Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-05-22
How IL Looks to an Unbeliever.
f6;eo Alfred Townsend's New York Core
spondence in Boston Globe.

fGeo. Alfred Townsend's New York Core.
spondence In Boston Globe.
A public man whose life has been credit
able TO his father and mother, to his neighbsrs,
TO his wife and children, and to both his ma
tive and adopted States, has been found too
popular with the American multitude. Ethan
Brand has taken hold of him. Nothing OF
Mr.. Blaine shall ever be permitted to be
known but this unforgiven sin. ! am not a
friend of Mr.. Blaine, and not his enemy. /
prefer for my enemy the aggregate intoler-
ance and spite and narrowness of soul of
those who, mistaking themselves for the bet
ter element, have no greater delight in our
human nature than its infrmities. and who
reproduce in this age the Scribes and Phari-
sees of nearly 300 years gone past. | find
nothing in ancient or sacred history leading
me to believe that any man has been i'm
msculate. Absolute completeness of charsc-
ter is always at the expense of the human
beauties. The psalms we sing on Sundays
were written by a man whose defections are
plainly told Why should not these
psalms be thrown out of the churches.
for King David's offences were greater
than Blaine's. See King Solomon
surrounded with his barem, and vet observe
how in his daily newspaper he could make
beautiful proverbs. Ii is not necessary TO
elect Blaine in order to trouble these lofty
spirits who will never let up on him, but do
foresee that if this man be followed much
further he will be taken up in the strong
arms of human sympathy like many hero
and heroine of the past-pure only III their
misfortunes. If the civilized world to-day
could bring back woman out of two to rule
our race, ii would be the queen of the Scotch
and not the woman who beheaded her. The
men who live and love in these perpetual
revelations of public mans defections are,
in general, persons of limited acquaintance,
OF cold hearts and incapable of exercising
constructive power. They are only useful to
arrest some strong mans flight, and on their
tombstone should be put, not that they had
ever scared themselves, but brought som.
eagle down.
For nearly twenty five years | have been
in and about public life. and but for philoso
phv and magnsnimity would now be mis-.
anthrope. There never was case in which
I found an absolutely spotless man in high
position. IL he did not steal or wink at steal
lug he had envy, resentment, a woman
avsrice or some other sin as mean. Yet in
spite Of the one spot he may have had. tn,
public man was strong, patriotic and useful
| knew Charles Sumner we'll, and that of hin
which remains to me as the modest was hi,
sympathy. When he thought he was the mos
right he Was the most wrong. When ht
consented to be wrong for kindness sake h,
was the most noble
Irecollect when Greeley was nominated
and the platform said that the convention hac
such honest difference on the tariff that the,
LEFT IL TO the constituencies, and Sumner said
"That 10 the most honest platform I hav,
seen on that subject" But when he under
took to smash Grant With his great cartel, a
il to bring all the old Abolitionists with al
their sins of Intolerance ON Grants head ant
character, Sumner failed
only have to say that | look with tn,
greatest contempt. after long experience
on all this gloatiug and dancing over tn,
heart OF one Of our strongest and best equipped
men, and believe that the men who ar,
doing II are not as good as Blaine.