New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-17
John Y.

|
He had shined upon Ncw-Jersey, 1t is true, in
a somewhat largo and discursive and yet a
limited local way for years, but had not
bulged upon the world. To-day he fills the
worlds large mouth, ways on the great public
| tongue, dwells in the ear Of mankind. IL was
John Y. who wrote I" the Foster letter. He
is no longer New-Jersey's; he belongs to the
country-tO history. The more we consider
| him and go round HIM and ponder of him, the
more struck we are with him. The general
public seems struck with him. The Hon. James
| G.. Blaine also is struck with him. Possibly
| likewise by lightning. 1t is so strange, SO
passing strange, that John Y. should have so
| long blushed unseen and wasted his sweetness
on New jersey air when he had things in him
| that the race waited for. And that he should
blossom ont in this unexpected manner in
letter to Mr. Blaine which should happen TO
| fall into the hands of a newspaper editor, who
should fling it abroad regardless. And yet
there it is; q great historical fact, with John
| 7. at the bottom of it. Should he never put
pen to paper again, he may even now reckon
himself among the imm0rtals. With the proud
step of q Complete Letter Writer he marches in
the most stately and impressive way INTO
history. II is too early now to discern whether
he bears scalps at his belt or, if any. whose
we may only dimly dceciy his progress and be
sure he is historic and heroic. No man can
make the generous offer John Y. did in his
letter to Mr.. Blaine without at once stepping
like cataract or some such ophthalmic dis
turbance INTO the public eye. 81 told you,"
sad John Y. in the historic epistle which all
the world has read eighteen months ago l
told you that you could have New-Jersey III
"1S76." History records but one such instance
of generosity, and that occurred upon the top
of a high mountain whence all the kingdoms
of the world, including possibly Newark, New
jersey were in sight.
IL il any wonder that the country turned its
face at once to the tableau-John Y, from his
place of sentinel on Freedoms ramparts, put
ting forth his largo benevolent hand through
the medium of the Post Office Department to
aIr. james c. Blaine of Augusta, Maine, and
saving d" Here is New Jcrsey: take her and
abe happy Not only that John Y. bestOws
advice when he gives away State. Says John:
a potent factor in oar next convention
"will he the secret nti-Catholic order. Grant is
"a member, and it has good deal of strength
in Congress- And he adds in what must be
whisper-it reads like a whisper-the very
type in which it stands looks muiiied and
mysterious-"l think you ought to go H."
"Jhe order" he says, is spreading widely"
and he thinks eve can hold the country"
Not for "any hap-hazard candidate :" that he
saws is hardly worth the CANDLE" what he
wants to hold it for no tells Blaine, and tells
him as como Of a vast multitude )" it's :" for
"you.r Observe, he gives him New-Jersey
outright, and proposes to hold the country
for him. Only, he whispers to him, 81 think
81 you ought go in" to the secret anti-Catholic
order 1t was too bad that a liberal, whole
souled letter like that. fall of advice and in
formation and consolation, should have leaked
out into an opposition newspaper Because 1t
has made it necessary for John Y. to write
several other letters to explain it. 1t has
made him famous--but has confused him. The
slly-rockety manner in which he assembled
into notoriety bothered his intellect little at
first so that he was not quite certain that he
had ever written any letter to Blaine, and he
was very uncertain about what was in it il
he had. When he did at last pull himself
together and write the explanatory letter pub
lished the other day in The TRIBUNE, he
talked, as or readers viii remember, like a
philosopher ard statesman.
Nothing could be clearer, or more definitely
and we may say beautifully stated, than John
US views on they've were about to say, on
the school question, but upon examination we
are not certain that he refers to the school
question: But he says and adds it for himself,
if rs he modestly suggests anybody cares for
his opinion, "that holding our free institu-
"tions to be inestimably precious, and be-
"lieying with Disrael that the highest duty
"of the modern Christian citizen is to encOur-
cage by liberal, Don-sectarian education the
development and uplifting of his Individual
"fellows, rather than TO cxpend his strength
in building uD creeds and systems, l con-
slider all associations, whether secret or open,
"to be defcnSlbIe which look TO the preserva-
ovation of these institutions and the removal
"of all burdens and restraints which impede
"the elevation or prevent the utmost possible
"growth of every individual man-of whatever
nationality creed OF color-whom they may
"in any wise influence or affect" This
shows John Y. at his best. What he is i'll
favor of is "the' utmost possible growth of
"evcry individual man" He and Disraeli are
together on that subject, and the country
breathes freer now that the fact is known.
we congratulate John y. on his suddenly
acquired fame as the author of the Foster
letter; but now that he has so clearly defined
bis opinions, we suggest to him that he will
do well to rest on his laurels, and not explain
any more at present. Fame such as his can't
he trihcd with. Let him be content.
THfT DOES 1T AMOUNT Tor