The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-15
DOES THE VENERABLE POET CHERISH LATENT
POLITICAL AMBITION p-LIKE UNTO GREE
LEY-TuDEN' TACT AS PRESIDENTIAL

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Asp1RANT.
lFRox AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT
ALBANY, Feb. 10, 1875.
On the high authority OF our guest the distin.
guisned poet from the metropolis. we learn that
the dead are cverywhere-on the mountains and
the plains, the sea and the sands-not to mention
closets under OBSCURE stalrways, where they have
LEFT only the proverbial skeleton.
'ss wns 81 sS nS 80
And 90 on-crowdng In oil the geographical
names that viii run ON nve feet OF more or less
inexoraole iamoics In fact, the great poem OF Mr..
Bryan: contempates the earth as one vast howl.
ing graveyard, rushing continuous funeral pro.
cession through space at an iucomprehensiole
number OF miles per hour. As everybody must
die, and everybody Ia apt to be buried more or
less decently-and every inch OF the earths sur.
face has In all probability been peopled at time
or another the thought ID within the limits nay,
It is perhaps too strictly and prosacally true 10 be
poetical; and IL gives new measure OF Mr.. Bry.
ants talents to contemplate the success with
which he has used In poetry an essentially I'M.
poetic and disagreeable theme. yotaire made
characteristic use Of the main thought OF 'Tnana-
topsis'' wnen he argued that every particle OF the
earths surface had at one time formed Q portion
OF some human creature-and even of several hu-
man creatures-lor there mad been generations
enough 10 use up the surface OF the earth many
times In the structure Of humanity; and further.
that the Angel Gabriel in calling general resur.
rection would excite no end OF disputes between
people who would set up rival claims to the same
particle OF matter as proper constituent element
OF their bones or other parts. This Is less poetl.
cal statement OF tile than Mr.. Bryant's. but 1t
puts the facts In q clearer light.
DEAD MEN AND DEAD DUCKS.
Mr.. Bryant has, therefore, 1t is evident. thought
deeply IN his day OF the plumber Of dead men
there are In the world; and people here wonder
little If he has ever reflected with equal force on
the number OF what Mr.. Andrew Johnson once
called 'dead ducks" Has he pondered on the
number OF defunct politicians who try to man.
Guvre their own resurrections, and who, left
badly crippled by the wayside, hobble up and try
ridIculousy to take one more turn In the great
foot Tor office. 1t was the opinion OF the late
lamented Juvenal that no man knew his own
house so well as he Guvenan knew the Grove OF
Mars anc tho Cave OF Vulcan and the Eoan
Craas, to which the poets of his Time made casual
relerence-the places ana what happened there
Qutd ue'Mt a0ant QuaS unaoras 4Eacus torQueat;
and similarly none OF Mr.. Bryanrs own
lines should be more close to his memory than the
picture that must be familiar to him as IN editor
OF the morlbund politician who will not die
quietly and be buried, and so become one Of the
nles In the amber OF political 'Thanatopsis," but
who struggles to his leet once more. perhaps with
the fancy that he Is game, but in truth only to
prove that he has lamentaoly misjudged his ca.
pacity as compared with the obstacles he has to
overcome.
THE POETS POLITICAL USE.
Already, as you are aware, our Governor 1s In
for the Presidency, and certainly his claims as a
candidate are more than respectable; but 1t must
be thought that he makes au ungenerOus use Of
the poor old poet as q cover under which to stalk
his game. He brought Mr. Bryant here ostenslDly
him IN the middle Of whrlwind OF political pro-
1ects. In which he IS apt to simulate his famous
prototype IN gray, denounclng tyrants and rulers
Loose his beard, ana hoary hair
etreamcd like q meteor to the troubled air.
Mr.. BRYANT was brought up to put the Governor
formally on the Presidential course and ne has
done 1t. He has definitely nominated him at
dinner OF small oiirarchs IN the true democratic
AS have said above, the claims OF Governor
Tllden are more than respectable. They valid
nrmly the doctrine SO acceptable to the people put
IN os Prsaer ensc mat
ofnce-holder. He is also man VINO maintains that
theory OF cur federal government which prevailed
abuse Oy the southern democrats, but whicn needs
reassertton, because the contrary view OF the re-
publcans-the notion that there are no States so
BY favor OF COngress-is seen 10 be necessarily
runous TO our whole fabric. Mr.. Tilden has
national lame as the man most conspcuOusy as
soc;ateo WITH e great assertion OF public indi0-
nation against ofnclal thieves; the man most
prominent ior his services against the great evil
OF our time, and the man Endorsed as such by the
people Of THIS State.
MR.. TlLDEN's TACT.
With these points commonly recognized tt
was only question Of times, places and persons,
when MS name should be formally given TO the
pubic IN this connection; and Mr.. Tilden has
chosen MS person and Ills time with his usual
adr0itness Ii there Is nything that the people
pect IN these days 1t ~ the nominating convention
and It's common product OF unknown men and IT,
on the other hand, there IL an especially paatable
mOrSsl III politics II Is to see name growing so IN
the politicians to stand or TALL, they decide to
accept or reJectit Ilden's game. therefore. Is to
make COR meudable heahway in popular thought
before ne goes TO the politicians. Hence he
caused the suggestion OF his name to come from
the gentleman who was called IN the Legislature
''the most distinguished citizen OF our country"
IL was 10 give 10 Tden's name the value IN the
peoples estimation OF everything that comes from
Mr.. Bryants mouth. No doubt, moreover, as the
nomination OF man OF ripe experience, who has
tried all parties. and VINO Is IN high repute Tor
many sufficient reasons It will command thought
1ul attention.
. BRYANT'S LATE AMBITION.
But Mr.. Bryant apparently Is to have his
beneut IN the case. And this Is such recogni-
years OF republican ascendancy rom party to
wnlcn ne mas rendered capable and lntelliget
servl5e he wants 0hice apparently. and people
ala not dream this and he viii lose In popular
esteem III proportion as the TACT is known ana rec
ognizeu he repeats IN some points the history
OF Greeiey. Fighting the battles Of the public for
many Years ne IS seen at last to he ready to 60
over from the peoples SIDE to the side OF the Office
holders he has criticised so constantly and per-
slstenty. IL Is at last evident that he was not IN
spired so much with ervor for the public cause as
with desre to profit IN his person ~ changes IN
oncehoIuers. HIS coquetting with rilden IS an an.
nouncement to the republican party equivalent to
Greeey's letter dissovng the nrm or seward,
Weed aGreeey.