The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-26

WA all poWerful In the TribNRe once during
the winter OF 1850 wa disclosed by Gree
ley's letters TO him, which were publiahed
many years subsequently In .THK BUN.
dreslsy would admonish. scoId and appeal,
sometimes successfully. but usually without
success. Having had his, own correspond
ence crowded out one day to make room
for a long article on the new opera house
and the feasibility OF sustaining tbs opera
In New York. Greeley, inquired Of Dana:
what win II cost TO burn the opera honseI
II the price IL reasonable. rave II done and
send me the bin The reJt day he begged
Dana's pardon for scolding about the omis-
sion OF his letters, and turned upon the
musical critic, who had given too much
space to the opera HOUSE and whom he
pronounced q detriment TO the paper.
On another occasion Greeley sent Dana
a strong letter cautioning him not to attack
people in Washington without consulting
him. and ending e. follows: 1t will hurt
us dreadfully. Do send some one here
and kill me, il you cannot stop it. for |
can bear il no longer. My life is a torture
to me-" A little later ureeiey wrote once
more to "entreat hat | may be allowed
10 conduct the Tribune with reference to
the mile wide that stretches either way
from Pennsylvania venue II IL but n
small space. and you have all the world
besides. | cannot stay here unless this
request is compiled with. / would rather
cease to live at all. II you are not willing
10 leave me entire control with reference
to this city l ask you to call the proprietors
together and have me discharged" Once
more: i must give IL up and 60 home. You
are getting everybody TO curse me ] am
too sick to be out Of bed; too crazy 10 sleep;
surrounded by horrors. / can Just bear
the responsibilities that belong to me. but
you heap a load on me that will kill me-"
A few days later Greeley wrote TO Pike:
Charge Dana not 10 slaughter anybody,
but be mild and meek souled like me-"
IL Is we'll NOW that the Tribune under
Dana threw itself into the Fremont oam-
naign with extraordinary yigor. The weekly
Tribune reached the hitherto unprecedented
circulation Of 20s. 900 through the mails, and
thus. with the daily and semi-weekly, must
have come before at least a million readers
every week. That Dana fully expected the
election of Fremont and counted upon it to
preserve the Union for at least -four years to
come is shown not only by the editorials
Of the Tribune but by his private oorre-
spondenoe. With all his confidence and en-
thusiasm. however. Dana proved mistaken.
He had worked as he had never worked
before. but in vain. Fremont was badly
beaten, and as It turned out this was per-
haps the best thing that could have hap
pened. The biographer says: "He had
served we'll enough a. q standard bearer TO
uphold the flag while the army was form
ing. but, fortunately for the Union and the
cause Of freedom, q great captain, as yet
entirely unknown, was destined to come
forth from the body OF the people and lead
them through four years Of bloody conflict
TO a victory greater than any that the most
ardent Free Soiler had ever yet dared 10
hope for
During Buchanan's administration the
Tribune cultivated close relations with
Seward, Chase, Fessenden, Hale, Summer,
\ Henry Wilson and all the other rising men
OF the Republican party. A warm and de-
voted friendship grew up between them on
the one side and Dana as well as Greeley on
the other. The paper was their chief sup
porter as well as their chief means Of roach
ing their constituents through q friendly
Interpretation. Under Dana's special
guidance il had also ZONE to be the leading
literary journal Of the country. Its COL
umne were filed with criticisms OF the latest
books by Ripley, Hildreth, George William
Curtis and other distinguished writers-a
fact which made the paper welcome TO
preachers, sohoolmasters and professional
men throughout the North.
In a chapter which deals with Dana's
literary activities Gen. Wilson points out
that neither the hatred of slavery nor the
love OF freedom could absorb or afford
occupation for all Dana's energies. 1t
seems to have been early in 1888 that he
translated and published a small volume
of German stories and legends for children
under the title of THE Black Ant" The
little book attained wide circulation and
became most popular with American chill
dren. Four years later Dana edited and
prepared for the press q work illustrated
with steel ensravinea known as Meyers
Universum,' or views Of the most remark
able places and objects Of all countries.
Subsequently Dana's wide acquaintance
with both early and modern English poetry
and his keen critical sense prompted him
to publish an eclectic volume known az
THE Household Book Of Poetry which
soon found its way into a multitude OF
American homes. This work was first given
to the world in 1857, but it was thoroughly
revised by Dana in 1884, has since gone
through many editions, and Is still widely
accepted as the best collection Of the kind
published in the English language. 1t 10
to be noted that the compiler's modesty
was too great to permit him to include
even one OF his own poems In the book.
The success OF this work led him to
another and far more ambitious under
taking. As the biographer justly remarks,
Dana's mind was stored with an extraor-
binary variety and amount OF learning.
Like Diderot. who complied the first
encyclopaedia worthy Of the name. he was
undoubtedly at that time among the very
few men OF his country qualified to make
a compilation Of that kind This his
publishers were not allow TO recognize. and
assented to his proposal that he and his
old associate, George Ripley, should UNDER
take the preparation Of "The American
Cyclopedia." The first volume wa pub
lished In 1858 and the other volumes followed
at regular intervals till 1888. when the last