New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-19

captal. An attempt is making in the Senate
to defeat confirmation, which ought not 10
succeed. The President has made good Sc
lection, and the Senate would do well to APP
prove promptly. Many Senators VIII, no
doubt, be led to do so by their friendship for
the late Senator, whose political foes bore him
no malice for the hard tbrusts he gave.
The Presidents nominations for the vacant
foreign missions will reach the Senate to-day
unless that body adjouns again before 'ie
priyate secretary arrives, as it did on Friday
Especlal interest attaches to these nominal
tons. inasmuch as it was made definitely
known by The TEIBUNE's Washington as
matches on Saturday that both were OF men
already engaged in the diplomatic service.
There are only two men now in the service
whom the President and Mr.. EvartS would be
likely to regard as eligible to the English
Misson-James Russell Lowell, now MIN
lister at Madrid, and Andrew ID. White
Minister at Berlin. The appointment
of either would be regarded as creditabie,
but we are sure it is within the bounds Oh
moderation TO say that the whole country would
rejoice at the selection of Mr. Lowell We
are all conscious that the representation OF
the United States at the Court of ST. James
has not been in some years all that 1t shouiu
have been, Our Ministers have been excellent
men, for the most part, but they nave ho'
always conferred distinction upon the Office,
as Mr.. Lowell would do. The country would
take pride in being represented in England Dy
man so highly h0nOred i'll all English speak
ING countries as James Russell Lowell. and
should the President select him for the place
there will be universal hope that 10 private
reason will stand i'll the way of his acceptance.
The aifectionate enthusiasm with which the
Maine Republicans greeted Senator Blaine
on Saturday, when he made his first public
appearance in considerable time, was type
of the admiration with which his recent course
must be regarded by the whole country.
1t is a fact worthy of public attention
that in this whole Maine business Mr.. Blaine
has exhibited the very qualities which his
enemies have always declared he did not pos
sess.. The country has been repeatedly assured
that he was brilliant deOater, but
poor counsellor; that he was a good
man to stir up the masses on the
stump, but lacked the moderation (and
dulness) necessary 10 a statesman; that
he was too radical, that he was reckless, that
he lacked conservatism and caution. 1t will
do no harm to direct attention TO the fact
that moderation, caution, conservatism, have
been the most conspicuous features OF
the whole Republican campaign in Maine, as
carried through under Mr.. Blaine's leadership.
He has kept cool in place where almost any
other man would have lost his wits. He has
not taken one false step, and his campaign
for popular rights has moved steadily forward
with the precision of machinery, impressing
the country at every advance with the justice OF
the Republican cause and forcing his opponents
steadily backward 1t is not an exaggerati0n
to say that his leadership has combined the
highest political skill with the soundest judg
ment in craftsmanship. This has been done
too when public feeling was at a white heat.
A very little spark would have kindled war
in Maine, and the fact that there has been no
war is probably due more to Mr.. Blaine than
to any other man.