Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-30
A Just Tribute to an Eminent Californian.


rooms. The election past and the results
known, the crop of prophets gives way to a
no less obnoxious spawn Of political phil
osophers, afflicted with the necrosis OF
idiotic analysis, who seek to expose the
subtle workings of all the occult forces
which combine to produce the results. A
closer intimacy with the personnel of these
classes invariably discloses their complete
individual identity. The prophet preced-
ing the election is but the tadpole of the
philosophical frog who succeeds it. Some
of these amphibious specimens with coarse
croakings of seeming profundity and pro-
truding eyes OF simulated wisdom, have
pretended to see in the recent partial defeat
of the Republican party measure of re-
Duke to that party for having chosen the
Hon. Leland Stanford for Senator in Con-
gress for the term of six years. This is but
one of the many hundreds of pretended ex-
planations-which do not explain-of the
reasons for the partial discontinue of the
Republican hosts. An explanation so OBJ
viously erroneous and stupid does not de-
mand answer at any hand or from any
source, but stupidity and ignorance, when
they seek expression, seldom fail TO afford
text for the comment of higher wisdom
Even mediocre intelligence does not need
to be informed that the personality of Gov
Stanford, or the position he SO honorably
fills in the United States Senate, was in no
sense in issue in the campaign Just ended
but the suggestion challenges attention by
its very absurdity.
There is no better indication that an in
dividual is a splendid factor in the affairs
CT men, States, or of nations, than the tend
ency to attribute all accomplished facts,
whether of success or of failure to the ex-
ercise of his influences. The assertion that
the recognition of Governor Stanford's
abilities to serve the State in position sec
ond only to that of the Chief Magistracy
on the part of the Republican party, has
had something to do with its recent re-
verses, needs no refutation still the asser-
ton serves to attract attention TO the dis
tinguished citizen whose name is involved,
and to invite some analysis of those dis
tinguished qualities which combine to
form a character of true greatness, and to
produce q career as truly remarkable as
that of any living American. Nearness OF
view is not the most favorable condition
under which to form just estimates of the
greatness of men; even the great characters
of history acquire colossal proportions only
when viewed from that distance which
brings all the attributes of their greatness
into harmonious relation and symmetrical
IL lAt pClSOll WILL llOlu " Z III
in daily contact the attributes of power,
the elements of strength, the exaltation OF
character, appear so easy of exercise, that
from becoming everyday occurrences TO
our senses, they become commonplace to
our appreciation. For this reason, the
more exalted virtues of our friends find
recognition in their obituary notices. The
praises we bestow upon departed heroes
serve only to give emphasis to that insult
ferable littleness in mankind which with
holds just praise from living men. Re-
Gently the nation laid to rest one of its
great men. From the mere possible can
didate of party for the Office of President,
he was TRANSPORTED into a savior of his
country, and Riverside became scarcely
less sacred to patriotic memory than Mount
Vernon. The laurels we withheld from
the brow of the living, we now bring to lay
on the unresponsive grave of the dead. An
admirer may become just critic, but when
criticism proceeds from admiration all CON-
mendation should be based upon irrefraga-
BILE facts in the record. of all arts, lust por-
tfaiture, whether on paper as biography, or
on canvas in enduring colors, is the most
difficult. Affection softens every rough
lineament; envy or hate distorts them.
Love draws every angular line more SYM
metrical than the truth hate confers upon
them more hideous angularity. 1t belongs
only to those who look upon character
without favor or malevolence to produce
work entirely just
Governor Stanford has achieved the right
to fame beyond the reach of envy. Com
ing upon the stage of action in that heroic
period of our country's history when the
great battle between liberty and slavery
was fought he early arrayed his great en-
ergies and his keen foresight on the side OF
liberty, and by the strength and the cour-
age of his convictions became a potent
factor in the grand achievements OF that
memorable time. Bred to the profession
of law, the strong analytical character OF
his mind led him early to broad compre-
hension of the foundation principles OF
government and of society, rather than to
the retention of provision of codes or the
temporizing policies of statutes. With that
singular lucidity of mind which has char
acteriZed all the administrative acts of his
life, he based his political convictions upon
the iInmutable principle of the inalienable
rights of men, and thus, early in his career,
he reached that perfect consonance with
the most profound political philosophy
which guided the fathers of the republic.
In his very earliest writings, messages and
speeches he manifested that clear compre-
hension of the great departure from the old
forms of usurpation taken by our fathers in
the foundation of this Government, which
distinguishes his views to-day, and which
allies him as closely with the earliest and
best traditions of the nation as that of any
other living American statesman.
In his early manhood he perceived with
clearness the underlying distinction be-
tween governments founded in force and
governments of consent. He saw the nat
ural tendency toward absolutism in all
governments, under all forms, and rs
clearly understood the value of that deea-
ration which accords to men inalienable
rights, and the security of these rights to
each individual to be the one great Office of
government. In the earliest history of the
Republican party he said: "All govern
ments but ours are founded in grants of
rights and privileges to the people, grants
of right proceeding from the Government.
Here in America we have established a
Government which receives its grant of au-
thoritY from the people. We concede all
just power of government to proceed from
the consent of the governed, and it is not,
therefore, conceivable that in granting
power the people have surrendered to the
Government the power to extinguish those
rights which, granted by the Creator, are
forever inalienable in man" He very
early and clearly perceived that the great
doctrine of inalienable rights in the citizen
and the conservation of these rights by the
Government, would never find its proper
embodiment in a nation which tolerated
human slavery. He saw that if slavery
lived and prevailed, these doctrines must
die, and that the Government founded
upon them must fall.
On the other hand, he saw that their
complete assertion, their full and triumph
ant recognition, would of themselves de-
stroy slavery. In recalling the personal
history of the men of that time, and the
various phases of political phenomena
which attended it, it is highly interesting
to note the two classifcations of anti-siav-
cry sentiment. There were those whose
anti-slavery principles proceeded from SYM
patty with the debased condition of the
slave. To all such the most ready weapon
against slavery was reference to the lash, to
the slave hoyel, and to the. embruted con-
dition of the slave. To the arguments OF
such, the apparent contentment of the