,000 miles of the president) I found it so myself
when I was in America. But a private foreigner
may say what he likes; a president, of course, must
most carefully watch his words."
It was assumed that with Mr. Blaine in the cabinet President Harrison would be a very inconspicuous and unimportant person in the administration. It is one of the marked characteristics of the man that when he is assigned to a place he assumes all its re- sponsibilities. As a lawyer he never shouldered him- self to the front, but when placed in the lead he was the leader. The simple fact is, he was not for a moment overshadowed by any member of his cabi- net. He insisted upon knowing what was going on in each department and maintained an intelli- gent supervision of them all. Nor is it detracting from the just fame of Mr. Blaine to say that by reason of that gentleman's failing health the work of the state department was much more than usu- al the work of the president. Those who have known him long did not fail to see his hand in the discussion of the legal rights of aliens domi- ciled here, contained in the dignified note to the Italian government concerning the New Orleans massacre. The statement of the basis of our liabili- ty for wrong inflicted upon the subjects of friendly nations when they are the result of dereliction of duty by the local authorities was masterly, and the dignified manner in which that government was informed that the United States would be just, but would not be forced to a hasty decision, was admi- rable. In the Chile affair, in which that govern- ment denied its responsibility for the assaults upon our sailors at Santiago and refused safe conduct to some of the members of the Balmaceda administra- tion who had taken refuge at the United States le- gation, President Harrison was earnest and persist- ent in his demands, and, as the correspondence shows, after waiting patiently for a response, and becoming weary at last of the vacillating conduct of the Chilian government, made a peremptory request, which was jiromptly and satisfactorily answered. It is due t > the republic of Chile to say that during the whole of the controversy the rival parties in that country kept it in a state of constant revolution. The evidence in the case showed that our sailors were outraged because they belonged to the U. S. navy, and that the authori- ties of Chile permitted, if they did not connive at it. In such a case it would fiave been pusillani- mous on the part of the Government to have failed to demand reparation. The Bering sea contro- versy, now happily in settlement by arbitration, was full of diiliculty when Jlr. Blaine's sudden ill- ness threw the burden of the matter for a time upon President Harrison. Lord Salisbury was de- laying, the season for pelagic sealing was coming on, no modus vivetidi had been agreed upon. President Harrison took measures for intercepting the Canadian sealers, and it was not long until the terms of the treaty were arranged. The statement of the " five points " submitted to the arbitrators by the treaty is a good specimen of President Har- rison's thorough and comprehensive work. East- ern journals who were not friendly to President Harrison have generously united in endorsing the conduct of the state department during his ad- ministration, and have especially commended it for being thoroughly patriotic and American. And it may be said from the time of his nomination until he retired from the presidential office he sustained himself with a dignity and ability commensurate with the responsibilities of his exalted station. His policy in regard to the tariff has been censured, but he simply maintained the views held by the majority of the Republican party with which he has always been in sympathy. He is what may properly be called an out-and-out protectionist, ills firm stand in favor of honest money gave con- fidence to the business interests of the country when they were imperilled by the wild schemes of the advocates of free-silver coinage. He was re- nominated for the presidency by the Republican national convention at Minneapolis without seri- ous opposition. To the surprise of the country he signally failed of re-election. Public opinion 'has been much divided as to the causes of this result. It was certainly not on account of any failure upon the part of President Harrison to carry out the policy of his party, or to realize the expecta- tion of Ills friends in the ability shown by him in performing the duties of his station. 'I'he fatal illness of Mrs. Harrison, and her death a few days before the election, cast a shadow over the closing days of Ills official life. His administration as a whole was business-like in its management of our domestic affairs, dignified, firm, and patriotic in its foreign policy, promot ig the prosperity of our people at home and ket mg peace with all na- tions. In his last messag to congress, on 6 Dec, 1892, after giving a sumir "y of the operations of the different departments e said: " 'This exhibit of the work of the executiL departments is sub- mitted to congress and to the public in the hope that there will be found in it a due sense of re- sponsibility, and an earnest purpose to maintain the national lionor and to promote the happiness and prosperity of all our people. And this brief exhibit of the growth and prosperity of the coun- try will give us a level from which to note the in- crease or decadence that new legislative policies may bring to us. There is no reason why the na- tional influence, ])ower, and prosperity should not observe the same rates of increase that have char- acterized the past thirty years. We carry the great impulse and increase of these years into the future. There Is no reason why, in many lines of production, we should not surpass all other na- tions, as we have already done in some. There are no near frontiers to our possible development. Retrogression would be a crime."
Upon retiring from the presidency Gen. Harri- son was engageel by the late Senator Stanford to de- liver a course of lectures at the Leland Stanford, Jr., university, in California, on constitutional law, and he successfully filled that engagement during the winter of 1893-"4. Foreigners who have stud- ied our institutions have expressed regrets that in America no provision is made for the dignified re- tirement of our ex-presidents, and they have sug- gested that some office with a life tenure be be- stowed upon them with a suitable provision for their support out of the public treasury. The tem- per of our people and Ihe genius of our institutions are not in accord wiili any such desire. The great volunteer generals of the war came back to the ranks and took their places with their fellow-citi- zens in the walks of private life. So our great po- litical leaders, from the senate and from tiie presi- dency, when their term of office is over, come back to their homes and ordinary pursuits without any impairment of their dignity or their self-respect. In his retirement from the labors of his official station Gen. Harrison can realize the truth of what he said In a speech on the day of his nomination in 1888: " Kings .sometimes bestow decorations upon those whom they desire to honor, but that man is most highly decorated who has the affec- tionate regard of his neighbors and friends." This he has in full measure. Judged by the stand-
