Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-25

e.
don't Alvy.- Please let me stay, won't
you. Alvy."
These are not the baby prattle Of a
child. but the piteOus wall OF one Of the
great intellects Of the age-the best
journalistic fighter known TO the world.
He founded the New York Tribune. He
wfestIed with giants. He was a Presi-
Dental candidate Of a great party,
opposed % "a greater, Of which be was one
Of the originators. Health and strength
nerve and muscle failed him, and be died
in a mad-h0use. Horace Greeley was a
large man. with big head, packed with
strengths of unusual force and weak
uesses u unusual dimensions. He COM
bined the cunning and craft Of the fox
with the courage Of lion and the
cOWar6ice Of a sheep. On occasions he
planted himself upon immutable truth,
whose foundations were like pillars Of
granite. and again allowed himself TO
float along the waters of expediency,
with shadows and bubbles for his COM
pani0ns.
Two pictures presented themselves to
me this morning which brought the Old
time Horace Greeley before my eye. and
unr0lieI a panorama of the past, with all
lis regretfuI memories, like flash. One
was Isaac England. publisher OF the
Sun newspaper. friend whom 1 have
known and tied 20 Tor quarter Of CEN
tBry. sterling, sturdy man Of practical
ability. good W o. an intelligent editor.
q far-saeIng publisher. The other was a
coffin in which reposed the dead body Of
Alvin j. johnson, formerly publisher in
this CITY. best known. however. 10 large
circle as Horace Greeley's friend.
England was brought up with Horace
Greeley. He was a bright. ambitious.
tow-headed youth. and struggled with a
long and p0rtentOus name-Isaac WILDER
force England. Precisely what he
originally did l do not know, but think
be- was a boy in the composing room,
whence he was graduated as reporter.
In time he became city editor of the Iri-
tuNe. and paid more attention TO his
business than to his appearance, so
much - that the other boys made fun Of
him; but while they We're making fun he
was making money. and, parenthetically
i may remark, some Of them have been
very glad of il in later Years. England
soon became one Of the recognized forces
Of the tribune, and until he left its SER
vice TO share the fortunes OF Mr. Dana,
first in Chicago and subsequently here. he
was wheel horse whose judgment, tact
and sagacltE and honest endeayOr were
regarded by his associates as slgnlt-
cant part of the Tribune plant. When
England returned to this city, and the
Sun was put. by his tremendous endeavor
and the sagacity OF Amos Cummings,
the two being Mr.. Dana's chief assls-
fapts. upon its feet, Horace Greeley on
one occasion visited the Othce, and Eng
land took great pride and pleasure in
showing his former employer the entire
establishment, from the press room, two
stories under ground, 70 the composing
room in the mansard roof. Referring to
this visit Of Greeley's to-day, Mr.. Eng
land said: Had ! known what | know
rrrTT I
that the Old gentleman was given chair
10 tue Sun office, with an income equal to
any he ever enjoyed, for the balance Of
his life. even if he didn't write more than
a line a year" Some years preceding
Mr. Greeley's dicker with the Democratic
party he had a severe attack Of brain
fever. Mr. johnson was then. as sub
seguently, one Of Horace's friends"
bur Tom Acton. then President OF our
Metropol tan police, now Chief of the
Assay office IN this city, was closer.
Acton took Greeley 70 his pleasant farm
Din Connecticut. where by careful nursing.
seduloU-ly avoiding politics and all eN-
citing topics. WITH comfortable room,
we'll kept. and plenty to eat and drink, he
br0u gut back To their original status the
nerves and muscles which, when IN health
ful condition. combined TO make one OF
the great men OF the century.
Meantime the intimacy with johnson
grew and grew. although keen-eYed
observers regarded the utilization as one
OF a class, for there never was a man
who had more hangers on than Horace
Greeley, and, in later years, when the
IrtbHtS course attracted the sOrrOWfnl
notice of its best friends, johnson stood
close and firm by his side. You remem-
Der. Of course. MIR. Greeley's resignation
was temporary affair. in case of defeat.
Had he been elected President he
wouldn't have resumed his position as
sditor-in-chief of the Tribune. As it was,
a different class succeeded him. headed
by the present editor. Mr.. Whitelaw
Reid who. while politically and pecu-
niariy ambitious. was and always has
been an out-and-out partisan, with nc
faint 0I concealment or shadow Of deceit,
50 far as his political course and writing
are concerned. Greeley's struggles and
work in that campaign viii never be for
gotten. The task before him was tremen-
d0us. Ii was as though 4 tender child
had eudeavOred to push an enormous
load up hin. lie was sensitive to criti-
cism. and took TO heart every unkind and
ungener1us word said by his Old-tme
friends and having at no time a restful
home. where real d0mesticity gave him
what his used up nature demanded and
needed. he sought such aid and help as
outside association could furnish. L
remember he passed some time during
the campaign in the house of a friend in
Brooklyn. At times he went into the
country. at others he went to Mr.. JOhu-
sons. Now il makes no difference how
intimate YOU are with this, that or the
other person, there is no place like home
for a tired head and weary body. A
man wants his own room, his own bed,
his own pillows. his own bath, his own
night-shirt, his own everything, when he
vel hon %rI #snr or
physical labor. These things Horace
Greeley never had. L dare say there will
be some people who viii pop up and say
he had a good home. attectiOnate children
and nh that. don't intend to be drawn
into any argument; l simply make a state
ment-8 bold assertion. All who know
Horace Greeley well viii know he never
had I'm his lifetime that grand domestic
rest which man OF his peculiarly ner-
FOus temperament absolutely demanded.
AS time rolled on it became perfectly
clear 10 the entire country that Greeley
would be defeated. He was plunged into
dependency 50 deep that no man can
estimate d. but with ali that certainty OF
disaster before him there was a glimmer
OF hope which made him think that per-
haps and possibly there would come the
unexnected. which, as we know. often
happens. Il didn't happen on this Occa-
sion. and bis defeat was one Of the ire
uendous developments which seem, like
an ocean tide. now and then TO roll over
this country from Maine To Georgia. from
the Atlai - the Pacific shore. Then
came the reaction. If ever a poor, tired
head needed a soft and dOwny pillow, his
did. IL ever an exhausted and worn
physique needed the calm seclusiOn Of
an aHeeti0nate home and tender care OF
those who loved him, his did. What did
De gets He was Hospitality welcomed in
the house Of Mr.. Alvin Johnson, and
there be went for the rest and calm his
body needed. Without presuming to
follow the thread Of motive which has
been suggested by some Of Mr.. Greeley's
Iiends without intending BY word or
hint 20 traverse the good intention Of Mr..
johnson. Mr. Reid, Nr. Sinclair, Mr. Any
body whose pecuniary interest perhaps
was better served with Dir. Greeley out
~ the say than back i'm the Tribune, ]
am confronted by this one fact that in