The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-02-10
HORACE GREELEY
From Daily Banner. Feb. 8.

town. His education was extremely
limited, but he was always an omnif-
erous reader, perusing such good
books as he was able to borrow, and
early accumulated vast store of in
formation. At the age of fifteen he
was regularly apprentfced to print
er, and learned the art of type-setting.
The age of twenty found him a jour
neyman printer in the big city of New
York, where he worked regularly at
his trade, but was voluminous con-
tributor to the newspapers of his po-
litical faith. At the age of thirty-three
he established the Morning Post-the
first daily penny newspaper ever is
sued in the United States. After sew
eral failures he finally-in Isles
tablished the New York Tribune on a
sound financial footing, and it at once
took rank with the great newspapers
of the country. 1t was early recogniz-
ed as the leading organ of the wing
party, and after the extinction of that
party the Tribune became tower of
strength to the republican party. 1t
was looked upon by the farmers of
the north, east and west as their po-
litical bible, and Mr.. Greeley as their
political apostle, and he held this
place in their affections until he sign
ed Jefferson Davis bond, declared for
universal amnesty, affiliated with the
liberal wing of the republican party,
and afterwards accepted the presi-
Dental nomination of that wing of the
party, and the endorsement of the
democratic party. He then became as
much execrated by his old followers
as he had formerly been beloved by
them.
Mr. Greeley was partisan in poll
tics, as all men are who have intense
convictions. He was a great admirer
of Henry Clay. He made Mr.. Clay the
idol of his party, and "Greeley's Life
of Clay" wonderfully increased Mr..
Clays popularity.
He became also a partisan admirer
of Mr.. William ii. Seward who, large
ly through Mr.. Greeley's instrumental
tiles, was elected governor of New
York
In every campaign he tore his shirt
for his friends and hollaed himself
hoarse in their behalf When cam
paign paper was to be edited, Greeley
was called upon to do it. He was
made 'hack-horse" by his party,
and was ridden freely. But when it
came to parceling out the Offices
though Mr.. Greeley was excessively
poor-it never once occurred to them
that a lucrative office should have
been awarded to him.
But Mr. Greeley, head and ears in
debt, without a murmur, plodded on,
doing excessive editorial labor, and in
every campaign tearing the very shirt
off his back for his political friends.
Finally, after twenty-five years, the
gift horse baked, the feather that
broke the camels back was repeated,
and he wrote a letter to Governor
Seward, who was again elected to
high office largely through Greeley's
vigorous editorials, which attracted
widespread attention, much to Mr.
Stewards discontinue. How many of
us can sympathize with Mr. Greeley
in the sentiments and severely caustic
and cutting way he addresses himself
to the man he helped elevate to polit.
ical distinction.
With the exception of a letter writ
ten along the same line by Dr. Samuel
Johnson, no such letter as Greeley s
can be found in our political annals.
We know that we shall be pardoned
for making the following extracts
from it.
After dissolving the political firm
of Seward, Weed and Greeley" Mr.
Greeley said:
l was poor young printer and ed
itor of literary JOURNAL very act
i've and bitter whig in a small way
but not seeking to be known outside
of my own ward ommittee-when
after the great political revulsion OF
1897. was one day called to the city
hotel, where two strangers introduced
! themselves as Thurlow Weed and
Lewis Benedict, of Albany They told
me that cheap campaign paper of a
peculiar stamp at Albany had been
resolved on. and that l had been Sc
lected to edit it. The announcement
might we'll be deemed flattering by
one who had never even sought the
notice of the great, and who was not
known as partisan writer, and I ca
gerly embraced their proposals. They
asked me to fix my salary for the
year; l named $1,000, which they
agreed to: and l did the work re-
quired to the best of my ability. It
was work that made no figure and Gre
ated no sensation but l loved it, and
| did it well. When it was done, you
were governor, dispensing offices
worth $4,000 to $4,000 per year to
your friends and compatriots, and I
| 70 cd 70