffetings of adverse fortune, and rose with sub
lime courage above disaster; for there WAS no
selfish impulse in his labor, and be knew that
though be spent himself the work must so on to
it's final triumph. When the victory came, be
might have held up his hands and cried out with
Simeon, stLord, now lettest thou thy servant
depart in peace" But it Was granted him to see
even more than the destruction Of Slavery. He
vas to impress upon the policy Of the renewed
and purified Union something Of his own generous
and elevated character. to give an impetus to prin
ciples destined to work grand reforms at no dis
tant time, to preach the political gospel of
brotherhood and good will, and to win before he
left this world the esteem Of thousands who
had been his bitterest enemies. With no vain
estimate OF his personal share in the progress Of
the past thirty years, he realized how much had
been accomplished by the warfare in which he
had taken so great q part; he trusted that the
agencies which he had founded wou uld perpetu-
ate his influence after he had passed away.
Conscious, as in his secret heart he must have
been, that when he WAS in his grave ms name
would prompt men to kindly actions and to noble
thoughts, would moisten eyes that never saw