Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-11-19
Views of sl. Gid Virsinian.

inst. prints long Interview With Mr.. Ric5aId
! Dudley Mason, Of Virginia. Mr.. Mason was
born on the l2;h of December l795, Ho is
therefore trGc short cf his eighty fourth
year. Educated in Francs. ho became at tho
esrly age OF tTenty two On attache to tho Am
eriosn Legation in London: but, wearying of
diplomatic sorvoo within the year. he gave up
his official rost and entered the University CT
Oxford. lie vas an inmate Of Corpus Christi
five years. After taking his dcercc he travelled
extensively, and returned to Arerics in the
autumn OF 1924. lilo had been abroad Just
twenty ono years. Ills fortuoo Was ample. his
noiesty at loaDt as greet as hs toruoe. aad his
| tastes simple and scholarly. He accepted
scat in the Virginia Assembly during a sioele
| session. He twice doolined scat 10 Congress
! and once seat in the Cabinet. lie was etFor-
cd tho mission to Franco By two admioistra-
| tons. but he could never b. induced to take
Office.
You do not appear" said tho Courier
journal correspondent, ito have a very high
opinion of the present race OF Gcmoseatio polit
| clans, Mr.. Mason ?'
Indeed, havo not. But for tho republican
| politicians, [ should repeat iu earnest what ]
| sad while ago in jest, that they ought 20 bo
flung ibto the Potomac. They have gone wioEg
! ever siGco tae wAr-fitst, Gil tic negro 1ues
| tioD; then GA the money QUESTION; sEd now,
on the elimination ct their b!uudcring, into an
eXigcncy on which the future Of cur system may
depend. At tho close OF the war the status Of
the negro reDlainea to be Gxsd. Tho extreme
| radicals proposed whst 6paliy eaue to pass
complete citizenship. lastead Gt nea:ins this
wild scheme with s o0u7tesschcmc, looking to
| the good Ct both races, the democratic party
! did nothing but bswl at tho radicals, After
li.yftn Il b, L.,
| they did nothing but bIWi OF thom. Ttcy
kept up this senscess outcry uctl the birth Ct
| the rsg baby, and then they took to fondli0g
this bastatd, and grooming over it, aud arrayiug
it 10 all manner OF fantisic apparel, rings on
its fingers and bells Gu its toes, and such like
| tonloolery; bringiog the honored traditions of
a long liue Of honest public men into diicscdit.
| along with the public dcccIcy and credit"
But intcrpolatcd, dreadiug somewhat a
| fioancisl dlsqusltion, "how shout the extra
session p
IA bad job Of work" slid h.; ''it was got
up to kill eff Tilden. to elect Mr.. Blackburn
Speaker OF tho House, and 10 bring Mr.. Thur.
! man torwari as tho lavorte of tho field for
President. 1t did mono OF these things. Ou
tbe contrary, 1t gayo rise to a great many fool
| lsh, excited ssyiugs and doings, revived tho
| sectional question, put club 10 tho hands OF
| the republicans, uoited tho staIwarts and the
| conservatives, aud threw every democratic in.
tcrest iuto peril. Perhaps We got tho orgaui-
za.ion of tho House by it; perhaps we didn't
| Understand trom Montgomery Blair that Dir.
| Beck, who is ScotchmsC. taxes this vioW OF
| II, but Wo must remember that tho Scotch arc
| much given to making the beat CT bld bargains
| and taking consolation where they csn get noh.
| lng bettor. | coufess | do not SEQ it 10 that
I liuh | in - A.
less to be forgiven because it spraog from mo.
! tives ct personal advancement"
"Do you really think 60 p
u am sure 1t, Thsre has. indeed. ncv:r
! been party whose leaders w;rn so uatruo to
| it as the democratic party. They &c: like
| body Of condottlore, who know not when they
| may bo required to fight ou the other side.
They talk muoh about "prlucp!e5,' and have
none. They make DO sacrifices"
But is not this the lack of leadership? lt
Ger. jackson we're alive would il bs SOP"
'Gcnerai jackson was O man Of firm will.
lilo was military hero and dubbed his way
into power. He lived when nan-wo.shp fol-
lowed SUCCESS in public life. Parties were bet
ter drilled than they ore now. doubt if any
man could discipline tho sc,ttcred forces or
command obedience of tho guerilla ctcft1ins
whom stress Of po!iiosl weather has driven
into the democrat fold went uD to Wash.
ogton during the wiuter Of 1877 to mcet aud
spend iow hours with rny old friend Charles
lOCon1r. learned from him macy curious
facts. Among other matt:ra OF interest no
told me that Immediately afttr the Presidential
| eectioo, end as soon az it became clear thero
was gciog TO be cootcst o7cr tic count OF tho
vote, MIR. TilIan drew series Of resolutions
deii1iog the powers of tho llorss; he prepared
r. Il h.. hn y,,,f tI,n t,,,t
tho hands of Mr. kaott, of Kcn!ucky, who
carried tho plan through bis committee and
made eraat speech 10 support Of it. That
very day the electoral bill. created in tho Be-
clu:ion OF committee r0ou, was reported
tlr. Tliden's plan was ru:hlsss'y set aside. Mr
Koost was submerged. Now, il under tho c;rs
oumstances tho democ;stic leaders 10 Con
grcss would not follow their elected PresiI
dent upon % explicit and teDablo liac. COM
batting tho tight Of the Vice Pres dsnt to
o,uns the vote, whom would they follow Not st.
Paul, | judge, if ho should dsscopd from
heaven to earth, with bona 6de credentials and
a message from tho Great jehovah Tbere ia
hsrdly single member of the Senate who
docs nos orc day expect 10 be President. The
lightning has so often struck where no one
looked to SEQ it EtrikC-as In tho cases of Polk
and Perc, aud Hsyes-that every Ittie OBJ
scutiiy thinks it may strike him. Thrs they
are all sclf-5e, kcIs The fret thing they con-
slider is themselves; the last thing their country.
Being without fidelity to their country, .hey
cannot be truly faithful TO their party. Tho
republicans affect tho virtue ifthey have it not,
ard when they lag they are Wtirisd to it by
the party discipline, and 50 ttey Deceive people
By their superior tao. and address. The demo
cra!s hava not been Of Washington long enough
! TO DO proficient i2 sais respect, and ara COG"
tinuslIy alloWi;;g their dcs!re to expose thci,
lack Of v1sue.
"vad speak hardly, sir"
l would be upj just to no man, NOT to ary sei
lot men. After al, what is it % me | want n.
Sthoe, nor oOu'd fll one il [ could get one
But II ls true that tho democratic ead.ig have
thIown away what the democratic masses WOO
and tnat with blind, uuressoniue folly, whish
10 not tar removed from maduess."