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HORACE GREELEY. - As journalist, author, statesman and political leader, there is none more widely known than
the man whose name heads this article. He was born in Amherst, New Hampshire, February 3, 1811 and was reared upon
a farm. At an early age he evinced a remarkable intelligence and love of learning, and at the age of ten had read
every book he could borrow for miles around. About 1821 the family removed to Westhaven Vermont, and for some years
young Greeley assisted in carrying on the farm. In 1826 he entered the office of a weekly newspaper at East Poultney,
Vermont, where he remained about four years. On the discontinuance of this paper he followed his father's family
to Erie county, Pennsylvania, whither they had moved, and for a time worked at the printer's trade in that neighborhood.
In 1831 Horace went to New York City, and for a time found employment as journeyman printer. January, 1833, in
partnership with Francis Story, he published the Morning Post, the first penny paper ever printed. This proved
a failure and was discontinued after three weeks. The business of job printing was carried on, however, until the
death of Mr. Story in July following. In company with Jonas Winchester, March 22, 1834, Mr. Greeley commenced the
publication of the New Yorker, a weekly paper of a high character. For financial reasons, at the same time, Greeley
wrote leaders for other papers, and, in 1838, took editorial charge of the Jeffersonian, a Whig paper published
at Albany. In 1840, on the discontinuance of that sheet, he devoted his energies to the Log Cabin, a campaign paper
in the interests of the Whig party. In the fall of 1841 the latter paper was consolidated with the New Yorker,
under the name of the Tribune, the first number of which was issued April 10, 1841. At the head of this paper Mr.
Greeley remained until the day of his death.
In 1848 Horace Greeley was elected to the national house of representatives to fill a vacancy, and was a member
of that body until March 4, 1849. In 1851 hewent to Europe and served as a juror at the World's Fair at the Crystal
Palace, London. In he made a second visit to the old world. In 1859 he crossed the plains and received, a public
reception at San Francisco and Sacramento. He was a member of the Republican national convention, at Chicago in
1860, and assisted in the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for President, The same year he was a presidential elector
for the state of New York, and a delegate to the Loyalist convention at Philadelphia.
At the close of the war, in 1865, Mr. Greeley became a strong advocate of universal amnesty and complete pacification,
and in pursuance of this consented to become one of the bondsmen for Jefferson Davis, who was imprisoned for treason.
In 1867 he was a delegate to the New York state convention for the revision of the constitution. In 1870 he was
defeated for congress in the Sixth New York district. At the Liberal convention, which met in Cincinnati, in May,
1872, on the fifth ballot Horace Greeley was nominated for president and July following was nominated for the same
office by the Democratic convention at Baltimore. He was defeated by a large majority. The large amount of work
done by him during the campaign, together with the loss of his wife about the same time, undermined his strong
constitution, and he was seized with inflammation of the' brain, and died November 29, 872.
In addition to his journalistic work, Mr. Greeley was the author of several nieritorious works, among which were:
"Hints toward reform," "Glances at Europe,"
History of the struggle for slavery extension," "Overland journey to San Francisco," "The American
conflict," and "Recollections of a busy life."
FROM:
A Biographical Record
Of Schuyler County, New York
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
New York and Chicago 1903.
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