The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-13

rather deficient in administrative talent,
whether in public life or private business
Jefferson had rare genius for politics and
political writing, and was polished, ami
able, benevolent, fascinating man In pri-
vate intercourse, but he was on the whole
an inefficient, irresolute president. Gar
field was in far more boisterous way than
Jefferson a magnetic man. His speech
was fiorid and his manner warm both in
public and private, but his shining talents
were clearly those of an orator rather than
those of an administrator. President
Pierce was a very magnetic" man, OF
polished, charming manner, but he was
probably the worst man that ever sat In
the presidential chair.
Some of our very cheapest and most per-
nicious class of public men have been So
called "warm" men, like Douglass, Bill
Tweed, Bob Toombs and Voorhees,. Henry
Clay, Lincoln, Hamilton, Seward and
John a. Andrew were at once men conspic-
uously able and pure IN public life and
genial in social intercourse, but they are
exceptions to the rule. The iceberg"
statesmen, so-called, in our history include
our ablest and strongest public men. The
only really great man of magnetic quality
in our history, save Blaine, was Henry
Clay, and he probably would not have
made good president. He made splen-
did speaker and leader of the House, but
he did not make a superior cabinet officer.
The magnetic temperament is some
times found with remarkable admin
istrative talents, but in the case
of Clay it was associated with high ideal
ity and intellectual impulsiveness that
sometimes degenerated into rashness and
overweening self-conhdence. Such men
are like poets and artists, prone 10 extrav-
agant daring one day and extravagant de-
spondency the next. They are inconstant
in action because of their volatility Of
spirits.
What is called the magnetic tempera-
ment is admirably efficient for certain
work of vast importance in this world.
The orator, the advocate, the agitator, the
partisan leader need it, but the work of
the jurist, of the legislator or the execu-
tive in large field. where, like the presi-
dent, he needs to deliberate carefully and
to act vigorously and resolutely, is not
generally best wrought by the magnetic
temperament. 1t is grand temperament
to climb by in politics, but it is not sell
dom disappointing and sometimes
dangerous temperament when it
ceases to be critic or agitator
and is clothed with large and
responsible powers of administrative and
executive conduct. Few of the great ex-
ecutive and administrative statesmen of
the world have been men of magnetic
temperament. Caesar and Napoleon had
it as they had everything else, but none of
England's great monarchs. like Edward
the First, Elizabeth or William the Third,
had it. Frederick the Great. Cromwell,
Marlborough, Give, Wellington, Moreau,
Massena, Soult, William Pitt, were all of
non-magnetic manners and temperament.
Chatham and Gladstone were both eio
quent, but Chatham was repellant in his
manners, and Gladstone is cold, though
polished. Bismarck, Theirs, Cavour, GER
tainly did not belong TO the magnetic
school OF public men. Gambetta may per-
haps be an exception, but We believe his
influence rested chiefly on his eloquence;
his personal charm was not remarkable.
Fox, Englands most genial and fascinat.
ing statesman, was poor administrator
both ir public and private lite.
The testimony of history is that cold,
that ia Don-maOnatic man have ganaraIIv
done civilizations best deliberatiye. ad-
ministrative and executive work, whether
in peace or war. The great jurist, lesisla-
tor. general, administrator. executive, has
generally been a man of non-magnetic
temperament. The men of responsibility,
official action; the men of government in
distinction from the men of irresponsible
agitation and criticism, have been gener-
orally non-magnetic men. cold as Wash
ington was cold, cold rs honest Roscoe
Conkling was cold: cold as upright John
Sherman and General Harrison are cold,
cold in blood and brain, warm in heart,
but not so warm as to melt down wall
between public right and public wrong;
not so warm rs to plead private friendship
and sympathies as an excuse for gener-
osity that intlicts public injustice.
Ii should never be forgotten that cold
blood, distant manners and reserved speech
quite as often go with a kind heart and
humane spirit as warm blood aud cordial
manners. Calhoun was cold, yet he was
as kindly and gentle in life and speech as
Clay. but it was totally impossible for him
to be as ELUSIVE and magnetic as the great
Kentuckian. Webster was of sluggish
blood and cold outside, but he was tender
and generous to all in his domestic life.
Reserve is often mere shyness of spirit and
nine-tenths Of our studious lawyers would
be rated "cold" by the crowd because thew
do not naturally relish the noise, the
ELUSIVE babble and horse play of mixed
public gatherings. Social manners, whether
cold or cordial, ara merely the test
of a mans physical temperament, not
at all OF his true inward spirit. Warm
blood no oftener implies warm heart than
cold blood. There must he a good deal
of latent heat in the blood of man who
eloquently said in his inaugural March 4.
1889:
MIL hres were lighted at the funeral pile OF
slavery. The emancipation proclamation was
heard in the depths of the earth IS well As in
the SKY. Men were made free and material
things became our better servants.
HIS MILITARY SERVICE.
The late Joseph Mcdonald, of Indiana.