Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-02-01

i've lessons which his life and character in,-
part, a;si TO do homage TO his great name.
Ii Is said that Lord Bacon. In has last wtii
ard testament male this strange ansl r',-
tlsesie h,ssGess BY nanse ansi FAME
lrsse IL the i,ses:e of other countries
sfsa after = iapse al s..n,s, tisue to the
,ss,sp,ss of ias eva taautTy.R Tic
great Engli,h lawyer sni philosopher was
awarc of tiss exeS.psipas character and ii'-
gratitude of contemporaries. T9iat i
usually the fate ef the gres, and
the good 10 he io2s =. tiseiE graves ssefore
their merits arv sokaas ie,li,ei or sheir
worth is appreciated. Not with HIM
w!ose aaIne, seisievenIt uts AMI tame are
oar theme sols.. 1t Is not his TO wait for
history All tFsssi,iaa to 90 him JUSTIFY.
| The nations eft the Garth, wita perhaps
/. England aienr excepted, F,sousd With his
praise iet iie penric ef the present ge'.-
eraiien rho have seen him II his tails
walks and conversation. ela have coop
ieratesl In his austere lallors, who have wePL
around his bier and followed in his fuHer'si
1 train. are too near 10 ser the lofty height
10 which ne lowered. II Is from distance
that we must look nF 10 the nioaatain II
! order TO appreciate ii~ grandeur The peo-
( PIE of succeeding generations will stand AZ
/ such \ distance. and before their wonder
I ing gaze. stretching back across the lapse
OF years, the grandeur Of his life ant char
aeter and public services wih loom ABOVE
the cloIi9ls iutn the region of eternal sun
/ shine.
| He came into pabhc life at tho beginning
! of all epoch that Was destined ~ test the
experiment of oar ferefathers, ami detnop-
| strate the capacity OF the American people
| for self government. In his day the dismal
/ forebolings that had disturbed the peace
and tranquility of iile older statesmen as
I samed material shape in the Gorgon hor-
ror of IL civil war. The lizard hand o.
| Clay could not pacify, the matctlcss logic
! of W ebstcr could not reason down the mex
orab!e spirit of slavery, secession and re-
bellion. The say. OF MarshtietA viewing
. With melancholy alarm the lowering asPccr
of the political skies, deyoutlv prayed that
| his eyes might never behold ''thc states
| discovered, discortlant, hclligcrant, or rent
with civil strife or drenched in traterlal
blood" Heaven mereifully vouchsafed
/ the boon As if in tenderness to the great
cxpounler that gruesome spectacle was re-
served for the men of 4 younger generation
among the most conspicuous of whom was
james G. Blaine,
| amsmost impressed today with the par,
| he bore III that most cxigent period OF our
conntry's history. 1t is due to the en-
| lightened craftsmanship and Christian phil
anthropy, of which he was a chief exponent,
that out of Union of weakness, constantly
menaced with disruption, we have wrought
! a reconstructed, consolidated, int grail
| Union, infinitely stronger and better than
the old that in place of a constitution sui
lied by disgraceful compromises, We have
an amended constitution without comproT-
| Use, guaranteeing to all men without regard
| to race, color or previous condition of ser
vitude equal political and civil rights and
equality before the law that blind animos
tiles and local prejudices have softed to
| friendship and melted TO love; that mes
sages of peace and good will like that
which fell from the eloquent yet death
| touched lips of Henry W. Grady at Boston
are coming up 10 us from the new South
recently chatting under its fancied wrongs.
| His great life was worn out in awakening
| the public conscience to jthe advancement
of the public good, and in striving to
| achieve victories of peace, victories less
| splendid and startling than these of war
| but as beneficial. as permcnent and as
/ grand. While the names of Grant, Sher-
man and Sheridan will 20 down in history
| suggesting and illustrating the great bat
ties Of the republic, the names of Seward
Sumner and Blaine will illuminate its pages
with their civic trumphs. My friends men
of eminent talents and public distinction re
| fleet lustre upon the communities in which
they reside. Many an obscure country
village has become historic as the birth
| place of some celebrated general, author or
statesman.
| No stranger visits Fryeburg without be-
ing reminded that Daniel Webster once
taught its academy. The renowned anl
cultured men aud women who have made
! Boston their home have distinguished her
rs tic Athens of America The city al
| Augusta in the beautiful valley of the kcn-
nebec has acquired an cxtrancous interest
as the home of Mr.. Blaine, and his man
/ sion standing here within sight of this Cap
/ itol viii he pointed ont a. the Monticello OF
| New England,
| second tho resolutions so iiitlngA pre-
sented 10y the gentleman from lIoulton
| Mr.. pickey of Fort Kent
! | wish 10 say but a word on this subject
What piece of work is man, how noble
| in reason, how infinite in faculties, in fora
| and moving how rSprrss and admirable. in
! action how like an angel, in proportion how
/ Ike a God
When | first became acquainted With
| lanes G. Blaine he was sitting at this re-
porter's desk and Chief Justice Fuller was
sitting there nointinel. That was about
30 Years ago. We became very intimate
As .ounnish men at that tine. James G..
Blaine was admired bv mc as y yu,ng man
at that time and as grew older he vas al
n,ir,d by M. rs benz, one Of the most
wonderful Young men in CONVERSE
tim and in every ,aV tep3rilnent
that I ever met. He was different
from Fuller; Fuller wa. thoughtful
an reserved with legal mind: Blaine as
pired to poIitIcaI life. and was PERTAINS one
of the most ,stutc AMI willy politicians thai
Maine has ever produced. nv abortion or l,v
birth. have been acquainted with him
and have called at his house almost every
week when we have both been here ftr
Ind almost 4 magic harm in conversation
and Inc ALWAYS cnlcayorcd to do lis friends
yoo1 instend of harm. If he had apy in
formotion he was willing ia impart il to
others; and his advice was always of great
assistance TO me. Though We differed in
nolitics vet AZ mon We never differed
There is no man that / ever became ac
auain.eg with whom | loved more.
saw him 90 from,his reporters desk here
into This IIonse rs a member of the Leri.-
Iaturc His course in the Ippislaturr at
tr,,teI the attention of the State. AMI the ne1t
ycar he was made Speaker. and conducted
himself with wonderful skill. affability and
with great honor to himself. lie then went
into Congress, and watched him with the
greatest solicitation: having formed Iis