The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-02-02
The Death Of Jas. G. Blaine.


few men who have lived in this country
has so much been contained as in the
life of the man whose death was an
nounced on Friday last at II A. NJ. He
was one Of the men foremost in forming
the Republican party. He was dele
gate to the convention that put the first
presidential candidate of that party IN
nomination. He was one of the leaders
of that party from that time, and for
many wears the foremost and most cons
spicuocs of all. The party to which he
has been so ardently attached grew with
him and apparently declines with him.
Tie first candidate of the party carried
greater proportion of the States and
received a greater proportion of the
electoral vote than the one at the cleo
ton which preceded the death of the
great leader of his party.
Mr.. Blaine's skill as parlamentarian
was gained by political experience of
twenty-five years, covering the most mo-
mentous and exciting period of our his
tory. He retired from the Senate of the
United States to enter the department
of State, for which broad field the accu
INFLATED Knowledge and experience OF
his previous pablo career should have
peculiarly fitted him. That his admin
lstration of that office was disappointing
was more due to the peculiarities of ma
ture. to his love for dramatic situations
and for what has been termed ':jingoism"
than from lack of requirements and
ability. His manner of retiring from
public life i'm the resignation of the Office
of Secretary Of State just upon the eve
of the nominating convention. perhaps
gave offense to larger portion of his
party than any other act of his career.
In whatever position James q. Blaine
might be placed he was bound to be
conspicuous by his personality and in
tensely interesting manner. AS a teach
err of the blind in his youth his instruc-
ton was, it's said, delightful. AS the
editor of paper he made himself the
foremost man in his adopted State.
Elected to the Legislature, he in two
wears became the Speaker. From the
Legislature he went to the lower house
of CONGRESS in 1862, and of that body he
was the most conspicuous member until
he went over to the Senate. On the floor
of the House he was the most ready de-
batter, and generally carried his point
and came victorious out of every contest
It was his mind largely which gave
shape to the reconstruction legislation
and form to the fourteenth amendment.
Althoug in both these things he was in
iuenced solely by partisan cOnsidera
tions and the desire to perletuate the
power of his party. the two points that
he carried by his skill and influence over
Thaddeus Stevens, man of supreme
influence in his party and of more solid
parts than Mr. Blaine, have since been
to the great advantage of the Democrat
ic party. These were that population
and not voters should be the basis of
representation in Congress, and that the
scheme of military government in the
South should finally give place to civil
government.
About Stevens there were no devious
methods. He knew what he wanted
and he gave his energies to its attain
ment in the most direct way. He wanted
the South kept in subsection by the
army. Blaine wanted it kept in subjec-
ton by the negro vote, and Blane's plan
was adopted.
AS Speaker of the House Mr.. Blaine
made his greatest reputation. HISS fa-
lniiarity with rules, his acquaintance
with parliamentary law and his quick
ness and command served him a good
purpose. 1t was after he had been dis
placed from the Speakers chair by the
Democrats that the great assault upon
his character and reputation took place.
Whilst his defense was never regarded
dis satisfactory. the dramatic and power
full manner of dealing with the Mulligan
letters on the floor of the House excited
the wonder of the country. The charges
secured for the statesman the epithet OF
the "Tattooed Knight, and they were
regarded as substantiated by sufficient
number of his party members to compass
his defeat for the presidency in 1884. 1t
was at the convention in 1876 that Col.
Robert Ct. Ingersoll, in presenting his
name for the presidential nomination,
called him the ''plumed knight
Blaine was born leader of men. Few
could come in contact with him without
feeling the influence of his wonderful
personality and charm of manner. 1t is
possible that no man ever lived in this
country since the days of Henry Clay
who had SO great a personal following,
and the following was purely personal.
Mr.. Cleveland is the representative of a
principle which vast majority of the
people of the land hold to, and his hold
upon the people is as representative OF
that principle. Blaine, on the other
hand, represented no principle in parties
uar He lacked the steadfastness of
purpose and the infiexible adherence to
guiding principle which have charac-
teriZed other leading men.
The friends of Blaine have been fond
of likening him to Henry Clay, and the
two men doubtless had many similar
traits, and it was these traits which at
tracted to each the great personal fol-
lowing that each enjoyed. Both were
great orators, both had almost super
human memories, both had a wonderful
charm of manner. But with the super
fetal qualities the resemblance ceased
Clay was a statesman and a patriot of
the purest motives and the most exalted
type. His personal character was above
reproach and he had that nice sense of
honor which was characteristic of the
great men of his time, and which was
sadly lacking during the period of
Blaine's career in Congress. That period
was time when corruption was ran
pant, when the appropriation went along
with the old flag, and when, upon the
return of something like sense of pub
lie virtue, the investigations made such
havoc with public men.
There never was an instance in which
it could have been said with justice that
Henry Clay's partisanship rose supe>
rior to his love of country, and this
has been said of Mr.. Blaine upon many
occasions OF his puDllc career. NOtWIth-
standing the strong friendships he had
among Democrats, his partisanship was
intense and his assaults upon the South
ern people were distinguished all along
for their extreme bitterness. But tak>
ing him all in all, Mr.. Blaine was I'M
questionably a great and remarkatl lie
man, who enjoyed triumph and under>
went bitter defeat and personal sorrow
and trouble The disposition of the
American people of all parties, now that
he is dead, will be to think of him char
itably .-Bdltin1o3e Sun.
THE FUNERAL.
The remains of this distinguished
states man were laid to rest in the beau
tiful Oak Hill Cemetery, in the suburbs
of Washington, d. c., on Monday last,
with simple but impressive ceremonies.
Rev. DIR. Tednis Hamlin, pastor of the
Presbyterian Church of the Covenant,
officiated.
The most eminent men in the nation
stood around his bier All business in
the nations capital was suspended dur
Ing the period when the funeral services
IN