The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-26
HORACE GREELEY.
(RY DIR. VIM. E. Dodd. J

ton and more space in the encyclopaedia |
Britannica than either Clay, Calhoun or
Webster the so-called great trio of Am |
erican statesmen; he filled vast space |
in our national life at a time when real |
ly great men were numerous, at time
when our greatest political and social
struggles were being fought out to their |
final end. Yet we have no authoritative !
and complete life of the man, nothing |
which does for his career what Randall |
has done for Jefferson's, or what Parton
has for Andrew Jacksons To be sure. |
1t will be said that Greedy does not de-
serve a two or three volunteered life as
do the great leaders of Democracy~in the
nation. Still an accurate, painstakinS
and complete life of the great New York
editor is not only required by our new
standards of history writing but demand
ed by the undminished popularity of that
wonderful personality Before the issues
of our fearful civil war were finally
joined and when Greeley was at the
height of his editorial fame James Parton
wrote an exceedingly interesting and
valuable book about the editor of tho
New York Tribune. This book is long
since out of print and no other has
come forward until now to take its place.
Mr. Linn for sometime associated with
Greeley on the Tribune and afterwards
an associate editor of the celebrated New
York Evening Post has attempted to
supply the demand and 1t may as well be
stated in the beginning that the author
has not essayed to give us a comprehen-
sive biography deliberately bridged up on
>footnotes and citations from the sources.
The whole volume contains only seventy
five thousand words. But these seventy
five thousand words are well used-the
book is compact, clear, straightforward,
as was to have been expected from. jour
nalist of such high rank. AS the author
well says, Greeley's life is to be read
in the files of the old Tribune-his life
work Yet the average reader has no
time to search through those huge tones
even If he were favorably situated. Gree
ley's admirers dwell thickly in all parts
of the country. And hence even longer
life story would have been preferred by
many
But the reader of this delightful book
will not feel disposed to criticise too
sharply the man who has given him 50
much pleasant and profitable entertain
ment. Indeed the busy man-and who is
not busy these strenuous times-will find
Mr.. Inns book to his liking
Inc bOOh NOhIeilhS hiliC NhoPbSAo VI TN
equal length A brief review of the
youth of Greeley-his early life and its
hardships up to the main topics
of the life the founding of the Tribune.
the great Wing trio of Seward, Weed
and Greeley and the slavery contest. The
author does not attempt to explain OF
/ excuse the Inconsistencies of his hero, but
! relates them in their proper setting and
so admirably that the real Greeley seems
to pass before the readers vision. Two
remarkable letters are published: the
! one to Governor Seward in 1854, the
| other, the more famous letter, to Lin
coin Just after the battle of Bull Run
in 1S62-letters which show the weaker
as we'll as the stronger side of the great
| editors character Greeley had an un-
! quenchable thirst for public office and
| especially after he came to realize how
much influence his paper exerted in poll
/ tics. 1t was not dishonorable ambi-
| ton, but a love of power always found
/ in the lives of really powerful men.
Hence, when the campaign of 1854 came
on in New York, he hoped to be made
the Whig candidate for Governor, and
| falling to receive encouragement from
his political associates in this, he thought
to receive the nomination for Lieutenant
| hONSIHOI. Dul tHlS pOSitlOn was gwen
Henry j. Raymond his rival in New York
journalism and the founder of the New
York Times. Greeley was overcome with
jealousy; his letter to Seward gave full
and free expression to his dissatisfaction,
and gave it in almost child-like sim
plcty The firm of Seward Weed and
Greeley he declared finally and forever
! dissolved The New York leaders saw
as Greeley never could have seen, that
the latter was no politician and suited
for little else than to edit a great jour
nal. This breach led to very disastrous
results for Seward in the Republican
national convention of 1860 and had the
final effect of placing Lincoln in the
White House. (Chapter Wild
Greeley was exceedingly impatient when
the war once began; he headed his paper
every day with the phrase ION to Rich-
mond" and finally goaded the President
into the over-hasty action which brought
the fearful catastrophe of Manassas al
ready mentioned. This defeat broke the
great editors spirit: he felt that he,
more than any one else, had been re-
sponsible for the ION to Richmond" cry
After seven sleepless nights he wrote
Lincoln that memorable letter of July 20,
published first In 1887, from which the
following is a selection
Dear Sir: This Is my seventh sleep
less night-yours, too. doubtless-yet ]
think ! shall not die, because l have no
right to die l must struggle to live, how
| ever bitterly But to business. You are
now considered a great man. and | am a
/ hopelessly broken one. You are now un,
| dergong a terrible ordeal, and God has
thrown the gravest responsibilities upon
YOU DO not fear to meet them Car
: the rebels be- beaten after all that has
occurred. and in view Of the actual State
Of feeling caused by our late awful dis
S aster? If they can-and il is your bust