New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-02-17

...tnsr There never was greater iailaey shAh
,h. .,rno.i.;or that mere mental greatness Is the
thins n oss needed in a man called 70 ao".'"o, -"
.aairs Of free people Talent and genius In n'sn
station have been the chief cause Oh inc sieA'e.s
miscbefs and the greatest miseres 'ne "oii0 n"'
Jared And this Government has oeen no eAoep.ion
an the rule. We have been as moch oeoesheu W
.,s.t names as any people In the ~ofla' we na'o
not suffered such great calami'ies, oecau'o VI ".
forr, of government, and because oil our eeosiaph'
~, ,os,sion. But as people, in our devotion to
,., we have been just about as ally as the resi- OF
~. vorld. Tha. is 70 say, we have gone as far In
so,Iovinp leaders, and in admiring leaders, as the
circumstances Of each particular case admitted
va. do pos care TO particularize instances, neshers
IL necessary The fact admits Of no dispute, ana
this we may state without being insidious-
Now We pyotest against the habit, and we espe-
c;sv mote against the idea that great men are at
all necessary to administer the affairs OF this Gov
ernment We are dispose, with some reluctance,
TO 90 90 far as to admit that greatness is no disqHa
6eafion for Office but we deny in toto that It is an
essential requisite 1t should perhaps be considered
NINA facie evidence against a man, but all other
things being equal, integrity, business capacity,
soundness Of judgment, we would not have it ope-
rate to exclude man from the highest stations.
eve might ask what there is TO puzzle any man OF
strong mind in administering the affairs OF this Gov
eminent under plain Constitution and plain laws,
such as we have spread out upon our statute books
for the information of all the world Does the civil
administration require the exercise OF any qualities
be yond those possessed by every man OF good capa
city, sound judgment, jus. purposes, and hria H.
tegrity In the Executive administration we need
prudence we need sense, need industry, decision
and integrity. But we don't need greatness. II we
did our system OF government would be failure.
For greatness does not grow on every bush, and
cannot be drawn forth every four years to order.
Let it be remembered that great superiority OF in
teect is not necessarily associated with either hon
est purposes, sound judgment or integrity, or intre-
pdity of character And without these latter quail
fcations the further man is from Office, the better
for the people OF the country. The world too often
forses in its estimate OF the fitness Of men for high
station, that character is far more important than
either talent or. genius Affairs OF government are
affairs Of business and nere s. and require business
men and trusty men to ransaC them properly. The
first qualification for these trusts is honesty. Hay-
ing made sure Of this, the great point is gained.
But TO elevate capacity without reference to
integrity, is the greatest mistake that can possibly
be made. 1t ware better to have an honest fool In
office than scoundrel genius.
But The world has never got lid Of the reverence
fer he intellect because 1t has been for the interest
of Intellect TO preserve the delus)n Integrity mas
never had fair chance. because Il has al ways gone
clad in homely garb and has had but few IN paoiIc
concerns to trumpet It's praises we hear daly o.
statesmen OF great ability, but no strange II would
| sound TO hear one commended for his honesty! IL
| would almost be reckoned joke 10 hear a public
| man praised for such quality.
Our conclusion ls, that IL Is piece OF Imposition
| for the friends of any man to demand The pubic
suffrage IN his support simply because OF that mans
Intellectual superiority.
Happily, We have government that is Just about
capable Of going alone. II IT we're not so, should
havetetn ashore long ago Hardly any other govern:
| ment could get on ayear under such an unframed
force caters upon the Government Of this country
every four eight years, and which force proves
itself fully adequate TO the necessities OF the case
| We take men from the army, from the Law, from
mere political, and mere trading circles, from the
| fulilng-nll from any where and everywhere, and
fill up all the Government Offices with them from the
bf hest to the lowest, putting them 10 business oil
! which they have never known anything-and yet
things go Just as smoothly as though every ohii
| a master and not and not an apprentice. This
| shows great simplicity and perfection III our ma
\ chreTy of government II is, indeed, vehicle that
| any horse may draw II is time-piece that almost
| any hano may keep wound up And those who pre-
tend to the contrary. ere those VINO have mai no
meaTs OF Judging, or VINO design 10 hood Wink and
| humbug others There are five thousand men IN the
| country, either OF whom would make just as good
President as any one we have had IN ten years, par
| ring one single exception. And We hardly know
whether 10 smile or be Indignant over tue gtouaca-
tiOn often beaped upon men III high Office for the
extraordinary skull IL Is alleged they manifest III tho
ut OF the commonest affairs OF official life
Leok at the flourish and fuss over certain recent
transactions with two foreign powers They have
BEEN inflated and msgDined Dy numerous pens almost
up TO the point OF COMPARISON with the t!aDscentant
glolies OF Unions saving demonstrations. just as IL
The nsLagement OF such twOpenny concerns could
Only DO brought TO successful Issue oy the mas.etly
diplomacy OF wonderful intellect. Excuse me,
but this is all gaumen.
Congress does rot sit o-day But affairs go on
just well, aid Just fast though 1t did. Sixty
days from this present Wiling is amply sufficient
tine TO transact all the business that will be before
the National Legislature al this Session. But why
should members iorego their speeches. their schemes,
the pleasures of a Washington residence, the ar
JSHgentits OF party, and there eight dollars day
Give US a But as there is none, the session
VIII go on TO August, and perhaps TO Septe Der.
What floods OF printers Ink must be spilled OIL the
record before the Gay OF adjournment II would
almost make an ocean equal to that under which
Mr. CLEhKNs concludes this nation will be plunged
AID sunk, IN case Congress should venture 20 pro-
noun ce It's views OF International law the subject
OF Intervention. Mr.. CLEMENS concluded his speech
upon tins subject, whica hike his speeches gener Ally
was quite sfter the john N MAFFIrr school Of
oratefy, with The mare declaration that If he had
studied words at all, 1t to how few could be
thoughts he had 10 convey. II this be true he is an
awful dull scholar Bat we take II his is OF those
cases where the individual is wholly unconscious of
the sin that does most easily oesst him. - p
Gen. Scott and the residency.
CorrespoB of The N Y Trihuus.