Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-02-02
JAMES @. BLAINE.

has been intimate with Mr.. Blaine for
years, and who is no doubt fully COM
petent to speak of the dead statesman,
his past hopes and ambitions, his de-
sires and intentions, and will be read
with satisfaction by the friends of the
illustrious dead.
Though the death of James G. Blaine
has been expected from day to day and
hour to hour for months, the event is q
shock. The simple words from Wash
ington strike with solemnity the people
to whom his fame is an inheritance.
For many days there has been no hope
in the dispatches that have formally
stated his condition as unchanged.
Evidently, since the official bulletin
announcing organic disease, there
could be but one result, and it has come.
The genius of James G.. Blaine was
the expression of an organism marvel
ously wrought of fibers of strength and
d~elicacy. If he had not been SO sensi-
titiye he would not have been so preset
ent. His flashing intelligence was as
ISOLATED with a quick, penetrating
Judgment, that often seemed the rarest
intuition. His susceptibility to intlu-
ences, the acuteness of his senses, his
far, clear sight, his high enjoyment of
taste and hearing, and smell and touch
of all that was fair and fragrant, beau
tiful, joyous and musical, was q make
up OF refinement, and hence life to
him was sweeter and brighter and
more costly than to the average man.
The landscape glowed for him with I'M
usual lights. He saw on the sea and
in the sky, in surrounding life and the
currents of human history, that which
only the extraordinarily gifted can see.
The trees and the winds, the voices of
friends and of enemies, the sunlight
and the starlight, the strains in an op-
era, the instruments of music, the or.
gans in the cathedrals and in the streets
had messages for him alone. 1t was
the vividness of his vitality that caus-
ed the friction that aged him. The
lamp of his life gave out a splendid
light, and the glow of it consumed
him. Tuesday next is his birthday.
he was born on the last day of this
month sixty three years ago. and his
appearance has for some YEAR, been
that of a much more advanced age.
he lived many years in one. When
defeated for the Presidency he found
aresource in writing history. Hecould
not rest, but sought recreation in turn
ing from one labor to another. Re-
garding his personal affairs, it is to be
said that those who condemned him
when he was confronted by deadly an
tagonisms while Speaker of the House
did so upon insufficient evidence, and
largely upon assertions never made
good and alleged papers never produc-
ed. If he had done all that was charg-
ed against him, as a lawyer. he would
have been commended for his enlipbt-
eminent in conducting cases so as to
help his clients and compensate him
self but he was a teacher and a iour-
nallst, and studied the heights of his
tory rather than the intricacies of the
contrivances of the legal profession.
After all the mountains of accusation
heaped upon him, he retained his hap
Ply philosophy of life and his bound
less generosity of disposition. He suf-
Tered from extraordinary publicity, so
that he had often to evade and shrink
from those who took his time. and
wearied him through excess of admit
ration and devotion but he never lost
profound sympathies with humanity.
MIR. Blaine was unquestionably the
real leader of his party in 1876, though
Conkling was then in the full ardor of
mis- pride and the flush of success and
Morton was still strong and representa-.
tive OF a great executive career and
bristow had the prestige of a cour-
ageous campaign of reform, and HAYES
was In the excellent position for a can
oldate OF a man who had not suffered
defeats, and was without enemies of
MS W party but the atmosphere
sui was stormy with conflict over
Blaine and his leadership was reject.
ed when its brilliancy was manifest.
ana Its expediency would have been
1uiiy proven on trial. He could not
nave been beaten, however, if it had
not beer for the incident of the ann.
stroke. Though his recovery was ram
H. ana apparently complete, he was
eyer after under suspicion as n man
whose PHYSICAL condition was infirm.
he was able, by close attention, to find
strength for occupations varied. exact
>NoNN
ing and immense, but it never seemed
quite certain that he was so sound as
70 brave the strain of p~rotracted excite.
ment and toll. 1t was this that caused
In him repeated evasions, in varied
ways, of the Presidency. Even wheu
nominated in 1884, he would have pre-
TERED another nomination, and told
his friends, when they were ON their
way to the convention, that they should
insist upon the candidacy of General
sherman. 1t was the apprehension
that the Presidency would kill him
that caused his letters from Florence
and Paris, and his kilograms from Scot
land, that prevented his nomination in