Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-26
WORCESTER
SATURDAY. OCT. ee. 1919.
The cruel Delusion. of Egotism.

The Cruel DeIusions OF ExOtism.
The present political canvass presents some
useful studies Of the decisions created by dis
essed egotism. Perhaps it is a natural weakness
of human nature, which leads some men who
attain prominent positions before the public to
cherish an extravagant over-estimate of their
own personal importance and power. They
forget that their seeming importance is
due to their position and work as rep
resentahves of principles held by great
masses Of men, or to the special circum-
stances under which they have acted, and
assume that it is wholly personal. This de-
fusion is created easily, very easily, as egotism
becomes morbid; and such men come gradually
TO regard themselves not as representatives, but
as oracles whose utterances and personal power
are able to control great regiments of follow
ers." In the present political canvass, several
such men have sought to use this personal
power and show the country their greatness, by |
carrying their followers" over to the demo-
cratic party. The result shames their personal
pretensions and brings them terrible disap-
pointment.
No man, probably, ever lost himself more
completely in this deluson, than Horace Gree
ley. He has cherished it for years; it has stead
lily grown and constantly stimulated him to de-
mand special offerings of homage to his per
sonal greatness, in the form of election or ap-
pointment to the highest offices At last he fell
prey to that fearful disease, the presidential
fever" which may be described as the most
malignant form of political delrium tremens.
L. -. nj
and secured the Baltimore nomination, he be-
lieyed with all the confidence of absolute GER
tainty that half the republican party would fol-
low him. He was Horace Greeley; he was more
than the republican party itself; and he con-
trolled the New York Tribune. How could he
fail to be mighty power2 He was sure that
the Vermont state election would astonish the
country with an illustration Of his influence over
republican voters. Surely be was power in
Vermont, if anywhere. But the voting
in that state showed that the influence of Gree
leyism, in that quarter, was scarcely apprecia-
bic. This first blow at his dreaming egotsm
was felt by Mr.. Greeley very keenly. Itbrought
the beginning of that overwhelming disappoint-
ment to which he was doomed. But he hoped
on, expecting different result in Maine, and
was again terribly disappointed. We suspect
that Pennsylvania and the October elections
have made his egohsm quite incapable of pleas
ant dreams. He and the Tribune had been
made to seem important by representing the
principles and aims of the republican party.
Probably he begins to understand what they
have become by apostatizing from this repre-
sentative position.
1t has Jared no better with Trumbull Fenton,
Schurz, and others, who supposed they could
break down the republican party, including GER
tain lunatic editors who really believed they
could destroy it. They were all prominent and
important as representatives; they are ridicu-
Iously weak as egotistical apostates In this
country, the people make their representatives
and honor their fidelity: but those who give
representatives their position, are not owned by
them, and do not follow them when they aban-
don good faith and go into the dark ways Of
apostacy. Men who aspire to be prominent and
have a great mass of blind, unthinking follow
ers, should emigrate to Mexico, Central America
or to some of the South American coun-
tries. That sort of personal influence
can not flourish here while the Ameri-
can people remain capable of self-gov-
eminent. Some of the men who have
sought to show their personal power, in this
way, might have learned wisdom by studying
our political history. Even some of its later
chapters would have been found wholesome, if
carefully considered. How could Trumbull,
Fenton, or Schurz, expect to do what could not
be done by Salmon p Chaser Mr.. Chase was
man of great ability. He had noble record.
But, when he went over to the democrats, in
sea1ch Of the presidency, he found it impossible
to muster a following He, too found that the
men he had represented could not be used as his
chattels
Andrew johnson made trial of assumed per-
sonai power and importance under eircum-
stances which seemed 10 promise success Hav-
ing risen from the vice presidency TO the pres-
dency he sought to organize a party which
would uphold his "policy" and make him pres-
dent for second term. He was aided by Mr..
Seward and other members Of Mr.. Lincolns
cabinet He had in his hands the patronage
and power Of the government; his Philadelphia
convention appeared much more menacing to
the republican party than the mass meeting at
Cincinnati, which was really more democratic
kLdu Itpupltdh. Dul 11lF JOuuoOu great az
tempt was an utter failure, and tended only to
disclose his weakness and the weakness of his
distinguished helpers. They were all weak and
powerless, because they represented nobody.
The democrats would not accept them,
aud their attempt to organize a political
revolution was defeated by the earnesiness with
which the republicans adhered to their princi.
pies. The 5ohnson party consisted chiefly of
politieul shysters and unprineipled adventures,
.vsno readily swore allegiance to his "policy" in
order TO get offices IN which they could swnde
the government. The bad men he patronized
made his administration frightfully corrupt.
Mr. johnson bad great opportunity, but he
proved to be unequal to it, Now be is in Ten
nessee, running as an Independent candidate for
Congressman at large. dsowned by all parties,
and furously assailed by the democrats, al
though he supports Greeley because he has an
intense personal hatred Of Grant, who would not
aid bis attempts against Secretary Stanton.
To attain great position in politics, a man
must be placed where he can do important work
as a representative and be able 10 do it with sue
cess. He may have no more ability than others
who might have been placed in the same posi-
tion; but, as a representative, he has oppoftu-
nifty; if he shall cease to represent those who
give him this opportunity, they will remoge him
and give the place to another. There can be no
greater or more demorazing deluslon than that
which brings such man to assume that he
owns his constituency, that he is an oracle,
an independent power, who is sure to
be followed, let him do what he will. Such
lunacy is possible, as we know, but it is chief
element of the "pride" that "goeth before de-
struction" Mr.. Greeley and the Tribune won
great position by representing republican pin
ciples and aims. They alone suffer by ceasng
to represent them. Mr. Greeley has an oppor-
tunity to see that his morbid egotism was bad
counsellor. He was not such au independent
personal power as he supposed when he under,
took to divide and destroy the republican party.
GENERAL WILLIAM ScHoULER, who died in
West Roxbury on Thursday evening after lin.
geung Illness, was a native of Renfrewshire,
scotland His father came to America, bring