The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-12-17

Of this noted and gifted man, Is from
the st. Louis Globe:
Washington Irving closes his very
interesting biography Of Oliver Gold
smith with the remark that after the
reader has carefully pondeied all the
facts In the lite of that eccentric man,
he is very apt to close the volume with
the exclamation: Poor Goldsmith"
In different sense from that intended
for the author of the deserted Viii
lage," the exclamation most natural
to follow the announcement of what
heads this article is Poor Yates"
We pity the man who cannot say this
from the bottom OF his heart, and from
feeling of genuine compassion, mi-
mixed with contempt.
Had the event which we record to-
day occurred ten years ago, not the
State OF Illinois, and not the West
alone, but the entire nation, would
have felt an almost irreparable loss.
The Yates of that day was not the
Yates who died yesterday, except in
name. He was the Young, ardent and
patriotic Governor, to whose sleepless
energy aud fierce devotion the country
was every day indebted for new i'll
spiration in its dreadful struggle
against slavery and rebellion. He was
the trusted friend Of Lincoln and
Grant-uphol,ling the former in the
Cabinet and the latter in the field, and
defending both with his eloquent voice
and trenchant pen. He was the warm
hearted ehcouragcr of every man
whom he met on the battle-line OF
lite. lie had kind word for every
body; nor did he let his word long
forernm his deed, but ever held out
helping hand, and often TO the un-
worthy. The number of men to whom
Richard Yates stands to-day in the
relation of benefactor is exceedingly
large. He was liberal, generous and
unseltish. lie had qualities of head
and heart which bespokee for him the
highest honors of a great nation, and
which would have achieved those
honors for him had he not fallen a
victim to what in his case, proved a
demon of destruction in sad and
earnest truth.
The world is a harsh critic. In its
eyes one fault often obscures and de-
Stroys a thousand virtues. While
preaching the good old Latin maxim
''De m0rtNis nil Risi bonun,' it is in
clined, as to mans vices, to practice
on the principle. De mortuis nil ntsi
reg7sm." And so when the truth IS
told Of Richard Yates. it must be con-
fpssed that the last eight years OF his
life We're a long debauch. Thus it will
appear, at least, to those who had no
knowledge of the struggles he maize
against the bad passion which had
gradually mastered him so completely
that it had become a malignant and
incurable disease. AT any time during
the period referred to you could with
as much reason have cursed the con-
for his cough and his hectic
flush as to have cursed Richard Yates
for his intemperance. Speaking to the
writer of this article one day, after he
had recovered from one of his excesses,
Mr.. Yates said he looked upon him
self as one Of the victims OF the war,
hs much as if he had fallen in battle.
"Aye, MORE said he, ''for it has
more than killed me" He went OIL
to describe how the excitement Incl
dent to the early war scenes had first
him to drink; how the
labors and anxieties OF his responsible
position had rendered the use of stimu-
lants a necessity to him, and how,
when the war closed, he found absti-
nencc impossible, and intemperancc
It is also a matter of
knowledge to the present writer that
Mr.. Yates used all human effort to
arrest his downward progress. In his
lucid moments he knew Of his own
degradation, and he made a manly
battle against it-but his fall was
foreorllained and his sad end Is to-
lay more interesting study for the
Psychologist than for the moFalist.
Others may remember only the
drunken Senator and the drunken eiti-
zen. We use plain words because this
was plain case. But to our minds {
he cause of truth, as well az a cause of !
,harity, can hest be subserved by ,,
linking Of the great Governor, whose i
,Oice so stirrrd the hearts of patriots
when the war was yet young ro-
nance. and whose hand and heart so
promptly responded to his country's
all in the deadly earnestness Of its
ater years. The name Of Richard ,
Yates is honorably inscribed on every i
,age Of the history Of that struggle. !
4et us hope that IN his case the dictum !
# the great poet will be reversed )
hat the evil he has done will not live
fter bin, nor the good be al inferred
With his bones. 1
10 farther seek his merits to disclose, 4
Nor draw his fTailties from their dread
abode:
here they allkein trembling hope repose,
The D0aOm Of his fafhnr and hta God q