, 1890-10-02
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THE GREELEY STA TUE.


THE GREELEY STATUE.
In future years many poor and
obscure youth, within whose mind
and breast the fires of genius have
been lit by the hand of Providence
will wander into the great city of
New York. Friendless and un.
known, peniless and unemployed, q
walf upon the sea of selfish human
ity, his soul may faint and his spir-
its fall at the greatness and the lone
liness of the mighty city.
Should the weary footsteps of such
youth bear him TO Printing House
square, and he should pause within
the shadow of the newspaper office
that was founded by Horace Greeley,
his misty eye will fall upon an in
spiration that will carry new hope
to his heavy heart, new fire to his
respondent eye.
1t Is the statue of Horace Greeley,
unveiled In front of the Tribune Of
flee Saturday.
Fifty-nine years ago last August,
a shambling, country boy so wan
dered into the great city which now
delights to honor his memory. No
hand Of vanished genius had blazed
the path before him; no kindly face
beanied down upon him to inspire
fresh hope or point the way to fame
or usefulness. He stood alone in the
big city, hearkening to the voice of
duty and waiting for the guidance
of destiny to launch his unknow n
boat upon the stormy waters of ma
tional statecraft.
The speech of Chauncey NJ.
Depew. delivered upon the occasion
of the unveiling OF the monument,
was hardly in harmony with the life
and works of Greeley. 1t was too
polished. 1t bore no resemblance to
the rugged character of the man it
honored. And yet 1t was II splendid
tribute to that great and good man,
and 1t will serve us an inspiration to
many II poor and friendless youth
standing now where Greeley stood
nearly sixty years ago.
Mr.. Depew does full justice to the
character and the achievements OF
Greeley, He points out the fact
that William Lloyd Garrison and
Wendell Phillips, though brilliant
men, were merely scouts In the
great battle against slavery, while
Greeley, with his mighty pen, drove
the people to arms, and then drove
their leaders into action. He might
have gone further and said that
Greeley ran ahead of the public
voice, but always kept close to the
hearts and the secret thoughts OF
the people. He thundered from his
Tribune the thoughts the people had
not dared to put I'm words, and they
caught them up, in stores and work
shops, in homes and public places,
and rallied to the support Of the
administration. Go where you
might during those dark days, when
the war clouds were gathered over
the land, and you would find men
grouped around some central figure
while he read aloud the voice oi
Horace Greeley. 1t was Greeley
who called for sharp and decisive
action when the rebellion was YET
young, his voice drove the army
"On TO Richmond" and he 1t was
who gave even the great Lincoln
courage to strike the shackles from
the slave.
Greeley knew the West long be
fore its possibilities were understood
by the politicians and statesmen
at Washington. He advocated the
construction of transcontinenta
railroads at time when such ad
vocacy meant the ridicule of the
country; he was the father of the
homestead law, and his advice sent
countless thousands out of the
crowded East to seek new home,
and create new commemorative hs
He crossed the continent at a time
when that act was full of dangers
and when he could Ill afford tc
spare the time necessary to the
journey, i'm order that his own eyes
might behold the empire of the fu
ture and that he might tell the peo
pie of new avenues and fresh OPP
portunities. For weeks he lay upon
his hack with Il broken leg IN u log
hut In Denver, when that place was
merely little collection of tents
and log houses, alternately writing
and fuming at his lot. Nor was
he turned back by this misfortune
lie made the long journey TO the
Pacific when every mile had TO be
covered in u stage coach, and wher
ever he went he found that Ills
fame had run ahead OF him, anc
everywhere he was welcomed 10y
the men who had followed his ad
vice and pushed out into the golden
West.
Horace Greeley was great man
u good man; one Of the very