Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-12-06
Mr.. Greeley'S Insanity.
SICKNESS OF MRS. GREELEY.

SICKNESS OF MRS. GREELEY.
Meanwhile Mrs. GreeleyS health had
been falling rapidly, and she had been re-
moved from Chappaqua 20 this city. Mr.
! Alvin J. johnson, of 1923 West Fitty~sev-
! en.h street, had placed a suite Of apart
! ments 4: her disposal. These the invalid
occupied with her eldest daughter, Mise
Ida. while MIR. Greeley had rooms in the
! same house.
1t was there, while passing sleepless
nights at the bedside of his dying fife, that
Horace Greeley first began to show signs Of
great mental depression. On one Occa-
sion, while the opposition press was criti-
cising his great October speech, he said,
off they make the issue that I'm the rebel
candidate, I'm bound to be defeated
This considerable on seemed to weigh on
his mind, and often when lie supposed he
was alone lie would put his hand TO bis
head and cry out, :. On" as though suffer-
ing intense pain. He was advised to con-
tinue his wood-chopping Saturday matinees,
and though severely clIafed by the accounts
! of them published in the New York Times,
he still pursued his open air exercise. On
one occasion at ChapnaQua he was accom-
panied by Mr. johnson and his son. Mr..
j ,hnson, Jr., chopped down the dead lint
of a hemlocl< tree, which narrowly missed
his fathers head. "What do you mean %
cried out Mr. johnson, Sr. DO you want
to kill me, Willie?"
81 wish somebody would kill me-" re-
sponded Mr.. Greeley i'll a voice Of extreme
sadness.
THE OCTOBER ELECTION.
Mr.. Greeley always said lie did not expect
to carry either the State of Vermont or
Maine yet the result Of the State cleo
tiOns there, September and 10, respect
lively, made him more respondent than
ever. Georgia gave the Democrats rous-
ing ajority on October 8, and his spirits
rose proportionately ; but when six days
later Clio and Pennsylvania gave large
maioriIies for the Administration candi-
dates, and while the result in Indiana was
still In doubt, he became utterly despon-
| dent, and for the first time bis most init
mate friends began to perceive that defeat
| in November might prove fatal to him. lie
talked one moment Of Offering the portfo-
Ito Of Secretary Of State to Mr.. Charles
Francis Adams, and in the next breath he
! would lament large falling off in the sub
scIp;ion lists Of the Tribune. Such out
bursts OF incOherent expressions, followed
by paroXysms of rage, now became more
I frequent and spontaneous. They came iIl-
voluntary, it were, and always excited
anxious apprehensious among his friends
! but they were attributed to the fact that
he was too much deprived Of sleep while
watching beside his wife.
THE DEATH OF MRS. GREELEY.
AT length, on the morning Of October 20
Mrs. Greeley died. When the idowe1
husband was informed Of lis Wife's death
he wrung his hands, cried like a child, and
SAID: ooh, why didn't ypulet me Sit UP
with her? Why did you send me TO bed ?
My poor wife my poor wife,
Two days afterward Mrs. Greeley was
risd. Her remains were followed to the
grave by a large cOncourse Of people, all OF
whom noticed Mr.. Greeley's grief. He re-
turned after the funeral to Mr.. Johnson's,
and instead OF interesting himself about
his daughters and the future he gave way
wholly to detection. 1t was then lie showed
the fist positive evidence Of mental de-
rancenent.
THE NOVEMBER ELECTION
seemingly did not interest him. His defeat
did not seem to surprise him. He deceived
his friends by receiving the news with per-
feet Indifference.
II was noticed about this time, however,
that he would tell his private business to
every one with whom he was brought in
contact, and to each one he tol4 different
story CT his defeat, his troubles, and the
infidelity Of bis supposed friends. He would
at times denounce the Democratic party,
whom he accused Of selling out to the Ad-
ministration. Then he would violently
criticise the course pursued by the opposi-
ton newspapers, and especially the mis-
management of the Tribune, and his fatal
mistake in allowing his name to be used az
a candidate fer the Presidency.
| Mr.. Alvin J. johnson was his most init
mate friend. One evening, while holding
his hand, Mr.. Greeley said TO him: "a.
j., do you know / made 4 terrible mistake
about Mr.. Dana. he was right about
fed now that he was right about it,
Often after that, when he was unable to
sleep, and while his disease was yet in its
incipiency, Mr.. Greeley would take Mr..
Johnson to his room, and, with his hands
clasped, he would impart to him the most
! intimate secrets Of his heart.
THE LAST BLOW.
1t was during this period that he wrote
| his card resunling the editorship of the
| Tribune, published on November 7th. He
was inexpressibly shocked while reading
the Tribune on the following morning to
find an editorial article headed "Crumbs
| os Comfort occupying as conspicuous a
position as that of his card. This article,
it will be remembered, spoke Of the Tri-
bune as having been used as ga sort of
Federal employment agency" and said
that for the last twelve gears ''every red
nosed politician who had cheated at the
caucus ana fought at the polls looked to
the editor Of the Tribune to secure his ap-
pointment as gauger, or as army chaplain,
or as Minister to France" and then closed
with an insult TO the friends who had
stood by Mr.. Greeley during the campaign.
CRUMBS OF COMFORT.
There has been no time until now, with
in the last twelve years, when the Tribune
vas not supposed to keep, for the benefa:
Of The idle and incapable, sort of Federal
employment agency, established to get
places under the Government for those who
were indisposed to work for their living
ANY man who had ever voted the Repubii-
can ticket believed that it was the duty and
the privilege OF the editor Of this paper to
get him place in the Custom-house. Eve
cry red-nosed politician who had cheated
at the caucus and fought at the polls looked