New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-29
SECRETARY GRESHAM.

Had Secretary Grcsham'S life been spared he
might have found an opportunity to oblitcraic the
! r,cuorv Of recent errors Had such an oppor'
,untv bcen offered TO him we do not doubt that
/, would have been his pleasure to improve II.
His sudden death ends Il career which TO human
,,,o,l,pcnce seems TO have been too long or too
short for such a record as public man must
wish to leave and his country to preserve. If we
had ever harborcd feeling Of rancor toward
him. we trust that no trace of it would have been
loft boside his omen grave. We have deplorcd his
readiness TO assist in the enforcement OF policies
which we believe TO be unsound and dangerous
nv the subordnaton Of his own instincts and
principles to the will Of another In whose service
no never ought TO have enlisted. But we do not
think that any estimate Of his character Is Ten
ohlo which impucns his patriotism. For The IL
noble plumbers Of IN administration which he
officially represented in the eyes of the world he
nrobablv was responsible in only slight he
gree That he consented to play part which 1t
would seem that all his antecedenlS must nave
made uncongenial serves only 10 show now bhnd
ing ambition is, and how persuasive
Mr. Gresham was a good soldier who dared to
confront any fate which the fortunes Oh wal
could involve, and who won rank ana lame ny
earning them His services in the cause Oh 'n'
Union are indisputablc and gratefully apprec
ated; nor could they have been obScured 10y any
faults Of which he was ever dcemen c'pa"i'
That he possessed unusual executive ability wa.
nroved by his easy and efficient performance oil
tho complicated duties which devolvcd upon MN
as Postnastcr-Gerera and afterward as Secre'
tary of the Treasury in President Arthnrs All
n,inistration: hu. it was Will" he was on Inc
Federal bench that his reputation was suldehi!
| and widely extended. 1t befel him to try varl-
ous causes affecting great vested ana speculative
interests and he achieved distinction ny render
| ing decisions which were rather loudly acclaimed
rs monumental triumphs of right over wrong
| II seemed to many persons conclusive PROOF OF
fortitude and virtue merely 10 defeat the wishes
| of a corporation. Others thought then mat those
who set ND that standard OF moral courage had
not done Judge Gresham the best possible ser
vice. but that the repute which they were anxious
| IN fasten upon him savored more or notoriety
| than OF fame Their view we think has since
nreyailed Whether his famous decisions were
| sound In law or unsound, the basis Of such claims
in his behalf was essentially false. That his
period of judicial service was not the most cred
| table part Of his career has been determined by
| n remarkable record Of reversals in recent years.
There is reason TO think that The reputation
the popularity If such it was-whch Judge Gresh
am thus obtained produced an unfortunate effect
upon him. Subsequent events seemed to Indicate
that II had disturbed the balance OF his mind and
rendered him susceptible TO influences which
otherwise he would have resisted without din
entity The circumstances OF his withdra wal from:
the Republican party made that act OF political IN
consistency singularly unbecomng. He had been
an anxious asprant for the Republican nomina
tion 10 the Presidency. but his public conduct
after that honor had gone TO rival for ascen
dancy in his own State. inevitably conveyed tn
| suggestion that his Republicansm had grown tc
be a question OF expcdiency rather than OF prin
ciple. His protracted coqucry with the Peoples
marty followed, and then his appointment to the
first Mace in a Democratic Cabinet as sigma
EXPRESSION OF Mr.. Clevelands gratitude TO con
snIcnous ally who might have been Jealous
connection. After the election Of 1892 Mr. Gresh
am was quoted as saying with reference to Tho
current report that he was 10 be Secretary OF
State: That is a proposal which Mr.. Cleveland
could not afford 10 make and which could no
"afford to accept" Presumably such a state
mcnt was never made by him; but II Is ply
that he did not take that view OF the matter Io
IL was the only right view. 1t has not Dcen forlu
nate either for the country or for his own iaih'
that he was guided by different conception o.
proprety and advantage. He has served an ex
acting master without complaint, and perhaps
with as little loss Of public regard as the circum
stances would permit. But his last days were
not his best days; for. unlike other periods II
his distinguished career, they contributed moth
ing to the common good.