New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-28
JAMES G.. BLAINE.

SO commanding a figure has he been in public
life for thirty years, so symmetrical was the de-
| yelopment of his intellectual powers, and so in
exhaustible were the resources OF his statesman
ship, that it is almost impossible to think OF
him as living cold in death. To hundreds OF
| thousands of Americans the melancholy tdlngS
| of his last hours will come with poignant
sense of personal grief. We are not speaking
now of private friendships formed during his
| busy life but of the influence which he eXerted
over host of followers unknown to him, but
brought under the magic spell of his leadership
and political genius. When Mr. Clay died,
there were hundreds of earnest men like Horace
Greeley who felt that they could never again
take interest in American politics. Now that
Mr. Blanes career has ended, there are thou
sands of Americans who will share this feeling.
The secret Of Mr. Blaine'S influence over men
was revealed by Mr.. Disraeli in a sentence from
"Coningsby," written when the future Prime
Minister was only known as an aspiring and
| cynical novelist g. leader WHO can inspire
enthusiasm. he commands the world. Divine
faculty Rare and Incompatible privilege
| 1t was Mr. Disraes destiny to become great
| leader and TO hold his party together in defeat
| and in victory without exciting enthusiasm or
| inspiring popular confidence. while his lifelong
| rival. inferior as a political tactician, was to
succeed always in touching mems hearts and
stirring the pulses of his followers. Mr.. Blaine.
| like Mr.. Gladstone has had the Incompatible
gift of inspiring enthusiasm. No other Ainerl-
can since Lincoln has commanded i'll equal
measure the love. confidence and loyal devo-
ton of a great political party. Lord Beacons-
field mast orfnl as was his genius and brilliant
as were his successes in European diplomacy,
could never overcome prejudice among his
own people against him as statesman whose
instincts and methods were essentially un-Eng-
lish. lie remained always an inscrntable figure
at Westminster, distrusted as an alien in his
ideas and poicies-an Eastern necromancer in
prcsaic Britain Mr. Blaine was loved. trusted
and followed because in feeling. conviction and
instinct he was known TO be an American among
Americans.
Mr.. Blaine. like Mr.. Gladstone and every
other aggressive political leader Of pre-cminent
abilities had bitter enemies, and they exhausted
the resources of defamation in vehement and
cynical hostility: but they never ventured to
call in question the genuinencSs of his Ameri
cansm. That was something that passed, even
in the most heated canvass. without a challenge
1t was an Americansm that smacked OF the
SOIL Ii was so broad that it covered the re-
soul cos and int rests of the Nation from ocean
TO ocean, and it rose SO high above the levels
of ordinary public thought as TO command
future yistas of continental prestige and in
Guence. wherein the American people would
direct the commercial exchanges OF two heml-
spheres and inspire races of alien blood with
The genins of free institutions and pacific
progress Ii was al Americanism keenly sensi-
tive to nfractiOns of treaty engagements, 10
wanon Ontrages on the rights OF citizens. and
to insults offered TO the flag 1t glolled in an
industrial independence won by wise legisla-
tion-an independence as complete as the poltl-
cal liberties conquered by blood and sacrifice
century ago. 1t was an AmericaniSm inspired
by an abiding faith in the destiny of the Nation
as one of the chief forces Of civilization or
daned by Providence for spreading light and
the blessings Of peace in the world. 1t was
the breath of his life and his chief resource in
exciting the enthusiasm OF Americans Now
that he has fallen, his enemies themselves being
the witnesses. Nation will mourn him as the
greatest American of his generation.
Mr.. Blaine's active years in the House were
passed in the Speakers chair where he cxeIted
tunity for originating large legislative measures
or displaying creative impulses as statesman.
lie was in the Senate n conspicuous figure, OF
course but bis service there was for
shorter period, and under the diSadvan-
tages of a junior Senator. If his
career had not been rounded out by
memorable service in the State Department,
he would have gone to his grave with the rcpu
tation of being leader Of Incompatible genius
ard unrivalli d authority but something would
have been lacking to complete his fame. lie
would have been remembered as a matchless
political organizer and rs n sturdy champion of
the cause of Protection, fighting in thc open
field after Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Greeley had fallen
i'm the defensive trenches but his name would
have been less identified with an original policy
in National affairs. lt was reserved for him
not only to elcctrfy the country with crown
ing exhibition OF progressive Amcricanism. but
also to leave behind him in the State Depart
ment a record of lustriouS service eqnalled
only by the fame of Webster, Marcy and
Seward, and to create an enlightened policy
which is destined to enlarge immcasurably the
sphere of American influence on this Continent.
The sneer at his statecraft as spurious and
pinchbeck JingoiSln long ago died away. What
he has done has been to raise the standards of
American diplomacy and to make it worthy OF
a pacific and progressive nation. At Berlin and
Rome he taught military powers to respect the
dignity and honor OF the Republic; at London
be upheld with n resclute hand American rights
ard in the Pan-American Congress he opened
the way for new era of reciprocal trade, for
community of interests in continental policy
and for the abolition of war by compulsory
courts of arbitration.
The genius of this many sided man ripened