The New York herald., 1874-10-26
grenadier who should presume to invade his farm
yard with o red coat on.n
The LII. Of Horace Greeley

yard with red coat on.n
The Ltf~ Of Horace Greeley.
II is not uniting that we should pass from
Franklin to Greeley. John L. Potter Co., OF
Philadelphia, send US 'The Life and Times OF
Horace Greeley" by L. D. Ingersoll. The book Is
well printed. with many illustrations OF prominent
events IN the life OF Mr.. Greeley and OF some OF the
men who 1ourished with him. Mr.. Ingers0ll has
not written a pretentous book. ~ have not
written" he says, 80 much for scholars and men
OF letters as for the people:" and he endeavors to
present the true outlines OF lie OF beautiful SIM
plicity OF real grandeur, OF vast influence. de-
voted to the elevation and happiness OF all men.
The author gives us the events OF MIR. Greeey's
career mainly as they are given IN Mr.. Parton's
fascinating biography, book which, notwith-
standing its crudties OF STYLE has done more than
all else toward fixing the place OF Mr. Greeley in
history. Mr. Ingersoll does not attempt an analysis
OF Mr.. Greeey's character. He may feel, perhaps.
that IL Is too soon to speak OF man as he really
was, until at least the loves and hatreds
are hushed, until the sod has had time to grow
green upon his grave. We can respect the mo-
tive for this reserve; but in most lives, and IN
none, perhaps more than that OF Mr.. Greeley, the
truth is always best when promptly told. Horace
Greeley was much greater man than his genera
-
great. His character lacked growth. He closed
his life with practically the same convictions with
which he began 1t. The preudces OF his child
hood toned his opinions until the end He was
temperance leader, although, as he once naYvey
said. the only time he took wine he became very
Ill. His temperament shrank from narcotics and
stimuants, from the firing OF cannon, tohacco and
alcohol. They gave him exquisite annoyance and
he preached against them with the vigor OF hatred
He learned to hate Napoeonism as a child Naro-
Icons power once led him to consider that poten-
tate as possible arDter between the North ana the
South, but he was never hearty in the feeling
The first Napoleon was his especial dislike, ana
next to Napoleon Andrew Jackson. He had great
love for the people, based largely upon hurried
acquaintance with the writings OF Fourier. The
dream OF his life was that every laboring man
should go West, own pig, and In time become
an Old line whig. The whig party was the only
party In which he truly believed. Republlcanism
ne accepted impatently and with reluctance and
the questions which really interested him were
not questions OF humanity, but OF economy and
finance. Pain or the thought OF pain was constant
distress to him, and led to his horror of war and
capital punishment SO much OF his active life
was spent In opposition that he never was
docfie in support OF party in power. He
was exactng and sometimes querulous with au-
dAu uuIluk LkuCOu 3 LlIue never ceased to
tease the President. His estimate of Lincoln
was not very high, half statesman and half horse
jockey, and it is remarkable that, although mis-
journal was the organ OF the advanced re.
publican party, his especial dslikes were Sum-
ner, Phillips, Thaddeus Stevens, Stanton and
Butler He Overcame the dislike to Sumner In
latter years, but never really forgave him lor hay
ing been born In Boston and educated in COL
lege. He never liked Grant. This was because
Grant was soldier OF all Of our soldiers he pre-
1erred Thomas. His literary tastes were marked.
Milton was his 1avorile poet, GiDbon his favorIte
prose writer. He thought John Hay one
OF the best Of the growing authors. He
was iond OF Browning and had a despica-
BILE opinion OF Poe. 1t was because, he
said, Poe had treated some women he Knew BADLY
Byron's serious poems were pleasant to him, and
when all the worlo was denouncing Swinburne he
took the utmost delight IN his rhythm Dolores,
he thought one Of the finest poems in the language
He had a strange notion that Catholicism was in
compatible with repuplicansm, and went so lar in
this belief as to sympathze with Maximllian in
Mexico He did not believe in colleges or in any
language but English. His especial horror among
the vices was incontlnence. This sin he never
forgave. He thought young women should learn
to sew and cook and stitch shoes before learning
to play on the piano. He never told
q secret. In the detail OF political man.
agement he was singularly sagacious,
with an amount OF wisdom under all that
has not been excelled in his time. lie was the
proudest and most sensitive man in North
America. He showed those qualities in his war
upon Seward. We entirely agree with Mr. In.
gerso in his estimate OF Mr.. Greeleys influence in
securing Seward's defeat. 1t was masterpiece
OF strategy, cunning and political skill.
AS we nave said, the time has come for proper
estimate OF Mr.. Greeley and his work. His name
has been used as o type of folly by his enemies
and rs an advertisement for many var cites OF
business by his friends. On one side he has been
deprecated, on the other exaggerated. No such
man ever lived as the ideal Horace Greeley
whether we accept the ideal of enmity or OF friend
ship. The real Horace Greeley was very great
and illustrous man, with rude but marvellous
gifts, his life monument OF Industrial achieve.
ment, moulded and animated by the nobest am.
bition. He labored to make the world better, and
although he had as many angles In his character
as DR.. Johnson and lacked the serene wisdom and
broad philosophy OF Franklin, he was IN many re.
spects as great man as either, much resembled
them In the attributes OF his character and genius
of higher personal purity and cleanliness oflife than
either. His life is that be TOO earnestly
studied by the young men OF America. II is full
OF wisdom and truth and emulation to noble,
worthy Deeds Mr. Ingersoll deserves credits for
having made this contribution to our proper
knowledge OF one OF the distinguished men OF this
century. 'ff#
Captain Kidd.
We shall probably never tire OF pirates and mur.
derers. and consequently Mr.. John $. G. Abbotts
new book on captain william Kidd and others OF
the pirates and buccaneers who ravaged the seas,
the islands and the continents of America 200 ara
ago.n This is one OF q series of american pio-
neers and patriots" and is neatly printed by
Dodd & Mead 1t Is hard to find place Tor Cap
tain Kidd among our "pioneersn or "patriots,"
but Mr.. Abbott having made himself famous by his
lives OF various Bonapartes could do US no more
national service than write the exploits OF Cap
tain Kidd, Mr.. Abbott Justly says we nave no in