Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-01-31

(Contiuued from, ID page.

IContiuued from "a page.
nothing of the pliilosophie sweep of Burke
or the elevation OF Chatham, nothing of
Summers iearBiHg and orbateness, nothing
of Fessenden's passioniess logic, little Of
the elaquence of piekpey or Winter Davis,
! but his sentences were terse and strong
put plainly what he wished to say, and
transfxed his opponent like Jayelin. lie
seldom used mere graees Of style, bis
speeches show little imagination or that
poetic touch hieb Is oftenest allied with
cioquence; he rarely condensed u whole
argument into one luminous metaphor as
lid Bacon or Emerson. bat he put his
thought into speech plain that all should
see and carry il away, he overboFe the OPP
posing argument with facts, pourins these
out sometimes in AN inpetuDus torrent, till
the nearer was fascinated, convinced, com
PEELED by the towering wiii-power of the
man.
As parliameutarian Mr.. Blaine was I'M
surpassed, if not unqualified. in America.
His presence was commanding, his voice
resonant, his temper even. He was emi
nently courteous and fair, but be always
respected the dignity of debate. and when
his gavel fell the most turbulent House
knew it was under the sway of master.
Ills decisions were rapid and adhered to,
and his instantaneous memory for precedent
made it difficult to find him urprepared.
But whatever rank history may assign to
Mr.. Blaine as an orator or statesman, in one
thing, al least, he towers heal and shoulders
above all who have ever lived in America,
as an inspirer of enthusiasm, az the in
comparable leader of men, No American
ever attracted so strongly, and kept so long,
the loyalty and love of such large masses
of his countrymen. 1t may well be that
we shall never see again in these prosaie
centuries SO much of the medieval hero,
such a belted knight among men. The
people felt instinctively his sagacity to lead,
his masterful resources his intuition for
their needs, his knightly courage and. when
he set his lance in rest, they followed him
as the men of old might follow Launcelot or
Richard, the Lion-lIearted, careless whether
to the tourney or the wars.
Wherever he was, in the Senate or the
drawing room, he was the commanding
presence, and his ovcrulastering personality
laid spell on men. In conversation his
eye flashed, the whole man kinlicd and be-
| came ut once alert and intense. When he
spoke, he spoke impetuously, at times I'M
periously, as a man may who believes what
he says, and by the very intensity of his be
lief overbears opposition.
The closing years of his life were spent
in literature and diplomacy, and, until the
distressful strokes of fortune smote him so
heavily, there is no period III his career so
| reposcful and vet so fruitful of greatness.
Years and the soherness of power had
brought him intellectual sweetness, iuster
sense of the proportions of things and
something of that rare vision into the
future which is state smansllip. 10 this
| period belongs his most enduring work.
| His literary labor is distinguished by its
| impartiallty, by its just judgments of men,
by its Inagnanimous tributes TO personal
and political opponents. His language is
| always fifty chosen and his style lucid and
sonorous In his eulogy on Garfield he
has left us a classic, very pearl of Eng
| lsh, fit to rank with the mobiles, things of
| the masters.
| All this while, too, was growing in his
mind the great conception of Pan America,
of which reciprocity was bat a phase, and
/ by which the future will largely measure
| his creative work, the conception of bind
| mig ltHtiI1tr ibTbuHH tDIiUtEtt dbtl lIttli1t-
| ship and mutual respect this whole CONT
nent of nations.
| Here is the central thought and fruit Of
| all Mr. Blaine's life and genius,-his in
tense Americanism. Others have been as
great aud perhaps greater than he, in their
several lines. Webster was thr
great expounderof the Constitution, Stevens
the great Commoner, Patrick Henry the
/ Dl,ir,. 81
all these, but he was also something
more than all Of them-he was and will re-
main the great American.
But it is of Mr.. Blaine the neighbor and
the friend that we would speak the last low
ing word. Many sided and nagnanimous,
he harborcd no revcnges, was incapable of
malice and loved his friends As
friend he was kind ami SYM
pathetic. he had tender heart as A
husband and father, to the poor his hand
was ever open.
Like all great souls, he loved to drink
from natures imperlshibie fountains and
would not willingly be long away from her
and her deep refreshments. Walks by the
streams and through the forests, more often
! in later years long drives past the changing
charm of lake AMI plain and mountain,
years lie rlung IN his summer home bv tbe
sea tn wL;rh he turmoil Zach vnar with
tourbin, uistfulncss that its ore,t waves
and lis sal, sp,nnIJ air MIGHT briny same
touch of bc,Iir,, Il, bis v,sted hoaI,l1
Rut in tho e,rl;ar d,vs bnforo ali nay,-
or;es of ,ng,,st, hro,,rlt b;, tho ;rcyrr,s-
| s,,le s,,,nrss Of hrnar., r,,qIs he hi
best to take his passing guest mp the fam
| liar hilisiIes of Augusta and point out
where hollow him The v4llev nf the Kcrrc.
noe dre,mea lie jrn,n, If hut, whore ,bo
citv sI.r, aud tho soIa,,, r;var onj ,,hnro
H.. ali ~, h.. ,I,a SIT, H., ,r,,.,
Nm, an hnnr ana l,,;r.,l,, ,ra,,lJ ,,o To-
,,or h., ,,,,,s,' f.,,,;ta- 800 1 =; ~. i,
| happy days, before thieving Death had
/ tba n Il, oil bonso now r,nto wss eiiod
with merry guests, and wife AMI cherished
I