Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-12-15
Death of Colonel rorney.
Philadelphia Times.

Death OF Colonel Forney.
Philadelphia Times
The death OF John w. Forney sewers
another of the links which connect our
political struggles with the great uoliti.
cal conflicts OF preceding generation.
Although he bad lived little more
than three score years, be had made
himself an Important factor in politics
IS early as 1874. BoLn in Lancaster,
with neither fortune nor fortuitous cir.
cumstances to aid him, be started at the
printing case, and was his own careful
teacher until he ranked among tho
ablest teachers of men.
Colonel Forney's great forte was as n
paragFaphist. Excepting only Horace
Greeley. he was the ablest paracraphist
of his day, and no man in this or any
other State more fully met the early re.
quirements OF a general political editor
than did Colonel Forney. The PsaasvL
u1aidH, under his direction. was the only
great Democratic organ the party ever
had in this city aud be was equally
successful. according to the standard OF
journalistic success OF that time. as
editor of the Washington Union when il
was the national organ Of the Pierce
administration. The journalism of that
day was greatest Ia party organs, aud
Colonel Forney, in the fervent viRor OF
his manhood, was the model partisan
editor.
In 1857 Colonel Forney made = new
departure in journalism. The Prezs was
the tirst bold attempt at the indepen.
dence OF the party newspaper, and the
resistance 1t encountered from power
aroused Forney TO the grsndest effort OF
his life. His battle against Buchanan
and the Kansas policy of his admins.
tration, Is one of the memorable land.
marks OF our modern political history.
1t made Forney one Of the most poten.
tial elements of political power, and he
welded his power with such rare discre
tion and consummate ability, that when
sectional disruption came in 1861, he
rendered an incalculable service 10 the
country By his patriotic support of Pre-.
sident Lincoln.
Soon after the close OF the war. Colo.
mel Forney was among the foremost TO
Rrspple with the detection Of President
johnson, and his last great national
battle was made TO rescue Republican.
ism from the fatal policy ofsihe acciden.
tai President. lie subsequently volnn.
tarily retired from the Seeretaryship Of
the Senate, and thenceiorth his active
participation in national politics grad.
ually ceased but he was i'm the fore
front, with his commanding newspaper,
n the desperate struggle to attain con
stitutional reform In Pennsylvania, and
ne saw It triumph as the people second.
ed his efforts b. the largest popular
majority for the new Constitution ever
cast in the State.
But the time comes in every life when
the rude shock OF perpetual battle be.
comes distasteful, and Colonel Forpev
retired 10 Europe 10 accept the then
more eongenial work Of promoting the
Centennial Exhibition. Since then he
has been sluggish in partisan conflicts
and bis growing taste for rest and free
dom from degenerating political domi.
nation. eliminated finally In his sale Of
the Press several years ago, and his abso.
lutte release from eli partisan obligations
He founded Progress, osiensibly to found
q firat-class weekly Journal Of the sian.
daTd of the successful English weekIies,
but In fact GO recall himself and his
many friends who had passed or were
passing away, and keep their memories
and their achievements green.
Few men have passed away from
among the living of to-day for whom so
much heartfelt grief has been felt A. i
fsls for John ". Forney. lie vas .
chivalrous foe The most genial Of
friends, and In ell things generous 10
fault. Had he been cunning aud un.
acrnpulous as were others who wreslled
with him at the threshold Of the temple
Of fame, be would have commanded
6enafes and Cabinets and even presi.
dents but he vas moulded to battle
for Others and seldom won battles for
himself. lie was made the subordinate
Of Senate and House when his abilities
and devotion 30 principle and friends
should have made him master of his
masters aud bis political fortunes we're
only the keen disappoiulments which,
n the end. made him retire 10 live in
the grateful memories Of past achieve.
menls and friendships. Is great work
rs done, aud be lnHed with compoanre
10 the messenger that summoned him
t. the drearnlezs couch Of tho dead,
leaving regrets 10 The many who loved
him In lie and lament him IN death.