St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-06-09

gained from the following extract from a letter
written by him to Gen. Garfield accepting the
appointment as secretary of state:
"In our new relation shall give all that am
and all that can hope to be freely and joyfully
to your service. You need no pledge of my loyal
ty in heart and in act. should be false to myself
did not prove true both to the great trust you
confide to me and to your own personal and po-
litical fortunes in the present and in the future.
Your administration must be made brilliantly sue
cessful and strong in the confidence and pride of
the people-not atall directing its energies
election, but yet compelling that result by the
logic of events and by the mperious necessities of
the situation. To that most desirable consumma-
tion feel that next to yourself 1 can possibly
contribute as much influence as any other one
man. say this not from egotism or vainglory
but merely as deduction from plain ANALYSIS of
political forces which have been at work in the
country for five years past, and which have been
significantly shown in two great national cenycn-
tions.''
In thus allaying himself with Garfield and
merging his own political fortunes with those of
the president elect it will be seen that Mr. Blaine
abandoned for the time his presidential aspira-
tions. Many people who knew him well pre-
dicted he would bedevil Garfielt's administra-
tion and make himself president in 1884, The
! presidents yielding disposition and Mr.. Blaine S
| aggressiveness were everywhere counted on to
make the secretary of state the controlling spirit
| of the administration. Such proved to be the
| fact. On the Inauguration of Garfield, Mr..
Blaine, who mad resigned his position in the SEN
ate, launched out as secretary of state on ..yig-
| orous foreign policy in which, the newspaper
| correspondents declared evidently by authority,
| the eagle was to take the place of the owl Dur
| ing the few months between Garfield's inaugu-
| ration and assassination the secretary of state
had embroiled the country with Eng
land by an enthusiastic reassertion of the
Monroe doctrine as regards the Panama canal
and demand for the abrogation of the Clayton
Bulwer treaty, and had entered on policy of
adventure in South Africa of which, if not
stopped as it was no one could have foretold the
| result. 1t was Mr.. Blane's idea that the conn
try demanded vigor in the conduct of its foreign
affairs. One Of his dreams of glory was the
practical confederation of all the republics of
| North, Central and South America under the Dro-
! lection of the United States With this object
in view he issued a call for congress of nations
to be held in Washington sending invitations to
| each of the petty republics of the western hem
| isphere. The idea was not popular one with
| many of them. Chill and Peru were at war.
| and in the promotion of his scheme for the ex-
tension of the political and commercial supre.
macy of the United States Mr.. Blaine undertook
| to bring about peace between the belligerents
The Peruvian claims,'' which DUR.
ported to entitle the holders to
a vast sum of money from the Peruvian govern
ment under an agreement that certain portion
| of the proceeds of the guano beds of that coun.
try should go to the heirs of the American dscov.
| erer, were submitted to the state department at
| this time, and consequently gave rise to huge
| scandal, in which Mr.. Blaines name was un-
| pleasantly mentioned. They were in the hands
Of an adventurer named Shipherd, who had form
| ed a stock company for the purpose of pressing
| payment, and afterward taking control of and
working the beds. He besought the United States
| to end the and secure the rights of these
| American claimants, which would be DESTROYED
if Peru were further crippled or if the guauo de-
| posits fell into the hands of the Chilians, as
| seemed likely. Mr.. Blaine promised the good
| offices of the United States, and the American
minister in Peru, Mr.. Hurlbut, was instructed In
take such measures in relation to them as seemed
| to him proper. Shortly afterward a commits.
sioner was sent to South America to mediate be-
| tween the warning nations. The correspondence
between the state department, Minister Hurlbut
and Shipherd was very yoluminous, and some of
| it was very suggestive of job of some kind
II was freely charged by Mr. Blaine's enemies
that he had personal interest in the scaims. ,,
| but nothing to substantiate this assertion was
ever brought out. He was criticised for whatwas
called his willingness to involve the country in
war for the sake of securing the payment of
private claims, and was generally denounced by
| the newspaper organs of both parties for the
spread-eagle policy of adventure which he had so
boldly outlined.
As the controlling spirit of the Garfield admin
istration Mr. Blaine had an excellent opportunity
| to pay off any old grudges he may have enter
| tanned. Roscoe Conkling had crushed him twice
in the national conventions of their party If Mr..
Blaine sought now to repay him he would be but
| indulging weakness which is inherent in every
| human breast. Mr.. Conklings power in New
York state was fatal to Blaine's hopes of political
| advancement. To break Conkl1ng as Conklinp
had broken him is an ambition which Mr.. Blaine
has been freely charged with nursing The only
way to accomplish this was to deprive Conklinp
of influence with the administration, W n
Robertson, citizen of New York, a friend of
Blaine, and bitter enemy of Conkling, was
therefore appointed solicitor of the
metropolitan port. This is the most i'm.
portant political appointive office in the
country. 1t is said Mr.. Garfield hesitated about
dealing Conkling SO severe blow, but that as
Blaine threatened to retire from the cabinet If
the appointment were not made. he finally