The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-18
The rnll of Blaine.

We Laugh" in which he has gathered
together a wonderful number Of good
political stories, not without q purpose
But nothing in his book gives 30 satisfacto-
nv an answer 10 the question asked by its
title as the last weeks simple history of
the decline and fall Of that great Repubh-
can Emperor, Blaine. of Maine. Sidney
Smith has somewhere explained the subtle
reasons which made the tumbles of a
bishop in the public highway more
ridiculous than the tumbles of an ordinary
layman, and no bishop was ever half so
portentously episcopal in bis mien and
carriage as Mr.. Blaine, of Maine, among
his political hackers. If any one of a
dozen Republican members of congress
who might be named had put himself in the
way of getting SO severe trouncing as Mr..
Lamar was forced to administer to Mr..
Blaine on question Of constitutional law
during the debate which resulted in the
impeachment of Belknap. his Republican
colleagues might have been secretly
amused, but they would probably have
been able to suppress their mirth out OF a
fellowfeeling with the victim. But when
Mr.. Lamar calmy, coolly, almost sweetly,
led the unhappy Blaine steadily onward,
from blunder to blunder until. with Wal
lace's supreme court reports in hand, he
daintily but decisiyely turned him over
suddenly and once for all on his back, and
laid him foundering in mess of adjectiyes
on the floor, the bonds of party sympathy
itself gave way like wisps Of straw, and
the Republicans joined as heartily as the
Democrats in the Homeric laughter which
followed. Mr.. Lamar's treatment of
Blaine on that occasion has been compared
by some Of the picturesque correspondents
Of the press to the playing of cat with q
mouse. So far as the image expresses the
intellectual superiority of the victor
over the victim, it is correct enough.
But the cat which worries a mouse
undoubtedly takes pleasure in the worry
ing, either because of a certain delight in
evil-doing inherent in the feline nature,
which may account for the worship of
cats by the Egyptians. or perhaps from a
gastronomic instinct which may teach the
cat that to give its mouse little ante
nsortem moral roasting will enhance its
final favor as cats meat. Mr.. Lamar was
obviously sorry, on the contrary, to find
himself compelled to worry Blaine. He
gave the arrogant member from Name
from the false position into which he
had moons .deratley and vaingloriously
thrust himself; and even at the end, when
Blaine's persistency made it impossible
for him to rescue himself
or to be rescued by anybody
else, Mr.. Lamar. with unrufled temper
and in soft, low, almost compassionate
voice, turned to the house rs generous
gladiator in the Roman arena might haye
turned to the crowded amphitheatre when
his foe lay unsworded and unshielded al
his feet, and called for the verdict Of the
thumbs. i have great mind, Mr. Speak
''er," he said, ito let my friend off Wha
do you say, gentlemen, shall go on p
And it was only when the house, either
nobly eager to see a petulant bully made
an end of, or merely hot with the fierce
instinct which the spectacle Of a SHARP
contest always excites, cried out as with
ono voice go onl go onl Punish himl
that the sword of the Mississippiar
descended, and his helpless antagonist fel
''all of a heap" together at his feet
10 our congressional annals this seen
will long live for an example and a warn
ing. An example, as showing how mucl
more effective. even in so heterogeneous
body as the house of Representatives
are the belligerent methods Of a vel
equipped and well-bred nature, than thos
of hasty and violent one. A warning. q
showing that leader who asserts himse
habituallv by vehemence and insolenc
rather than by argument and tact, ma
surely count upon hearing the voices G
his own followers loudest in the hoars
laughter of triumph about him, wheneve
the inevitable hour of defeat which come
to all mean at least once in their caree
shall come to him. TIE tryant who Ia
once been made ridiculous, falls to rise Z
more The bully of public school onc
Unexpectedly and Thoroughly thrashet
sinks instantly and forever into tt
ranks. A single week has sufhced to sho
the completeness with which Mr.. Lam'
seven short days ago did his work upo
Blaine
On Monday an aspiring member fro
Indiana, by the name Of Baker, undertoC
to lead the pablo thought away fro
Schenck and Beknap and Williams. ar
all that class OF odious and offensive su
jects, by offering resolution about the i
tent and meaning of the constitution, Il
true theory of the government, the wicke
stract propositions. Bakers resolutiC
YVES promptly referred to the waste baske
and Mr.. Cox, of New York, with mo
comnendable alertness of mind, took
slant possession of the floor to state
plain English and with guarded accura
in the true doctrine of Democracy upon
the points which il had been the intent
the ingenious MIR. Baker to muddle for Il
benefit of the fy-gobblers, had he be-
allowed so 20 do. Mr. Cox's resolutio
were as follows, and we reproduce the
not only because, as will be presently see
they are necessary to illustrate the exte
to which the wits of Blaine have be-
dazed by his punishment of last week, b
also because they are an excellent sui
mary of sound political doctrine:
'ResoiUed, That the people OF the United stat
constitute O nation, In the sense and to the exte
and for the purposes defined In the federal const
tion
'ResOtued, That the government of the Unit
States Is a federal union, and was formed by
people Of the several states In their sovereign
pacity; that the rights and powers Of the Unit
States government defined and limited by I
federal constitution, and these rights and pow,
cannot be enlarged or diminished except by
amendment to the constitution
"Resotped That the rights OF states have the ear
sanction OF security in the constitution the rigl
and powers OF the federal government and ii
local domestic government by the several stat
within the limits OF the constitution. il absolute
necessary for the preservation of the liberties of
citizen and the continuance OF our Republican 81
tenn OF government.
"Res0LUed, That the doctrine that any state b
the right to secede from the union Is In coEf
with the idea OF perpetual union, contemplai
ing forever extinguished by the result Of the
civil conflict.
Mr., Holman judiciousIy called at on
L..