The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-11-19
heAemOrraf-S Star
The Bauble Reputation.
Boston Traveller.

A careful study OF Lanman'
Biographical Dictionary wonl,
temper the ambition of many nj
ardent politician. In that larg
volume are embalmed the nane
and a brief sketch of the character
OF some thousands OF members O
the House of Representatives. O
The Senate and of the exccutiy
departments OF this Government
To tue living generation, aud esue
cially to tue younger halt of tn,
llVing generation, the names there
IN contained are as barren of insig
nl6cance as are the name of tn,
ISraellses recorded in the geneaIog
tcal registers of the Old Testament
We venture TO attempt to redeem
from absolute Oblivion the name Of
the man who enjoyed the longest
period of service ia the Congress Of
the United States in the tirst 1On
years OF our constitutional history.
His lengthy career was not one of
any positive greatness either of
intellect OIL character. He never
achieved II distinguished place nor
did be become conspicuous in any
important contest. He had the
happy quality of not being disa.
greeable. He was a general in the
WAL OF the revolution, aftrrward he
was mayor of the city of Baltimore,
and finally be had a seat in the
House of Representatives and then
in the Senate, whose united terms
amounted to thirty nine years. A
process OF reasoning would lead the
mind to the conclusion that such a
career would secure that recogni.
ton which the world calls fame.
HIS fate was otherwise. Outside
of the Smith family Samuel Smith,
of Maryland, is unknown, aud to
most readers this is to them the
first public mention of his anne.
Personal ambition is an aid to
government, and when personal
ambition disappears good govern
ment will disappear also. But per-
sonal ambition like seed time and
harvest, will never cease, and,
therefore, there is no peril to the
public good when attention is call
q to the fact that much of what is
Ought to be fame disappears
WIN the actors disappear. From
u rg~anization Of the Government
ther'have been twenty-five Presi.
uentll elections, and twenty two
PerSos have held the office of
FreSldet. 1t is safe to inter that
no iess tan ten persons have been
aSPiIahtS for the place in each
quadrenla period. OF these nine
nave oeendisappointed, or more
tnah zOO II all, who became the
unhappy Fltims of misdirected
ambition. b these are to be added
Iouleen OF tine who attained the I
once and sougt reelection with. :
out success. :
The two Adames, Calhoun, Clay, !
Crawford, the t~ Clintons, Web ;
ster, Cass, Chas, Seward and 3
many Others less Mll-known, were r
disappointed men. Add what is to a
be SAID of the mo who finally =
reached the Office of president of :
the United .Statesf lrst of all, it +
to be said that GeEaral Wash. =
lngtOn, Mr.. Lincoln AMI General r
Grant established regulations for a
craftsmanship which they did not =
before possess. Whatevr may =
now be thought of the opinions or y
purposes OF General jackson. he q
made for himself a conspiuIous =
place in the political history o the 4
country. As to the two Adames. y
hey gained nothing by their eleN. 4
ION to the Presidency. The eldr !,
ruined the Federal party y
md the second Adams ruined the >,
party, as 1t had been
organized under the lead of Mr..
emerson. Neither Jefferson nor
Madison gained anything from the I
,hce OF President. Whatever of |
tame is awarded to Jefferson a
# Madison is awarded for services n
side from the Presidential Office. I
EMERSON is remembered as the !.
0thOr OF the Declaration of Inde- u
endence aud as the author or ex. b
'ounder of fundamental political Il
rlncipies. Madison is remember. II
d for his notes on the Constitution :,
Tor his writings in the Federal.
't. We do not speak of the living, Z"
ut what of gain has come to the m
sputatioh OF Monroe, Van Buren,, Il
harrison, Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Fill. d
Iore, Pierce, Buchanan or John N
mi Their names are IN the list oil
Presidents of the United States, ca
I'D that fact counts for so"~@ans, =,
10 anyone refer roo Il measure that "
WITH either of those men q
hat was wise in plan and beneficial Z
n its resultsf a
We have not in view any moral le
but at the end we may be rC
1dulged in u reflection. Wealth g
nd office are proper objects of am II
ltlon, but many who take part in p
be contests will tail, and some sue a
eed at a cost greater than the &c
cl
The following changes have been >.
AN