The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-07-06

The Houerable Jim Brooks In Thrce Parts.
II is difficult to say whether the present Con
gressional role OF the Hon. Jim Brooks has in
it more Of Mephistopheles, Marplot or Nav.
worm. He plays each part by turns, and none
to q satisfactory end. He groans with the
JUNCTION of one, plumbers with the artistic
persistency Of another, and has in him all the
sneering malignity of the third; yet Mephisto
opens his mouth, not to be magniAcently witty,
bat only to utter the cant and meanness of
Mawworm, aud practices his rare deceits, like
Marplot, only on those whom be pretends to
serve. He is the Mawworm Of the constitu-
ton; and that much abused instrument cannot
be named in the House but be slips into
cantcles Of broad-brimmed hypocrisy so pal
have travelled thousand miles by telegraph.
lie is very Mephistopheles, to the end, how
ever in his championship of the excluded
States; for there, under the guise of devotion
and service, he inlicts the deepest possible
injury; letting no occasion pass that can serve
him 10 render even worse than it is the con-
dition Of The Southern people. He began that
early, and was one of the most effective allies
of old rhad Stevens in carrying through his
savagely hostile programme. He is going
on in the same line; for his speeche, in Con-
gress will do more than could be done in any
other way to keep out all but one man OF the
Kentucky representatives Indeed, if his plan
had been to secure the rejection of those
members, he could not have done it so effsc-
lively as he did in becoming their champion.
But the Honorable Jim seems to have made
o discovery. lie says "We are In the midst
Of revolutionary times" This is . strange
declaration from him. Have all his arguments
ignoring the great fact Of the war come TO
thiss He has hitherto been q fit companion
for the antedluvian who refused Noah's invi-
talon on the ground that cit wouldn't be
much of shower" His arguments as TO the
rights of the States in the constitution required
that he should shut his eyes to the wAr and the
revolution, and all that ; and he did shut his
eyes wonderfully, and kept them tighter than
the eyes of all the Seven Sleepers together for
the full four years; and now, in o moment of
forgetfulness, he declares we are Gin revolu-
tionary times" and thus leaves his constitu-
tonal arguments not foot to stand upon.
But we must assure him, ON behalf Of those
who have been awake these four years, that
we are not Gin the midst of revolutionary
times" On the contrary, we are just at the
close. The revolution has made its changes,
and we are just entering upon q new era OF
order. We are where Rome was just before
Augustus, where England was just before
Cromwell, and where France was just before
Napoleon established order with the strong
hand of power we are at that point. but we have
reached il by different steps, and we will come
out OF it in different way. There is no fear that
any strong man will seize power to establish
order and tyranny with it; but the people, Of
their own free will, will nominate and choose
an Executive in whose very name is concen-
trated the military power of the nation, and
who will put down the factions.
That is where we are; for the revolution
inevitably eliminates and closes in Grant, who
will be put in his high and proper place by the
voice of the people uttered at the polls, will
serve his four years, and retiring then, will
leave the nation established in q peace not to
be broken for q century. 1t Is not strange that
poor Brooks should not understand this, just
awakened and still drowsy as he is, and
muddlcd in thought with all his queer asso-
Citations, from Know-Nothing to copperhead.
Indeed, il is not to be wondered at that one
who has had such odd affiliations should be
poor Marplot or Mephistopheles, since he must
sometimes surely forget what queer arguments
he is expected to urge. II is, however, time he
knew that his copperhead twaddlings can do
no more harm-cannot even move anger, but
only contempt and pity.