The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-08
THE LIBERAL CANDIDATES.
4 SKETCH OF THE CAREER OF HON.
EST HORACE GREELEY.
A Remarkable Man.


The distinguished journalist who has just
been made the standard-bearer of Reform, and
candidate for the highest Office in the gift Of
the people, constitutes one of the most con-
spicuous characters in the history of our self
made men. No one has been less indebted to
fortune or to external assistance. His life has
been an unbreken record of manly struggle,
selEdependent effort and singularly consistent
and fearless devotion to principle. As it was
his misfortune to encounter difficulty and
opposition at every stage of the solution
of the great problem Of Lille, 80 it has
been his fate to meet like resistance In all
political revolutions and party changes with
which he has been Identified. This has been
due to several causes, among which and
chiefly are the facts that he has never feared
to head a movement against Overwhelming
odds, and that the logic of honesty has given
him such prescience In advance Of time.
servers and policy-servers as to place him In
the position Of perpetual pioneer. His con.
nection with the present great popular dem
onstration against the abuses and crimes
foisted upon the country by the chiefs of a
! party which he bore the most conspicuous
part In founding is al illustration of the life
and character of the man; and the personal
risks which he Incurred, the obloquy which he
clearly foresaw, the possible consequences OF
failure, If failure unfortunately should come
these circumstances of encouragement,
coupled with the boldness with which ne TOOK
the advanced post of danger, condense into
one view all that he is and all that he has
done.
Horace Greeley was born In New Hamp-
shire in the year 1911, and he iB consequently
sixty-ope years Of age. He ts OF Scotch-Irish
descent, his ancestors having been members
Of that sturdy band who made famous the
siege of Londonderry.
The poverty Of his fathers family reduced
him, at very early age, to the necessity of
laborlng at the most arduous toll for the sup
port of bis family At eleven years G age he
performed journey Of one hundred and
twenty-five miles on foot, with all his worldly
gear in small bundle thrown over his
shoulder. Even at this age he hired himself to
the neighboring farmers to cut wood, clear up
s'new grounds" and serve otherwise In the
humble capacity of hired laborer.
In the meanwhile taste for literature de-
veloped ITSELF He enjoyed the most meagre
possible opportunities for studying under ln-
structors, but such as were afforded him were
seized with avldlly. At home, also, he
pushed and dlversiaed his slender acquisitions
by reading with esgerness before fire of
pine knots all the books he could gather up
la the neighborhood. In this way he soon
became Kind of oracle among those OF his
own age and an authority of no little note
with the simple minded people OF the neigh
borhood. Il would appear that he was no
dulIard In divintng his destiny, as 1t appears
that he discovered q fixed intention to become
a printer before he reached bis teens, and
depoured any chance newspaper with some
thing Of the teroclty with wnlch Dr. Jonn-
son Is said to have swallowed books. After
various vicissitudes and alternations OF for-
tune from bad to worse, and hard 10
harder, he finally realized the coveted pleas
ure of learning TO set type, and finally
started to New York. He reached that city In
his twentieth year with ten dollars In his
pocket. For many weary days the awkward
looking country boy sought employment ID
vain. His advent In New YORK. 10 stfikinsi5
similar. In its circumstances OF discourage
ment, poverty and contempt, to DR.. Franklin's
first visit to Philadelphia; and the parallel
continues as to the objects which the TWO ad.
venturers proposed to themselves, their per-
slstence in effort, and the prompt success
which awaited them as soon as their supercl-
opportunity to display their capacity. Horace
engaged in this department of newspaper
making but a short time before he ventured,
like BENJAMIN, TO try the dexterity OF bis pen.
Will 1t be believed that one of the first sheets
10 which he contributed was sporting paper,
then as now, called the Spirit oil the Times
Yet such Is the fact, and while playing that
CAV role he also (and very naturally became
q frequent habitu6 of theatres. The latter,
however, was matter Of business as well as
pleasure.
In 1888 Mr.. Greeley became one OF the origi.
nators of the Morning Post, the first daily
paper ever published In the City of New York.
It is difficult to imagine the condition Of things
before the world realized the advantages Of
that great moral and historical luminary, the
daily press, which now emits its light every
morning as a fitting accompaniment OF the
sun as he rises upon The universe. It has be-
come almost as indispensable as the means OF
the Morning Post, this avant courier Of the
glorious array of dailies, soon ceased to exist,
the public, 1t appears, not being prepared for
80 venturous an innovation.
The first number OF the New Yorker, NJ.
Greeley's next venture, made its appearance
in 1884. In this journal we find him engaged
In discussions which furnish extraordinary e4-
amples of the consistency of his convictions
and principles, for We find them paraphrased
Ia to-day's Tribune Almost with the first ap-
pearance of the New Yorker he began his at
lacks upon capital punishme@t; the coloniza-
tien of the negroes; the evils bf slavery; tenn
perance reform, and protection to American
Industry.
In 1889 Mr.. Greeley added to his editorial
staff the talented and brilliant henry ]. Ray
mond, subsequently, 90 widely known as the
editor of the New York Times, aud about the
same time edited the Jeff.rsonlau and the
Daily Whig. In the famous Harrison cam
paign OF 1910, he made his best nit by publish
ing a sheet which rejolced In the euphonious
name OF the Log Cabin, and 1t is unnecessary
| to say that he placed It on the side Of Harri-
sou and The Wings.
In lS4l be started the Tribune, q journal
through whose columns he has made himself
recognized as the first journalist of America, If
not of the world. Since then his history has
been that of the Tribune, and the latter has
been fully Identified with all the revolutions
of American politics. he has never wayered
In his adherence to the principles he proposed
for himself or others. Commencing q Whig.
he has stood firmly with that party through
all Its changes down to the present time. Ben
~ Clay was his especial favorlte-his model
of statesman. Another distinguished con of
Kentucky, John J. Crittenden, was The object
of bis Warnest admiration. His opposition to
slavery was not of very earnest character
until the annexation of Texas, from which
time onward he never abated his antipathy
and earpest hostility until 1t was forever abol.
isheG His efforts in the cause of African free
dom most sgnaIly exceeded In persistence,
zeal aud success those of any other man In
America.
WbIIo q non,hor of ronoroou boIno oloota5