New-York tribune., 1911-02-04

Northern states. and followed the tide
. Of emf igratlon 20 the West. with tAt ld- lIi-
ers who regarded Greeley as one OF tAem-
selves, it was especially strons IolI-H7 :
and thinking mutltudes read II, beNeH !
r. and voted by IT, Every other neWspaPei
: quoted TIE Tribune. and II was not only
the most widely read but the most uni
, versally talked about Andrew tletcher
said that he who can make the balIaus ot
q nation need not care who makes lls
laws The real leader and ruler 70 WhoH.
all others are mere puppets. IS the man
who shares the course Of public thouEhl Z,
Such was Horace Greeley. In the critical
period when the forces Of puOlC opinion
We're aliCning themselves for the nnaI
/ struggle with the slave power a mora.
/ issue was uppermoSt, the appeal was %
the moral sense and Greeley reached the
. Uncle Toms Cabin. The BgloW IA
uers" and the stirring lyrics % whittier.
The Tribune must be given q place as one
/ Of the great forces that settled the pubic
-, resolve against slavery and steeled the ma
tion for war.
Best Known Man in America
The Tribune made Greeley the best known
man In America. Never holding puoAc
Office but 90 serve out three months OF an
uneX1ired term in COngress-in which rag
uent OF time ne broke down the abuses
of the mileage system and opened the way
70 the national policy Of the homestead
laws-he was the most public character
in the country. The oddities OF his dress
and manner, the patriarchal head ana tace,
the old hat and old white coat the craEaI
aWrv the bagging trousers. the snampInS
gait, celebrated In print and CaricatuTe.
made him one Of the sights Of New lOrK
and would have been recognized At any
/ crossroads of the United states. As Inc
Tribune was more talked about than any
othe~ paper. so Greeley himself was more
talked about than anv other man his
name was familiar TO every tongue ana
his character TO every man who could reaQ.
Anv bright sChOolbOy could have tod what
f H Q stood for and any voting citizen
could have told what Horace Greeley stood
We are here 20 remember Horace Greeley,
not 10 praise him So strange cOmplna-
tion Of strength and weakness offered many
points OF attack Wise as q sage ana sim
pie as a child. fixed In opinion and unstable
Of Judgment full # benevOienCe 10 every
living creature and almost as full OF prejI,
, dee. disposed 70 peace but sudden ana
hater If men. the Scotch pugnacity or MS
honest nature struck herCeIy at every
rogue hypocrite and humbug, and az some
lust men and causes Where there are
blows 10 give there are blows 20 take IL
Is small wonder that this dynamic, II peace
ful. character was more hated; adrmireci 2drll-,e
abused vilided. believed in and followed
than any other man Of his time
with the approach OF the Rebellion Cree
ley became a more important character
than ever before His place in journalism
larger ulace IN the history Of the country.
HIS erratic course through this period mas
/ left shadows upon MS rtpuldIl JA', o4l Ilv
stain upon H. His integrity or character
and purity Of motive We're never ques-
/ toned.
NIr Pnsbury went on 70 tell OF the DAYS
~ the great contest between Lincoln and
/ Douglas. of the Republican National Con-
ven-ior of 1850. where Greeley '-' the
great weight Of his influence against sew
ord and brought about the nomination or
Abraham Lincoln thus appearing q
I chosen instrument IN the hand OF tIov,. !.
5arce There was no purer paul''' ,
said Mr. Piusbury. no more ,oysI rIIa.rr.ll I.rei-l
3 ~ freedom and Of the Union than fioia.
Greeley. but he was subject 70 me Hi'l''a-
tions Of his nature.
The Days of Secession.
r,,ecussing secession. the speaker said.
,,t,is iropatient temper could not await
.,o cautious and sure-footed steps Of Presi-
ao,t Lincoln toward the freeing and arm
a. ~ tbe slaves The PRAYER Of Twenty
NIul,ons, published in The Tribune IN Au-
r,,s. 1850 drew from the President a pub
I,c ranlv addressed 10 Greeley one OF tne
mos, striking examples OF Lincoln's poliu.
caI sagacitv and his wonderful power OF
cIaar direct and forcible statement
Referring 10 the fact that Greeley oia
rl+ favor rlncoln's nomination, though he
eunported the President in the campaign
Mr. Pnsbury said
..Tbe natient President believed and De