The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-09

CO4Ns DON LA AOoOGl
this meeting were pleased to express their AZ.
hsd S,harswn: should not have ALLUDED I.
FOR the Tsrersncs Which II The commistes has
msde TO- it. I sm aware that there
n ps no, unrs .ns soWsyd
personally. and entertaining ali pronsr respect
Any 1S tbs VIZ gS
il mis- Ts.peSt; ami L BY such DeTsS,a: 81 !. /
anything In the rast. or anything IN my pres.
snst opnIons Il .wIll be readily and eheeTiuiIy
f. e,hsr ha ana ss
81 the chssaS q i" asrse.ion Of y duty and n
the respec, oi an answer from me- The burn
ing propensity to censure and reproacli by
wo"a s sas Be- seS oSSksd hss
knew by whose advice and with whose appro-
baton rcsolved on staying In the Cabinet"
have said that Mr.. Blaine's present position
is like Tint OF Mr.. Webster in 1s42. Mr.. Blaine
ia not Daniel Webster. But he is the most i'm
portant American statesman now living and
what 10 best for him Is beat for the country. l
could give advice to Mr.. Webster whom he
asked for It. rs he sometimes did. cannot
ofTsr nnasked advice to Mr.. Blaine. but may
In another papcr respectfully suggest to his
friends tho reasons why think 1t would be
best for him and best for the country II hs
should go ont o. public lie when tho Admins
tration OF President Harrison 10 ended
Before assign the reasons which lead me
to think. III reference to tho Presidency. that
1t would be best for Mr.. Blaine and for the
country II lie shall 90 out OF public life ut tho
close OF the Harrison Administration. It may
be vol TO dispose Of an idsn that has been
broachsd In many different quarters 1t has
been repeatedly said by various editors and
correspondents, that 90 long a. Mr.. Blaine re-
mains in President Harrison's Cabinet.
loyalty" to the President must prevent him
from allowing his namo to 70 before tho noxt
National Republican Convention as csndi-
date for nomination. I do not understand tho
logic or the sense OF this. Tho only loyalty that
Mr.. Blaine owes 10 President Harrison IL
not pcrsonal obligation to Gen. Harrison. 1t
Is an obligation to tho country. Mr.. Blaine 10
bound to discharge his duties as Secretary Of
State to tho best OF his ability and to DO every.
thing In his power to enable tho President to
conduct tho Government successfully. But
Mr. Blaine Is not bound. as a gentleman. to
refuse to allow his namo 10 60 before tho Re-
publican Convention because tho friends OF
President Harrison and some ofIlceholders
wish tho latter to bs nominated for second
term. I should suppose that Mr.. Blaine
will DO likely to consider the interests OF his
party, which seem to him to involve the inter.
ests OF the country. IS Of the first importance
and his own welfare as Of tho next If he should
find that tho state OF his health will justify his
going through another campaign. 1t caunot
b pretended that he is under any obligation.
OF o personal nature to abstain from being q
candidate for tho nomination. nor do think
that b, ought TO resign the oCIlco OF Secretary
of State for any reason. excepting his inability,
on account OF i'll health. to discharge the du.
ties. At present it does not seem probable
that this will be the case. But 1t may turn
out. and I sincerely trust It will. that he
will be able to discharge all tn, duties OF the
office to tho end OF tho Administration. aud to
close up all tho important questions and pub.
lie interests which he manages so well.
II We look to presidents We. shall find that
some OF the most important pu bile men 10 tho
country in past times have not acted upop any
such supposed obligation as that which has
boon suggested on the part OF Mr.. Blaine
toward President Harrison. 1t Is truo that
President Polk. when he offered tho Stute De.
partment to Mr.. Buchanan. intmated his wish
that no member OF his Cabinet would be q can
didare for tho nomination by the next National
Democratic Convention. Butthis was done by
Mr. Polk for peculiar reasons. which are not
applicable in the present case. Moreover, the
most important precedents are entirely tbs
other way. Mr.. Webster. for example, knew
perfectly we'll how to regulate his con-
duct toward those with whom he was asso-
dated In official lilo. He became Secretary OF
State In President Fillmores Administration as
soon as the latter succeeded Gen. Taylor. He
Secretary OF Slate until he died In
October. 1852. The Whie National Convention
to nominate q cand date for the Presidency and
tho Vice. Presidency was 10 assemble at Balti-
more in juno OF that year. Strenuous efforts
had been made by the friends OF Mr.. W ebster
IN different parts OF the country. with his
knowledge and appreciation. to secure his
nomination to the Presidency. and they would
have succeeded II thu Southern Wings had
acted as the best interests OF their Soc
lon and OF the Union required. II be
had been nominated and had lived un-
til the election. he would in all proba-
bilty have been chosen. for Con. Pierce.
who becamo the Democratic nominee. could
not have beaten Mr.. Webster as no did beat
Gen. Scott But majority OF tho Southern
delegates In tho Baltimore Convention gave
their votes to Mr.. Fillmore through Attv-two
ballotings. On tho fltty-third baliotng SUI
uClouI uuLuUoC VI tuo buppoEIoCo VI Till
moro changed their votes to Gen. Scott. and
thus effected his nomination. This wa, un-
for the Wing party aud for the coun-
try. Gen. Scott was not proper representa-
tive OF the compromise measures OF 1850. His
Immediate political friends and partisans wero
opposed to those measures. Tho consequence
was that the WhiR party became demorallzed.
and the Republican party was formed out OF Its
Northern clements. When tho election cams
on. tho Democratic candidate. to borrow u
phrase Of the turf. walked over tho course"
Gen. Scott was beaten worse thAa nnv candi-
date for the Fresidency ever WAS before. Still
II 1t had no: boon for the repeal OF the Missouri
during tho Administration Of
President Plcrcs. and tho conluct OF tho Su-
promo Court in tho Dred-Scott case. thore
would havo boon no atten.t to disrupt tho
Union, and We should hnvo had no civil war.
But those two evsnts lcd to tho consolidation