The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-05-23
Mr.. Seward and Amel
manahip.

--bg l-Htttg r.. EOTdy an June trttsu1g.
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Mr.. Seward and American 6tates-
manship.
If any debt of courtesy and filial
gratitude Inward the enlogist Of
John Quincy Adams still existed, it
was paid q thousand times over the
other day at Auburn, Mr.. c., F.
Adams may be called the first DIS
e0verer Of the full-Orbed greatness of
Secretary Seward; which discovery
he then set forth with such clear.
ness, force, and splendor as to make
everybody else sharer in it. He
has matched his hero with Pericles,
greatest Of Athenian statesmen, save
that the sphere Of Mr.. Stewards &C
ton "was one by the side of which
that of the other dHindles into moth
ing" He had lauded him as an
hOdest man, "Gho never bought or
sold vote or place, and who never
permitted his public action to be
contaminated in the atmosphere of
corporation influence"
Mr.. Adams did not-perhaps with
taste andgrace could not-go on to
say that nevertheless the statesman
was generally encompassed by gangs
Of hack politicians, whom he good
naturedly helped to "spoils, that he
disdained to scramble for Exalted
praise it is, and mark of eccentric
| ity even, that Mr.. Seward, living in
a yenal age, kept himself clear from
bribery and corporate blandish-
ments; but he was often beset by a
swarm of wire pullers, whose vulgar
greed was in staring contrast with
| his own lofty ambition. IL ne rival
led Pericles in statecraft, so, too, as
with Pericles, it was most feasible to
/ attack him through the rapacity of
| his following, since no breach could
found in his own impregnable recti-
tude. Doubtless his intimacy with
the inferior arts and artisans Of pol
itics need noWise lower him from
that exalted plane of statesmanship
on which the panegyric of Mr.. Ad-
ans places him; indeed it was a TO-
ken of his practical skill that he
could work very benefcient results
with partisan machinery designed
for partisan purposes; yet his sur
roundings bred some groundless
anxiety or distrust in the Chicago
Presidential Convention of 1860,
and helped to rob him of a prize he
well deserved.
In politics one must put up with
dirty tongs, and not be too dainty
TO work with the tools at hsnd
though a trifie smirched. A man
very fastidious regarding public hon
esty, and very scrupulous regarding
conscientious work, will find some
drawbacks in Americans politics,
save of the highest class, because
the qualities he most relies on are
not those that people chiefly fancy.
Joviality, or geniality, which has no
more TO do with a statesman's du-
ties than the ability or a race-horse
to dance circus jig has has to do
with his winning races, is popularly
considered, ] believe, to be the most
desirable quality in a politician, and
the lack of it exposes him to odium.
To be soeiable covers aAAultitude of
sins; and a degree of geniality suffi
eient TO satisfy the people requires
a conscience not over qualmish. A
statesman, though upright as Wash
ington and able as Pericles, cannot
get on nowadays unless he feeds the
lambs; and sometimes the lambs
could not be hnngrier were they
wolves in sleeps WOol-"DrJl-
rood" IN June Galaay.