The Portland daily press., 1866-11-21
DAILY PRESS.
ND.
Wednesday Morning, November 2l, 1866
PORTLAND,
rne New York senn,or.L;p.

Why cannot George William Curtis repres-
ent New York in the United States Senate?
His name has been mentioned for that worthy
station by the Evening Post, and stralshtWay
the echoes filled the country. From Ne" Ell
gland and the West, and even from some us
tricts of New York, the response came. Inc
man il personally known and admired more
u,;do,v Than any other New Yorker. Horace
Greeley has done good deal OF talking at ag-
ricultural fairs and elsewhere. Henry Ward
Reacher has long been one of the chief attrac-
tions for people who so to New York. But
for years no lecture course has been complete
unless Curtis's name figured somewhere on
the list. His fine face and graceful figure are
familiar to thousands who have only read of
Mr. GreeIey's famous white hat and drab over
coat If the election could be settled by the
popular vote throughout the country, or even
in New York, Mr.. Curtis would carry it over
any candidate who could be named.
And yet there seems to be only faint hope
that he may be chosen. The exigencies OF
New York politics no outsider pretends to
understand, but there is a general and let us
hope an unfounded apprehension that they
will be found TO require such man as Mr..
Curtis TO stay at home. True, he is accom-
plished by study and travel. He would bring
the experience of past ages and other .coun-
tries to bear upon the social problems with
which we have to deal. He returned from
his life abroad with protounder respect for
republican simplicity, and rendered his first
public service by satirizing the absurd imita-
ton of foreign manners whichiprevais in GER
tain circles of what is called "orr best socie-
ty." He has resisted the temptation to quiet
life of successful authorship, such as was
plainly open to him after his first triumph,
and has chosen instead the most toisome of
professions. As the editor OF magazine
more widely read than perhaps any other in
the country, he has exercised an incalculable
influence during these eventful years. With
voice and pen he has labored successfully on
the right size. He has studied the political
history of the country, not incidentally but
professionally and thoroughly. To the digni-
fed debates of the Senate, he would bring not
only wide information, sound logic and patri-
otto feeling, but perfection OF manner and
expression which have been rare even in that
Chamber His oratory, which to the admir-
ers of Boanerges Chaplin seems little tame
on the platform, would be admirable IN the
Senate
The World, which deliberately apologized for
the 'smisdirected energies" of John Morri3sey,
sneers at Curtis. Yet even in the Prize Ring
it is customary to express the hope that the
best man may win. And why not now?. We
have seen Stuart Mill elected to the British
Parliament and taking high rank there. The
World has even quoted some OF his speeches
with distinguished appreciation. Why can we
not elect an American author, who like Stuart
Mil, has given time and thought to the vital
questions of the day, to place worthy of his
powers?
Probably nine out of ten of the Albany legis-
lators who vote for some other candidate, will
allege against Mr.. Curtis his political inexpe-
rience. But what experience does he lack
The political questions of this or any other
day are to be studied, not experienced"
That he has been faithful student o! Ameri-
can politics cannot be denied That he has
voted as well as uttered his opinions is well
known Ward politicians are useful and hon
orable in their way-most of them; but it is
not necessary for statesman to serve a.. ap-
premiership as a ward politician. Mr.. Curtis
has had no legislative experience. That is
true. But he has not lived in a corner; he
has seen much of men and affairs and if he
has yet to learn the mysteries Of the lobby, it
Is no great matter We do not undervalue
experience of the right kind. When to the
rare powers of such man as Senator Fessen-
den are added his long training in the con-
duct of public affairs we get great parlia-
mentary leader, such as he has proved him
self But it is experience, not of the caucus
or Of the convention, but of the Senate which
Mr.. Curtis needs, and which we obviously
hope he may get.