The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-06-04
GREELEY HIS OWN ARTIST.

GREELEY HIS OWN ARTIST.
There is no use in disparaging the ability
Of Horace Greeley as an artist. lie paints
with characteristic brilliancy and wit, as
well as with entire truthfulness to nature.
Lord Shaftesbury's character was not more
admirably hit off by Butler, who described
him as "a
politician,
With more heads than beast in vision"
than is that of Mr.. Greeley as limned by
Greeley himself. OF course, Butler dealt
in the gorgeous satiric Muse, but Greeley's
prose is hardly less unique, or instinctively
versatile in quality, than the octo-syllabic
thrusts of the English satirist.
In 1868, Mr.. Greeley delivered lecture
in Montreal and received distinguished hon
ors, as well as applause, from the delighted
Canadians for they were disposed to lion
ize "the great American journalist" to the
top of his vanity, if not to the top of his
bent. And they did lionize him. Horace
was delighted with the "Canucks," and
they were apparently delighted with him.
He was handsomely banquetted by the
city authorities, and, in the course Of the
speech he delivered on the occasion, drew
the following admirable pen-and-ink sketch
of himself; for his speech was carefully re-
duced to writing, no doubt, before it was
delivered, and went in the shape he wanted
to have it into the hands Of the provincial
printer. Mr.. Greeley was reported as thus
happily thinning himself: ..... .......
"Mr. Webster was not only agentleman,
but he had the elements of moral greatness,
and he had faults as well. lie failed only
in one respect, and in this respect differ
from him wanted TO be President and
| don't. [Cheers and laughter.l But for
that one misfortune he would have been
the greatest man American ever produced.
Wehave seen our greatest man, MIR. Chase,
making the same blunder. | have seen
men who had the disease early and died Of
it at a very old age. GLaughter.l General
Lewis Cass died at about eighty-two, and
up to the day of his death he wanted to be
President. No one ever escapes who once
catches the disease; he lives and dies in the
delusion. Being reader and an observer
at an early age, | saw how it poisoned
and paralyzed the very best of our public
men and | have carefully avoided it.
1t was easy then to speak for truth and
Justice when they needed an advocate, when
those who threatened could execute no ven
geance that you dreaded. So, then, think
you are happy in that respect, if in no 9th
err, fer none of you in Canada expect to be-
come the sovereign of your country
EUheers and laughter.l That enables you
to have purer press and more fearless
public men than perhaps you would other
wise have. We at least, in our day, have
President elect who did not try to be Presi-
dent. He was elected mainly on that ac-
count. Renewed laughter.l Let a public
man honestly go forward, saying what he
believes to be just, doing what he thinks is
right, and, though he may not probably be
President, he can enjoy very large meas
ure of freedom of opinion, as well as free
dom of action, [IIear, hear j though free
dom of opinion is the very last thing that
a free people are disposed to concede to their
public men,
Was there ever a more perfect delinea-
ton Of the man Horace Greeley than is
given by these master touches of Horace
Greeley himself? The dexterty with which
he gives the touches-the artistically finish
ing touches--of Horace Greeley (the most
identical Horace) is not only remarkable, as
showing with what wonderful skill he APP
proaches the true character of himself, by
discernmcnt but it has all the inspiration
Of genius, as reaching out after grand
subject for delineation. We hope that
Horace will not die, like "poor Glass;" at
eighty-two, Qor we want him to live as long
as possible but we have no hope that he
will ever survive the" presidential disease"
that is now upon him. lie has taken it too
badly--worse than any poor eommoner of
England ever caught the ''peerage disease"
in the most unchecked times of advance
ment. Mark, too, the allusion to General
Grant, the man who was made President
because he did not want the office. Can
the Cincinnati asprant so satisfy the Ameri-
can people that he don't want to be Presi-
dent, that they will all go for him as they
did for Grant in 1868? Or will he be left
to die with the presidential disease upon
him, as Webster, Clay and Cass did, and