He has genius almost for misunderstanding public sentiment. To him
may be applied Junius' characterization of the Duke of Grafton: "It
is not that you do wrong by design, but that you should never do
right by mistake."
With all these defects, the defects of heritage and environment and
temperament, so much was expected from Mr. Lodge, and so much he
might have done, that it is a disappointment he has accomplished so
little. He has been thirty-four years in Congress, and his career
can be summed up in three achievements--the Force Bill, the attempt
to wreck England by driving her to silver coinage, and the part he
took in defeating the treaty of peace with Germany. The Force Bill
and the silver amendment his biographers have charitably forgotten;
will the future biographer deal as gently with the closing years of
his life? And if so, what material will the biographer have?
Macaulay, reviewing Barere's Memoirs--and allowing for the
difference in time and manners and morals there is a strange
similarity between the leader of the French Revolution and the
leader of the Senate--said, "We now propose to do him, by the
blessing of God, full and signal justice."
We think we may say, with proper humility, that, by the blessing of
God, we have done Senator Henry Cabot Lodge full and signal
justice.
BERNARD M.
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