New-York tribune., 1911-02-04
Honor HORACE GREELEY
Sneakers at City Hall Call Him
Typical American.
HIS CENTENARY CELEBRATED
General Sickles Draws a Com
parison to Show the Fate
of Greatness.

Oh UTedJneSS.
| IN the aldermanic chamber Of the city
Han unanimously placed at the disposal OF
tho rJorace Greeley memorial committee of
the Chappaaua Historical Society. the cen
taro,,, ofthe founder and first editor OF The
Trihune-.my friend. an ornament 70 New
York and 10 America. who will he honored
ard remembered for many generations 10
come p. as General Daniel Sickles charac-
terized him-was commemorated yesterday
/ afternoon with fitting ceremony. or the
Ava sneakers two mad known Horace Gree
lev intimately. while the others came 10
add their tributes 10 his memory, led by
love and reverence Of his works.
! "A tvnical American'-Albert +. Hen
schaI hlt the keynote Of the afternoon in
opening the exercises on behalf OF the
/ C,bannanua society. Nearly every one of
the speakers dwelt long upon this trait or
the editor and one went even further.
changing the already significant phrase
into "an ideal American"
General Horatio c. King introduced by
Vice-Chairman Francis ?. Bent OF the
/ Board of Aldermen. who presided. reviewed
the early life OF Greeley. its seventies. ex-
trene poverty and elf-denials, until al the
age Of twenty-one he left his parents farm
AZ Erie. Penn. walked 10 Buffalo. and
thence. by canalboat. towpath and tug,
reached New York, the city Of his dreams.
with $40 in his pocket and an Overwhelming
determination 10 succeed
His parents. In the depths ~ poverty
themselves. were ready 10 apprentice him
10 the village blacksmith. said the gen
. eral before going on 10 sketch the founding
of The Morning Post" The New Yorker
[ and The Log Cabin" later merged into
The Tribune Greeley was essentially a
2ublicist. He wanted TO be an editor, and
he reioiced in being one He put away
from him all thirst for renown. He never
! counted the cost His lance was always at
the service Of the downtrodden and weak.
When the question Of secession first
arose Greeley was for letting the wayUard
sisters go He could not bear the thought
Of war When IL was seen that the South
was in earnest. however. no newspaper did
more toward keeping up the martial spirit
Of the people than The Tribune.
Sianed JEFF Oavis's Bond.
But again. with the close of hostilities.
/ Greeley grew weary OF the long conhne-
ment Of the captured Confederate Presi-
dent. He started the agitation for his re-
lease on bail, and brought down the wrath
Of short-sighted men upon him by himself
going 10 Richmond and signing Jef Dayis's
bond"
William G. McAdoo spoke in his capacity
as president Of the Southern Club. True
genius ives personided in Horace Greeley
he declared and with Il was blended a
/ certain measure OF that eccentricity which
| seems inseparable from the genuine type.
But that eccentricity counted as nothing
when compared with the rare qualities
which made him one OF the most con-
spicuous men Of his time No two men on
the Northern side OF the great conflict be-
tween the states held higher place in the
esteem Of the South than Lincoln and
/ Greeley
Neither Lincoln nor Greeley was an abo-
Itionist before the war, vet when war
came they were unfinch,ng partisans 70
the cause which they believed 70 be right
We respect and honor them for that. I
DO not mean 10 claim by this that Greeley
was as great a man as Lincoln. Greeley
/ had weaknesses which have for a time OBJ
scured his greater qualities and his claims
10 the high place I'm history which he un-
questionably deserves.
The signing Of the bail oond provoked
great condemnation, yet 70 all men who
admire herosm this act alone should es-
tablish Greeley's claim 70 greatness. He
vindicated patriotism in constitutional gov
| ernment ar a time when the nation most
needed such inspiration. and he accepted
serenely the bitter denunciation 20 which
he was subjected. with the firm belief that
history and posterity would do him justice" "
General SickIes on Then and Now"
General S!ckles, whose entrance In the mid
die OF General Kings speech was the sig
nal for a long burst OF applause. recalling
| the thousands who wept At the bier Of
| Horace Greeley when he lay in state in the
| City Hall not so many years ago, re-
marked on the smallness Of the number
who came 10 honor his memory now. Such.
he thought was the fate Of greatness.
Greeley and he. the general continued.
we're not always friends After he Ohe
| general had raised FIVE regiments among
the Democrats Of New York. he said.
| Greeley attacked him saving that he was
such a rabid Democrat he would 10 sure
/ 10 20 over 70 Jerr Davis AZ tho first oppor-
/ tunity He had offered 70 disband the regi-
/ ments and retire himself. he declared. IL
/ his presence In the army inconvenience the
/ President in the least degree. But Lincoln
| had laughed his qualms away
! When the actions Of his troops a VIII
| iamsburg and several other battles had
convinced Greeley that they We're as loyal
as anv in the army the editor had opened
/ a subscription 70 present him with a sword.
better than I could buy myself" as the
general put il Greeley and he then shook
hands. and they remained friends from
/ that day 70 the end
/ Horace Greeley will be most conspicuous
/ in the history OF Journalism. but he was
/ horn a statesman. said General Sickles.
He was a character hy himself. able. in
dependent. courageous. usuolly risht. al
vavs frank and generous 20 enemies as
we'll as with friends AS time goes on he
yrul OCCUPY a more and more conspicuous
| place
Three Characteristics Of Greeley.
The Rev Leighton Williams. Of the'Amity
/ Rapttst Church. BROOKLYN said that al
/ though he had never seen Horace Greeley,
| he had feeling of personal association
with him because Of the fact that just