Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1876-02-23
EX-SPEAKER BIAINE.
His Fame as "a Debater44zsea-Eslcsu
of "Tho Gentleman .frqna aEaine.''
Washington Correspondence of the Chicago

| Z
Washington Correspondence Of the Chicag
Tribune.
Almost as common as Z What's tht
news ?" is becoming the query
" What is Blaine at now2 or 'sWha
will he do next?' Theg Democratic
caucus, of late so assidaoualy kept up
is, more than to any oths cause, d ue
to what Blaine did in routing the en-.
tire Democratic majorityein the am.
nesty debate. They are SehE busy &C.
counting for the disasteE that befell
them from his attack single-handed
and frsm their discomfortsd theorlz-
ing over it, perhaps down to the
latest generation, they va still be
explaining it, as the wofsAippers OF
the First Napoleon do in accounting
for Waterloo, by soleHlnI5K Kdeclaring
that it was the hand of Dbtiny that
did it. In all their caueipg, too,
| the object seems quite SsAmuch to
guard against what Biafnes lay DO sss
| Il is to discover the Iong-lJat princi-
! pies of the Democratic partF. He is
the awful warning Of the Democratic
statesmen, the leaders among whom
are believed to quiet the raw Fntamed
in the Democratic infant ciab by re-
mnding them what Blaine did and
what Blaine may do.
On the Republican side there is
scarce less eager expectancy @s to
what Blaine is going to do He
makes no confdants, but forms his
own plans and these, it is sfelt, are
liable to prove quite as much "a sur
prise to the Republicans as to the
Democrats. Not, however, becIuse of
any apprehension that he may blum
der. Instead, since the awakening of
the country by the amnesty debate,
there is an almost unbOundel conf
denCe in his political saga5ity-sO
much so that, as a prOminentRepub-
lican, committed to another Candidate
for the Presidency, remarked IF
Blaine merely rose in his seat and
moved an adjournment, everybody
would detect something Cccult in it,
and declare it was the most bCilliant
thing ever done upon the flOoB" So
they wait for him to take thetnitia-
tive, prepared TO follow, not sd much
from enthusiasm for him as finn an
innate conviction that, with quicker,
keener foresight than anybodg else,
he will be first to perceive what to
do and the time for doing it. He
does not lead" said the olde8 and
shrewdest politicians here, "as did
following. they follow fBiainl, not
because they are afraid of him,
but because, somehow or other they
feel that they would perpstrate
an almost irretrievable blunder i1they
didn't follow him. His position if it
does not make him master of thasitu
alton, is full Of opportunity. II, as
some Of his critics assert, he is pnly
smart, it is full of peril; while, lf he
half equals the expectations of his adj
mirers, he will distance all coni5eti-
tors in the race for the Presi dRne... So
it is that he is now the centeEo fIz5 5as,E-l
70 aL.l lar a.i q yali4ig9 II6' "GJdnns1tron
at Cincinnati-Which is what engages |
the working hours of every able~bOdied
male citizen Of the District, and what
he dreams about of ights-everybOdy
makes his calculations subject to the
contingencies of what Blaine may do
-tacitly admitting, the while, that |
Blaine is very liable to smash all the |
states.
He looks surcharged with tremen-
dOuS nervous energy, so irresistibIy !
him that the steambrakes !
slow him down to 500 reVOlu- !
tions per minute. When there is moth |.
ing to work it offit seems to efervesCe |
in b0yish eXuberance of spirits, Or he |
darts hither and thither across the hall, |
up and down the aisles, or through |
the lobby with inCessant activity. His |
habitual air is that of man intent up
on Overtaking Tomorrow, and driving |
ahead at such tremendous speed that |
nobody would be surprised if he did
it. Physically he is q splendid type
of manhood; Of commanding stature,
straight as q Maine pine, broad-shoul-
dered and of EtalWart, muscular frame,
n tTifie stout, but with step quick as a
boys, and every movement as free
and supple as that of trained athlete.
He has a full, high forehead large,
keen, Observant eyes; nose slightly
and of the sort that adds to
the the look of q push h-aheadativenes ess
that is imprinted on his every feature.
His short cropped beard, which half
cOnceals his lower face, gives him an
of military precision. In speech he is
rapid, but distinct in utterance and
clear cut in expression makes no
apparent attempt at rhetorical graces,
but is forcible, pungent, and at times
eloquent, while always terse
and pointed and maTvelously quick at
Tepartees, and when most intense is
most master Of himself and thoroughly
SeIf-pOlSed. lie GOES not seek Occa-
sion to speak, but as often as he takes
the floor letter-writing and conversas
tion cease, and every body listens, for
it is expected he will say something,
which expectation he has thus far been
very far from disappointing at this ses-
sion, He is bending every energy to
race for the Presidency; and such are
the great strides he is making that it
is tacitly admitted here generally that
if he holds out as he began he must
succeed.