The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-03-06
Speaker Blaine.

The CAPITAL, the noted paper of Dom Piatt,
published at Washington, which so frequently
scourges Republican Congressman, and only
once in an age speaks we'll of one Of its party
opponents, contains handsome notice of
Speaker Blaine as he appeared on the night of
February 25th. The partisauship of Dom Piatt
is seen all through the article, but we, never
theless, commend it to our readers:
The spectators in the galleries and members
upon the floor of the House who were cool
enough amid the excitement to make note of
events on the night of the 18th of February,
epioyed rare intellectual treat in the control
Mr.. Speaker Blaine maintained over that tur
buent body. 1t is no exaggeraton to say that
the event was without parallel in the annals of
parliamentary rulings. And well as the House
seemed to know the Speaker in his many years
as q presiding officer, he appeared as another
and different man on this trying occasion.
Called in from dinner party, he was in full
dress, and his handsome figure in its we'll
fitting costume added to the dramatic effect OF
the scene. We are moving slowly but surely
into anarchy and revolution, and the majority
advocating bill on this occasion that trans
forms our republic at once from republic to
a despotism, were fercely determined to drive
it through regardless of form, while the mi
nority, equally in earnest, were bent upon de-
feating the eonspirators, let the means used be
what they might. .-...u. g..
This was the body Mr.. Speaker Blaine was
called upon to control, and his frmness, digni-
ty, fairness, quickness of apprehension and ac-
ton were something marvellous, and won ad-
miratien from even those he had subdued and
reduced to order. He seemed to pass from the
rapier to the whip with a lightning like rapid
ity-always right and always successful-that
made the contest hopeless on the part of the
more turbulent. And yet all this was done
with such grace, patience and gentlemanly
courtesy that after the affair was ended and
peace came on the heels of the fierce struggle,
| the admiration was open, hearty and general.
We will be but poorly understood ii we leave
| the impression upon our readers that in this
| there was merely display of parliamentary
| tactics. The Speaker found himself racing q
| House hot with evil passions, and partlzan
| zeal. in the midst of revolution. and from hign
| natriotjo impulse he alone lifted it from chaos
| INTO order. At times his clear voice could be
| heard above the tumult, not in appeal to rea-
| son but in the commanding tone of one COM
| ,n;sssoped to control. And although assailed
| from all sides by confusion that originated in
| the ugliest passions, set upon by vexed ques-
| tions. he never for a second lost that control,
while some of his rulings reached the level OF
| the highest oratory.
| Wehave regarded Mr. Blaine for many years
| as one of the most brilliant of our more emf.
| nent men, but on this occasion he taught friends
| and foe alike that he is animated by the lofti.
| est impulses. He sank the partisan in the pa
| triot and it Is to be regretted that through the
| mean greed and corruption of the creatures
| about him, he is forced to retire from the front
| from the Presidency itself-to o subordinate
position.