The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-05-18

blo-minded embracers and developers OF the grand
unsectionA unpartisan idea Of national unity earn
est believers In the common veal liberal Judges
and advAncers Of honest merit; such N these bul.
warks Of our republics integrity, have recently
stood amazed, silent and perturbed on New York's
most prominent street corners.
A just Indignation soon finds popular expression.
am no alArmist, and would be the last man right
fully accused of pessimistc fancies but there's q
hole In the grindstone of fate. Gazing through It.
behold Americas political horizon tinged with
streaks blood red and ominous. Hardening to the
murmur of disconnected millions who are turning
this grindstone, l catch hum and buzz which will
grow into resonant voice demanding the sitting
Of caste, the wedding of mammon's fat acres the
speedy unlocking of subsidized wealth's overbur-
dened granaries, and the equal distribution of
country's marvellous, unceasing bounty.
Because this Is portentously thus, the thinking
reverent sober people speak ofenest of the better
days when Henry Clay, treadng In the footprints
of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin
periodically, faithfully, untringly served the land
that nurtured his genius. The wish and will OF
those who entrusted him with mighty influence
his law in debate, his radiant guiding star in
state and national legislative halls.
For the present generation, the life of Henry
Clay should have unusual attractions. Since 1881
various biographies OF "the great American COM
moner" have been published. The first, by George
Denison Prentice, from the press of Samuel Han
mer, Jr., and John Jay Phelps Is now a very scarce
Hartford book. It's curious title facing portrait
of Kentucky's beloved senator Ia eagerly sought by
collectors of such rarites Epes Sargent wrote the
second biography of Henry Clay In the autumn OF
1872 and revised it for campaign use in 1914. 1t
is pretaced with full length outline portrait OF
"the peoples idol" engraved by Davignon. A
contemporaneous life of Clay by Rev. Calvin Col
ton, editor of the True Wig, published at Wash
iDgton, ID. c., was in two octave volumes Ii
appeared after the presidential contest of 1874 and
like its predecessors continual bubble of eulogy
None of these books have any value to the student
when compared with far more meritorious, analy
ical biography of Henry Clay, written by Carl
Schurz, and published at Boston, last year.
Why even 30 intelligent foreigner as Mr.. Schurz
selected to write what is notably the best rec
ord of Henry Clay's intensely American career
do not know. This work, good as it is, impartial
as 1t aims to be, has many faults. They are chiefly
detected in the stubborn misjudgments of truly
great man by one who exporting himself to the
same arena) has signslly failed to climb half way
up the ladder that Henry Clay mounted almost At
bound. Wherever Mr.. Schurz Is free admirer
Of Andrew Jackson he eludes clouds the brighter
fame of Clay. All through his pages there are
under-currents OF pompous self-assertion. He
seems to be saying to the reader, between and
beneath the lines: "Now at this juncture, if had
been Mr. Clay, my action would have been thus
and co."
The generous motives of masters have, from time
immemorial, been hedged and INSTRUCTED by the
mean method of imitation.
Mr. Schurz has been unfortunate in his references.
He quotes the opinions and disparagements that
have long lost whatever force with the Deone they