New-York tribune., 1903-02-18
TO KEEP TIE RECORD sTRAIGHT.

"In Iapidary Inscriptions said DR.. Johnson,
"a man is not upon OATH" But though the au-
thor of Il lapidary inscription or other memorial
tribute NAV perhaps properly make some con-
cession TO benevolence in depicting the quail
ties Of the departed. he has no excuse for over
LAYING with fanciful embellishments what pur-
ports TO be a narrative OF facts In the interest
of truth it is to be regretted that Senator Depew
forgot this and drew so largely on his imagina-
ton Cor the materials Of his animated discourse
in the Senate chamber last Saturday on the
character and career of the late Amos ]. Cum
mings. long a Representative in Congress from
this city.
when he Cummings came back to New
York" said Mr.. Depew, "he entered the COM
posing room Of The NewYork Tribune. In
short time he had attracted the personal atten-
.tion OF Horace Greeley, who advanced him to
"a position on the editorial staff, and he hnally
became managing editor" The truth is that
Mr.. Cummings never was and never came near
being managing editor of The Tribune At the
time when Mr.. Cummings attained to sub
ordinate place in it's news department JQhn
Russell Young was the managing editor, and 1t
was Mr. Young's moderate estimate OF the value
of his services which led TO Mr.. Cummings re-
tirement from this paper
Mr. GreeIey's pen during the period when
Cummings was with him. lnasmuch as the
implication seems to be that the circumstance
of Cummings being with him was an inspira-
ton 10 Mr.. Greeley, it may be worth while 10
saw that Mr. Greeley absorbed in his own
labors was probably scarcely conscious Of the
Young mans existence and may not have eX-
changed a word with him as often as once
week That Mr. Greeley, nevertheless, exer-
cised a great influence over the mind of Mr.
Cummings is altogether likely.
Mr. Depew went on to draw tl4is pathetic pct-
ure of Mr. Greeley at the close OF the Presl-
dental campaign of 1872, on his own authority
as an eye witness:
have seen man. a deathbed in my life; L
have witnessed life go out under conditions that
sad sweet, hopeful or despalrng L
never but once d man die of broken heart,
and never do wish TO see such a tragedy again.
/ made a speech with Mr.. Greeley in his Presi-
Dental campaign Just before its close. We
spoke from the same platform. and both of Us
knew that he to be beaten. We returned
to his home. and he was jeered on the train and
AT the depot when arrived. We went to his
study, which was Uttered with those famous
caricatures of Mast. representing him as the en-
bodment of all that was evil or vile in express
sion practice in life. Mr.. Greeley glanced
them over for a moment and then he said:
MY life is a failure; I never have sought to
accumulate fortune; I never have cared for
what I had done for my fellow men, in lifting
them up. in doing away with the curse of sa-
very and the of rum: but here l am, at
''the close OF this campaign, so misrepresented
ito my countrymen that the slave will always
look upon as having been one of his owners,
"and reform will believe fraud"
Then, his head falling upon his desk. he burst
into uncomfortable sobs. l sent for his family.
The brain that had done such splendid work
snapped. The next morning he taken to an
asylum where he died His heart literally
broke at the moment when he bowed his head
upon his desk.
So much for Mr. Depew's vivid recollection.
Now for the reality: On Saturday, October II,
1872. there was a political meeting in Pleasant
vile, near Chappaqua, which attended by
many of Mr.. Greeley's old friends and neigh
bors, and owing 10 that circumstance, as he ex-
planned, Mr.. Greeley took pains TO be present
and made speech. Mr.. Depew was also there
and spoke At that time Mrs Greeley, who
had long been ILL., had become much worse, and
thereafter she failed rapidly until her death, ON
October 80 at the house of Mr.. and Mrs. Alvin