The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-28
Cks GsteIigenrtr.
=; IA. ~ sa6 ~ urteenth street.
: nlnlue'. Address.

,,, ...ander Il tarye amount Of space to
a.. w Memorial address delivered yesterday
las ,ya.SiD.ton %.UD by Mr., Blaine in honor Of
1s .s' Na,a'Isdi 'a,a President Garfield. Those who
,a,1J lnS NV "a, something AOrid and extraya.
, loo,V% u Mis- address will be disappointed.
= GAM ~ 'Imo,t III severely simple In It's review
NS"I NV" li,e and character Of tbs illustrious
. S,as',"5. sus nv" There is no strain after effect,
GSs's,s ',1n.,es and no demi.godism. 1t does
',Io. no ,o Garfield without indnlglns in any
!nscs, !a'e,s Of extravaganza. No men were
sls,a sp's'n nDiite in many points than the dead
,DoS mN..iS@n, and his eulogist, and yet unlike
N,oS ~e,r,bere was much to at:ractthem
as .oS,,l, each other and they were friends
~ sOTI Ti1a md in death. Mr.. Blaine is all ag-
.,.o,siySnessin ~ 81, in his mnkc.up, while Garfield
'.ss Smineutly coaciliatory md conserva-
,ive THIS Que was known in Congress as
% shot5 ieader-as gladiator in parliament
49, ,,ctics-who is best described perhaps
r. bisown reference to Clay, Douglas and
stevens; while the other was, us Mr..
BIatao comedies, The American Gladstone
Of debate and leadership.
There are those who have said, since the
Presidents death, that he and Mr.. Blaine
would not have held together in tho same
Cabinet had he lived. We oil know the
responsibility that has been saddled on to
the latter for the Conkling quarrel. There.
fore wha. Mr. Blaine says upon that point
will be read with special interest. He
represents the President as living and
diving in the most unalterable conviction
that be was wholly right in that difficulty
that he was simply vindicating the pre-
rOztiyes Of his olIlce-and that he was not
restrained by any sense Of false consistency
from making any concessions admissible
in the case. lie made no concession sim
ply because in his mind and conscience he
stood for that which was altogether right in
ITSELF These are words that the country
will DC glad to read, for despite all that the
country knows and loves about Gartield's
liie and character, there has always been
an undCrtone Of misgiving as ito whether be
had not been pushed further than he was
inclined to so in that difficulty by Mr..
Blaine. Mr.. Blaine, standing in the most
solemn place that man can standby the
gave Of his Chief-whose voice is stilled in |
dCath-put the weight OF his whole char
acter into tho scale, and afHrms before
heaven and earth that the President had
the approving answer OF his intellect and |
conscience in the difficulty that cost him
his lie.
There is one other matter at which Mr..
Blaine hints in his address upon which
the country will wish that he had expressed
himself more at tength-viz-his reference
to an American foreign policy. How fur
General Garfield had ever formulated, or
approved any formulation, Of what is now
known rs Mr, Biane's international policy,
fsnOt known, Neither docs ii appear from
what Mr.. Blaine says in his address. Per.
haPs the address was not the place to in.
trodaee il fatal. Mr.. Blaine certainly does
50 with great caution and great brevity.
In general terms We presume that they
had discussed a foreign policy, and especi.
allyPeFhapsa continental policy-bnt It
has never come out that any Plan Of action
had been perfected.
But in addition to these two specially in
teresiips points Of the address. the whole
subject matter Of it is full Of interest. The
people will read it all, and lament afresh
the untimely fate OF the man who seemed
80 thoroughly furnished to administer pub
lie affairs Tor the good OF the nation, The
picture Of his last days, as drawn by Mr.
Blaine, is iNexpressibly said. What q
vivid picture it is Of the end OF u life Of
toll and honorable ambition. And yet, rs
thus skctchcd, there is SO much in it 10
awaken the undying admiration Of man
kind for the sublime fortitude, patience
and resignation Of great nature under an
ordeal without precedent, that we can al
most rest the immortality OF Garfeld's fame
upon the scenes OF his death bed.