Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-03-23

Df. WHATS h1tctcznE Co. Sc1erccti
Ron sympathy for the negroes 80 much
a. from affection for the whites and
created the Republican party in Mis-
sour before the civil war-a most haE-
zldous performances in that day and
latitude. AT its close. when in his
Judgment his party associates had be-
come the oppressorS Of the people and
the enemies at liberty, be left them,
and, lifting in his mighty arms the De
mocrscy, which lay bleeding and
swooning in the dust he hrezthed into
its n~ostrils the breath Of hfe-anotheE
performance Of extraordinary hazard
This man was Of the stuff cut g
which martyrs are MADE, and he would
have gone grimly, undzuntedly, IN
finehingly and defantly to the block.
the scaffold or the stake in defense Of
any cause which he considered just
Thc=gh be wa impsrious. tsmpesfuous
dogmatic and impetuous. though no
danger could swsrve him from the path
Of duty, though he gave tremendous
blows to his antagonists and received
many Of the sane kind, he had infinite
compassion for the helpless and the
weak. and to the end his heart remain
ed tender as a little child's
When he came ont Of the army with
his splendid military and civil record,
II may be doubted whether there was
any official position. however exalted.
beyond his reach If be had remained
with the Republicans / have always
believed. and do now believe, that BY
ssvering his connection with them he
probably threw away the vice pred.
dency-possibly the presidency irself-
q position for which most statesmen
pant even a the heart panteth for the
water brook. During his long, stormy
and vicissitudinous career he always
unhesitatingly did what he thought was
right for rights sake leaving the con-
sequences to take care Of themselves
That be was ambitious Of political pref
erment there can be no question. but
Office had no charms for him II it In
volved sacrifice Of principle or com
promise Of conscience
Hated and Leved.
This great man. for great he was be-
yOnd even the shadow Of a doubt en-
joyed the distinction unique among
statesmen Of being hated and loved in
turn by all MissOurians Of changing
his political Affiliations violently twice
long after be had passed the formative
and e~fhsryescent period Of youth. and,
while spending nearly his entire life
in the hurry bury Of politics. Of dying
al last mOurned by every man and wo-
man in the state whose good opinion
was worth posSeszing. In that respect
his career Is without q parallel Born a
Democrat, be served in this house as a
Republican, in the senate as a Demo
erat and died finally in the political
faith Of his fathers
Change Of party affiliations by 3 man
Of mature age is nearly always a pain
ful performance-generany injurious 70
his fame-but Blair's two complete
changesc Of base appear to have increased
the respect in which men held him, and
the secret Of this anomaly is that in
each instance be quit a triumphant and
arrogant majority with which be was a
prime fsTOrite 70 link his fortunes with
a feeble and hopeless minority-mOof
conclusive Of his Tectitude Of purpose
whereas If he bad abandoned a minority
20 Join a majority his honesty Of mo-
tive might have well been impugned
Bsnton's scorn Of his opponents was
50 lofty and 50 CALLING, the excavations
be iuhicted-aye. iEvishsd-upon them
bred such raneor in their hearts, the
laeh with which he scourged them left
sneh fostering wounds. that they never
forgave him until they knew be was
dead-deai as julius Casar-dead be-
yund all eavil Then they pat on sack
cloth and ashes and gave him the most
magnificent funeral ever seen west Of
the Mississippi.
Blair's was 9 happier fate than that
Of his ilustrous prototype and exem-
plar. While from the day Of his return
from the Mexican war to the hour Of
his retirement from the senate he was
in the forefront q every political battle
In Missouri, and nowhere on earth
were political wars waged with more
ungOvernable fury, such were his en-
desring qualities that the closing years
OF his life were placid as a summer
evening, and b edied amid tie 1amenta-
tons Of a mighty people. Republicans
seemed % remember only the good be
had done them, forgetting the injuries,
vhils Democrats forgot the injuries be
bad inflicted upon them and remember
ed only the invaluable service he had
rendered Union veterans named a
Grand Army post for him, Coufederats
proudly call their boys Frank Blair, and
his fellow e~itizsns. without regard to
creed or party, erected his statue Of be
Foie size in Forest park 70 perpstuate,
his fame 70 coming generations
Border states During the Was.
General William Tscumseh Sherman
once said. "War Is hen" Those who
lived in "the border states during our
evil war and who are old enough to re-
member the tragic events q that bloody
hut heroic epoch in our annals win
with one accord indorse his idea II not
sulphur0us kngnaga
Il was sasy 10 Be- a Union man in
Massachusetts, II was not profitable 20
Be anything else Il was easy to Be- q
in South Carolina. It was
Dot ssfe to Be anything else But in
Kentucky, Miss0uri and the other Dor
L. .--ta II "a. IL. = Il Al