The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-02-03

Of American patriotism. Let us concede
to him sincerity, and in so doing dis
cover the essential patriotism of his ma
ture. 1t would be difficult to find in his
whole life aught that was inconsistent
with this Interpretation of his character
His public career of more than thirty
years, ever widening. and deepening in
the channels of national life, has been an
example of patriotic devotion to Ameri-
can institutions. The very vices of his
statesmanship-if such there behave
had like root and vitality. If he fought
off the Chinese it was because he was
blinded with his passionate American
ism. The great idea with Blaine seems
to have been the establishment of a com
plete republican autonomy in this ma
ton. He desired the individuality and
glory of America. He was seriously in
spired with the sight of his countrys
flag. Nor may we well, now that this
remarkable career is ended, speak lightly
of that fervid, unwavering passion which
Blaine ever displayed at the very men
ton of his country's name.
1t is well that such an example should
have been set in high place of our ma
tonal life. The young men of our coun
try have seen it from affair, and in pro
portion as they have imbibed from this
fountain they are better and truer than
if they had drunk from the cold and drib-
bling waterspouts of the caucus. Lett
hope and believe that the living part OF
Blaine has entered into union with the
soul of his country, and that the Ameri-
can nation will feel through several ages
the warmth of his surviving blood and
genius.
In the next place Blaine has demon
strated that man can be great without
success. This proposition has strange
sound in American ears. 1t is against
the teaching of the schools. Our doc
trine is that only the man who is elected
is anything; the other is nothing. Blaine
has shown that the man who is not
elected is greater than the other. AS
matter of fact, few examples In the his
tory of the world have been more inspir-
iting than that of Blaine in the last
period of his life. Note the esteem in
which he is held by his countrymen.
Mark well his reputation in foreign
lands. In England, in France. in Ger
many, Italy, Russia, to the ends of civ
ilization, it was Blaine who was known
and honored. After Grant he is the only
recent American who has been thus dis
tinguished with cosmopolitan fame. Let
him be known as the great secretary
and honored as the man who survived
and fourished and won the esteem of the
world without the occupancy of the
White House.
Blaine was civilian. Though he had
the instincts of battle, it was the battle
of mind, the contention of thought, in
which he delighted. Though he was an
intense patriot, it is doubtful whether he
had pleasure in the struggle of the bat
tlefeld and the clamor of arms. Though
his activities belonged to the age which
was shaken by the greatest war of mod
ern times, he participated in it only to
the extent of considering its sequences
and deducing from it its best results for
his country.
Blaine was not only American; he was
pan-American. Nothing less than all
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appease his purpose and ambition. He
was also pan-republican. His congress
of American republics, if not brilliant
success, was at least reputable. The
project issued from his fecundity and
was his. 1t was the potential beginning
of an American state system which might
stand in likeness and counterpoise of
bot tot Cx-CtnrYo hich hos
been the wool of political history since
the treaty of Westphalia Blaine would
unity the policies and methods of the
American republics, and they should all
flourish because the great republic flour
ishes and is in the lead. More practical
still was the movement for intercontinen-
talrailways. Hudson's bay and Argentina
should shake hands. Chicago and Buenos
Ayres should greet. Boston should re-
ceive by rail from the Grand Chaco. The
bull hides of the pampas should be hung
up green in the tanneries of Buffalo, and
the Fuegians should wear new prints
from the mills of Providence. The
scheme was like the man. 1t pleased his
genius, and by and by it shall be trans
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reality.
Blaine is gone. No more shall this
striking figure attract the gaze of two
hemispheres. But his memory shall sur
vive long, and his influence will stream
out far into the coming century. In the
shadows Of the last hours we have sin
cere grief for his going. Would that he
might have lived 1ongerl There are
tears of true affection at the open door of
his tomb.
Blaine outlived nearly all of his great
contemporaries. He saw every Union
general of the first rank and every Con-
federate general of the first rank, with
the single exception of Longstreet, go
down to the grave. He survived nearly
all of his competitors in civil life. Sher-
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