New-York tribune., 1878-07-20
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
GAIL HAMILToNs PAPERS.
XII.
"ptsrNrRnEsrED srArEsMANsHIPR IN ACTUAL ExER-
CIsE.

two great leaders themselves, Burke and Pitt was
often ia the sharpsst antaeonisn. Burke was for
Economical reform but against Parliamentary re-
form. rva1oh Mr.. Pitt warmly advocated. Burke"
saws Sheridan, attacked William Pitt in a scream
of passion aud sw0re Parliament was and always
had been precisely what it ought TO be,
and that all people who thought Of re-
forming il wanted TO oversurn the consttu-
tion.p Indeed Burke was sometimes so violent
in his denuncatious Of Pitt that his own comrades
spoke of him in debate as Folly personifed." He
characterized Pitts measures as worse chan house
breakiuR or highway robberg while his friends tried
10 restrain him and his foes eheGred him on. de ae-
cused Pitt Of acting treason and amid loud cries
of Order p Pitt appealed TO tue House, and IN one
case of their antagOnism vote OF censure was car
red by a large majority, upon the words which
Burke had used. Mr. Pitt retaliated upon MT Burke
for opposing his parliamentary reform by adopting
the accusation that Burke had altered and expunged
clauses according to his own tasts in a bill con-
nected with his Office, and although the Speaker
pointed out the mistake Of t1e member who made
the charge Mr. Pitt stl ciuDg TO it as handle for
censure. Pitt characterized Burke's speech as one
of real beauties and ridiculous aifectatons, and
Mr.. Burke called Mr. Pitt "the sublime of medioc-
rity.S when Mr.. Burke taunted MT. Pitt with being
a competitor for the Regency with the Prince Mr.
Pitt taunted back again that Dir. Burke did not
wish the King to recover. During the three months
struggle. while Mr.. Pitt was in the Treasury.
and the Opposition constantly outyoted, censured
and threatened him, Mr. Burke always thought
and always said that Mr.. Pitt had worked himself
into Office unfairly, if not uncOnsttutionally.'
combination chiefly of the younger members OF the
House. men who had no chance of success in con-
tending against him in any other manner.
made the moment OF hls rising a signal
for coughing; they would receive his speech
with affected laughter or with continued and
violent YOciferaiion till Bprke once stopped short
to remark that he could teach pack Of hounds
TO yelp with moro melody and equal cOnprehen-
sion,s and as several Of Mr. Pitts younger friends
were among the principal actors, he was accused OF
promoting it, The Board of Trade, which Mr..
Burke's economical reform had swept away was
Coolly reconstructed by Dir. Pitt, and his friend
Lord HaWkesbury, made lis president and his
cousin. William GrenviIle, vice-president. r
The only reason why Mr.. Eaton approves Messrs.
Burke and Pitts that they are dead. II they were
alive to-day in American politics, Mr.. Eaton would
be paving and clawing at them exactly as he is at
the men who sre alive. FOrthese Burkes and Pitts,
these intellectual athletes these public-spirited
patriots were not the disinterested statesmen the
"higher sentiment" "alists, the Eaton refOrmers OF
their day. They were the "paFtisaDs and spoils-
men.H the "mere politicians the "demagOgues,"
the party managers" They held Office, and they
sought Office openly. What would express Mr..
EatOn's horror should it be told that Mr.. COnklng
and his friends entered the house Of Utica black
smith, and finding the eectOr not at home, and his
wife reading the Bible, should say 81 called.
madame to solicit the favor of your husbands vote
and interest in she present election. You perceive"
pointing TO the Bible "are making your calling and
election sureVg Yet this is told Of Burke, with ad
miratiOn by MaeKnight.
Nav these very" disintorested statesmen these
higher sentiment" exempars, who are held mp
10 our emulation and imitation asnOn-partsans and
anti-spoilsmen these Pitts and Burkes ncOntinently
turned people out of Office for not agreeing with
them and put people into Office for supporting them,
and distributed patronage TO build up party not
only without shame and without stint, but avOw-
edly as the natural and proper thing. Mr. Eaton
cannot name man in American politics during
General Grants Administration who used
Office and patronage to build up party
moro freely than Burke and Pitt, whom
he brings forward his prototypes and our models.
They were paTtisans strong that their PARTISAN
ship was regretted by their nOn-pOitical friends.
and censured by their would be political foes who
wanted to be at the head themselves and who
thought tho reason why they were not was to be
sought in the EaachnatiOns of Pitt aud Burke, and
not in their own inability. It was Of this very
Burke. the great Figure-Hoad of our RefOrmers,
himself much less of nation. wrote:
Here lies our good Edmund whose genius was such,
We scarcely can praise u, or blame y zoo much;
Who. born for the universe narrowed ms Mind
Though fraHgst with all learning, yet strainins his
To persuade Tommy Townshend to lend him vote"
They were not only charged with being
partisans, but they avowed it, They were
not only machine politicians but they called
themselves machine politicians. and openly ridl-
culed those would-be pnblic men who named them
selves by any other name or who undertook to or
ganize themselves OF any other principle. lam
grieved 10 sayD says the sanity Wilberforce under
A6dinetOn's regime, 81 that the weakness of the
ministers is Iamentable. There is no man who
takes such a decided lead as 10 command the move
ments of the different parts Of the machine" His
complaint was not Of machine politicians, but the
lack of them. "We viii endeavor" says Earl Cam
den consoiiugly during Mr.. Pitts absence from i'll
ness ''to keep the machine moving on" Mr. Burke
was great machine politician who not only mag
niiied Office bat coniemnad those who did not
those who think that nothing exists but what is
gross and material. aud who, therefore, fan from
being qualified to be directors Of the great move
mont Of empire. are not fit TO turn wheel in the ma
chino. : Magnanimity in politics is not sell
dom the truest wisdom, and great empire and little
minds go ill together. If we are conscious OF our
situation and glow with zeal to fill our places as
becomes our station aud ourselves, We
ought 20 elevate our minds TO the greatness Of that
trust to which the order Of Providence has called
US BY adverting the dignity of this high calling
our ancestors have turned savage wilder
ness into glorious empire Burke taught
that q tho disruption Of party cOnnec-
tions was the cardinal evil of the ageP
He ridieuied Lord Chatham's nOn-partsan cabinet
as cabinet 80 variOusly inlaid such tesselated
hare "A M