New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-28
A GREAT LEADER LOST.
THE CLOSING DAYS OF MIR. BLAINE'S POLIT-
ICAL CAREER.
TALK WITH THE STATESMAN Just BEFORE
Ills LAST ILLNESS.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l

TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRiBuNEl
Washington, Jan 27.-James q. Blalnes
death will be received b. the country
as an event politically important be-
You'd the possibility of measurement by
mere official rank or power. For thirty years OF
an almost continuous public service one OF the
really active and aggressive forces IN American
politics. and for the last twenty years at least per-
haps the most conspicuous figure in American pup
lie life, Mr.. Bane's death brings TO Close
career OF unique brilliancy and extraordinary in
fuence Rising to power and leadership III the
stormy days after the war, maintaining and
siren thening his position amid the fierce COMPETE
tons and the startling changes Of politics i'll the
seventies and early eighties, attaining to every po
litical honor but the highest, and missing that
without an abatement of his former influence ana
reputation Mr.. Blaine has long been tc the "ouh-
try at large the type of the modern poiitical
leader the representative American statesman OF
widest popularity, greatest fertility OF resources
and most genuine political power
II has become commonplace TO say that OF all
American politicians Of the generation inst endng'
Mr. Blaine alone possessed that peculiar gift OF pei
sonal attraction and inspiration winch was 'he
secret of Henry Clays extraordinary influence
mon the generation before. Like Gay, Mt.
Blaine leaves no apparent successor and the loss
TO politics by his death can be measured only rs
Claws was by the rarity of that magnetic quality
of temperament which made both men unrlvahcd
political leaders, and which will remain to the emo
perbaps the most effective of all personal forces in
American politics.
Mr. Blaine considered his political career closed
when he retired from the State Department in
June last, just before the meeting of the Mime
anolis convention He anticipated however,
spending q few years more in dignfed leisure,
broken only by congenial literary pursuits. max
ing bis home in the summer at Bar llarbOr and in
the winter at Washington Several severe attacks
of illness in the last three years had warned nm
that any unusual strain or worry or excitement
might have fatal effect, and the last year OF
his work in the State Department was broken by
many brief periods Of necessary rest Since 1884
Mr. Blane's health had been more or less I'M
paired and il was only by careful living that he
maintained and husbandcd his strength. II was
known that while abroad in 1887 and 1888 he
had q severe attack of illness, and that two sum-
mers AGO he went through long and serious
sickness in New-iOrk and at Bar llarbor. Since
recovering from this last attack his health had
fiuctuated greatly, the slight spells Of sickness,
which kept recurring, growing more frequent.
Mr. Blaine was fully convinced long before the
meeting of the Minneapolis convention that IT
would be suicidal for him TO accept nomination
for the Presidency and though he left the Cabi-
net in June and thus seemed 20 raise an issue
with the President in the convention, lie neither
expected to be nominated nor desired TO De. In
| the synopsis of a conversation with MIR. Blaine,
| referred to bellows conversation which occurred
Just before he seized with his last attack OF
| illncss-Nlr Blaine made this statement with all
franlx;less; and everything points clearly TO the
conclusion that he must have known the Mime
apols convention would not nominate him when
he wrote the letter resgning the Secrctaryship of
| State.
Though forcwarned repeatedly Of the precarions
| character of his health, Mr.. Blaine exhibited
| little depression or dependency during the last
| two or three years of his life. In his own family
circle, too, one af,iction came upon another. not
fewer than four deaths occurring between 1890
and 1902 Nevertheless Mr. Blaine kept up an
| appearance of checrfulness and interest and old
| friends found him genial and companionable and
| as fertile and brilliant in conversation he had
| always been AS often his health permitted
| he went out TO dinners and other social gather
| ings, and he gave constant entertainments at
| home Ills fOndness for society never failed, and
even when confined to the house. he had given up
the habit Of seeing people downstairs in the gem
| eral recepton-rOoms, he had many callers come
| nd to the parlors the second floor Of the re-
| fitted Seward house, and there chatted with them
| for long periods with great apparent pleasure.
| Socially, of course, Mr.. Blaine has always made
as great figure as he has politically His
| various houses here have been the scenes of many
| brilliant entertainments and his family have
taken a leading part in all the functions of the
best society of the capital Social Washington
will be affected by Mr.. Baines death only less
seriously than political Washington.
f,rr vipnA Mr. lair q
political career or estimating his qualities Of
mind and temperament Sucl, tasks not for
the present On a single point, however, which
touches the closing incident in his political life,
| a word or two may be in place here.
| The correspondent of The Tribune, who called
| on Mr. Blaine on the Sunday before lie was taken
with his last illness, found him in the brightest
spirits, and enjoyed a conversation on current
topics which must have lasted nearly an hour.
Though physically weak and noticeably pallid
| from his long stay indoors, Mr.. Blaine showed
| no trace OF listlcssness depression Seated In
| an ea.y-chair near the fireplace in the drawing
| room on the second floor, he chatted about
politics past and present with all the interest and
brilliancy Of earlier days Ills manner was as
| cordial and spirited ever. and though dis-
case had left its marks in the slowness OF his
gestures and the dcliberation OF his speech, his
conversation showed no perceptble abatement
| in range or force.
| The whole subject Of his withdrawal from the
Cabinet in June last was gone over in frank
and unrcserved way, Mr.. Blaine discussing that
interesting and important incident with as little
show of feeling as il it had happened twenty
wears ago Much OF what he said was Of per-
sonal nature, and therefore not a proper subject
10 be put on record now and here. II is no
violation Of confidence. however, 10 say that he
frankly admitted having dilerei from Preside 1T
Harrison on several vital questions Of policy in
| the conduct Of the Administration, and that the
! point was finally reached where he was unwilling