New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-06


of improvement OF reform seems ever to reach
it. Its political creed is short and simple,
embracing only love Of whisky and hate of the
negro. II has made its selection of a few
families to guard these important interests,
and satisfied with its agents, has abdlcated Its
sovereignty. There is no man In tho State
better fitted TO represent it than the late Sem
ator whose lively ghost so startled the con-
script fathers from their propriety on Satur-
day. His devotion to strong waters has been
frequently oyinced in the sight OF the Senate
and the world. He loves the memory of
Slavery better than anything which lives. He
is Bourbon all over. He has learned nothing,
for he hates light worse than an owl. lie has
forgotten nothing, for he never had anything
to forget. lie belongs to Delaware by every
consideration of hOmogeneity.
Why not let him stay7 1t will take Eli many
years to burrow down to the sphere of repre-
sentative fitness where Willard has 80 long
dispOrted himself. He was the delight OF the
Senate The Republicans used him as their
frightful example, and tne most ignorant and
dissOlutc of them felt cheerful glow OF phari-
saical content when thcy compared themselves
with him. And his own Democratic colleagues
positively admired him. They always said
"Saulsbury IL an able and an honest man.
what a pity he drinks p Salisbury never
made q speech above the level Of quarrel
some boy of ten; never did an an hours Sc
rOus work in committee; never exercised the
slightest influence in advancing or retardlng
legislation excepting in the mere waste of
time by incOherent harangues; and yet there
was on his side of the chamber, even among
men of some Judgment and culture curious
admiration and respect for the stalwart savage.
II could be attributed to nothing but his sui
len. unsleeping, vindictiye hate of freedom and
progress lie was too slow and dull to cloak
or vail his devotion to the dead idol of Slavery,
or to disguise, as his cOmpecrs tried to do, his
bitter hostility TO the large and tolerant
spirit of our recent national life. When his
" barbaric yawp" sounded over the heads of
more cautious Democrats, they felt their souls
moved with envy of a man who could be so
frankly and uncOnsciously brutal and bigOted.
In comparison with his loud and vOclierOus
denunciations Of the liberal progress of the
nation, their petty Guibbles and sarcasms and
straw stumbling seemed weak and futile
enough. He hated better than they, and so they
saw sort of superiority in him.
Perhaps, after all, it is better he should go.
II is possible that the generous contagion of
ideas may exert some bcnelicent influence even
upon the public sentiment of Delaware. 1t Is
possible that the light reflected from abroad
may have begun to invade the immemOrial
darkness even there, and that the first evil
dence of cOnsciousnc of inferOrity is getting
rid Of their too faithful spokesman. They
move slowly in that saenaut neIghbOrho0d.
They have not yet got beyond SaulsbuIys;
but it shows improvement to have dis
missed Willard p. Perhaps before the CEN
fury ends they may get up to the average.
As for the supeIfluous Senator. his vocation
is plain. His struggle with Pomeroys grammar
showed the highest order of scholastic ambition
and civic courage. 1t was only unsuccessful
because the task was one of superhuman diff
Guilty. No merely human intellect has as yet
succeeded in reconciling the subjects and predi-
Gates of the Kansas orator. But in the peace
full retreats of his native State, with II scourge
and n spelling-bOOl the eXilcd Salisbury may
retrieve in the education of the Delaware
youth, the follics Of his public life, and find,
like the tyraut-pcdaEOgue of Syracuse, his last
days his best He goes home with the bright
est possibilities. He may 10 better-he cannot
do worse.