Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-10-09


host Of political antagonists is eager
ly watching to pick a hole in his
reputation, is constraining mo-
tive to the public man to guard
well his integrity and preserve it
even from the suspicion of evil.
Our public men, those that have
themselves as such to
the end of their lives, have been
stainless, irreproachable men. Who
dares now to impugn the characters
of our Grundys, Folks and Jack
sons, our Bells and Henrys? They
soar above us in an atmosphere
which detraction fails to reach, and
where Islander canrIot breathe. 1t
is true that unprincipled men have
now and again shotup into momen-
tary brilliancy, but they have none
continued to the end. Brilliant tall
ents without moral integrity have
never met with continued success
in political life. Ever the gifted
Clay, with all his eloquence and
social aptitude, never recovered
from a suspected infidelity to party
allegiance; but we have a more
pregnant instance but recently
passed from us in the person of
Henry S. Foote, to show chat the
man Of loose principles is not the
permanently successful one. When
the giants Of the last generation had
passed away, such as Clay, Calhoun
and Webster, there was no figure
left on the political platform more
conspicuous than Foote for admitted
talent and ability. Could he have
gained mems confidence as he
gained their admiration, there is
nothing he might not have aspired
to; but faith was not in him what
ever political connection he might
join, Immediately he began conspir-
ing against it and making terms
with some other clique who might
offer him better things. AT last,
having been trusted by every polit-
zeal organization of the last forty
years, and having betrayed every
one as soon as trusted by it, he had
lost the confidence of all and was
taken up by the republican party,
which he had been .denouncing all
his life, and employed by it to lead
forlorn hope in Tennessee. He
was beaten and his employers con-
temptuously threw him bone of
treasury patronage on which he
lived his latter days,
"And none so poor to do him reverence"
James A. Garfield might be
quoted as another instance where
undisputed ability fails to command
the support even of his own party,
because it is associated with a
tainted political record. But we
have no time to devote to his case.
The instances we have quoted of
brilliant talents have failed when
not supported by purity of charac-
ter, all go to confirm our position
that the men who do endure to the
end and die possessed of mems
esteem surviving their earthly ca
reer are the men of integrity, the
men who can be trusted, anG have
been trusted, with an honorable
result.
Men of this sort, men who have
been consigned to the tomb with
the tears and blessings of their sur
viving benefciaries are now, it
would seem, to be disinterred, and
their regulations, embalmed in the
love and reverence of their posterity
are to be torn up and defiled with
the pollution of interested SANDER /;
political adventures of this day
hope to establish their own reputa-
tons by blasting those of the good
and great who have preceded them.
Distrust such men; they judge of
public men by the mean standard
of their own unworthiness. He who
comes before his fellow-citizens pro-
claiming that public Office is neces-
sarily cOrrupting in its tendency is
no fit candidate for public office
himself. Such men should be taken
at their word, and as they avow the
demOralizing influence of public
life, ought to be remanded to the
safe regions of private station,
where they will be secluded from
the temptations which, by their
own showing, they are incompetent
to resist. He that cannot appreciate
greatness has not the elements of
greatness within him.