New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-28
PART II.
PAGES II TO IL.

career and character The orator. with entire self
abnegation and reserve, but with firm touch aud
a style which rose at times TO lofty eoquence.
assigned TO President Garfield his >true place In
history.
MIR. BLAINE AS AN HISTORIAN.
In April of 1884 Mr. Blaine presented to the
public the first volume of his Twenty Years Of
Congress-" work which covered the period from
Lincoln to Garfield, with a review of the events
which led to the political revolution OF 1860.
This work is in .act a biography Of the American
people, everything-abstract questions and indi-
viduals-ben: srhcrdinated in the effort to pro-
duce clear and strong picture Of tie life OF the
Nation Tie thoughts of the people. as they
varied from year to year. their times OF indie
csion and darkness; Of swift insight and heroic
resolution: their days OF timidity and weak COM
promising with wrong, and their grand endurance
and unfiinching fidelity when the crisis at last
brought duty clearly before them their singular
sagacity in decisions of vital moment-all these
are portrayed in Mr. Blaine's narrative with
cearness and power The story he tells in his
fins: volume is given with the simplicity and COM
paclness Of "a trained journalist, and yet with
sufficient fitness to make the picture distinct ana
vivid in almost every detail. The book is as
easy to read as a well written novel: 1t Is clear
and inerestins and commands the attention
throughout, the more for the absence OF anything
like oratorial display forensic cOmbativeness
In its main features Mr.. Blane's history Is one
of universal value. In literary poAsh IT Is not
bcvond criticism. though occasional infelicities Of
expression and instances of inadvertence do not
outweigh the general lucidity and force OF style
1t is not at all points uncrring in portraiture, nor
infallible in Judgment, though the writer's I'M
partially of spirit and desire to he Just are con-
spicuous and he gives cogent reasons for opinions
expressed But in broad and comprehensive APP
probation of the forces by which the developments
of public opinion has been affected, the work pos
scsses extraordinary merit The arrangement OF
the first volume favOrs the compact and Intelligent
treatment of a many sided subject. Chapters l.
VIII review tile main question from which grew the
Civil War and the political revolution Of 1860.
MANY of the problems with which Congress after
ward had to deal could not have been treated
wisely by law-gvers nor intelligently by the his
torian except in the light Of the double connicu
which ensued BY careful tracing of the causes
which had made slavery what 1t was. and public
opinion in regard to slavery what it was, the MS
| tory of the war is rendered far more compact and
| clear Closely allied with the main cause OF war
| the tariff question is reviewed in Chapter IL
| Chapter opens with the election Of 1860. and
the events of the marvellous history From Lincoln
| logical order But Chapters XVIII and XIX are
| devoted to the financial history Of the war, the
eyying of taxes and the creation OF legal tender
| notes In Chapter Xxi the United States banks
| and the State banks Of the ante-war period are
| contrasted with the National banking system, and
| its creation is described. The admission OF Weso
Virginia is considered in Chapter XXI and in the
| last chapter, XIV, the relations between the
| United States and foreign Powers during the war
| An appendix of fortyfour pages embraces stats
| tics of interest and value The second volume
| appeared in March, 1885.
After his defeat for the Presidency in sS4 Mr..
| Blaine devoted himself to the completion OF his
| Twenty Years of Congress" and to the arrange
ment and publication of his Political DISCUSSIONS
legislative, Diplomatic and Popular nss7),
| work giving the cream of his discussions for
thirty years. and one full Of Republican guide
! posts At the same time he took an active part
| in the current discussions of public affairs, aud
| was often heard upon the stump In June, 1887,
| me went abroad for his health and remained
| absent until August, 1855. While in Europe he
was received everywhere with distinguished marks
| Of respect and admiration.
AGAIN SECRETARY OF STATE.
In March, 1889, Mr.. Blaine, who had aided
| largely in the election of General Harrison
| a, President, again entered the Cabinet as Secre-
| tary of State and he held that position until his
| resignation on June 4, 1872. Mr. Blaine an
| nounc-d early in February, S02, in a letter to
Chairman Clarkson of the Republican National
| Committee, that he was not a candidate for the
Presidency, and that his name would not he
presented at the Minneapolis Convention. buo
delegates in favor of his nomination were selected
| in several States, and when the Convention met
he was nominated by Senator Wolcott Of Colo
| RADIO Only one ballot taken, the vote being:
| Harrison, 535 l-6; Blaine, 1s2 l-6 Mckinley,
| 1872; Reed, 4 Lincoln, l. As soon as Mr.. Blaine
| heard OF the nomination Of President Harrison and
| Mr. Reid he publicly expressed the hope and BELIEF
that every Republican would DO all in his power TO
elect the ticket Mr.. Blaines health did not per-
nit him to take an active part in the campaign.
but in a letter written just before the Maine cleo
ton and in speech at Ophir Farm he urged all
Republicans to support the candidates and force
| fully presented the issues of the campaign
| A Secretary OF State IN President Harrison's
| Cabinet Mr. Blaine was able 10 take up again
| some of the great policies which the assassina-
ton of President Garfield and the political conse-
| quences Of his death had interrupted. Leglsia-
| ton having prepared the way for meeting OF q
| PAN American Congress In October, 1889, Secre-
tary Blaine made the opening address of welcome
| and presided over the sessions which were pro-
Ionged for nearly five months 1t was he who
| had devised this project four years before, ana
| his was the master mind that directed tns
| deliberations of this impressive assembly, which
| brought about frank exchange Of views on al
questions relating TO the welfare Of the Ameri:
| can continen: The most important results OF
this Congress were the adoption Of report favor-
ing the negotiation Of partial treaties OF rect-
| procity the authorization OF surveys for a rail-
| road system on north and south lines, and the
| passage of a resolution in favor Of compulsory
| arbitration as an eXpedent for averting war.
| Mr.. Blaine acted promptly upon the advice OF
| the Pan-American Congress. As soon as the Tariff
act had been enacted with its reciprocity Pro,
visions inserted at his suggestion, he negotiated
treaty with Brazil highly favorable to the Amesl.
| can export trade. This was followed by the
treaty with Spain in relation to Cuba, by which
nearly one-half the imported sugar supply was
| regulated to mutual advantage. subsequently,
| treaties were made with Germany. Austria
| Hungary, France San Domingo the hve coffee