The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-10-05
Letter From Central New York.
Correspondence of the Journal.
SYRACUSE. Sept. %. 1S7

topic OF the hour here, where the COnyen-
ton was held, as it no doubt is elsewhere
for the time in political circles, is the Re
publican State Convention, with its disin-
tegrating proceedings, being perhaps the
first and most absolute stcp--the overture
to the dissolution of the Republican
party in the State and nation, which the |
course of political events for some months |
past has already forcshadowed rs an i'm
pending and perhaps inevitable occur
renee. 1t is singular point in the history
OF this central city of the Empire State of |
the union-Syracuse- the g city of con
ventions," as it is often termed, that its |
name is associated with preceding CON
ventions whose results have been as i'm |
portant rs those OF the present convention
promise to be- The presiding officer Of
this convention, (Hon. Andrew D. White,
President of Cornell University, but a res
ldent OF this city,) alluded in his address
upon taking the chair, while counselling
harmonious action, to the past, that within
the sound OF his voice a convention was
held which ensured the dissolution Of the
old Wing party; and within ritle-shot,
q Democratic convention was held which
led to serious divisions in that party, and
the success for some years past of its OPP
ponents. He proceeded to eulogize the
Republican party and asserted that with
out harmony in this convention, that party
should have its ccnotaph erected or the
similitude OF the New York Custom
house, and inscribed thereon Here lies
the Republican party, which died in Il
wretched wrangle over beggarly array
OF paltry Offices Well, the convention
was any thing but harmonious New
York, Kings and St. Lawrence (the great
Republican stronghold) delegations with
drew, and thus the eptaph of the party,
SO conveniently prepared by the President
Of the Convention, may as well be immc-
diatey sculptured upon the monument
| For the results of this convention are not
confined to this State but are only ex-
pressiye OF u like feeling within the Re-
publican party, easily seen throughout the
country. The mass o its members have
seen that Grant, however able rs Il soldier,
and however wcll-mef.ning as II politician,
| is below medocrity as q statesman,
that he is peculiarly subject to improper
| Influences a poor discrimination rs TO
character and thus las become the crea-
ture OF Il ring of base men, OF whom the
shoddy Murphy, collector Of the customs
in New York, is a type And the stub
| born character Of the man, who would
. fight it out on this line" all his life,
! whenever he had once committed himself
to men or measures, and in despite of the
inculcations Of prudence or of the ad-
| vice OF his true friends, give US no hope
| that in the future he would at all be beno-
fitted by the experiences of the four years
of his term.
| You will see in the papers the proceed
/ my, Of the convention portrayed in a not
very attractive form; yet harshly as some
journals may del let them, you may be as
| sured that they ire below the truth. In
the hall there We're fights with fists, clubs,
stools, etc, that would best become
Five Point dance house. and only the
| presence of q srong body Of the city po-
lice saved the hall from becoming the
scene Of perhaps more bloody nature.
rs pistols had already began to peep forth
from side pockets. The Tribune, a. the
organ Of the anti-Administration faction,
hoists the ticket finally nominated ly the
| convention after its purest strength had
withdrawn, leaving the work to the gov
eminent hirelings; but Greeley does so in
| 50 insulting and defiant a manner, that it
| is evident tina it is the last wish of the
seceders of the convention that the ticket
| should succeed, OF that they will lend to
it really helping hand Judging from
| the language IF Republicans hcreabouts,
the mass OF them in this County (Which
sent but one delegation in favor of the
Grant faction) will do but little in favor
of the ticket and the coarse dennciationS
of the government organ here, the Eve
ming journal, will certainly do but very
little in the way of conciliating the bitter
| feelings now so rife on both sides. 1t is
very generally considered that the Repub-
licans have, to use puglistic phase suit
able for the occasion, ''thrown up the
| sponge" and will make but 4 formal con-
test in the approaching State election; ana
| can at present conceive of no probable
occurrence which may incite the disscnti-
ents to reconciliation and consequently
serious efforts in the campaign.
The whole difficulty with the conyen-
ton arises, it is perhaps needless to say,
from the question of the division of the
sDoils OF Office MOI single great
principle, let it be marked, such rs has
occasioned the few divisions that have
occurred in the history of the great Dem
cratic party, distinguishes the climactric
event of this week in the history of the
Radical party. The convention was di
yidcd into factions Of Conkling and Fen
ton, our U. S. Senators, the former of
whom is justly charged with absorbing
for his creatures all the federal offices
within the State, leaving Fenton and his
followers "out in the coldn The emnity |
between the two Senators is bitter and |
irrcconcilable, and the same bitterness Of
feeling characterizes their respective fol
lowers. Conkling-" Lord Roscoe'-is |
egotistical and tyrannical and Fenton is
u crafty, housing politician, who no.
toriously won his scat IN the U. S. Senate |
by the lavish use of money and the eXer-
else of every species ofpolitical chicanery.
Yet they are mobile tratrum-there is
nothing to choose between them on any |
moral or patriotic ground. Fenton had
at least the good sense to stay away from