The New York herald., 1871-10-04

Collector Murphy Must Resisn-Spotted
Tail Fcnton Wants His Scalp and Red
Cloud Coulklins Consents.
The war upon Mr.. Murphy has taken new
shape. The advice given by the HRRARD be-
fore the assembling Of the Republican Conven-
tion is now accepted by many of the republican
politicians and newspapers. The difficulty is
that most of this advice is accompanied by a
series Of attacks upon Mr.. Murphy, so fiercely,
and at the same time indiscreetly handled, that
they would seem to be written in his interest.
A high domestic authority in the Grant
family has been cited as saying that General
Grant Is o very obstinate man." And the
General has been so severely assailed himself
by partisan newspapers that he may feel that
the Tribune and its allies have given him q
new bond of sympathy with the Collector.
Primarily, then, it may be said that the
assaults upon Mr.. Murphy are foolish and un-
generous The time is speedily coming when
no gentleman who cares for his good name
will take Office. The reader Of our party news
papers would be supposed to believe that
there is no honesty in political life-that our
taxes are collected by thieves and retained by
them. The Tribune has taken good deal of
pains to show that Mr.. Murphy is rascal,
Mr.. Cornell bearer of false witness, and Mr..
Latin worse than either Yet the Tribune
has over and over again commended these
gentlemen TO public confidence. It praised
them to serve its turn; it abuses them to
serve Its turn. Neither time was it sincere !;
but, being party organ, It's praise and blame
are controlled by the exigencies of party dis
cipline.
The charges against Mr.. Murphy are so frail
that their resurrection now, from the grave Of o
dead and buried court martial, merely offends
our sense of fairness. Mr.. Murphy was q
manufacturer of hats. When the war broke
out he had large amount of money. He
invested his money in contracts for the army
service, as other moneyed men did. Like
most Of the contractors, he was denounced as a
swindler and tried before court martial.
Unlike many of them, he was acquitted. Still
the i'll name Of having s'made money out of the
war" has clung to him, as, in fact, 1t has
clung to everybody who was in the contract
business. This is an illustration Of the occa-
sional freaks Of popular injustice. For the
war could not have been waged without sup
plies, and supplies could only come from
contractors who invested their money and
furnished supplies for profit Still, all money
thus made has been tainted in popular appre-
citation. And although Gibboa tells us that
ST. George of Cappadocia was an army con-
tractor, he is not the only one who was ever
canonized, but perhaps the only one who was
not absolutely damned. 4
As for Mr.. Murphy, while we see no evil
dence to hold him guilty Of the charges made
against him, and willingly bear testimony to
his faithful performance of his duties as
Collector, and certify that he has been as
Jealous and consistent republican par
tisan as Mr.. Greeley himself, and recog-
nize him as the victor at Syracuse, it is
plain that he is not the man to lead the
republican party in the fall campaign. Grant
all that his friends claim-and we grant it all
his usefulness Is dead. Mr.. Fenton has
fought him furously. Mr.. Conkling, whose re-
tinued mutiny, would willingly escape some of
the consequences of his own triumph by throw
ing into the Greeley den the head of Murphy.
Murphy has done Conkling's work; he has
served him with clan-like fidelity; he gave him
victory at Syracuse; of what more use can he be
to Conkling? There is to be Senatorial cleo
tion at Albany two years from now. Conkling
holds the seat He would like to hold it again.
He thinks he can placate his enemies by aban-
doning Murphy and make easier his own road
to victory. @4
So Murphy has been abandoned. His re-
lance now must be upon Grant, and Grant
alone. As it stands, the principal service he
can do to Grant is to simply say to him,
ssMr. President-You gave me this office.
You have befriended me here. have done
all could to serve you; but my usefulness is
gone. Whether truly or falsely accused, am
accused. I cannot embarrass you. cannot
be even as much as straw In your way.
give you my resignation, and In retiring to
private life shall take my assailants, with
Greeley at their head, and teach them their
duty before jury Of my countrymen." Some
thing Of this kind Murphy must do. He can
depend no longer on Mr.. Conklng. If he does
not see that this Senator and his friends have
abandoned him he cannot see the sunshine. IF
he does not know that before Ulysses pours the
cream into his first White House cup Of coffee
there will be ravenous, whooping delegation
of political braves in the ante-room, with toma-
hawks and knives-Red Cloud and Spotted
Tail at the head-shrieking for his honest,
auburn and finely y-scented scalp, then he is the
most innocent Irishman In these broad do
minions.
But he does see it. So let him retire with
the best grace. Who shall succeed him?
Some say Z. d. Morgan, others Edwards Pierre