The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-02-16
PRESIDENTS AS LEADERS.

PRESIDENTS AS LEADERS.
There have been great as well as poor
leaders among Presidents us among state
men in lower spheres Tested by the char
acter and extent of their achievements,
Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and Lin
coin belong to the former class. The two
Adamses, Tyler, Johnson and Garfield
must be assigned to the latter roll. A
still larger number of Presidents there have
been who cannot properly he placed in
either OF these orders. Thu y neither scored
the conspicuous triumphs of the tirst-namcd
division nor suffered the serious sethackS
of the second. These are Madison Monroe,
w. II. Harrison who, however was not long
enough in Office to reveal himself J, Van Buren,
Polk, Taylor. Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan.
Grant, Hayes, Arthur and Benjamin lIarri-
son. Some of the third category acquired
distinction in other fields, as Madison in
the Constitutional Convention of 17ST and
in the House OF Representatives: Taylor
and Grant in the military service and Van
Buren, and Buchanan in the Senate: hut in
the Presidency their achievements were not
brilliant, and their service in that office
has added little or nothing to their fame.
The four Presidents Washington. JEFF
ferson, Jackson and Lnculn-who are
classcd here as great leaders. made policies
prevail which pratitied the country and
strengthened their parties. The hvc--.I
Adams, J. q. Adams. Tyler johnson and
Garticld-were animated by as lofty pur-
poses as their more successful hrrthrcn and
loftier than Jackson who often violated
the dcccncics Of politics. and not nGrr-
qu@ntly assalcd the statutes: bur they were
unable to master the adyers conditions
and wrecked the administrations and i'm
peeled their parties The first Adams
alien aud scdition laws WERE perhaps, ins-
titled 10y the yaporings and plottings Of the
American .jacobns: but they were a serious
b'undei from partisan point of view, and
with the Hamilton feud defeated him in
his attempt to get second term, and
started the Federal party on the road to
ruin. The second Adams rigdity and
austcrity aw, d the politicians, repealed the
populace and banished from the Presidency
at the end Of single term the great ability
and the brilliant intellectual attainmcnts
which later on found sphere for their en-
ployment in the House of Representatives
Tyler and Johnson were Democrats under
accidental and alien combinations and CON
ditions, while Garfield at the beginning of
his term came under an influence which
was fatal in that eXigency to his opportun-
titles for usefulness.
Mr.. Cleveland will have to he put in tue
class which holds the majority of the Presi-
dents, the class mentioned which contains,
among others, Madison. Van Buren, Grant
Hayes and the second Harrison Cleveland
compelled his party in the beginning to
deal honestly and courageouslN with the
tariff; but in his second term it broke away
from him on this issue. He vetoed many
of one harmful financial law; but in each
case powerful section of his party antago,
nizcd him. and his chief reliance has been
on the opposing organization. His vetocS
of the Free Silver and Scigniorag, bills
will rank in courage and ability with Grants
interdict of the Currency imitation bill in
1871, and with Hayes negative to the
named veto. his were not overcome The
gold bond proposition which he advocates
is as important as Van BurenS independ-
cnt Treasury scheme was. Van Buren'S
project at last prevailed: but success for
Clevcland'S snot in sight. Unquestion-
ably, the present Executive has by his
financial sanity and courage in more than
one eXigency rendered grand service to the
country.
Moreover, for two years yet he will stand
as an nsurmountable barrier against vic
ious currency legislation: but through his
lack of the qualities which command i'm
mediate and faithful support from those
who elected him, he hasseriousy weakened
and demoralzcd his party and delayed
where he has not prevented, the reforms
which he set out to accomplish. LouiS
GIobc- DemOcrm.