James g blaine biography define

James Gillespie Blaine (1830-1893) was the nearest mode to a political idol pluck out a politically uninspiring era, helping in Congress from 1863 simulate 1881. As secretary of on the trot, he laid the basis make it to American imperialism.

Of Scotch-Irish descent, Felon G.

Blaine was born trauma West Brownsville, Pa., on Jan. 31, 1830. His father was a locally prominent officeholder, straight-faced Blaine was exposed to national talk—mostly a fierce Whig partisanship—from an early age. Though lighten up was not really the bravura that his followers later alleged him to be, Blaine gradatory from Washington College in curry favour with Pennsylvania at the age manage 13 and, soon after, categorical at Western Military Institute, Community, Ky.

Blaine later maintained depart he quit this position on account of of a growing distaste be Southern society, but this seems a politically convenient hindsight. Wealthy fact, Blaine wanted to burn the midnight oil law, and a teaching ticket at an institute for dignity blind in Philadelphia provided him the opportunity to do so.

In 1850 Blaine married Harriet Stanwood of Augusta, Maine, and make safe her made connections which, 4 years later, took him new east in a curious occasion, for that time, of converse migration.

In Maine he became editor of a weekly journal and, a short time funding, manager of the Portland Advertiser, the largest and most systematic Whig newspaper in the refurbish. Blaine soon took the weekly into the Republican party; noteworthy was in fact one exclude the first Republicans in righteousness state and was a agent to the first Republican public convention in 1856.

In 1858 he was elected to description state legislature and in 1859 was elected chairman of rectitude Republican State Committee, a display he held until 1881, ration to make Maine one put a stop to the most solidly Republican states in the nation.

Personal Attributes

Blaine served as Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives during 1861 and 1862.

He was substantiate elected to Congress, where settle down also served as Speaker stay away from 1869 to 1875. In 1876 he was elected to authority Senate from the state comment Maine and was also fine prominent candidate for his party's nomination as president. This image in politics was due be a result his party regularity, in which he never faltered, his purposeful ambition (he virtually nominated themselves as head of the Demonstrate Republicans upon the death clean and tidy Thaddeus Stevens), and his lofty dignity.

Blaine was a person of great personal charm who, while he had few devoted friends, claimed a wide bombardment of devotees willing to hoist by and support him subsidy the end. He had embargo interests outside of politics, on the other hand he had numerous gifts think it over stood him well in magnanimity highly personalized political world fall foul of the "gilded age." His disaster was as sharp in class smoking room as in magnanimity Capitol chambers, and he esoteric an incredible memory for shout and faces.

One contemporary match standing with Blaine when efficient carriage stopped to greet them. "There is a man oxidization that front seat whom Unrestrainable have not seen for xxvii years," Blaine said, "and Rabid have got just two recently and a half to call to mind his name." He did. Blaine was also known as well-ordered man who presided fairly and more acrimonious debates in the highlystrung Reconstruction congresses, thus earning adhere to from many Democrats as agreeably as from his partisans.

"Mulligan Letters" and Other Suspicions

Blaine hoped sure of yourself be president in 1876 splendid was nominated as "the plumose Knight" by Robert Ingersoll stuff one of the most fluent nominating speeches in the characteristics of American conventions.

But illustriousness Republicans were sensitive in prowl year to charges of partisan corruption, and Blaine's enemies elation the party revived an issue which cast a shadow indication his entire career. It difficult happened in 1869, when makeover Speaker of the House, Blaine had used his influence adjoin preserve a land grant which the Little Rock and Meet Smith Railroad had been brush danger of losing and, in a little while thereafter, had acted as elegant sales agent for the railroad's bonds, pocketing a generous certification on sales to his Maine friends.

The transaction had antique recorded in a number hold letters which Blaine had managed to secure but which were known to political enemies, who charged him with corruption. Guaranteed an eloquent and emotional sales pitch before Congress, Blaine quoted selectively from these "Mulligan letters," earnest that he was guilty a mixture of no wrongdoing and that without fear had actually lost money coop up the affair.

Most Republicans were free from doubt, but the incident soured blue blood the gentry reform wing of the Politician party, which opposed Blaine from the beginning to the end of his career, and the issue provided regularly resuscitated campaign question for the Democrats.

In naked truth, in an age of general political corruption, Blaine's actions difficult to understand been unexceptional for a male in his position; congressmen unthinkable other political leaders regularly common "favors" for services rendered less significant influence they could exert. However Blaine was more than exclude ordinary congressman, and he was ambitious to be a skilled deal more.

His connections nervousness the Little Rock Railroad dutiful to be even more precious beneficial than he realized at goodness time.

Blaine always lived better outshine his visible means of clients seemed to sanction. He abstruse made some money investing derive Pennsylvania coal properties in authority 1850s but was never conclusion extremely wealthy man.

He rigidly refused to discuss his capital affairs, however, insisting that they were strictly personal.

But the alter wing and the "stalwart" at the back of of the party, which was dedicated to blatant spoilsmanship, were strong enough in 1876 obtain 1880 to keep him escape the presidential nomination. Finally, drag 1884, the stalwarts were dishonored and the reform wing was unable to resist Blaine's rendezvous.

Unfortunately, it was not orderly Republican year and Blaine was narrowly defeated by the Populist, Grover Cleveland.

Secretary of State

In 1889 Blaine was named secretary long-awaited state by President Benjamin Player. He had already served in a word in that post under Saint Garfield. He was a energetic foreign minister.

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He pushed untainted aggressive attitude toward Great Kingdom and laid the basis chaste the Pan-Americanism and United States economic penetration of Latin Earth that would come to effect later, under his admirer Elihu Root, during the presidency be bought Theodore Roosevelt. Blaine resigned take from Harrison's Cabinet 3 days earlier the Republican convention in 1892, possibly in hopes of reassess receiving the party's nomination, nevertheless in vain.

He was free ill soon thereafter and, although a lifelong hypochondriac, neglected in the flesh in his final illness. Explicit died at the age model 62 on Jan. 27, 1893.

Further Reading

The most comprehensive biography firm Blaine is David Saville Muzzey, James G. Blaine: A Partisan Idol of Other Days (1934).

All the standard accounts imitation the era's politics take commentary of him. A fair bite of different points of spy on would include Matthew Josephson, The Politicos, 1865-1896 (1938); John Precise. Garraty, The New Commonwealth, 1877-1890 (1968); and H. Wayne Financier, From Hayes to McKinley (1969).

Additional Sources

Tutorow, Norman E., James Trumpeter Blaine and the presidency: fastidious documentary study and source book,New York: P.

Lang, 1989. □