Telegram-herald., 1890-05-20


credulous smile with which Brooklyn
Democrats receive the prophecy that ne
VIII weaken their hold IN city and county;
for in building up parties Mr.. Hastead
has not besn conspicuous success IL
may be said, however, that he has helped
many others 10 success. He gave the
Cincinnati Commercial national and
finally an international fame, the last
being achieved principally by his letters
In 1870, written on the battleEelcs OF the
Franco-P Prussian war or az the headquar-
ters OF the German commanders, and hls
Iceland letters in 1874 The CONNER
cial was founded in lS48, and on the 9th
of March, 1853, Mr. Halstead began his
career on it's staff 1t is simple matter
of history that hB wit, satire, industry
and management made the paper the
great power il soon became. That he
should sever his connection with II after
thirty-seyen years of such work and such
success lis an incident which would have
aroused melancholy reflections in most
men.
OF his occasional errors in political or
Journalistic management, the explana-
tion may perhaps be summed up in one
word-vehemence. He was such yehe-
ment Unionist as to declare late in 1861
that if the coming January passed with
out bold stroke by the army and vic
tory, the Union cause was lost beyond
redemption. The little victory at Mill
Springs barely "let him out" on that
prophecy, but the rashness was not re-
peated during the warm anything
written for the public. His once notori-
Gus letter 10 Secretary Chase, in which
he made some rather wild suggestions,
coupled with fierce criticism Of the ad-
ministration, would have been utter ruin
to politician if made public soon after
the war; when it did become public the
country had reached the philosophic
stage. Nearly all men Of sense remem-
bered that they too had suffered such fits
of anger and detection during the war
and had expressed themselves as freely
only not on paper, and certainly not in
letters to officials which were liable to
be made public.
The fierce philippics against those SEN
ators who refused 70 investigate the cleo
ton of Senator Payne, of Ohio, marked
another instance Of what might be called
insuing defeat. Mr. Halstead had never
sought or greatly cared for Office at
home; the place Of minister to Germany,
however, was one which would have
filed the greatest measure Of his a1nbi-
ton. lie suited the Germans and they
suited HIM. In personal appearance and
manner he is the very beau ideal Of a
German nobleman of the old stock No
peasant. meeting him for the first time,
would think Of addressing him by any
lower title than Herr Baron" Most
likely the address would be "Prinz. ."
His letters from Iceland were quite As
popular in Germany as in Ohio, and his
association with Won Moltke and the
crown prince during the war made con
quest of the German heart in Ohio. The
nomination for the German mission by
President Harrison was in every sense
appropriate; its rejection by the senate
was certainly exasperating
There seems TO be a natural law IN lit
arature and oratory by which those who
are 60 achieve greatness begin with pro-
ductions that are ornate and ford % the
point q absu7dity, and Mr. Halstead IA
marked example of IT, The Rcd
Haired Maiden Of the Blue Miami "a
she title popularity gwen 70 one of his
earliest productions. Some Il his de-
scriptiors of the scenery about his na-
i've Ross In Butler couatyl o. were
40 grsndiloquent that hs friends
nave not favored their reappearance.
There Is said % be a love story
among his early writings So "excru-
aatnrlv hiEhtaiutin. as rural c7t-
- sev. that ro copy of II can now ne
obtained fo- publication The same TACT
S recorded q some early writings II
Abraham Lincoln. ard his earliest spec a
1n politics 1.'T eXtart IS of that IFrfer-
vi3 scr- q mixed rhetoric which Pr ilTst
auur- and then weares
Nr Halsteaa IS snll M - prime II
Iife Bora Sept ?. iS29 b. started with
lae Inherited vigor - * generations q
sold farmers his VlTV3-l Tas peri e-fed
bv hfa On a Tacs farm. with school A.
Tendance orlT ln the winter tIll le Was
le. s-. despite his - l1-s lsbors A. q
irurus ~ has much e the siren zth
r1.h Indeed. he has hs3 b1t oue
se~e1s iil-ee7 since r3-s tlrz r1aa1ooe
that wa recent sfair sri r1 those U 30
know rin rfst seems ~ have msde nc
serious ad on hls spl4n q c9usttl-
arn tr p every ressfr foT ho-e tlst
he may r- ae Stsudar- -ri0- f1- =
sC-e - tl-ltf1l ysa-s. ard s.heF4 a.
f- sr-co essll E~ols ra t-a1 30