The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-28
secretary sherm.n.. speech.

same amount of attention in this country
which they habitually receive in England
and France. A set speech by Beaconsfield
or Gladstone is discussed by the English
press with as much elaborate gravity as the
news of a battle or great puoilc
event, and the French press paid the
same mark of respect to every speech
of Theirs and pays it now to every speech
of Gambetta. There was period III 81
history when the speeches of our foremost
statesmen commanded an equai. degree OF
attention. No speech of Webster's, no
speech of Clays, and, in one part OF
his life, no speech OF Stewards co"io
have been lightly passed over by the
press without d feeling on the part
of the public that it had been defrauded
of information in which it took the deep
est interest. The comparative lndlf-
ference to such efforts which has ensued IS
a conspicuous proof of the decay of Ameri-
can eloquence. Our present race of states
men are perhaps not inferior to their
predecessors in clearness of head and bust
ness capacity, but they lack the fervor, the
glow, the warm and deep sympathy with
popular feeling, the captivating force OF
language and aptness of illustration
which made the American eloquence
tellectual repast, of which no intelligent
citizen was willing to be deprived. The
speeches of the present era have lost that
magical attraction. They are read labori-
ously by men in quest of information as a
sort of task work, but nobody feels lifted
by them into higher intellectual atmos-
phere Our great orators have died out, and
instead of the eloquence which stirs and
electriies we have only the cold statements
Of clear-h eaded and adroit men of affairs,
which differ from the great speeches OF
foiier days as the tame argument of an
English under secretary would differ from
The keen and dexterous thrusts of Beacons-
field or the copious and commanding elo-
quence of Gladstone. We are treated to
wearisome information and reasoning in
stead Of the bright intellectual glow of
high order of speaking.
The clever and adroit speech of Secretary
Sherman last evening is no exception to the
general decay of political eloquence in this
country. We are sorry that he did not con-
fine himself to mere argument, in which he
is strong since, in deviating from that line,
he fell into faults of taste unbeittihg his
dignity as high officer of the government.
| Why need he have descended to the false
wit and insult of saying that the democratic
party for the last twenty years ''must have
had the devil on it's side?" It did
not quite become him to declare
that ..the great effort of the demo-
cratic party seems to be to find some
financial policy upon which they can gain
votes, cheat and mislcad the people" Why
need he assail the motives and impugn the
sincerity of his political opponents? This
kind of language would i'll beseem the
if he had never himself been vulnerable
to the same kind of attack. But it is
an unfortunate part of Mr. Sherman's
record that he at one time gave in
to the greenback heresy. His own
errors on this subject should have
taught him diffidence and charity. Can he
have forgotten that the imitation bill, which
President Grant killed by his veto, in the
spring of 1874, was zealously supported by
more republicans than democrats, and that
the late Senator Morton was its foremost
champion? 1t was only the frmness and
political courage of President Grant that
saved the republican party from wallowing
democrats. 1t is quite proper for
Secretary Sherman to expose the errors
of the democratic inhatonists, but it does
not become him to impeach their sincerity
and inculpate their motives in view of the
fnct that Congress republican in both
branches was saved from fatal imitation
plunge only by President Grants intrepid
veto. 1t is lucky for the republican party
that it was saved from that colossal blum.
der, but the credit of it's rescue is not due
to itself but to the resolute and plucky
wisdom of General Grant. The indulg
ent construction of motives by which
alone the republican party of 1874 can
be shielded should be charitably ex.
tended to the imitation democrats Of 6
more recent period, especially as theft
recent great check in Ohio is likely to dc
for them what General Grants memorable
veto did for the imitation republicans. Il
will not do for Secretary Sherman to forge
how recently the Western republicans were
carried away by the same financial GRAZ,
as the Western democrats. Instead
of viifying the motives of the demo
Gratis it would have been more deco
rous and magnanimous for MIR. Sher
man to have congratulated the country tina
both parties are at length in fair way t.
be cured of the financial lunacy with which
the Secretary himself was at one time in
fected.
Batting these faults of taste, the fnancia
part of Mr.. Sherman's speech deserves
nrch cnmm q n dntion. Hn is entitlad e