New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-22

The West asks for a statesman. 80 does
the East. A statesman is the general need.
Not a narrOw-braincd politician, whose lottiest
ambition is to win a little favor for the
moment by counting local whms. We have
enough of those and to spare. Not fanatic
sectionalist, who hopes to make himself
popular by robbug one section to please
another. OF those, TOO, this country has
more than enough. A statesman is wanted, III
the best and broadcast and highest sense;
man who will steadily subordinate private
schemes and local notions and sectional pre-
iudccs to the National welfare; who will
fearlessly meet local hostility, if need be- in
faithfully serving his country; who will not
demean himself by appealing 10 the dishonest
greed of Western debtors or Southern claimants,
or TO private interests of Eastern lenders. or to
Republican passion or Democratic VlndlctlVc-
ness but will bravely demand justice. honor
and prosperity for the whole country, and
know no smaller motive. For such man
there is grand opportunity. The Nation
needs him, and the decent and sensible men
of both parties and of all sections will do him
honor Is that what the West wants The
Cincinnati Commercial says:
The country waiting for some Congress OF tho
propcr XII to make himself name. A~>uIcdly il
/, not too much to expect that, III like This when
no sacrifice is required, hut only The exercise Of indus
try understanding and ccarsightcd patriotism The quc
tons Of The may at least receive proper attention
Why this lament! Has not The CommcrciqI
its Bland, its Ewing and its Matthew'S If
These are not the sort of statesmen it wants,
what does it want? If they ave lacking in
understanding or clcar-Sightcd patriotism,
what is to be said of their latest perform
anccs? Industry enough they certainly have
shown What is the trouble This, simply:
they have cultivated the ignorance and pan
dcred to the prcjudices of a locality OF section,
and have ignored the true and permanent
interests of the whole Nation. For thai reason,
and no other, the world knows them "a narrow
sectional politicians, and history will forget
them when it makes the roll of statesmen.
They are the men who have infamed local
prcjudices by many appeals, until 1t has come
10 BASS that sectional divisions as sharp as
ever appeared before the civil war are seen
on the very questions which peculiarly affect
the honor the prosperity, and the sacred
faith of the whole Nation. That these are
not the statesmen needed, may well be ad-
mited.
Ii Is not 50 clear that ono sacrifice Is re-
"quired.' Only few months ago a man of
rare understanding, great gifts and industry,
and patriotism, proved in trying times, was
hunted in Ohio as if he had been Il malcfactor.
Why9 Because James A. Garfield was not
willing to dishonor the flag for which he had
fought, and was not SO narrow of sight as TO
perceive only the flceting passions of q section.
He stood manfully for National honor rs the
only foundation OF National prOsperty for
payment of legal-tenders according 10 the
pledge of 1875; for payment of bonds ac-
cording to the just and wel-authorized
understanding of creditors. For that act of
fidelity to National obligations and National
welfare, he was bounded by all the zealots of
total or partial reputation, as man untrue
to the wishes and supposed interests of his