National Republican., 1880-11-20
RLIND Guides.

1t cannot have escaped the attention of
any moderately acute observer how uncon-
trollable is the disposition on the part of
men with small abilities and smaller
stock of political sagacity 10 take into their
keeping with the most kind consideration
the chief executive officer of this nation,
and compel him Ivy moral suasion to run
the government by the profound wisdom
which is exclusively in their hands and
held in the original packages. No matter
who the man is, how great his experience,
how strong his will, how intelligent his
mind, or how patriotic his ntentions-from
the moment of his elect there is a grand
concentration of mediocre ambition and
effort in the one direction of shaping the
course ofhis administration while appearing
TO be only the eanxious and vigilant guardians
of his good fame and peace of mind. This
is so universal that even the man who has
only lived in the same boarding -ho use, or,
perhaps, occupied a seat with him in n rail-
way coach-to say nothing of the men
who went TO the same school and were
licked with the same ferule-publicly pre-
sumes upon the circumstance to impress
upon him the danger which lies in his
path if he fails to take him into his con-
fidence and shape his course according to
the chart which lie will gratuitously fur
nisb
We are much amused at the numerous
attempts TO play upon the supposed weak
nesses, ambitions, desires and feelings OF
General GARFIELD that have already ap-
pcared, and to note the study of his char
acter which their efforts display. Some OF
the men tell him that he is n great man.
with an air seeming to imply that they are
among the only favored few having the
sagacity 10 perceive it, while others tell
him he is not n great man, but will be
when he does one OF two trifles to be pointed
out by them, and in way TO produce the
most striking effects. That the president
elect should desire to become n great man
when he has already arrived so near the
border-line that divides greatness from
less importance, might well be presumed
MS natural; and that he should be
unwilling to execute the trinng man@nvres
necessary to succeed would be reckoned
one of the marvels of the time.
This is no new state of things. Pres-
dents and kings have always been infested
with vermin of the same character, and
unhappily, have nearly always been made
the victims of the class who called them
great or the other class who benevolently
pointed out the short and fascinating cut
to that much-coveted goal. General JACK
SON was managed by the former and ANDY
JOHNSON by the latter; and, perhaps,
LINCOLN was the only one Of our later
presidents who, at the commencement OF
his term, was able TO see through the little
game and completely foil the persistent
designs Of the pestiferous insect abomna-
tion. 1t takes rare sell-knowledge, discre-
tion and sagacity TO prevent falling prey
to the small rascNls; and one may almost
as well hope to avoid being bitten by mos
the swarns who set upon the man coming
into power
In the case Of General JACKSON, in addi-
tion to the aattery of homage paid by
VAN BUREN, the old mans gallantry and
sense of honor in the case of Mrs. EATON
were used with prOdigious skill and effect
aud the destiny Of dynasties of political
power hung for time upon the pretty
sparkling eyes and laughter of so insignif-
cant witch as PEGGY o'NEILL, the bluff
Irishman's daughter.
This shows upon what diminutiye trifies