New-York tribune., 1874-06-02
PASS.

has delighted tho heart of the American
people with tho most unique spectacle ever
witnessed in republic, has disappeared; faded
away like the plan for specie resumption IN
sums of five dollars and less. We shall meet
"and we shall miss him." Think how
gradually he has slid away from us; melted
away like a mOOnbeam or snowflake; dried
ND like dew drop or like the red herring of his
native strand gone like slow-trOtting night
mare of finance whose retreating footsteps
echo on the ear of country that wakes IN
cold sweat and rubs its eyes. All! he was
great. In his line, the greatest we have ever
had. How beautifully the succession tapered
off in him. He was great in that the line
ended with him. The /" little end OF the horn
was reached when he took the portfolio of
Alexander Hamilton. In this his greatness
lay: that he was sui generis. lie had no pre-
decessor-eyen Mr.. Boutwell-tO compare with
him, and there can never he such another.
The mold ia broken We shall never look
upon his like.
What memories flock upon and Overwhelm
us as we recall these fourteen months. Can
we ever forget that historic scene of last year,
immortalized by the Hon. Stewart l.. Wood
ford in his speech in the Utica Convention,
when in company with the Great Silent Man
he stood up all day Sunday in the Fifth
Avenue Hotel, refusing to abandon the post OF
duty, even to attend church with the Hon0ra-
bic Thomas Murphy, resisting the entreates
of the bankers, and brokers, and mer-
chants of New-York to let out the S4i,OOOOOO
reservef How beautifully the Hon. MIR. Wood
ford described the President as standing
up like rock against this surging tide OF
bankers and brokers and such. All OF this
the Great Minister of Finance saw, and part
of it he was. A most impressive picture.
When he united with the President in remark
ing that they could not use the reserve, that
they must obey the law, how everybody ap-
plauded and when Mr.. WOOdfOrd related the
circumstance, how the Utica Convention did
shed tears. And then when the two OF them
went right back to Washington and put
S16,OOO,OOO of the reserve in circulation, how
-ah, well-what's the usei he has gone
faded-too beautiful to last-gone on to the
bench of the Court of Claims.
And then when he saw gold go down almost
to par how fresh it is in all our memo
ries how that great hearted statesman sat
ON the steps of the Treasury Building
on some of the chiliest nights Of the
season, waiting to it strike par and sill
yer flow into general circulation. And when,
to his surprise and the surprise of the Presl-
dent, silver did not flow, but the Wig
nettes of departed statesmen continued to
fjptter down upon the bar in ex-
change for the matutinal cocktail and
the meridian "tod," and there was no jingle
of the quarter or cliDk of the dime, shall
we ever forget how nobly he came to the
rescue and ordered specie payment to be
resumed in sums of five dollars and less in
silver coin 1t was Mr. Richardson who, in a
time of great financial depression when
nobody had any money, put 1t In the power
of the poorest citizen to exchange dollar
bill for one square drink and ninety cents in
silver. At time when the labOrng men of
the country were out of employment, and had
nothing to occupy their minds, this was an
inestimable boon. We should be worse than
ungrateful to forget it. This was, upon
the whole, the crOwning achievement of his
administration. Other men, men who had not
enjoyed the large experience OF Judge of
Probate, might have rushed headlOng into
this business, and with impetuous haste have
flooded the country with half dollars and
dimes. Not 80 the Great Minister. He pro-
ceeded cautiously; with from pint to pint
and half of silver day. Witness the re-
suit. During the whole period of specie pay
ments the balance Of trade was hardly dis
turbed, and to-day one would hardly know
from any effect it has had upon the CONNER
cial community, that specie had come into
circulation.
And what flood of tender memories will
rell over us when we recall, as one of these
days we shall, with tears, how he collected
the revenue, and divided it with Mr.. John D.
SanbOrn. He smOte the rock OF the national
resources, and he and Mr.. Sanborn took turns
holding the pail when it gushed forth taxes.
He was the first Finance Minister to see
the great advantage to the Government
of dividing the revenue with such
patriot as Mr.. Sanborn. There may come
a time when such men will go unemployed
and their talents rust in Obscurity. Then we
shall remember Secretary Richardson and Mr..
SanbOrn. We shall dwell upon the ease and
grace with which he signed contracts and
transacted the routine" business, and CRATE
fully remember how he refused to tear himself
away from us so long; how he resisted pub
lie clamOr and defed public opinion; how
he said and repeated and reiterated that
he would not resign and how, finally,
he did not resign till he got ready to take
seat on the bench of the Court of Claims. All,
he was very dear to us. Let us treasure his
memory. The Court of Claims opens another
great career for him. Also for Mr.. John d.
Sanborn, if he should happen to take a notion
to practice law and bring cases before it.
What great piece of good fortune it was
for Mr.. Boutwell,, by the way, that Mr.. Rich
ardson succeeded him. And how lucky Mr..
l. in Ian 10 follour