National Republican., 1882-11-29
ROgciCtn

hi'huiNSlulNlS VI puullC OplulOH, anu
wholesale and retail dealers in patronage
and power having their principal place
of business at Albany, N. Y, naturally
calls to mind many thoughts and rem-
niscences which have not appeared in
any of the funeral sermons upon the
character of the deceased member. AS
the death of Mr.. Weed has occurred at
the close of the only campaign in this
country which has been conducted on the
platform of hostility to leadership under
the name of bossism, we have q coinci-
dence that is at least suggestive and well
worthy of passing notice.
The great firm alluded to was remark
able for many things, but especially for
the great ability of its members, dissimi-
larity of tastes and talents, harmony of
purposes, and general agreement upon
methods of accomplishing the results at
which they aimed. Their ability was
great and of different kinds. Mr.. Sew
ard was q philosophic statesman, of
broad views and patriotic intentions,
Joined to an ambition that never per-
mitted the main chance to fall far into
the rear. Mr.. Greeley was q statesman
like philosopher, imbued with philan-
thropy and sentiment, between which
and personal ambition there was always
struggle, with the odds in favor of the
former until the finale of the career of
the great editor was near at hand, when
ambition shot little ahead.
Mr.. Weed was the astute business man
ager of the concern, and invented the
great plans and attended to and carried
out the small details, even to the most
trifiing and unimportant particular, max
ing himself generally useful by industry,
shrewdness, self-sacriiice, and determi-
nation never to allow battle to be lost
on account of squeamishness as to the
employment of strategy when force
should be found unequal to the task in
hand. Seward furnished the rhetoric,
the fine phrases, and elegant generalza-
tions which captivated scholars and think
ers; Greeley added the moral, industrial,
and, to some extent, the social reform
ideas which attracted the visionary, en-
thusiastic, and progressive elements, and
Weed combined, compounded, and ar
ranged everything into working condition
on a practical and common sense basis.
The good of the country was the grand
objective without doubt, but it was pretty
clearly seen that to secure this the cleo
ton of Seward first to the governorship
of New York, and then to the Chief
Magistracy of the Republic was not only
a compatible, but really important and
possibly essential idea, and to this they
gave their best efforts, and the earnest
aspirations of their loving and patriotic
hearts.
In the main purpose they succeeded.
The Republican party was largely due to
their sagacity and labors, and the high
est good of the Nation required its agency.
The collateral purpose failed by the
bursting up of the firm in the heyday of
its prosperity. Mr.. Greeley wanted to
be the candidate for governor, so he
said, and Mr.. Seward, from his higher
altitude, could not and did not see it.
They split on that rock and furnished
one of the most ample proofs of the truth
of Scripture, which declares that Il
house divided against itself cannot
stand" Mr.. Seward, as it now looks,
lost the Presidency through his failure
then to support the aspirations of Mr..
Greeley, and herein are manifested two
curious phases of the great law of COM
pensations: First, in that Greeley had per-
sistently instructed Seward in the doctrine
that the Office should seek the man, and
the man never the office, thus furnishing
the latter the most valid excuse for wait
ing the contingency which had not come,
and, secondly, in that Seward, by ig-
noring the obligations of reciprocity and
sitting down on the aspirations of a
helper and coadiutor, upset his own
kettle and spilled all the broth of the en-
tire concern.
1t may CRATE harshly on the ear-drum
of the Tribune, founded by Horace
Greeley" to be told that Horace was a
"boss;" but such is the fact, and the firm
was the greatest firm of bosses the coun-
try has seen. The last letter Mr.. Weed
wrote announced that he was boss, and
he died in the faith that bossism is a
good, and not to be despsed by rival
bosses.