Oxford Democrat., 1909-08-31

token of his recognized fitness and emil
nence, he was put upon the Republican
ticket for the vice.presidency.
How, even at this half-century inter.
val, the heart quickens as We recall
those inspiring days-the anti.siavery
feryor that preceded and brought on the
war-the debate between Lincoln and
Douglss-the freedom.son OF Whit.
tier and Lowell-the fiery eloquence OF
Wendell Phillips and the dogged per:
sistence of Garrison-the fireside and
country-store discussions and grove
meetings In every hamlet-the uprising
of the popular heart and conscience
against the aggressions OF the slave
power. And then the war-the soldier
ing on every village green-the march to
the front-the defeats and victOries-the
glories and horrors of battle-Julia
Ward Howe's battle hymn-Gettys6urg
where Chamberlain won the hero's chap
let-the comet burst of Grant and Sher-
man and Sheridsn-the marching
through Georgia, Appomattox, victory,
reunion, the grand review of the return
ing troops in Washington, the abolition
of slavery! In all this Hannibal Ham'in
was an inspiring part, very dynamo
among the forces that thrilled through
the whole land aud wrought the glorl-
GUS result, a result beneficial alike to all
sections, enfranchising and redeeming
the South as we'll as vindicating the
North-not to be regarded by any patriot
as a sectional victory but as the blessed
consolidation and advancement OF the
whole country, north and south alike,
indeed no longer north and south, but
one land with one flag and one destiny
one as never before since the Revolution.
Hamlin made no false estimate of the
insisteuce and strength of the rebellion.
When Seward declared that it would be
over in ninety days, Hamlin, wiser and
surer, truly predicted that it would be
long and bloody, and urged immediate
and full preparation for 1t. And no man
more heartily did his part in that prepa-
ration; himself enlisting as a private;
putting raw recruits through the drill,
a lath for a sword in his hand; and never
failing to visit and care for the Maine
boys in the field. He upheld the arm OF
Lincoln who trusted and consulted him
and whose emancipation proclamation he
urged and welcomed He champiOned
every measure for the vigorous prosecu-
ton of the war. His voice was for action.
His soul was in the cause. Well may the
Maine Commandery of the Loyal Legion
of the United States-and no more gal
liant group of officers went from any
state-place, they and the citizens OF
Paris, this memorial to Maine civilian
who was made companion of that or
der because of his especial distinction"
for loyalty to the cause for which those
gallant officers fought.
1t is an old saying that the poet is
born, not made. II it is true, it is as
true of the politician as of the poet.
Aptness for public affairs is largely an
inherent quality, a gift of nature. 1t
finds it's consummation in the statesman.
As the bright wit of our Speaker Reed
we love to call him Tom Reed-put it,
the statesman is the politician who is
dead. In this high and laudable inter-
probation of the word, Hannibal Ham,
lin, like Lincoln, was, first and last,
a politician. But he was never trim
mer. He had convictions, deep-seated,
controlling. To carry them into effect
and to ensure his own political plac-
ing for calculating them he indeed
left no stone unturned. Ambitious,
loving the exercise of power and the
holding of official position for its ex-
ercise? Yes. But 1t was the ambition
which, rightly directed and inspired, is
the agency that works all the great ad-
vances and reforms. A politician? Yes.
But never a time-serving politician.
Had he been he never would have broken
with the strong forces in his own party
which seemed to hold his political for
tune in their hands, yet which he defied
rather than sacrifice his principles. Had
he been, he never would have resigned
the lucrative office of collector of Gus
toms-valuable to him who was not rich
in worldly goods-rather than serve or
endorse the administration of Andrew
Johnson. Not time.serving but peO.
ple-serving politician. And the plain
people knew him and trusted him.
They knew that he kept faith and that
his word was as good as his bond.
1t is easy and common to accuse men,
who have Hamlin's popularity, of truck
ling to popular favor, of resorting to
popular arts, OF demagogical hobnobbing
and letting down. But any popularity
so gained is sham and evanescent and
never stands the test of time. Hamlin's
popularity stood the test of threescore
years and never weakened. 1t was a
popularity born in him-the genuine out
come of the nature of the man. He
"liked folks" In his boyhood he was
the COM mpanion and leader of his mates.
His personal relations with his fellow
men were hearty, responsive, sincere.
In the very fury of the anti-slavery
struggle he retained the personal friend
ship of Southern and Democratic leaders
who on public questions were his bitter
opponents. There was no affectation in
his well-metness. 1t was
genuine. 1t was simply the involuntary
unstudied disclosure of the inner man