National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-04-24

AlNcI blllue Ollclhl
life in 1882, he gave such time os could DO
spared from the political activities OF presI.
dental aspirant to the preparation Of the first
volume OF his Twenty Years Of Congress-" 1t
was printed in 1884,. preceding his nomination
10 the presidency. It's recital OF American
political history from the adoption Of the con-
slitutlon TO the assassination OF Abraham Lin
coin 10 singularly FREQ from asperlty, and
abounds In the pleasing and conciliatory ut
terances by which political opponents are dis.
armed and votes obtained. Tho tales OF Peter
Farley were not more soothing to the children
OF his day than Is the linked sweetness OF Mr.
Blaine's first volume TO the easily amused aud
easier played children OF larger growth Of
to day. The reader knows not whether to b.
charmed most with the north or the south. II
was written by an entirely different person
from the author Of the second volume. which
has but recently appeared.
THE TWO DLAINEs.
There appears to be two separate aud dis.
tinct James g. Blaines. The Blaine OF tho first
volume is that one who never forgot the advice
Of the wise wording: To always treat your
friend as one who may become your enemy.
and your enemy rs one who may become your
friend lie even widensd is application 50 as
tempest, md as might say whirlwnd, OF hts
Republicanism he never seemed to forget
until utteT the election OF 1854 tnnt ~ might
yet be his cue to be on the other side. OF this
tendency there are some proofs In his public
record. and more outside of t. as will be
shown later on. tsecured for the first volume
the unreserved praise of all the Democratic
press north and kouth, and that secured the
concurrence of all those mllk-and.wnter Re-
publican editors who never get up courage
enough to speak well of Republican leader
until he has been Endorsed ny the opposition.
These, in addition TO tho regularly employed
Blaine trumpeters, made very powerful
a IN mn Inn
The historian should endcavor, Of course,
not only TO state fairly the events of'the time
OF which he writes, but the motives and cir
cumstances which inspired the actors
The absence of partisan bias is valuable
aid In such a task. SO long as Mr.. Blaine be.
loved he had captured both sides in politics,
and had satisfied the radicals OF his radicalism,
and the Democrats OF his conservative con-
tempt for radicalism--so long as he could OBJ
tain the blessing OF each party by explaining
semblance OF the hand OF Esnu-just so long
was he impartial as historian, especially to-
ward the southern side. IL is this character
embracing the civil war and its CAUSES
Poniius plate could not have written o calmer
narrative of the crucitixion.
But the second volume was written by the
other james g. Blaine after a solid south had
voted against his election to the presidency.
Hell knows no fury like woman scorned. ex.
cept an aspiring politician defeated by n lack OF
reciprocity on the part OF political opponents
whose treachery to their own party he thinks
he has earned
THE SOUTHERN BLAINE.
Mr.. Blaine had done. more than any other
man In either party to break down the recon-
struction policy of the Republican party.
]. He had yainly endeavorod TO stall II at tho
outset by deceptive amendment In 1861
2. lie had labored hard 10 defeat legislation
ng0inst the kukluX mnrnuders in 1871 by the
familiar trick of substituting investigation
therefor, despite the will OF the Joint Repub.
lican caucus, In which he had participated aud
by which he was bound,
3. He had given aid and comfort TO the Louis
lana White League rebellion In 1874, aud had,
Tribune as being in full sympathy with the vile
assaults then made upon President Grant for
i terposng to prevent bloodshed in that un-
4. lie had in 1875 engineered a coalition In
the House of Representatives between the
Democrats and twenty Republican members,
by which the last measure for the protection
ofsouthern Republican voters was SO delayed
by filibustering that 1t could not reach the
Senate In time for action.
D. He had in 1880 been the chosen leader oil
the defamers Of Gen. Grant, and posed as the
savior of the republic from the alleged UNI
holy desire OF that noble patriot to subvert 1t
and establish an empire on Its ruins.
Q. He had, us Cabinet chief and conspirator,
debauched Garieds administration into Q
disgraceful combination with southern Demo
cratic senators for the overthrow OF the Re
publican organization In New York and the
fllgiant prostitution of the federal patronage
of that state In fulfllment Of rascally bar
robbed of the presidential nomination.
T. He had labored with untiring energy and
sleepless vigilance for the overthrow OF the Ro
publican party in New York in 1882, and had
succeeded carrying down with II In the gen
eral tempest of detractiOn he had aroused
more than half OF the Republican states Of the
north.
s. lie had followed II up in 1888 by giving
the aid Of his newspaper organs and his owl
personal influence TO the restoration of Demo
cratic rule In Virginia. the people of which
voted
publican principles, and whose two senators
with a majority of her representatives, wer,
then acting with the Republican party IL
Congress.
FISHING FOR THE DEMOCRATIC SoMINATIoN.
All these services were rendered to the De
mocracy from within the Republican lines
Mr., Blaine is never a pioneer. lie did not
and Horace Greeley out Of the Republican
party in 1872; but his treatment OF the so-callet
liberal movement OF that year, In the sccon'
intimate Of Whitelew Reid, who. then engi
neered the apostate Tribune in Its battle 70
'the lost cause" Of the SOUTH
But although Mr.. Blaine remained noml
nally Republican, and supported Grant for
second term, he ''set his cap for the deserteri
and fared well with them when they returne'
from hnsk diet with blood y In their eyes to ds
well did they understand each other that the!
had rehearsed him for grand speech In thu
held Greeley's mantle ready to place on hi
shoulders at Its conclusion. The play had beel
well advertised, and the galleries were packed
He was to charm the south In that one speech
Republican party. He was credited in hi
organs with having done splendid work alread
In the joint caucus Of the Republicans agains
the vital feature OF the proposed measure Al
was ready now for the mighty plunge. Tn
overture ended. aud the curtain went up. Blu
Mr.. Blaine remained in the speakers chair In
stead OF fulfilling the engagement made 10
him. He made no speech. II was more to hi
liking TO maintain the advantage of seemin
70 be still Republican while acting with tn
Democrats. This left him free to accept tn
nomination OF either party, as 1t also lef
either party free to nominate him.
II was only by his partial, arbitrary and OBJ
structive rulings against his own party, his In
iercourse with members and the votes of sucl
henchmen as Hale and Garfield, that his hos
tllity to the Force bill was made plain. Tha
he was opposed TO 1t know from his own lips
1t contained no provision that he had not sup
ported In O more far-raacbing FORM In the bll
Of 1871, after first vainly endeayorinR Its dc
this infdelity to its purposes, until the follow
ing spring. He then offered an amendmen
toan amnesty bill. excluding Jefferson Dayi
speech reviying the horrors Of Andersonyill
and charging them upon Davis. Ben Hill re
piled, and as a result, many Republicans fol
rave Blaine Tor his trenchery and desertion Z
the enemy the year before, because In 1876 h
boldly took stand against the starvation o
federal prisoners in 1868. Wonderful leader
instated him in the Republican party where
as we shall see, he remained nearly five year,
without again meandering. Then followe
1873, when he repeated his bid for southern
support.
seven years Of service TO her father, so Mi
Blaine yearned for a response from the south
eTn Democrats for the risks he had run in thei
behalf For them he had been the stone Il
the black mans shoe, when the poor fello,
most needed TO mend his pace. He had brough
the Republican party low In 1882, TO enabl
his southern friends to see that he could do so
He had shown them that with him as a candl
date they could divide the Republicans, n
they had not done under Greeley. Bat un
fortunately for him, he had weakened 1t 81
much that they thought his further aid uu