He was not without ambitions for himself. But they were
always subordinate in him to the love of liberty and the
love of country. He espoused the unpopular side when he
started in life, and he stuck to it through all its unpopularity.
He was a skilful, adroit, practised and constant political
manager. He knew the value of party organization, and did
not disdain the arts and diplomacies of a partisan. He carried
them sometimes farther, in my judgment, than a scrupulous
sense of honor would warrant, or than was consistent with
the noble, frank, lofty behavior which Massachusetts and the
American people expect of their statesmen. The most conspicuous
instance of this was his joining the Know Nothing Party, in
whose intolerance he had no belief.
But it was done as an instrument for destroying the existing
political parties, which were an obstacle to freedom, and
clearing the field for a new one. This object was successfully
accomplished, and in it accomplishment Wilson had a large
share. But it was, in my judgment, doing evil that good may
come. Wilson freely admitted this before he died, and said--
I have no doubt with absolute sincerity--that he would give
ten years of his life if he could blot out that one transaction.
Pages:
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393