Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-08-16
A WHISPER WITH CARL scHURz.

A WHISPER WITH CARL scHURz.
Carl Schurz Is the ablcst disputant
and the feeblest leader Of American
politics, lie Is nothing II not revolu-
tionary he cherishes unrest when
others rule, and crushes the sccptre
with unbalanced waywardness when
it comes within his grasp He is o
political dreamer who is ever vexcd ut
failure and fretful over the real or i'm
aginary imperfections Of victory. He
hurls bis thunders at the shadows
which dit over his political pa thway,
and heaps curses upon the sunshine be-
cause the God of day Is not spotless.-
lie theorises Of parties such as angels
would create OF political achievement is
which would be unmarried by the
hunger OF the placeman; Of candidates
who would promise nothing, award
nothing for political merit, and then
he would rccoiI from the ungrateful
victor who thought not Of the green
est laurels for Carl Schurz. A master
rcvolutionist, he is ever faithful to bis
calling and when his revolution is
complete over his foes, he straightway
breeds revolution to invite failure over
his own works. He is happy only
when miserable, and his single unmixed
sadness is when the Dead Sea fruit OF
victory comes to mock him. In the
early struggles of Republicanism, when
to plead its cause was to invite the
obloqny OF the country and to quicken
the hate of the men who now revel in
its highest places, Carl Schurz was the
leader of leadcrs--thc ablest, the brav-
est champion OF them all. His plume
was topmost and his shield brightest
in the forlorn hopes of early Republi-
can conflicts. He-wrestled with Doug
las and mastered him when be had
scarcely learned our language, and
from the far ives, he pleaded tho cause
of the manhood of every race through
out the Kansas tempest, with an elo-
quencc and power which made ma
ton pause. And thus he battled until
a national victory for his party brought
its shadow for its ablest defender. He
was last on the field, teaching an un.
selfish patriotism, and he was first at
the throne when the laborcrs came for
their hire. He sought to bear to a
foreign court the revolutionary resent
ments he had nursed in the Father
land, and the grateful Lincoln obeyed,
but only to recall the foolish blunder
that offered an insult to friendly
power when rebellion was laundering
within sound of the Capitol. His am
bition then turned to squadrons he
would set in the sanguinary field and
hurl them as sweeping reapcrs Of death
against the heroes Of the stars and
bars, and he went and conquered not.
lie could criticise our tardy generals,
plan the grandest campaigns, define
the proper conduct OF the war to the
minutest details, settle questions Of in
ternational law with the dash of his
brilliant pen, teach Presidents how
Presidents should teach, and advise
cabinets how cabinets should advise
but the history that tells of the patient,
hopeful progress, through storm and
sunshine, through bereavement and
victory to the grand consummation, is
forgetiul OF Carl Schurz.
When peace came Carl Schurz man
fully braved the terrible tide Of sec
tional passion that war had lett TO vex
the land, and a grateful State, hap
PLY rescued from the angriest internal
conflict, made him Senator. 1t was
the field of all others worthy of his
pre-eminent ability, but he was on the
side of power. Had he come TO battle
with the Senate of 1860 he would have
ridden on the storm OF parliamentary
disputation, and lowered above his fol.
lows in lordly pride. He stood on his
supreme pinnacle of studied states
manship and confessed intellectual
mastery, and looked down in contempt
and pity upon the little ones who were
his peers or clothed with authority
that fate cruelty denied to him. And
when the trial came, and others bent
or prostrated themselves before fitful
power, he stood erect and was broken.
He saw Grant and Morton and Conk-
ling and Cameron toy with his theories
make merry over his eloquence, pour
contempt upon his logic and defy the
revolutionist He saw Sumner smit.
ten by his side, with an approving
Senate, and one who had ineAaccably
markad a naf,onis ehap,a ornyn.d