The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-12-27

some small politicians made. . great. noise owe
slavery. Each being anxious to hear his -s.T
sweet voice, and moreover to make all Ken
lucky hear it, every one tried to outbawi hi
neighbor. Slavery, they said, was reserved
right 1t was above the constitution. and there
was no power in the land competent to destroy
it. Going on step by step these little Ken
lucky politicians rose to a very ridiculous
height, and came to the grand conclusion tina
it was an outrage to make anything part Of
the constitution that Kentucky had not agreed
to. But the world went around just the same
and even the country did not stand still atse
this grand conclusion. Worse than all, thu
constitutional amendment did not stand still
State after State gave in its adhesion, thoug
all must have heard of the disgust of the LITTLE
fellows in Kentucky; and finally the Secretar,
of State declared formally that the amendment
was part Of the constitution. Since that tn
men of the Kentucky Legislature have not beer
heard from. What will they dos Declare iheis
independence and have . little war about III
Not at all. Slavery will die and make no sign
there as elsewhere. The little fellows will sub
NIT like their neighbors, and Immediately hunE
up some other subject on which to make noise
and keep themselves before the people.
The same farce thus played by the Kentucky
politicians Is played all over the country. I'll
what the small politicians live by. In all tht
States and all the political circles in the Houss
of Representatives and in the Senate 1t is KEEP,
up. From Wendell Phillips and Steven
through the radical party, and from the littl'
Kentuckians through their party, it is the same
The small politicians everywhere scream tire
mendously over their chosen measures, tryinl
their best to make the country believe that ii
the adoption Of those measures lies the CPL.
salvation. II is niger suffrage-or some othef
sufrage-specie payments, slavery or aboli
ton, no matter what. And while the small
politicians roar and rage and fume the coun
try goes on quietly in its grand progress, tn
great common sense Of the nation sweeps tn
little politicians aside into obscurity, and by an
by they even wonder themselves that the PEG
pie ever had the patience to listen to their non
sense Just as the little Kentucky chaps hav
been squelched by the grand decision of tn
country, so will be all the small politicians VIII
are trying to make themselves heard and kick
ing up such dust in Congress.
Tho Development Of Art in America-Ou
Painters and SculptOrs.
The history Of nation is grand or contempt
ible according to the spirit Of its people. Th
greatest Asiatc nation has no history but th
record of the succession and downfall Of dynss
ties-a record, as Hume has said Of certai
portion Of English history, "of as little momen
to the world st large as would be descril
ton of the skirmishes Of crows and kites.
The same is true Of nearly all the Orients
world, from the Red Sen to the Saghalian,
modern times; and IL was equally so in,&It
tiquity, the prospect only changing as we 81
proach the confines Of Europe and begin I
lose sight of the procession of princes an
priests, and to get glimpses Of the people
Single cities in Greece and Italy have
grander story than whole empires in Asi'
Compare Athens, Argo, Corinth, Syracuse
Rome or Florence with any bakers dozen e.
Eastern empires, past or present. AS we SO
the distinction between Europe and Asia &C
cording to the appearance or non-appearanc
of the people, so in Europe we see the distint
ton between the several cities and ns
lions o. the people are more or less FREEDOM
nant, hold and free. We see the Europea
shores Of the Mediterranean, once the seat o
political power, become Insignificant IS th
people sink under the rule Of popes and dukes
"a 900 Woofnrr Eurono throu
down its tyrant rulers, rise into prime impor'
ance, until England and France become NOR
TO the world than all the rest OF Europe u
gether. In our own country--in the greatness
| Of the recent war-we see the extreme conse
quence Of this when the people are made no
paramount merely, but the only recognizes
source of power in the nation. Through tn
history of the world there are no four year
that exhibit such tremendous concentration
! Of energy-such direct and single purpose
such straightforward progress OF events fror
first to last. And this war packing into on
Presidential term more and greater event
than would ill thirty years Of war in Europe
shows conclusively how incomparably grande
is national history when it deals with the lii
| Of proud and brave people than when II re
cites only the acts Of kings and their puppets.
II is the same IN the other facts that make VI
the life Of a nation as in politics and war
Literature and art also reach their highest de
velopment only where they feel the full inau
ence Of the national character a. il comes fresl
from the people. There they are true, original
great. Under all other circumstances they ar,
trammelled, narrow, conventional and mean
| The old wisdom which called the voice Of the
! people the voice Of God recognized that there
could be no littleness in any utterance which
had Its inspiration from whole nation and
| declared the general thought of oil. So in art