Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-06-18
The Greater Influence.

The New York Herald, in reviewing the
lives of our former Presidents, says we
"have had five who will always stand out in
bold relief on the historical cauvas-namely
Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and
Grant. The first and the last were great
military characters; the middle one, Cen
eral jackson, would never have had been
elected President but for his brilliant victory
at New Orleans; but unlike the two other
military characters in this illustrious list
Jackson's popularity in the highest civil
station surpassed and eclipsed his fame as a
soldier. Each of the five was twice elected,
and all of them, except Lincoln, lived for
longer or shorter periods in honored retire.
ment. The two civilians in this list of great
Presidents had one remarkable point of re-
semblance, though perfect contrast to each
other in every other respect, except the
honesty and patriotism which was common
to the whole FIVE The resemblance between
jefferson and Lincoln consisted in their un.
rivalled skill in "the art of putting things "
iu such manner as to command the i'm
mediate assent of ordinary minds. 1t is
difficult to say which of the two possessed
this faculty in the superior degree. We
should hesitate to award the palm to Jeffer-
son, even in written statements, but in power
of apt illustration in conversation, with the
aid of opposite anecdotes, Lincoln was alto.
gether the more ingenious man of the two.
Both made profound impression on their
contemporaries without assistance from mill
tary glare; but no two able men were ever
more unlike in point of culture. Jefferson
was an elegant scholar, man Of wide and
various acquisitions, with social tastes and
accomplishments which made him favorite
of French society in its most brilliant period
Lincoln, OH the contrary, was the untutored
child of nature, an uncouth backwoodsman,
whose only intellectual resource was his
mother wit and whose social success
such as he had, depended on his inimitabe
and exhaustless power of telling pat, humor'
Gus stories on every occasion. Among our
Presidents he and jefferson were unrivalled
in the art of stating political truths in so pun
gent and Ineligible way that the average
citizen could not merely understand them,
but accept them with keen relish. Had
Lincoln been spared to finish his second
term and live in retirement he would, per
haps, have been as much courted and con
suited as any of the great ex-Presidents.
"Three of the other four were almost as
influential in private life as they had been
in office. When we seemed on the point Of
war with France not only was Washington {
opinion taken, but he was appointed by the
| President in office to the command of the
| Americ an armies about to be raised. Thai
falling back upon him in the hour of danger
! was a greater mark of honor than woulc
| have been his election for third term. i
demonstrated that his greatness was per
sonal and not merely official Jefferson
lived many years after the expiration of hi
second term, and he was habitually con
suited on all great occasions by Madison
and Monroe, his immediate successors. Thu
paternity of the so-called Monroe doctrine
really belongs to Jefferson. When Canning
made his celebrated overture the paper
were sent to Jefferson by President Monroe
and his opinion asked. His energetic repl,
is the best and boldest statement on recor'
of the celebrated doctrine which Presiden
Monroe proclaimed to the world in mex
message. jackson was also industriousl
consulted at the Hermitage by the publ
men of his party, but on one memorable oc
casion they abused his confidence by draw
ing from him the letter in favor of the in
mediate annexation of Texas, which cause
the defeat of his friend Van Buren,. Blu
even that fact demonstrated his great al
thority as the adviser of his political party.
The review of the Herald seems to hav
been made at the present time for the sp'
cial purpose of applying the teachings c
history to the case of General Grant, whit
it believes, "would receive more honor an
exert greater real power as the courte
counsellor of his party in private static
than he could derive from another electio
to the Presidency. An influence like Thu
exerted in retirement by Washington, /
Jefferson, by Jackson, would crown h
fame by exhibiting the superiority of IL
man to the highest titles. His future pla'
is in the illustrious rank of ex-Presiden
whose influence did not expire with the
retirement from Office"