Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1872-12-06
DEATH OF HORACE GREELEY.

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not be said of him, in strictness perhaps, as
was said of Julius Cesar
"Ingrattude, moro strong than traitors arms
Quite vanquishod him,"
But there can be little doubt that he would
be alive and we'll to-day, with long future
of usefulness before him, had the American
people reached that point Of Christianization
and civilization which would enable them to
carry on political canvass in a humane and
generous spirit, rather than in that satanic
temper exempli6ed by paper which some
one in burst of prophetic satire, baptised
I" Journal Of Civilization"
While we condemn the savage character Of
our political warfare, we do not arraign any
particular party. LISA sin of the people,
a sin in which every one Of us has a share
who does not constantly protest against It,
and exert himself to abolish it. General
Grant has had no less to suffer from it than
his dead competitor, and if the tough patr-
OF soldier was able to endure what the
more sensitive, but equally patriotic Journal
list sank under, the wrong was still as great,
and the bitter spirit that inflicted it as much
to be deplored.
In the same spirit which killed him, and
by the same pens and voices that did the
deed, Mr. Greeley is now sneered at as hav-
ing died from the chagrin of defeat. 1t was
not that which slew him. He was man too
experienced in political matters to have ever
been very sanguine of the success of that
weak and incoherent coalition of which he
was the candidate. In fair fight, fairly
conducted, a man Of such emphatically
American characteristics would have sub
mitted in the true American spirit to the
verdict of the people. The real cause of his
death is foreshadowed in the following brief,
touching, almost foreboding letter, written
nearly six months ago:
New YORK, June 81 1872.
Friend I.anman: Received yours of 25th
inst. have all my life been doing what
people called vastly foolish, impolitic acts
and did not dispute their judgment. only
thing. III should die before election, or be
beaten therein, please testify for me that | do
not regret having braved public opinion
when thought it wrong and knew it to he
merciless. Yours, HORACE GREELEY.
With heart tender as that of child,
Mr.. Greeley faced the wrath of an endanger-
ed party with the courage of hero, if not
with the faith of a martyr. Ambition no
doubt he had He felt that he had deserved
well of his countrymen by long years of hard,
faithful service in the cause of popular rights
and free government. He knew that he de-
served some reward at their hands, and
when it was proffered in the form Of Presi
Dental nomination he accepted it gratefully
as he would have accepted also an election, il
he had received it. But not for the grati6
cation of his ambition would he betray his
principles. He was not punished for that =
it was his desertion of party organization
not unfaithfulness to principle, that brough
down upon him the whirlwind of party wrath
And it was not treason to party, simply, tina
this popular wrath essayed to punish. Ii
the very ranks of those who fought agains
him were unnumbered traitors to party-mel
who had gone from the Democratic into tn
Republican ranks, not from principle,-no
body ever suspected Butler, Morton or Lo
gan of that,-but for pay and plumber, ant
who were welcomed, and are welcomed
everywhere with plaudits by the yer.
men who denounced Horace Greeley
over whose purity as a man Of honest princ
ciple not shadow of doubt rests, as a " trai
tor :" History will not Place Greecy's nam
in the list of traitors, either to his countr
or his principles and as fer his desel
ton of party organization, it does not bC
come party that allows itself to be officerc
and led, in part, by men like those we hay
named, to be so very severe on such an o
Tense.
We feel the freer to ,ay what we hay
said about the cause Of Mr.. Greeley's dealt
because we we're never politically in accor
with him, and did not regard him, with a
his virtues and ability, as fit or safe ma
for the Presidential offJe. We are but r
peating here, little more emphatically, Il
protest wehave more than once made in thei
columns against the malignant characteristic
Of our political warfare 1t is suicidal. |
tendency is to drive out Of the political fie
all but the most hardened aud callous
men, and to leave us, practically, no choi
among our best citizens for public Office.
is now almost impossible to get good men
accept nomination, and do you think rea
err, this lnournful sight, Of one of our create
and purest fellow citizens done to death
no crime, (uness it be crime to aspire,
every school boy is told he may, to the fiji
Office in the gift Of the peope,) is likely
encourage the honest, the pure minded, I
sincere men amongst US, who love their cou
try above all party attachments, to becor
our political leaders, And if we cannot
led by such men, to whom will the leadC
ship fall but TO those who can but condu
US into those downward paths through viii
so many nations, so many republics, ha
travelled to dishonor aud ruin? We call OF
selves Christian people. Let us introdu
little Christianity into our politics. Is
too much to ask, in view Of this sad eve
whether we are not bound to our fellow q