Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 4.djvu/190

156 and reform professions, never get votes enough to be elected President of the United States. And, as I not only entertain this opinion, but have sometimes expressed it, Mr. Blaine cannot be expected altogether to restrain his feelings. 



I am at work at the Clay biography, that is to say, I have for a considerable time been engaged in studying the material, of which, however, there is still a larger quantity before me which I have not been able to touch. There has been less intelligent and valuable work done on Clay's life than on that of any other prominent American statesman, so that his biographer, at least a biographer as he ought to be, has to do it all himself. I have become greatly interested in the subject, but I am entirely unable to name a definite time for the completion of the work. The fact is that my regular duties will not permit me to spend more than two or three evenings, or rather parts of two or three evenings a week on it, and you will readily understand that under such circumstances no rapid progress is possible. It has occurred to me that I could furnish the biography of Gallatin in a much shorter time than that of Clay, for the reason that the subject is more familiar to me and the material is much more “ready to hand.” I wonder whether an exchange of subjects could be made with the gentleman who has undertaken Gallatin? What do you think?

I am sorry I cannot give you a more definite promise than that I shall do the best I can. Be assured, it is not my fault. I am simply the victim of circumstances which have condemned me to work as a journalist. 