The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-02-24
Mr.. Blaine's "Twenty Years of
Congress-,

The second volume of Mr. Blaine's histori-
cal review of Twenty Years of Congress opens
with the accession of Andrew johnson to
the presidency and closes with the election
of Garfield 1t begins therefore, Just after
one assassination and pauses upon the
threshold of another like tragedy The ne
riod intervening between these two melan-
choly events was crowded with important
occurrences. The controversies between
President johnson and congress, the re-
construction legislation, the constitutional
amendments, the impeachment of johnson,
the Geneva arbitration, the resumption of
specie payments, the electoral complica-
tons of 1876, the discussion of silver coinage
ana the question of the fisheries are among
the grave and critical questions which fell
within this period. OF all these occurrences
Mr. Blaine was not only close and we'll
informed observer, but he was also one of
the foremost of political leaders, and had an
active share in the discussions and the legis-
lation of the times. This narrative com
bines the research of an historian with the
vividness of an eyewitness and participant,
and especially as regards the leading public
men of the period. What he writes has
that force and accuracy which come with
personal observation, and the absence of
which could not be supplied by even the
most painstaking inquiry. There is appar-
ent throughout his work sincere effort to
divest himself of personal or political pre-
possessions. and to treat with fairness
those from whom he differs, yet he does not
hesitate to criticise men and measures when
the occasion calls for it.
AS we had Anticipated there proves to be
no foundation for the reports circulated in
journals which do not scruple to invent rea-
sons for attacking Mr. Blaine, to the effect
that he would declare for the freer coin
age of silver in this volume. He gives
concise history of the debate in congress
upon this question, and among the opin-
onS OF senators at that time he gives his
own, as embodied in his speech-namely,
that he favored the coinage of " such sill
yer dollar as will not only do justice among
our citizens at home, but prove an absolute
barricade against gold monometallists. In
his summing up of the different theories
which were held at that time, he says that
majority of the democrats and considerable
number OF republicans in congress believed
in free silver coinage; that small minority
disbelieved in the use of silver except sub
sidiary coins, and that a majority of repub-
licans and minority of democrats asserted
the necessity of maintaining silver coin at
full legal tender but upon the basis of
equality in intrinsic value with the gold
dollar. This view Mr.. Blaine evidently
entertains at the present time. 1t is the
view of every intelligent bimetallist in the
country.
In regard to specie resumption, Mr.. Blaine
practically claims the credit of its achieve
ment for those Legislators and financiers
of the nation and for the funding policy of
the republicans, which reduced the annual
interest charge one-haf from 1865 to 1879.
Speaking of John Sherman's connection
with the enactment and the execution of
the resumption act, Mr. Blaine says that he
established financial reputation not sec
ond to that of any man in our history" OF
the tenure of Office bill, passed during the
johnson administration Mr. Blaine saws
that it was an extreme proposition, which
could only have grown out of abnormal ex-
citement created by the dissensons be-
tween the two great departments of the gov
eminent. The history of its operation and
Gifts subsequent modification, which prac-
tically amounted to its repeal is one to
which the republican party cannot recur
with any sense of pride or satisfaction. AS
matter of fact republican congress, largely
composed of the same members who had
enacted the law, indirectly confessed two
years later that ii could not be maintained. -
OF the attitude of the two branches of con-
gress toward this later action modifying
the tenure of office act Mr.. Blaine says that
the house acted throughout in straight
forward manner, but the course of the SEN
ate was indirect and evasive, and he adds :
" 1t was freely predicted at the time that so
long as the senate and the President were
IN political harmony nothing would be
heard of the tenure OF Office act, but that
when the political interests of the executive
should come in conflict with those of the
senate, there would be a renewal of the
trouble which had characterized the rela-
tons of President johnson and the senate
and which led to the original tenure of
office act, with its positive assertion of sena-
torial power over the whole question of an
pointment and removal. "-Boston journal.