Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-07
BLAINE AS A DIPLOMATIC THIMBLE-
RIGGER,


this sort of intricate machinery is we'll
illustrated by the Harrison administra-
ton. We are told that this public func-
tionary is determined to appropriate
some of the triumphs of this ''grand
administration" to himself. The HER
AID would beg to intimate that it would
require ninety million magnifying
glass, of "double hextra power" to en-
ploy the earnest and eloquent language
of Samuel Weller, to discover anything
like grandeur" in this administration.
To the man whose impressions of mat
ters and things are regulated by
common sense, it would seem that
we have sort of cheese pairing
ican eagle is made to take on a rather
dyspeptic and enfeebled look. When
Thomas Francis Bayard was secretary of
state for the United States, under Mr..
Cleveland's administration, there was
quite general impression that he lacked
vigor, and was rather disposed to give
the suGUiter in modo undue. prominence
in his intercourse with the British
embassy. We confess that we
slightly shared that impression our
selves. But what lion-hearted
diplomat was Bayard as compared
with the great Jingo secretary of state
of the Harrison regime9 Here we have
it announced that this year the Bering
sea is to be mare clausuna, and that not
even the Alaska Fur Seal company is to
be allowed to take seal. OF course,
this is very diaphanous covering of a,
square back down. No such concession
could ever have been wrung from Mr..
Bayard, notwithstanding his pleasant
and courtly intercourse with the British
embassy at Washington. The whole
thing looks very much like preliminary
to dead crawfshing on the Bering sea
question. We are told that this
action OF the American govern
ment is traceable to the direct
initiative of Mr.. Harrison himself, who
desires to cut figure in this "grand
administration. This may or may not
be. Blaine was expected to do a great
deal of roaring by his special admirers
whenever an opportunity presented
itself of twisting the tail of the British
lion. He was supposed to be the mod
ern embodiment of Bottom the Weaver,
who asked to be cast in the lions part
because he could roar. And, 10 and
behold! we find the Plumed knight
roaring as gently as any sucking dove.
This surprises no one who is
really familiar with Blaine's career.
When he was President Garfield's secre-
tary of state he showed himself to be
the most timid of all diplomatists; and,
to the surprise of those Irish Americans
who were disposed to take stock in him,
he allowed Irish American citizens to
languish in British prisons without max
ing anything that could in common
courtesy be called protest. And there
they languished until President Cleve-
land came into power, and interposed a
peremptory protest which secured
their release. Perhaps the most SEN
sational surprise in our later po-
litical history is the tameness of our
lingo secretary of state when he is
placed in the exact position in which
he could begin to twist the tail of the
British lion aforesaid. He instantly be-
comes as mild as milk. The angry
frown disappears from his brow, the dis
sonance from his voice, and he emerges
as mild hammered man as ever scut-
tied ship or cut a throat. Verify, the
unexpected is always sure to happen to
those misguided admirers who think
that James G. Blaine is anything but
what he is, viz, a most consummate
actor.