The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-03-18

ary wealth; Of superior culture; in the full
yiEor Of ripe faculties; Of varied otfcla
experience great social consideration
an example of all private vsrtues--h,
has long possessed, what il
better than the fame Of great statesman
in life so unblemished, department 81
quiet and unostentatious, weight and cred
1t IN the management of educational, reli
gious and charitable institutions which sc
commend him to general esteem, as to place
him by universal consent in the very hr''
rank Of good citizens, Christian gentlemen
and eIemplars of the kindly domestic 'r'
tues. Returning to public life with e""'
acter which dlsArms criticism aud eL ,.or,r
the respectful homage Of those VINO s
from him 10 politics, and with an g. 1.
less fund Of good will to draw upon, 800
secure Of more indulgence thar 10 &C.
likely 10 need in a position whi'n NO un'
M, songbt and for which he possesses Soiie
~ I:c.a,;,ns or "A very high Order.
f"li,,.-, i; Tho list of these. we uhhesltAung'
'I'' 4" loorol elevation which lifts him
| ~ P'HCLJ dancer Of that mental distortion
"Uo'o LID seek, or submit to anything
M ;',,;cc in our transactions with foreign
uu' There will be no over.reachng
%iniSmacy ar crooked politics in Mr. Fishs
Management OF our foreign affairs and the
spirit Of candor and justice which he will
bring into all his duties will probably save
him from embarrassing entsnglements re-
curing any cunning and deTterity to unite.
He has never displayed any surprising
fetches Of ingenuity, because a man OF his
never has any occasion for them
nor will the nation have any occasion for
them il he is permitted to have his own
way in the management Of our foreign in
tercourse. Next in the list OF Mr. Fish's
we should place a singular
souudness aud rectitude of judgement, and
long established habits OF caution and cir.
Probably there could not be
II safer adviser, except in emergencies re-
curing great boduess kind OF emer'
gencies not likely TO arise in time OF peace.
Mr.. Fish is perfectly familiar with the CO.
Temporary history and the merits, pro and
con, Of the chief public questions both Of
our own and Of the chief foreign countries
and among the minor but necessary qualh.
cations for this new Office, he has fluent
command Of the French and one or two
other continental tongues. For the social
duties of a position in which social intIu
ence counts for 80 much, no man is better
qualified than Mr.. Fish.
1--WE regret that what we have further 10
say ofthe new Secretary Of State cannot be
in the same strain Of unmingled commenda'
ton. In national politics Mr.. Fish is re.
publican, though republican of that mod.
crate class who march in the rear instead Of
advancing with the front. He is by convics
ton Federalst believer in strong cen.
tral government; but his federalism is some.
what tempered By the pride which he has
always felt in the State Of New York. Ia
former times, he was Wing aud was
among the last to give up the Wing party ;
and though he has never quite sympathized
with the Republican party, he has pretty
uniformly supported its leading measures,
although, when he first acted with il, oppO
sltion to the extension Of slavsry was his only
point Of agreement. We fear he has never
had much liking for the Democratic party
| but in State and city affairs he has some
times, Of late yenri, voted for Democratic
candidates who commanded confidence
Since We must have a republican at the heac
of the cabinet, we can think ofno one com
petent for the place whose politics are les
Objectionable than those Of Mr.. Fish.