New-York tribune., 1884-02-17
interesting readiug' even now. They are from
Mr. Greeley's letters to Weed in 1871:


Mr. Greeley's letters to Weed in 1s41:
NEw.YoRK, Jan. 27, 1S41. =
DEAR WEED: am doing better now. In fact,
begin to feel quite snug and comfortable, and am
able to look bank cashiers full in the face. IL l
mind my business pretty thoroughly hereafter, /
-. suppose you and Benedict, with Others at Albany
thought it wrong that went on with the Cabin"
oTn own oots. sake; / feel that my honor and
Whps PT as in tovr S a bo hhDs hnYs that the he
power; that they will honestly reform abuses
abolish useless offices, retrench exorbtant salaries
and show hy their whole conduct that they are not
As for ttG1 the country press. two-thirds of it
nuisance and positive curse
are rravenous for spolls. This is sad truth,
but it is truth none the less. What
g1Tq 6 havf fba saeh se done Nore and u
unless it be advantage to be reduced
to level with the lowest of our op;
ponents l. do, believe they are all
c1ous hands ls So know this IS not the common
opinion, but have not hastily adopted IT,
:, did not know that the Cabin was not
regularly sent to you until / received yours this
morning. did not think yOn had forgotten me. hut
that do not cry about. send on the CABIN, AZ
had ordered it sent from the beginning; We have
nothing new here in politics, but large and
numerous swarms of oltice-huntng lOcusts sweeping
on to Washington daily. All the rotten land
speculaIOlS, DlOkcu DdnK directors, bWluul-
ing, cashiers ETC.. etc, in full cry for office.
down for letters, letters. aSone Of your halfway
tkings. Write strong" Curse their nauseous I'M
pudence. Some of them give such blessing as
VIII stick IN their crops these many days; some OF
them, God knows most reluctantly, give letters,
because | can't help it. I've a good mind TO adver-
tse in The National Integeaeer that AL persons
forbid harbOrng or trusting office seekers on my
account after this date. Shall we never be rid OF
this lEternaI rush for spOils My soul sick OF II.
Yours, H. GREELEY.
The next year Mr. Greeley wrote the following
characteristic epistle:
NEw-YoRK,. September 49, 1912.
FRIEND WEED,-l rise early from bed of sleep
II ls now understood, as thought it had been
before, that we differ radically on the Bani qnes-
ton, and begin to fear we do on the general policy
and objects Of political controversy.
But this is not the main point which am
moved to address you. You have pleased on several
occasions 10 take me to task for differing from YOU
however reluctantly ana temperately, as though
such conditions were an evidence, not merely of
weakness on my part, but of some black ngratitude,
or heartless treachery | cannot realize that there
have been any series Of obligations between us
which render it proper in you TO assume complete
mastery over my opinions and actions believe
there never were any pecunlary transactions
between u.s. and that yOu have never suffered by
me IN any way. | have surely never desired offices
of distinction, avenues of fortune at your hands
You sought me out for first interview, and if
have not since been useful to you as You to me,
the fault has been through my want of ability. l
have given, have ever been ready to give you any
service within my power; but my understanding,
my judgment my consciousness of convictions, of
duty and public good, these | can surrender to no
man. You wrong yourself in asking them, and in
taking me to task like school-bOy for expressing
my sentiments respectfully when they differ from
yours. However deep my obligations, | cannot pay
IN these. am ever ready to defer TO your superior
experience and lud gment,- only convince that
am wrong any point, but do not assume to |
dictate or lecture me DO not ask me 10 forget |
that l. too. am man; that must breathe free air
or be stiAed.
Let me now hope that for the future we under |
stand each other better. | would hope, also, that
we may be still friends, IN spite of the significant
ntimation you gave me- at the close of our con- |
yersatlOn; but if can only enjoy your friendship
Oh terms of humiliation, let lis be strangers hence
forth. | trust we can never be enemies but better
anything than should feel the weight OF chains |
about my neck, that ! should write and act with |
an eye to any mans pleasure rather than to the
highest good.
am weary enough of my excited life long for
rest and klndller atmosphere, but while remain
where / am, cannot afford to deSpse myself
Besides, owe what little chances for usefulness
may have to the impression that do no mans |
bidding, but speak ont my own honest thoughts |
Henccf0rth, pray you differ from me when you |
see OCCASION favor me in nothing treat me you
do others.
Frankly, sadly yours, II. GREELEY.
The friendship Of the tlumvirate continued for |
twelve years after the date of this letter, but the
real causes of the disagreement visible even |
thus early. Seward and Weed were the compile
ulcnlS OI cdCu OJHcF III MANY Respects lHcy were
very unlike; Seward had taste for the broad |
principles of National politics, Weed remarkable
talent for the practical work of party arrange |
ment United by a warm personal friendship, |
they made formidable partnership in which one |
furnished the craftsmanship and the other the pO- |
litical skill. Horace Greeley q valuable |
ally, for his earnesncsS, his sincerity, his singular
gift as a journalist, and his sympathy with the peO-
pie, made him a most powerful advocate. But he |
was too Independent for such prudent operators.
ThurOw Weed especially had little in common
with him and never understood him. Weed could
not comprehend how, even six years after the final
quarrel, Greeley could oppose Stewards nomination
at Chicago except from the basest motives and by
the most treacherous means The opposition TO
Mr.. Seward was widespread, open and earnest. 1t
was inspired by grave dstrust of his policy, and
in the convention it soon seen to be Irresisti-
BILE. But Mr.. Weed looked upon it as base
spiracy of Radicals maliciOusly egged on
by Greeley; aud although history las |
so signally vindicated the wisdom of those who |
nominated Abraham Lincoln in that memorable |
gathering, the angry complaints which ThurlOw
Weed and his friends uttered in their first disap-
pointment at Stewards defeat are still echoing in
this indiscreet memoir. To the Chicago Conven-
ton we may attribute the malignant tone which
lsfgures most of the references to Horace Greeley
which Mr.. Barnes has tit to make either his
behalf OF his own. We leave 1t for
to decide which of the antagOnistc poll
Licians followed the higher ideas of life and con-
duct, and left the deeper mark upon his generation.