Horace Greeley

Mr. Greeley was the solé proprietorol the New York Tribune vvhen it first appeared, says a writer in tbat paper, but, appreciating his obligations, in aboul three months he assoeiutvd with him Thomas McElrath as a partner and business manager A bout fifteen thousand copies were then being1 circulated and the suecess of the venture was assured. It had started ;is a penny paper, but ut the beginning ot its second year the price was raised to two cents, and the wccldy receipts supplied a constantly bocreasing surplus over expenditures. In these earliest years three other notable men, in addition to Mr. Greeley and Mr ünymond, were attached to the enterprise. One of these was Bayard Taylor, anot'ier Charles A. Dana anl the third Geor#e Jones. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Dana were employed in the editorial rooms, and Mr. Jones sold papers over the counter. The campaifrn of ls-n broug-ht the Tribune into the full mensure of public favor. Mr. Greeley loved llenry Clay as a man and admired him beyond comparison as a statesman. No one of the vast army of Mr. Clay's ardent champions worked with such zeal anl devotion as the editor of tht Tribune. Personally and through the paper he argued and pleaded nig-ht and day, and every nig-ht and every day. and it may be doubtedif his grief and bitterness in the hour of his own defeat, twenty-eight years later, were so keen and deep as the sorrow with which he announced to his readers the overwhelming defeat of Henry Clay From that moment the batteries of the Tribune were turned npon the slaveholders and the abolition agitators in almost equal degree. lts fixed policy was the idcntification of the whig party with the cause of freedom The Polk administration was opposed with sturdiness and vigor. The annexation of Texas and the Mexican war brought out a steady fire of protest, and if as projects they were not beaten, eertainly they were shorn of their worst ambitions, and their %vorst results were prevented. During this period of the Tribune's history, froia the democratie triumph of 1S44 to the vvhig victory of 1848, it took its place as the leading American newspaper It was filled with great achievements. Mr. Dana was managing editor, and its news department was rcmarkably intcresting and complete. Mr. Taylor was supplying his famous letters frora Germany. Science, social phüosophy and commercial affairs ivcrc handled with marvelous skill, and already the paper had won its way into the affections of thoughtful and patriotic prop!:-. It was during this time that Fannv Fern wrote an illustrative account of the attitude held toward it by all sorts and kinds of the population Shi had sent out for a copy, but her inesaengvr had returned without it. The oews-stand snpplies were exhansted. S, she undertook to find one hersplf. and. coming presently upon "an old huekster man," seated under a hníre. faded umbrella in the sun, she asked f he bad a Tribune. "No, ma'ain," be said. decidedly. And then, as the authoress told it, this conversation ensued: " 'Why. yes you have!' said I, laying mv hand on the ilesired csraber. " 'Well, you can't have that, ma'am,' he repliAl. -for haven't read it myself.' " 'Bnt I"ll give Yc,; three cents for it!' " 'Xop!' " 'Four!' 11 'Nop!' " 'Ten!' " 'Xo; you couldn't pet it for one dolar. It's the o:iy copy I've got left, and I won't sel] it til] Tve had the chance to read it thröagh myself !' "You should hare seen," said Fanny Fern, concludin, "the shapeless hat, tne mosaic coat, the tattéred vest and the amazing trousers that were educated up to that Tribune." This sig-ht was not a rare one as the rears went on. The Tribune was a class paper, but the class was not determined by the kind of clothes people vore or the amount of money they could command. Urains and conscience were the qualities to which the Tribune appealed, and v herever they lived it bund a home.