The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-11-10
In Public Life.

j II
stronger than that in his favor.
In Public Life.
Mr.. MacVeagh's public life has been
short and brilliant one. l do not
mean to intimate by that that it is by
any means ended. Judging from the
time during which most other men of
Mr.. MacVeagh's power remain in pub
lie life, this new career has only just
opened for him. cannot help think
ing that Mr.. MacVeagh has a future
before him, and the Press may have
the satisfaction of supporting him as
the reform candidate for Governor
next year. Whether he shall attain
that distinction or not, it would be un-
wise to assume that Mr.. MacVeagh will
90 out of politics when he goes out of
the Cabinet. That is not i'm the nature
of things. He began public life by at
tending to the duties of citizenship.
He was always what may really be
called good citizen. None of the du.
ties of politics were beneath his con-
scientious attention. He asked no re-
wards; he ran for no office; he never
begged for nominations or votes; but
he attended faithfully to whatever
came to his hand. Mr.. MacVeagh
never neglected a public duty, and 1
don't know that he ever asked for a
public honor or reward. He served
contentedly enough, if one may judge
anything from appearances, in the
ranks Of citizens. When the war broke
out he was willing to serve his country
and his State as soldier. 1t was his
first appearance out of the ranks, and
it is noteworthy that this appearance
meant sacrifice and not large opportun-
ity for glory. He served as Major of a
cavalry troop that had the disagreeable
and dangerous duty assigned it of
the southern border of Penn
sylvania. He was in q part of the
country liable to be raided and which
was raided by the onlederates. There
were no great battles in which to win
fame; there were any quanti-
ty of hazardous enterprises. and the
of a border and guerilla
warfare are always dangerous Mr..
MacVeagh returned to private life so
modestly and quietly, and has always
preserved so much silence on the suo-
iect of his army experience. that pro-
badly very few people outside the circle
of his immediate acquaintance know
that during the War of the Rebellion
he won honorably the title of Major.
1t is certain tnat no one calls him
"Major" in Washington, or by any
title. In fact, Mr.. MacNeagh
seems to resent the mention of the fact
that anything he may have done en-
titles him to any special honor or re-
ward. He brushes aside, apparently
with some impatience, suggestions that
he is to be credited with anything he
has done in public way. However
much man like Mr.. MacVeagh may
restrain himself, sooner or later he is
bound to come to the surface in public
affairs. He was born with a love for
the things that concern the people.
From its organization he was devOtedly
attached to the Republican party, and
he was devoted to it because he believ-
ed its advancement to power would be
for the best interests OF the country.
If there is Republican in the country
who Joined the organization because he
believed in its principles, it is Mr.. Mac
Veagh. | think he never had any po-
litical ambition to satisfy by espousing
the cause of the party he has served so
long and on which he has made no de-
mands. l do not mean to say that he
has not had, or that he now has not,
any political ambition. He would be
q strange man, and, | am inclined to
say, not a good citizen, who, having
the interest in public questions that
Mr.. MacVeagh has, would still refuse
to give his strength and talents to the
public service. Mr.. MacVeagh proba-
bly has an honorable ambition, an am
bition to stand well not only with those
among whom he lives, but with the
larger constituency which judges of
men by the esteem in which they are
held at home. He probably, like all
men of power, would gladly exercise
the ability to administer public affairs
which he possesses in a very marked
degree; but he will attain his ambition
by the simple art of doing what he is
asked to do thoroughly well, and by
always espousing the cause of honest
the cause of the people
against the Vaccinations of the con-
trollers and manipulators of the ma
chine. This simplicity of purpose and
method constitutes the power by which
Mr.. MacVeagh has risen to promi-
nent place among the public men of
the country.