The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-02-28
BLAISE, BIS PVsTaRY Avn LIZA
CANDIDACY.

" Dis'ui0 D Contribution. to the hlStcr-
OF the period OF the civ il war and OF re
construction. Still by admission Of his
next friend, Gen. Ha II, a candidate fol
the Presidency, and therefore, one o.
the prime factors il American politics
Mr.. Blaine must be considered from
has own standpOi mt of politician, and
not IRON that of the historian, which
ne is not and c. ould not be in any fair
and unbiased sense. Whatever he
says and writ es is to be regarded as
the utterance OF candidate, of poll
tician OF ms my grieyous disappoint
ments, envio jus OF his more intellectual
co-laborers of the Republican party
and filed with jealousy and hate o.
those VIII have any standing without
ms aid, his connivance or consent
Mr.. Bla me is a partisan, and jealous
ana bitter one, a mere politician
who b elieVes in schemes and tricks
IN col nbinations and bosses, and the
reWar IDS of party. Tie is not a states
man even of a secondary order. Dur.
ing the twenty years in Congress Of
WI ich he treats, he did not even
or tginate one great measure, or sug-
est any new line Of policy. A cola
torer and contemporary of Thad
Stevens, ,he did not rise much above
7he status of Boutwell,, notwithstand-
Eng he had the audacity of Ben
Butler. He was overshadowed in
the House by Conkling, whose
real ability he never conld for
give, andwhen he went up TO the
Senate he was confronted by Conk-
ling again, and besides him by Sher-
man and Edmunds, and many other
Republicans compared with whom he
measured only pigmy's stature. As
Secretary Of State in Garfeld's Cabi-
net his brief tenure was marked by a
scheme, the insolence of which is re-
called as colossal, and which Mr..
Frelinghuysen, his successor, made
haste to explain, if not apologize for.
Mr.. Blaine's place in the real history
OF our time is, therefore, very small.
AsSecretary of'State he may be men
toned III connection with his stu
pendous folly--that win be all. A
snowy man, he has always appeared
on stump or platform, in Congress or
Cabinet, asa sensationalist, counting
on every occasion "for all he is worth"
of ability or of words, and while very
picturesque and striking, very attract
i've for the moment, he has never
risen to such nights in his party as
Edmunds, Sherman OF Conkling have,
nor has he impressed himself upon
-the cultured classes Of the country as
anything but a eharlatan and pretend
er. Dwarfed to himself, to personal
ity so shallow it could not be expect
ed Of him that he would write dis
passionately Of his contemporaries
--and partisan besides it was not
to be hoped for that he would
rise above his partisanship and
treat of men and events related to an
other era or eras, as sequences in the
history which humanity unavoidably
makes in its march to the ultimate of
its destiny. His narrow view of the
civil war and those who were on the
Confederate side prove his inability
to consider history as the science of
related and sequent facts. His
highest view of the historians duty is
the justification of party and the glori-
fcation of self. His waving of the
bloody shirt in the Senate, his most
signal effort in that body, was piece
OF bravado carefully calculated to ele-
vate him in the popular esteem above |
the statesmen who dominated the SEN
ate and to whom his party looked with |
respect and confidence. In the same
spirit Of self-seeking he made the Pres
idential campaign OF 1885 a sectional
one, regardless of the probably in
furious effects uponthe country, which
had been enjoying a season of repose
from sectional aninsosities and bitter
ness under the administrations of |
Hayes and Arthur Mr.. Blaine has
never been able to rise superior to
the circumstances and surroundings
OF his early Congressional life
He was then and still is
a sectionalist, not because sec
tionalism can bring any good to the
, country, but because it is easier for
, him to rearouse passion. and prejudice
s than originate measures of statesman
like policy that will help the people in
their efforts to advance the Union be-
yond its own, the highest level vet
reached by civilization And yet, by
the despotic and arbitrary power of
party, he compelled the.Republican
statesmen and thinkers to follow his
lead, and calne within few hundred
votes of success. 1t was "a narrow
escape for the country, an escape that
thousands of Republicans are.grateful
Tor, now that they realize the honesty
and sincerity Of Cleveland and feel
the ste&diness Of his hand easnoerior
and safe guide. But withal this, and
notwithstanding, Blaine is still 10 be |
accounted among the chief forces. and
factors of the Republican party. He
is TO be, if nothing more, q power
Tor mischief and misleading.
His book is put forth as an election
eering document that will keep him
before the people until the time foran
active campaign comes round, when /,
he will doubtless take the stump again
and revive the sectionalism that is his
only stock in trade. Unfortunately in !
this he will find comfort, counsel and
in the recorls of the last