The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-12-21
NE W Y0Rk.

Tc the Editor ot the woRKISsnAS's ADVOCATE
The great overshadowing event of the
week, is the death Of Horace Greeley.
His burial took place to-day. There was
no doubt much respect entertained for him
among the people. His long and promi-
nent position at the head Of the Tribune,
and the stirring events in which he had
taken an active part during the last thirty
years, could not but rally around him
large circle Of friends. II was therefore
to be expected that an unusually great
concourse Of people would attend his
funeral, that expectation was fully realiz- |
ed. But all this you will get from the
daily papers, and it is not necessary for
me to attempt to give any account Of these
proceedings. There is, however, one sub |
ject connected Herewith, upon which do |
desire to say something, and that is re-
speeding the tendency and character Of
these public or professional systems Of
elegy and mourning. These exhibitions
have become a stereotyped manner for the
unnumbered Anthonys, to show off their
wares for the benefit Of themselves, while
the burial of Cesar is simply their stock
In trade. Such then beingIt tine facts, your
readers will not be surprised to learn that
the funeral Of Horace Greeley was desc
Grated by this solemn nockery. The press
said this was the spontaneous tribute OF
respect paid by the sons Of toll and the
scions Of wealth, to the memory Of Horace
Greeley, and such as no American ever
before received" when the truth was
that official officiOusness, and the cool
deliberate malice Of political hate con
trolled the funeral III the interest Of the
scions Of wealth and the lions of power,
and the spontaneous affection Of the
people had no opportunity TO manifest
itself but in humble position, afar OF.
A glimpse Of some portion Of the truth
leaks out in some Of these descriptions Of
the funeral by this same veriLable press
and in the same artIcle-fOr instance
take the following ." Most Of the ladies
gisO occupied the galleries, were arrayed in
mourning, but before the services com
menced Iec,ty Of action was kept up not
by any means IN keeping with the solemn
occasion
How came this levity there By tickets
issued by the spontaneous OfhciOusness
| which contradictions usual, the funeral for
the special benefit Of themselves and
friends The sons and daughters Of toll
were not troubled with tickets Whether
this discreditable conduct is to be credit
ed specially u the ladies or the occasion,
| am unable to decide Of one thing l am
certain, the statement is true whichever
way it Is applied, and | leave to connois-
seun who deal IN this species Of tragedy,
to settle the matter, and to determine the
real value Of grief which penetrates not
beneath a hg leaf covering. But it may
be said that this criticism applies only to
the improper acts Of class, and not TO
the great body who took part in this pub
| lie exhibition of sorrow. Well, / am
willing to be charitable, and to believe
there was as much genuine sorrow and
respect paid TO the virtues Of Horace
Greeley, as is usual upon such occasions
any where, when the pomp and parade of
church and State is called in to honor the
illustrious dead, in the place Of natural
affection. But who were the mourners,
and what the SA22Esestsc Ct the funeral
answer they were al giy cfivfc bodies from
Washington, New York, and other places,
composed rery largely Of bitter political
opponents, who cursed Horace Greeley
when he lived, but were doubly willing
and eager to strew his pathway to the
tomb with roses When, therefore, Rev g.
Chaplin and Beecher, present their highly
colOred eulogy, and with it weave in more
hisrh Vrrn1asrbf ~ rAAaofhla
touching the attendance Of the dignitaries
present, this alone is a modest drought,
a mixed compound Of grief for the dead
and of clarifying the illustrious living,
though somewhat nauseUus it can be swal-
lowed when however, these same
Rev. $. exhibit the grave as the alchemist
which has extracted all the bitterness and
hate ot political strife, and made these
violent opponents the rank admirers and
the most ardent worshippers Of the dis
tinguished victim of their malignity, il
brings me to believe that there is more
truth than poetry IN the representation Of
Byron, when describing the death and
burial Of George the Third, when he says
lie died ms death made great s,Ir earth
His burial made some puml there was prIfusion
~ velvet gliding, bras. and no great deAr1h
VI aught but te.lrs-sAve thUs= she'd by COLLISION,
For things MAY be bnu- hi Al their true worth
VI eul,gy there the duv iniuSion--
Bought also, aud the torche, eloaks and banners.
Heralds and relics " old Go.hi, manner,
Formed sepulchral, melodTa Of all
The fools who fioeked a swell the show,
Who cared about the corpse the funeral,
Made the attraction, aud the BLACK the woe
There thrrbbed not there thought which pierced
the pail
Let The dead bury then dead, was the
declaration Of Him who spake as never
man spake. Let us then strive to put
down such pagan practices of folly and
~ickedness. These are the strongholds Of
selfish, cruel men, for the perpetuation of
their unjust sway over the masses. That
Horace Greeley Justly occupied very
large place III the public esteem ! admit,
but that Ia the very reason why his MEM
DRY should not have been desecrated by
heartless mummery to give Importance to !
very small official positions, If the calibre |
Of the men who fill them in high places |
are the index. Let this then be the senti-
ment cultivated, let real merit receive its |
proper respect and approval while the |
man lives and when he dies let those who |
have the right to claim the ties Of real !
affection with gentle and loving hands see
that he is properly and decently inferred
with becoming mementOes Of plety and
natural affection. SPECTATOR