, 1877-01-13

PiN'N W. VIZ NH'iu AhS ""o
so naturally and inevitably good that
his goodness almost failed to be reck.
oncd as n virtue. With all the opportu-
mites of development which he so con.
scientlously seized, with all his wide
and varied knowledge of lfc,-there
were three things which he could never
learn: to mistrust human nature, to re.
fuse help whenever he could give it, and
to disguise his honest opinions. He has
been compared to Franklin; but, al
ih0ngt he sometimes seemed to echo the
economical philosophy OF Poor Richard,
he never succeeded IN practising its first
maxim. Only those who stood nearest
to him can truly know how his life was
gloritied by self denial and self sacrifice,
by labor that never complniued and pa.
tience that never uttered it,elf in words.
The strong individuality Of Horace
Greeley was equally moral and intellect
ual, and tie lasting influence of his Life,
will be manifested in both directions
His memory does not depend upon sepa
rate acts or conspicuous expressions: it
is based upon and embraces the entire
scope OF his activity, the total aim and
effort OF his lite. He would have been
the last OF men to present himself as II
special model for the imitation OF his
younger countrymcn; but there are few
who will now deny that this generation
is better, more devoted to lofty princi
pies, less subservient to the dicta,on OF
party, wiser, more tolerant and humane
because be had lived. Nothing wOr
thicr than this can be said Of any man
When most men die, the ranks clDse, and
the line moves forward without visible
gap; but hundreds of thOusan IS miss,
and long shall continue to miss, the
courageous front of Horace Greeley.
Like Latour d'Auvcrgne, the first grena
dier OF France, his name is still called in
the regiment of those who dare and do,
tor the sake of mankind, and the mourn.
iul answer comes: Dead upon the field
of honorr
should like to speak of his tender
ness and generosity. l shoald like to
explain the awkward devices of his
heart to hide itself, knowing that the
exhibition of feeling is unconventional,
and sensitive lest its earnest impulses
should be misconstrued. But the vail
which he wore during life must not be
lifted by the privilege. which follows
death; enough of light shines through
1t To reveal all that the world need know.
To me his nature seemed like u fertile
trnct of the soil of his native New IIamp.
shire. 1t was cleared and cultivated
and rich harvests clad its southern
slopes; yet the rough primitive granite
cropped out here and bere and there were
d,ngles which defied the pillow, where
the sweet wild-howers blDssomed in their
season and the wild birds built their
nests unharmed. In word, he was II
man who kept his life as God fashioned
it for him, neither assuming grace
which was not bestowed, nor Disgusting
a quality which asserted its existence.
A life like his can nos be lost. That
seepIess intelligence is not eHtiuguisOed,
though the brain wEich was its nipple
ment is here slowly falling to dust; that
helping and iorbraring love continues,
though the heart which it quickenod is
cold lie lives, not only in the mystcri.
ous realm where some purcr and grander
form Of activity awaited him but also
as an impcrishable influence in the pco-
pie. Something Of him has hc,n alb
sorbed into u multitude Of olhcr lives,
and wiz Sc transmitted to their seed.
/ His true monument is as broad us tIe
/ land ho served. This, which you have
erected over his ashes, is the Icas, me-
mortal OF ns lie. But it stands as he
hims,floycl to stand, on breezy knoIL
where he could hathc his brow in the
/ shadows Of branches and listen to the
music Of their leaves. 1t looks u the
cit, where he lived and aboIed Com,