The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-15

that his election TO that Office was the
greatest passage in the life of the distin-
guished citizen whose too early death the
country is now mourning. Benjamin Harri-
son was an exceptional man in any cir
~oumstances, and to say that he was a great
President is simply to say that he was
fully equal to the requirements OF that po-
sition. as he was Of every other that he
was called to fill. We have had Presidents
of whom this could not be truthfully said.
We have never had a really vicious or un-
patriotic President, but there have been in
cumbents of the office whose ideas of
patriotism were narrow and biased, and
whose performance of public duty was
more or less affected by personal or parti-
san considerations. There was nothing of
this in General Harrison's case. Elected
largely on the record he had made as a
Republican leader in Indiana. he at once
became one of the most distinctly national
and nonpartisan Presidents the country
has ever had. For more than thirty years
before his election as President he had
been known a. one of the most popular and
effective Republican speakers in the State,
but from the moment of his Inauguration
he placed Americanism above partisanship
and duty to country above duty to party.
This may nave lost him, and. in fact, did
lose him some political friends of the self
seeking sort who regard the establishment
of a pull" as the chief end of politics, but
1t won for him new friends from other
quarters and will enhance his place in his
tory. The salient features and dominant
characteristics of his administration as
President were his thorough patriotism, in
tense Americanism and steadfast devotion
to what he deemed the highest standard Of
civic duty. This rule of conduct was APP
piled in foreign as well as in domestic af-
fairs. As TO foreign governments he asked
no favors and would concede no privileges.
He was for America and Americans. and.
while conceding all that foreign powers
might justly claim under treaties or inter-
national law, he would yield nothing more.
He was for America against the world.
Conservative by nature and as far as pos
sible removed from the spirit of jingoism,
he was quick to resent an insult TO the
Xix Cdl HdS vi 0Al4AOA III. - hhh III
chance TO mobilize the army and navy in
defense of American rights, but he would
have done so very quickly had occasion re-
quired. In 1891. when a mob in Valparaiso
attacked a party of American sailors, kill
ing one and wounding several others, he
was quick to see that it was more than an
individual affair. $50 far as l have we, been
,tIo - To- -, ., he -oid - ~ 90 20 Con
gress. mo other explanation of this bloody
work has been suggested than that it had
its origin in hostility to those men as sail
ors of the United States. wearing the uni
form of their government" In another
message, he said: eff the dignity, as we'll
as the prestige and influence of the United
States are not to be wholly sacrificed, we
must protect those who, in foreign parts,
display the flag or wear the colors of this
government. against insult. brutality and
death, inflicted in resentment against their
government. and not for any fault of their
own" In this spirit he demanded and en-
forced the payment of a money indemnity
by Chile.
President Harrison established as high a
standard of duty in domestic affairs as in
foreign. He never sent a message to Con-
gress that did not give evidence of this.
His mind moved on a plane far above pea
nut politics or partisan advantages. 1t was
fixed on results not dreamed of in political
conventions. a Republican Of Republicans,
he cherished ideals not embodied in any
platform. To him they were not visionary
ideals, because he deemed all things pos
sible of accomplishment through the party
that had abolished slavery and preserved
the Union, and to which his allegiance new
er wavered. His whole administrator was
instinct with patriotic duty and political re-
sponsibility. Nc other President, except
Lincoln, ever made conscience so promi-
nent a factor in politics or placed patriot
ism so far above craftsmanship. In his in
augural message he said. addressing the
people: My promise is spoken; yours UNI
spoken. but not the less real and solemn.
. Let US exalt patriotism and moder-
ate our party contentious" This was the
keynote of his administration and the dom
mating spirit of all his executive acts. He
never made an appointment to office in
which fitness was not the prime determin-
ing quality. n lawyer himself, he knew
what kind of men should be on the bench,
and he did not hesitate to appoint Demo
cratic judges when he thought circum-
stances justified it. In this way he strength
ened the federal judiciary and set an ex-
ample worthy of lasting imitation. He new
er sent a message to Congress without, in
addition TO the usual recommendation
urging some measure of civic or political
reform conducive TO good government.
Thus, from a domestic as we'll as from a
foreign point of view. his administrator
was thoroughly American. When he was
defeated for reelection a leading London
paper said: The Harrison regime has been
far from agreeable to British interests -
His thoughts and affections were not
turned that way.
CanNEEyE.S GnEaTESr nENEEaC-