The New York herald., 1870-09-08

The Republican State OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
The assembling of this body at Saratoga
yesterday was an event which created good
deal of excitement. A vast crowd of out
siders, from all parts Of the State, somewhat
embarrassed the delegates In obtaining seats.
The proceedings were organized, however,
very peacefully, by the election of George w.
Curtiss, of Richmond county, as temporary
chairman. Curtiss being a good talker and
bookmaker, of course made neatly prepared
speech, claiming for the republican party all
the virtues which adorn humanity, and refer
ring to the democrats as party guilty of "the
blackest crimes, and so forth. The organiza-
ton of the Convention was completed by the
election of General Van Wyck as permanent
chairman.
Here the Fenton and Conkling influence
came into play very prettily and very grace
fully. Van Wyck is Fentonian, but Roscoe
Conkling was the man to propose him for per-
manent Chairman of the Convention. His
election would have been first blood for
Fenton, only that the sanguinary elements of
the conflict were neatly expunged by the
pacific motion of Conkling in favor of the
enemy's friend. At late hour the nomina-
tions were made, the candidates being Horace
Greeley, proposed by James W. Hustled, Of
Westchester, and seconded by General Merritt;
General Stewart L. Woodford, of Kings
county, end George w. Curtiss, of Richmond
county. On the second formal vote General
Woodford received 258 votes aud Horace
Greeley los. Woodford therefore received the
nomination, thus overlooking the services of
the tried politician, Greeley, for that of the
soldier, Woodford.
The claims of Mr.. Greeley upon his party
are undoubted. They have proved them
selves ungrateful that they did not terder him
some return for his long services, even though
It be but the empty honor of nomination for
an important office which hs could never gu
by the vote Of the people. Still It must be
soothing to the feelings and the vanity of the
philosopher (for some philosophers are weak
enough to be vain) to find that his friends In
the party recognize, even by handsome vote
though minority one, the value of his long
years of toll, and that they were willing to
overlook his little peccadilloes, his wanderings
after strange gods now and then, his occasional
vagaries and phantasies, which were all In
nocent in their way and did no harm
to anybody. But, in truth, there is no
better representative of the republican party
in the State to-day than Horace Greeley; there
has been no more earnest worker In the cause
for quarter of a century. Who has so per-
sistently stood by the party from its birth,
and, indeed, who, we might say, ante-dated
its birth in agitating the ideas upon which the
republican party was formed-who SO labori-
ously as Mr.. GreeleyP The Republican State
Convention, then, could have done no act so just
as tho nomination of Horace Greeley for Gov
ernor. But It appears they failed to see It,
If he was defeated at the polls, as he was sure
to be, 1t would be some consolation to him to
know that he was beaten by the most popular
man in the State, John T. Hoffman, and by a
majority of about seventy thousand Of his
fellow citizens. That honor now, however, is
reserved, by the act of the Convention, for
q man who has deae Little service 70 the
party.