The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-04-15


his life, lamented by every patriotic
heart.
GENERAL M'CLELLAN.
General Mcclellan was one of those
who drank deeply from the cup of
r There was no more accom-
plished officer in the army +; no purer
or personally more blameless char
aoter, and he is safely crystalized
in our history as our greatest mill
tary organization but he failed to
achieve success as a military chief
tain, was deprived of his command,
left on waiting orders for two years
or more. and when his party made
an earnest effort to vindicate him by
his election to the Presidency, he
went down in disastrous defeat with
a popular majority against him OF
over 400, 900 out of q total vote of
1000, 900. He was respected by all,
and beloved by his political friends ;
but from the day that he was called
to the highest military position of
the nation until hip death his life
was one continued, disappointment,
as IS most painfully reflected in q
large volume, entitled "MoClellan's
Own Story" prepared by himself
and published soon after his death.
HORATIO SEYMOUR.
In 1858 Horatio Seymour, then the
ablest of the Democratic leaders,
was nominated as Grants opponent
for the Presidency against his ear
nest protest. In mingled earnest.
ness and pathos he declared to the
convention "Your candidate I can
not be-" He telt that he was une.
quail to 1t physically, but a combina-
ton organized by Tilden to defeat
the nomination of Chase forced the
leadership upon Seymour, and he sc
cepted it fully approaching the fact
that he was offered as a sacrifice to
maintain the party organization. He
was heard on the stump during the
campaign, and his speeches were
f~orceful, dignified and impressive ;
but it was the swan singing it's
sweetest notes in death: He saved
his own State by a small majority by
methods which were gravely ques,
toned by his opponents, and he fell
with a popular majority of 300, 900
against him, and with only 80 cleo
toral votes to PA for Grant. He
suffered the double sorrow of losing
the Presidency and being compelled
to round out a distinguished politi-
cal career in overwhelming disaster.
HORACE GREELEY.
And who among those living thirty
years ago does not recall the painful
story of Horace Greeley? I had
known him for many years, and
loved him as brother. AS his sin,
cere friend 1 sought to prevent his
nomination at Cincinnati because I
regarded it as simply oruoifxion, but
when he was made a candidate I
gave my whole time to aid in the
hopeless effort for his success. I
know of no man of the past whose
life was more sincerely and unset
fshly devoted to the public good,
and especially to the cause of the
lowly oppressed. He did not thirst
for power, for he had little re
gard for the usually empty honors
of Office, but I never knew a man
who more earnestly yearned for the
approval of his countrymen. When
his defeat came he was already
greatly enfeebled by his tireIess de-
votion to his wife, who died but a
few days before the Hateful election
and stricken in his dearest affections
and in all his hopes of usefulness,
his great mind that had ono taught
thu ough the Tribune with more
power than that of the President,
was shattered by the blow and after
a few fearfully Swallowed days in an
asylum he gained the peace of the
grave.
TILDEN's EXPERIENCE.
Tilden, then the foremost OF the
Democratic leaders, and the great
est organizer the party over had, af
ter an exhaustive campaign result,
ing in his election by a large popu-
lar and electoral majority on the
face of the returns, vas d varied into
l~ittleness in the feroe struggle that
resulted in the Electoral Commission
and his ultimate defeat. The blow