The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-01-26
VOL. XI.
TRUTH TRIUMPHANT.

The STATESMAN was not slow to
assert, during the so-called "bril-
liant" days of Mr.. Gsrfield's admin
istratIon, "brilliant," probably, be-
cause they were translucent with
nothingness, that President Garfield
was really nothing more, officially,
than reflection of his prime minis
ter. When that personal war, the
disgraceful antagonism in which a
president attempted to make the
world believe the vice president too
base for his association, was inaugu-
rated and kept alive to the discredit
of the country, we said MIR. Garfield
was controlled in his course towards
Mr.. Arthur by this same marplot,
that has been very properly super,
ceded in the state department by
another gentleman, with at least
honest aspirations. When Mr..
Garfield lay upon his death bed,
and the same disgraceful personal
antagonisms were still kept alive,
the STATESMAN did not ''fearn TO
charge that Mr.. Blaine was using
this government more for personal
than for popular affairs, and it was
again understood and said, when
the new president was inaugurated,
that Mr.. Blaine was keen to lick
even the feet of the man he had de-
famed, that he might hold his cabi-
net position, and thus exercise. if
possible, over the new president the
same influence he had so easily
exerted over Mr.. Garfield. The
dignified manner in which he was
disposed of by Mr.. Arthur raised the
latter III public estimation. 1t is
very evident that Mr.. Garfield's name
must go down into history in
very different light from that III
which he was placed under the CLAM
our of romantic death. He was
certainly the creature of Mr.. Blaine,
and if the country owes anything
good to the latter it is yet to be
proven. He was eminently prone
to make noise in the world, and to
assuming sensational and false opin-
ions rather expensive to the coun-
try. Had Mr.. Garfield lived, his for
eign policy would have produced
pretty kettle of fish, and it is more
than probable that the country
would have been thrown into one or
more disgraceful and damaging
wars with foreign powers. He left
us nice inheritance in this South
American interference business,
from which we are to be relieved
simply by the dignified and honor
able conduct of the new administra-
ton. There was not one thing to
signalize the administration OF
Mr.. Garfield, as the STATESMAN
used to say while his "heroic suffer-
ings" led so many light-headed
editors to refer to his administration
as the "wisest on record" If it were
wisdom to push Conkling out of the
way that Blaine might conduct the
government with no nnwer i'm tho
Republican party to check him in
bis personal administration. then the
Garfield administration was truly
wise, but wise alone in this one
act, certainly in not another
point, for the force of
the administration was directed, to-
wards this end and towards no
other. Slowly the veil is being lifted
in quarters where it may have been
wise to accord merit on the ground
of aflliction, but truth after awhile
will survive all fiction. The Phlla-
delphia Times, an eminently conser-
vative paper, finds reason now to
discuss the issue. 1t says: "Dili-
gent efforts are making at Washing
ton to create a new Garfield for the
contemplation of the groundlings.
The same fine Roman hand which
furnished the bouffe portraiture of
the 'chum cabinet,' for the delecta-
tion of the Stalwarts, is now busy
in tho exposition of posthumous
policies and picturesque foibles for
the late president. Personages
masking under the sinister colors of
Garfield's friends are suddenly
minded to etch their conversations
and impressions of dead men. Need
less to say that these "reminiscences
all tend to make Garfield tickle as
the moon, inconstant as water.
Blaine Is made to appear the Deus
ex-machina, moving with Michia-
vellic mind the pieces on the board,
while the hand of Garfield alone
was seen. 1t is the purport of all
these fragments TO show that the
murdered man had neither mind OF
his own nor policy of his own; that
he promised all things to all men
and kent faith but with one--Blainei