Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-01-27


to him sincerity, and in so doing dis
cover the essential patriotism of his na
ture. II would be difficult to find in hi;
whole life aught that was inconsistent
with this Interpretation of his character
His public career of moro 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 a 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 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 country's
flag. Nor may we well, now that this
remarkable career is ended, speak lightly
of that feryid, 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
tional life The young men of our coun
try have seen it from afar, 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. Let us
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 a strange
sound in American ears II Is against
the teaching Of tho 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 a
matter of fact, few examples in the his.
tory Of the world have been moro 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, Lei
him be known as the great secretary
and honored as the man who survived
and Aourished and won the esteem Of the
world without the occupancy Of the
White House.
Blaine was a civilian. Though he had
the instincts of battle, II was tho battle
of mind, the contention Of thought, in
which he delighted. Though he was an
intense patriot, 1t is doubtful whether he
had pleasure in the struggle Of the bat
tleheld and tho clamor Of arms. Though
his activities belonged to the age which
was shaken by the greatest war Of mod
ern times, he participated In 1t only te
the extent Of considering It's sequences
and deducing from II its best results foI
his country.
Blaine was not only Americana he was
pan-American. Nothing less than al
Americanism could satisfy him or ever
appease his purpose and ambition. Ht
was also pan-republican. His congress
of American republics, II not brilliant
success, was at least reputable, The
project issued from his fecundity and
was his 1t was tho potential beginning
Of an American state system which might
stand in likeness and counterpoise o
that European state system which hai
been the woof of political history since
the treaty Of Westphalia. Blaine woul(
unity the policies and methods Of thu
American republics, and they should al
flourish because tho great republic flour
ishes and is in tho lead. More practica
still was the movement for intercontinen
talrailways. Hudson's bay and Argentine
should shake hands Chicago and Buenoi
Ayres should greet. Boston should re
ceive by rail from the Grand Chaco. Tht
bull hides Of the pampas should be huns
up green in the tanneries Of Buffalo, ant
the Fuegians should wear new prints
from the mills of Providence. Th'
scheme was like the man. 1t pleased hi
genius, and by and by 1t shall bo trans
muted from imagination and vision intt
reality.
Blaine is gone No moro shall thii
striking figure attract tho gaze Of two
hemispheres. But his memory shall sur
vivo long, and his influence will stream
out far into the coming century. In th'
shadows of the last hours We have sin
cere grief for his going. Would that ht
might have lived longerl There arr
tears Of true affection at the open door oI
his tomb.
Blaine outlived nearly all OF his great
contemporaries. He saw every Unior
general OF the first rank and every Con
federate general Of the first rank, witt
tho single exception Of Longstreet, g
down to the grave He survived nearly
all Of his competitors in civil life. Sher
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