The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-04-30


to the Cincinnati Convention will not be cal
culated to inspire us with confidence in the
professions of reform, of which its projectors
have been so prodigal. Mr.. Greeley who. is
the life and soul of the revolt, does not pre-
tend to conceal or disguise the causes of his
animosity against President Grant His
ground of complaint is that
THE FEDERAL PATRONAGE OF THE CITY
has not been equally distributed between the
adherents of our Senators. Few people, even
here, have any real comprehension of the ORR
gin of the division of the Republican party in
New York. Senator Fenton believes in the
doctrine of rewards and punishments in poll
tics. He relies upon the distribution of Of
fees to ensure the attachment of his friends,
and upon the terrors of removal to paralyze
his opponents. And so from the very moment OF
the advent of Gen. Grant to power, he has
been beset with opportunities to make ap-
pointments and removals in the interest OF
the Fenton faction. Senator Conkling for
long time stood aloof from this scramble for
place, and his colleague suffered no interior
ence from him, in his little plans. But
when the President decided upon appointing
Thomas Murphy as Collector of the PORT the
war began in dead earnest.
Mr.. Conkling did not suggest this appoint
ment; c3sir
1T WAS GEN. GRANTS OWN SELECTION.
But after the name had been sent in Mr..
Conkling satisfied himself by diEgent inquiry
that Mr.. Murphy was gentleman of great
executive ability, and of good character, and
he therefore decided to advocate his confir-
nation. Whereupon the friends of Senator
Fenton set themselves diligently at work to
hunt up evidence against Murphy in order to
prevent his confirmation. Charges were pre-
ferred against him affecting his commercial
and political record, and his accusers had a
full hearing before the Committee of Com
merce in the Senate. The charges were ut
terly exploded, the Committee unanimously
reported in favor of his confirmation, and the
report was ratified by the Senate with only
three dissenting voices. 7Hi4n' 'Ia H' i5-
1t might naturally have been supposed that
this would have been the end of Fenton's op-
position. 1t proved to be only beginning.
The whole Fenton crowd ''
RESOLVED TO ATTACK THE PRESIDENT
through his new appointee. OF course as
sault led to defense, and Senator Conkling,
although proud and sensitive gentleman,
with hearty contempt for the petty ambi-
tions of scheming politicians, was absolutely
forced into the arena as defender of the
Presidents exercise of his ndoubted prerog-
alive of selecting his own subordinates. The
whole questionwa remanded to the people
of the State. Delegates were chosen to the
Republican State Conventions on this issue
in 1870 and 1871. In both instances the adj
ministration was sustained by decisive major
tiles, and this too, in spite of the powerful in
fluence of tbs New York Tribune which up
to this time had been the most influential Or
gan of Republicanism in the State and in the
whole country. The Tribune not only fought
desperately, but did not disdain to resort to
the most scandalous expedients to accom-
plish its objects. 1t did not directly assail
Gen. Grant, but it exhausted its voluminous
vocabulary Of abuse upon the devoted head of
the Collector. 1t republished affidavits
which had been produced before the Senate
Committee, and overwhelmingly ur
DESTROYED BY ORAL TESTIMONY.
1t piled up new allegations comprising such
mild offences against the unfortunate victim
OF its rage as perjury, forgery and embezzle-
ment. As fast as these inculpations were
demonstrated to be utterly false, they were
reiterated in its columns with increased vehe-
mence and ferocity, until everybody who ha-
bitually read the Tribune, and accepted its
statements as facts, without troubling them
selves to weigh and analyze its evidence,
came to the conclusion that the President had
perpetrated the blunder or committed the
crime of appointing a shockingly bad man to
the important Office of Collector of Customs
of the Port of New York The Tribune libels
were copied widely by journals of its persua-
sion throughout the country, and then re-
published in its
COLUMNS AS PUBLIC OPINION.
In this way sentiment of hostility was
created against Mr.. Murphy, the depth and
extent of which can scarcely be exaggerated.
The Collector himself apprehending that the
shafts hurled at him might reach his superior,
insisted upon resigning To his honor, be it
said, the President was unwilling that a faith
full officer should offer himself a sacrifice to
the rancorous clamor of such INSCRIPTIONS
partisan assailants. And when he saw that
Mr.. Murphy was determined upon retiring,
he put himself on record in manly and
truthful expression of his confidence aad es-
TEEN. ra ,-r. V fe
Now know Mr.. Murphy well, and if l
were to form any Judgment of the honesty or
fairness of the Tribune, by its treatment of
him, should pronounce it
MARVEL OF MALICE AND MENDAcrrY.
l have examined every count of the Tribune's
ponderous indictment of him, and there is
not one of them that is not only inherently
improbable, but susceptible of the most COM
plete refutation. -a
Mr.. Murphy was born in Ireland, but came
to this country at the age of six years. He
is one of the few Irishmen, who, without
lacking in sympathy or affection for his native
land has been ever since his Ga
MANHOOD THOROUGHLY AMERICAN.
His Republicanism dates from the foundation
of the party. His first appearance in public
life was as State Senator, the duties of which
office he discharged with unquestioned fideli-
ty, integrity and efficiency. The allurements
and temptations of Albany, which have
wrecked so many fair regulations, did not
swerve him from the path of rectitude, and
his votes on all measures before the Senate
were on the side of economy and honesty
He owes his large fortune entirely to
his own enterprise and sagacity. He
has great aptitude as politician. Ex-
tremely genial in his disposition, and kindly
in his nature he possesses the faculty of at
taching to himself warm and devoted friends.
And he is not less true to them than they are
to him. He is cool, imperturbahle and pa
tient. He never gets excited. If he cannot
accomplish thing to-day he waits calmly till
tomorrow. In short he has just the qualities
that fit him for political organizer and lead
er. And it is because he has so much quiet
power, that he has been the object of such
envenomed hatred, among the men who have
been scheming so assiduously to weaken and
distract the Republican party in the State of /
New York.
Now this much abused gentleman forms
the
STOCK ARGUMENT
Of the Cincinnati malcontents. He is the
scare-crow set up to frighten timid conserya-
yves nom their allegiance to the Republican