Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-02-20
Blaine,s Treaehery to Arrhur

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8.-The president was
urged strongly last October by his most sa-
gaclous friends to accept the resignation of
the Garfield cabinet out and out, and to Or
ganige his own administration without delay
Some of them suspected tie treachery which
has been made clear by recent events.
During the illness of Gen. Garfield and i'm
mediately after his death, Mr.. Blaine, above
any and, indeed. above all his associates COM
blned, was profusc in professions of friend
ship for Gen. Arthur. Under the irving cir
cumstaDces of that time those voluntary dec
larations, accompanied by offers of service,
were OF course acceptable, and they were sup
posed to be sincere.
Mr.. Blame succeeded, by these and by other
arts, In gaining the presidents confidence and
good Will, and, as 1t now appears, upon de-
liberate plan to betray him at the first oppor-
tunity. He desired to retain the department of
state for time in order to conclude matters
which he had initiated, and Gen. Arthur was
not only but glad to oblige him.
The new president was pressed night and
day with the demands incident to his changed
position. He had no leisur for diplomacy, or,
indeed, for anything else He could barely get
time, amid the incessant calls upon him, for
his ordinary and necessary duties
In this situation, it was a relief for the
president to believe that the management of
the foreign affairs and of other branches of the
public servike was going on regularly, while
he himself was occupied In other directions.
1t is quite likely he had given no special atten-
ton to the questions in South America grow
ing out OF the war between Chilli, Peru and
Bolivia, and that he accepted with more trust
than he should have done the assurances and
representations of Mr.. Blaine.
Ii ne made mistake in this respect, it is
one which recOils on the secretary, in whom
he confded without suspicion, and who
abused this faith by laying his plans to lead
the president into pitfall. Departing from
all the customs of public life, Mr.. Blaine has
filled the newspapers with his own version of
the instructions of Mr.. Prescott and of their
revocation.
MIR. Blaine is a swift witness in his own be-
half. He has figured in this way on more
than one memorable occasion. The public
has learned to accept his statements with
many grains of allowance. His remarkable
facility OF invention interferes with the truth
OF history. Even if his allegations in this
case were true, they would only prove that he
had deceived the president into taking
course which, upon inquiry, the latter found
| to be wrong, and that he had the moral cour-
| age to change front as soon as the discovery
| was made.
This is the length and breadth of the whole
Issue, which Mr.. Blaine has raised to keep
nimseii before the public, and he comes out
| OF 1t with the deep discredit of a trickster
caught in the meshes he set for another. But
the other side of this story has vet to be
heard.
The president, Mr.. Frelinghuysen, and Mr.
Prescott will have something to say on the
subject in good time, not upon any point of
veracity, but on the merits OF the question In
Its national aspect. And when they shall
have spoken, the country will have clearer
perception of the motives which led to this d.
rect, unprovoked, and unworthy assault on
the president by one who sought his conf
dence by constant fawning and by daily pro-
testations Of ndelity, the better to throw him
of his guard, and thus to consummate a
| scheme of treachery.
/ Mr.. Blafne's open letter to the president was
intended as q defiance to battle. He i'm
| AGNES himself In position to invite per-
| sonal controversy with the head of the gov
eminent. He is private citizen, and likely
to remain SO, if he lives. long after 1884. His
desire for notority and for campaign of
bluster will hardly be aratiaed. Whatever
the executive may have to say will be said to
congress officially in regard to the South
American cOrrAaDOndanpa