Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-01-04
HORACE GREELEY
THE NEED OF POSITIVE FAITH AS REVEALED
by HIS LIFE.

The death of Horace Greeley has flled
the air with eulogies. America has hon
ored herself by honoring the great jour
nalis;. His life, so full of wonderful con.
tras,s, teaches many suggestive lessons
He was one OF Gods originals. He was
wise and otherwise, He was the fore
most journalist in America, so long as he
spoke what he believed. What he be-
lieved When he began to calculate,
when the Tribune ceased to be an organ
or when its editor tried to be a leader, he
revealed to the people a character so pc
culiar, so grand and SO faulty, so great
and so little, SO seli.wiled aud arrogant
and yet so chiid-like, so ambitious of rule
and yet SO incaplable OF self control,
that the people rejected the politician,
while they reverenced the editor and
loved the man.
His history teaches us many sugges-
tive lessons. The poorest may tini in
him an incentive to exertion, and the
HOPELESS may read his story aud grow
strong. The lesson of lessons which lite
teaches has been overlooked. This iE
it. The value of a positive faith never
appeared in clearer light than when we
see how it helped Horace Greeley to be
what he became. Contrast him with the
founders OF the Herald and the Times
MI. Greeley believed, and therefore
spoke not for money, not for popularity
bul tor truth. Never was there any,
grander illustration Of srli-abnegation
than was given by this man in the Trib-
une, and he advocated protection to
American industry, the rights oi labor,
both for men and women, of free speech,
The interests of temperance, liberty and
humanity. What he thought he said in
language plain, sometimes harsh aud
even Goa Sc, but never in language vul'
gar or mpions. His Sentences rang on,
against the shields of great wrongs as
the blows OF a Damascus blade welded
by n knight OF olden time against the
helmets OF doughty warriors To mis-
understand him seemed impossible. Con
si>tency he never wooed. Honesty Of
speech and life was his glory. Fidelity
to truth, industry that never stopped
and courage that knew 10 fear, made the
man.
Would that the whole truth might bs
told, which would shed light upon ,h,
origin of such men, and which goes bach
to the desires, aud hopes. and aspirations
of the mothers ut our lIuiare Gseeley'
ard Henry Clays of these times, of th'
Samuels. Solamons' aud Daniels of thu
days that are gone. In his "Rpcollec
tions of Busy Lite" Mr.. Greeley liti
the window and introduces us 10 hi,
mother aud his home. That mother
whose babies had died, wanted "A child
The Skotch-Irish love children, and like
to have them. Like Hannah of old she
cried Tor a son, aud God gave her Horace
She lavished her love upon him. Grand
MOI her full of fables aud iancies, an'
mother fond of her book and newspape
lived ia him. The finest things am
Thoughts of race were given to him
This bay had a purpose. IL began will
God. II flowed through partns, an,
| found framework III the man they build
! cd. From child he believed and ther,
fore spoke. The man that has The facul
" OF saying what he thinks and believes
and of saying it SO that the welld shal
be glad 10 hear 1t or read il, becomes, III
thinks and believes right, an inesllniabl
blessing aud il he thinks and believe
wrong, an unmigaied curse. The differ
ence between the honors paid to Hoi
ace Greeley and those bestowed upon IN
editors of the Herald and Times, attest
TO the peoples estimate Of the value
speech linked to faith, aud OF their dsr'
gard Of The glitter Of success built up o
: the sacrifice of opinion or of right.
The mistakes which cloud the life q