New-York tribune., 1876-01-21
THE TIME For sTATESMEN.

Small politicians waste their time i'll trying
to make capital out of temporary excitements.
Continually striving to catch the changing
phases of public opinion. they are sure to fail,
sooner or later, and then drop out of sight
forever. Statesmen devote themselves to large
and lasting public interests, and when they
prevail win power which endures. We
commend these observations to the at
tentiOn Of those persons who are excr-
cislng themselves about the details OF
the Amnesty bill or the school question.
These matters will soon be out of the way,
and the part that men have taken IN regard
to them will not be long remembered. The
favor or criticism of to-day will have vanished
tomorrow. But the man who helps to give
the country purer administration, sounder
currency less burdensOme system OF taxa
ton, more complete and enduring harmony
of races and sections, will find his name en-
prayed on the hearts of men long after the
immediate cause of their regard has passed.
There have been many of those ephcmeral
excitements which small politicians watch for
so closely. Within a quarter of century we
have seen very small men leap into notorlety
because of their opinions about the Pope, but,
shortly after, nine-tenths OF them were po-
litically dead and forgotten. The Nebraska
bill tossed many to the surface, who quietly
slipped ont of sight when the real issue be-
tween freedom and slavery was joined. The
war itself created politicians by the acre, and
killed off quite as many. Johnson's policy, and
the resistance to it, negro suffrage, and the
impeachment, each brought men into notice
who soon showed that they were mere dcma-
gogues, and were presently forgotten.
Amnesty is dead issue. The people are
not going to excite themselves to any great
extent about the political condition of Jefferson
Davis. The school question seemed to many
politicians one of vital Importance. and they
rushed at it with enthusiasm. But public
opinion quickly perceived that there was no
real danger to the school system, and the
Democrats will easily demonstrate the fact and
bury that issue out of sight for years at least,
by passing q single act. Then it will be seen
that it was a bunder to assail them where
they were not yet assailable, and they may
very likely gain more than the Republican
politicians who professed to believe that the
public school system was in grave danger. 1t
is quite possible that our relations with Spain
may presently cause some excitement, and
then we shall see the whole army of Lilpu-
tan politicians arraying itself huTiedly for
war. In little while that gust will pass
this country is not going to fight with Spain
about an island which we could not afford to
take as n gift. Then thoughtful citizens will
look with cool contempt upon the demagognes
who have been making an unnecessary fuss
about the matter, and return to the considera-
ton of permanent public interests.
So long as we have any form of paper cur
rency issued or regulated by government, the
prosperity of the country and the national
honor will depend upon the treatment of that
question. So long as we have to pay taxes, the
public prosperity will depend upon a wise
adjustment of those burdens. So long as we
have States whose citizens remember that they
were once at war against the Government, it
will be necessary to consider with care
the policy of the Government with. q
view to restore harmony and unity
of feeling without surrender OF the
cause for which the soldiers of the Union
fought. So long as We have civil service it
will be necessary to guard it from corruption.
to fight against the Generalization which par