The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-05


teryiew him for the benefit Of the people.
might be expected but he makes mistake
in attacking unfortunately every influence
that opposed him. He shows an absence of
that poise and self-restraint which becomes
truly great leader. This is because Mr.
Kelly has only come into leadership late in
life and has not learned the trade, which is a
trade as much as any other calling. This he
could we'll understand by studying the careers
of men like Palmerston, Disrael, Thurlow
Weed and Theirs He would learn that
leadership does not require simply honesty
of character and natural ability, but COM
bination Of peculiar qualities -patience,'
courage, sagacity, frmness and self-denial /;
how to be moderate in victory and cheerful
in defeat. Mr.. Kelly from the moment of
his accession to power has been in a hysteri-
cal condition. He has forgotten that great
maxim Of leadership, that it is always best
for those in command to exercise the mini
mum of authority, and never the maximum
except in emergencies.
John Kelly's mistake as leader was like
that of Robespierre and Danton, who also
came into power without previous experience
and who fell after few months reign.
Robespierre was an honest man, like John
Kelly. Robespierre never made n speech
without talking about himself. like John
Kelly. Robespierre was constantly apostro-
phizing the French people because they
would not be governed by his infallible will,
just as John Kelly apostrophized New York
the other night and cleft it to its fate be-
cause it had presumed to elect Mr.. Hackett
and Mr.. Phelps Robespierre believed the
only way to establish discipline was to
behead his opponents. This has been John
Kelly's plan with his revolutionary Commit
tee of Discipline which has sent democrats
to the block just as Robespierre sent his col
leagues to the guillotine. Robespierre, based
upon egotism, vanity ignorance and pride,
fell because he was opposed by the common
sense and honor of the French nation. John
Kellys system, resting upon the same infu-
ences, has fallen because it is foreign to the
feelings of New York
Another of Mr.. Kelly's mistakes is
that he summoned to his side weak
counsellors. Take any of the men who
have been in his immediate confidence,
and there is not one who could do more
than earn his living as cab driver or
penny postman if he were left to his own re-
sources. His associates have been fatterers
who see nothing whatever of the great world
beyond them. Kelly gave them place and they
gave him incense. 1t was only necessary, they
thought, to faunt the legend Honest John
Kelly" before the eyes of the people of New
York to secure victory. The people of New
York saw two things. First that the one man,
Recorder Hackett, whom Mr.. Kelly made up
his mind to destroy had been, up to within
few weeks of the election, an accepted and
respected member of his own party, holding
as close a relation to him politically as Dan
ton held to Robespierre. They saw, secondly,
that, while John Kelly made noisy merit
of his freedom from the Ring associations,
and from the old influences that controlled
Tammany, he owed every political distinc-
tion his election to Congress, and twice as
Sheriff, and the vast sums that came to
him from that Office, to the friendship
buppOT6 Oh Iue Olu
But no one thinks unkindly Of John Kelly.
He has gone through this canvass without
much damage, and beyond an occasional
criticism in a political paper has re
ceived courtesy and forbearance People
would not bow down to him. They
would not surrender their manhood.
They would not run away from his
COMMITTEE on Discipline" They would
not make him a demigod. They re-
garded him as a bold, obstinate, mar
row-minded, stubborn, well-meaning man,
badly served politically ; an adventurer who
found himself in control of an organization
which he had not the genius to manage. 1t
would be best for his own peace of mind and
for the discipline of the party if he retired
from that place and gave it to some more
competent leader, if one can be found.
But in no sense was the fight against
John Kelly personal one That assump-
ton in itself is the most conspicuous mark
of egotism. John Kelly has no reason to
complain of the esteem in which he is per-
sonally held by the people of New York,
but the democrats have every reason to COM
plain that he as their leader, who had vic
tory in his hands three months ago, who
might have walked over the course without
opposition and elected eight out of the nine
candidates on the county ticket preferred to
throw away the canvass and destroy the fair
hopes of many well-meaning, honest demo-
Gratis rather than surrender a single preju-
dice or abate single hostility.
VIRGINIA CRY. The reports we have here
tofore received from Virginia City have indi-
Gated that the means ofrelief for the sufferers
have been coming in freely and that the de-
preston evident Immediately after the fire
was rapidly passing away. Now different
story reaches US by way Of San Francisco.
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