The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-23
BLAINE'S SECOND VOLUME.
The Conclusion of the Maine Statesman's
'frwenty Years Of Congress"
Prom Andrew Johnson to Garfeld's Admin
istration-Portraits of Contemporary
Statesmen-The Nations Progress.
Boston Advel tiser.

The second volume of Mr.. Blaine's Twenty
Years of Congress- is introduced with Grants
Dortrais facing the portrait of Andrew johnson,
drawn II firm lines in the first chapter. This CO.
Incidence is one of the minor dramatic elements
which give this second portion of the work its
sustained interest The opening chapter has
material enough in the story Of Lincoln's death
and burial and Johnson's accession and first
speeches. to save whole history from dulness.
Over years afame with political contests Mr..
Blaine conducts his reader, and is guide who
moves confidently and gives directions clearly
and persuasively.
Here is part of the picture Of Lin coins
burial procession: 'The spiendor of the cere
monials which aggrandize living royalty as much
as they glorify dead heroism was wholly want
ing in the obseonies Of Mr.. Lincoln. No part
was taken by the government except the pro-
vision of suitable military escort. All beyond
was the spontaneous movement of the people.
For LOO miles, through eight great States of
the Union, whose population was not less than
Is COO 000 an almost continuous procession of
mourners attended the remains of the beloved
President There was no pageantry save their
presence. There was no tribute but their tears.
They bowed before the bier Of him who had been
prophet, priest and Qne to his people, who had
struck the shackles from the slave, who had
Haught higher sense of duty to the free man,
s1Eho had raised the Nation to lofter conception
of faith, and hope and charity. A countless
multitude of men, with music and banner, and
cheer. and the inspiration Of great cause, pre-
eents o spectacle that engages the eye, fills the
mind appeals to the imagination. But the
deepest sympathy OF the soul is touched, the
height OF human sublmity is reached, when the
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row, stands with uncovered head reverent and
silent"
II TIE grand review Of the armies Of the Poto-
mae and of Sherman in Washington furnishes
another and closely following scene for the his
eorian TO depict Eastern and Western troops
thus We'd with each other, though, as Mr.. Blaine
points out ''the geographical distinction was not
altogether accurate. for Western troops had al
ways formed valuable part of the Army Of the
Potomac, while troops from the East were in
the eories of the Atlanta campaign and of the
march to the sea- The quiet disbandng Of the
immense Union force is described and certain
i triking facts about the armies noted, as, for ex
ample, the youth of Union generals. In one
passage the ages Of the chief officers are noted.
Logan was but thirty-f five when he went to the
field. Garfield was q ma or general at thirty
one. Grant was thirty-eight at Donelson.
Sheridan at thirty-feur smashed Early, and at
thirty-fve Mcclellan succeeded Scott, and q long
The chapter reeounting Lincoin's attempts at
reconstruction will revive the recollections Of
those then old enough to note what was passing,
and will illustrate to the new generation the ex-
traordnary difficulties of the problem, while the
account of Johnsons political decline and fall is
concise and instructive. Mr.. Seward is given
due prominence in this period. Mr.. Blaine says:
sTt might well indeed be said OF Mr. Seward as
Mr. Webster said OF Samuel Dexter: The earn
estness of his convictions wrought conviction in
others. Ore WAS convinced, aud believed, and
Assented because il was gratifying and delight
full to think. and feel, and believe in unison with
an intellect of such evident superiority The
oppsrtunity elyen the South by Johnson's unex-
S&etad-clsmency was misused Leading rebels
were nominated for Office, and the colored man
was trampled on" OF this Mr. Blaine says
sWhat was done during the year Immediately
following the surrender Of the rebel armies was
done at Southern suggestion, done by Southern
men, done under the belief that the Presidents
policy would protect them in it, done with a
fixed and merciess determination that the
gracious act of emancipation should not bring
eynelioration to the colored race. and that the
pseudo philanthropy. as they regarded the anti
slavery feeling in the North, should be brought
into contempt before the world"
With the meeting of the Thirty ninth Con-
gress. in December, 1865, Mr.. Colfax in the
chair ard Thaddeus Stevens the Republican
leader came the tug Of war; in reconstruction.
"General Banks resumed the seat which he had
left to accept the goyernorship of Massachusetts
On 1857. His checkered and remarkable career,
both civil and military, during the eight inter
veEing years had greatly increased his reputa-
ton. The first debate on reconstruction developed
the fact that the Democrats in Congress would
endeavor TO regain the ground they had lost by
their hostility to Mr.. Lincoln's administration
during the war" Gradually all hope Of cooper
alton between President aud Republicans in
Congress was abandoned. The Republicans
stood firm. THE Wings Of 1874 were contend
ing only for systems Of finance, and they broke
finally with the President because Of his veto of
o bill establishing fiscal agency for cha use Of
the government-merely national bank dis
gnised under another name. The Republicans
of 1865 were contending for vastly greater
stake-for the sacredness of human rights for
the secure foundation of free government Their
consistency was greater than that of the Wings,
because the rights Of persons transcend the
rights OF property
General Grants brief tour of investigation in
She Sonth and that of Mr.. SEIZURE are eontrasted,
and the subsequent changes of opinion of these
gncn about the South are deftly indicated. Eur
ther investigations led him General Grant, to a
shoroogh understanding of the subject and to o
fundamental change of opinion. Mr.. Schurz, on
the other hand, received new light and convic-
ton in the opposite direction and from the point
OF extreme Repubicanism he gradually changed
his creed, and became, first distracting element
in the ranks of the party and, afterward, one of
its malignant opponents in a great national
struggle, in which General Grant was the
j. leader"
Events now moved rapidly and eliminated in
She memorable 22d of February speech Of Presi-
dent johnson, in which he violently indicted his
Republican opponents In Congress. The calm
pages of history can scarcely reflect the angry
light OF that conflict, where vetoes abounded
and the White House was a storm center. The
details in various stages Of the development of
reconstruction theories have less fascination
thar the pictures of the men who made history
so fir, yet no student or citizen can afford to be
igne rant of the particulars here lucidiy set
forth.
The various political conventions In 1866 gave
opportunities for widening the breach between
the administration and large majority of the
peope. The Pittsburg convention of soldiers
and sailors had General Butter for leading
spirit Or this convention Mr. Blaine saws:
Their convention did more to popularize the
fourteenth amendment as a political issue than
any other fundamentally OF the year Not
sven the members of Congress, who repaired to
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