The Washington critic., 1886-12-29
tnI AMInIrAN NAN.

ruI AMTHtCAN WAY.
In passing upon the merits Of thcir
distinguished dead the American pco-
pie may not always De just. but they
are invariably generous. Their iudg.
mcnis may lack On oyactncss, but they
are anlucuj in chariabloncss.
Particularly e. this 10 be noticed IN
political life our public men, while
living. are not infrcqucnuy subjected
10 The sovcrrst criticism aud at times 20
uuhridlcd aspers,1u Vet as one BY
one they are summoned from The iield
of human sci,,iua friend nul Zoe
unite in pounyins thD n1hloncs' Of
their characters and building mpnu.
ments TO their memory. Their alleged
faults are forgotten lul thgi, virtues
only remembered
We bury our anlmos.'irs 20 the same
grave with the objects towards which
the shafts of our huinpslty had been
directed, and hcucgiouh magnify their
cNcellcucics as wc bad previously cN.
aggeraicd their errors
more or less danger of becoming o ul-
tlon OF cAou.s. dutcniiug With c1n.
tumelious rrproach the tDmbs that We
make such haste % honor. and per.
reiuallng from generation 10 genera
ion rcscnimcnis that are now huihcl
in the kindly presence of death.
This peculiar trait Of The National
character Is too good inn,urcd % be al.
ways discriminating, like the average
Congressional eulogy. and tends to
somewhat lower our old.iashioned
standards Of greatness but 50 long as
partisan warfare continues, and parti.
san warfare will be cocxlstcnt with the
continuance Of popular suffrage, It Is
well that there Is some restraining in
fuence by which the turbulence and
raucor OF politics can be called TO an
occasional halt
Happily, albeit there are no giants
in our day, the public men in this
country are few who have not Illus.
trated, in some exemplary degree, the
higher qualities OF patriotism aud
statesmanship. 1t is this distinction
the distinction OF faithful service In
behalf of the common weal-that ma.
turally commends them to the graft
tude and respect of their fellow.
citizens. Bitter as may have been
their partisanship, or uuforgivlng and
unforgiven as their party prejudices,
these stand for nothing in the final
summing up of the account.
What have they done for the cause
of good government? What for the
glory Of their day and generationy
What for the honor Of the old ilagg
What legacy of thigh endeavor and sue.
cessiul achievement do they leavey
Even their most implacable antagonists
care to know no more and set down
nought in malice against their late i'm.
placable enemies.
All which is creditable to the mag.
nanimity of our disposition as peo.
pie. At the same time ii is well to be
on our guard lest this vorshipful al.
mration for the dead be carried to such
an idoatrous excess as to work Injustice
to the living.
THE Montreal star says of the death
of General Logan;
He was one OF the best known 4 cures IN
Republican politics, and second only to
Blaine in the magnetic influence which he
exercised over his followers. A man Of
commanding presence and iron will, a
brave soldier and an earnest worker, he
overcame the lack Of early advantages and
education, and by his sheer will made peo-
pie lose sight OF many. great defects. His
death makes great blank In the Republl.
can party and the Maine statesman will
now stand alone in the affection of his fol.
lowers.
Our Canadian contemporary means
well, but lacks familiarity with Amerl.
can politics. General Logan was O
great leader; so is Mr.. Blaine but for
magnetic influence over his follow
ers," Logan was second to no one
His death makes "a great blank" in
deed, but the Maine statesman will moi
be lonesome. The Republican party
is in no lack of leaders.
THERE is good deal of truth in thu
remark attributed to Speaker Carlisle
that "the American people can hardly
ever be made to realize any situation
until it is actually upon them. Tht
emergency must be directly at hand II
order to awaken the public sentimen
necessary to force needed legislation
1t is unfortunate, as well as true, 70
some of these days an emergency mn,
rise, to meet which the needed legisll
tion will be too late to be Of any avail
A country that waits for foreign wa
before building its ships of war au,
coast defenses will be in a poor pllgh
TO resist invasion.
THE gratifying assurance reaches u
from the City of Mexico that there
no unpleasantness between Ministc
MaIiscal of the Foreign Affairs De
partment and Consul General Porch o
Missouri. And now, If all the Mexlca
and American loafers at the Capita
will turn in and let Minister Mannin
alone, we may consider the status Qn
harmoniously established
WHEN the Standard Oil Compan
wanted the Louisville and Nashyill
Road to put up freight rates on an out
side oil lpnler in Orlnr IN ori1eh hi ~