New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-25
POLITICAL OUTLOOK.
THE CONFERENCE.
ITS ORIGIN AND IT'S sIGEIFICANCE-A COMPLETE
REVIEW BY ISAAC II. BROMLEY.


tjona condition. one needs 20 keep his eyes wen ABOUT
him and to consider thoughtfuly all conspicuous poht
cal events il ne would understand the temper Oh
the time and discern the direction OF the uueS
and currents OF public sentiment am us
posed 10 reckon the conference of gentlemen at the
tfth Avenus Hotel on Thursday OF the present week as
an event of considerable political significance From the
interest which to have boon manifested AZ IT'S pro
ceedings by the press and the public Judge tha II mas
been generally so regarded. In this view IL Is worm
while 10 consider its origin and It's meaning aas r ~
IL had any, its results.
The Cincinnati Convention heraldod ~ IL mas peen'
discussed in the newspapers and talked about by every
bodv "a IL waa was after all, revelation. Not untl
tts magnificent opportunities had passed ana its
work been done did it fully dawn upon the
public mind what great expectations had cehiereu
in and great hopes clustered round IL % ino
projectors Of it had not fully apprehended lls soP
or realized the funess Of their work 1t bore regh
which WAS not listed, and OF which babblng pots ann
crew knew nothing Not until silent thinking men al
over the North, who had watched II ana stiu % n
nounced and sighed "Oh! il only -" did the men
who made the Convention, and the men VIM, ~ ,l
hearts were bidding 10 God speed catch true cohcepo
of its mission and the grand possiDtes tia' W.
wrapped in IT, It's action disappointed thousanns. III
onet way men had localized it, some one way sVlne
notber and thousands who never spoke IL aoOVe lhe
breath had promised themselves the sa!lSlactloh T
their idea of human greatness and human
perfection. We never attain our Ideals Anu
4 n
for party In this country, the Convention eg man
utterly human with nothing magnificent ABOUT him put
his simplicity of the people and from the people
who for 40 years had walked up and down among them
and reasoned with them by the way ana Deen always
plain, blunt honest mana the ideals tunDeu uo"I anu
men sighed and said On! II 0n!y my mtio f ay mn
up instead" and disappointed, VIII not say uI
reasonably have heretofore, In little sketch Oh what
observed in some OF the southern states ne III,
after the nomination. given some reasons Why tue tsl
s1ieeed fsuTe but from certain points of view, was
the best attainabe. That ground heeu hoI 30 o'o
But among the disappointed, the most grievousy
and sorely disappointed were some who had taken s1cA
were for the most part FreeTradcrs or Revenue eIof
era The movement had really originated Win uieih -
was born of purpose TO put an END 10 inc lax
that fosters special Industries, creates mOn0pOhes nam
pers trade continues false and ncttlOns currency un
thousand ways breeds eorrnptl9n Ihe5e on
beeved they could nearly all the evil groWths OF
the past dozen years this tap root or tH Iegsaon
had the best brains OF the country, Dut II Wa
not large. Upon single issue ana that an ec1noo
TO consider. 10 not possible 10 FORM RreS PaI!
These gentlemen however, planted thelr nag anu Iaiea
round it, They set foot the Cincinnati movement.
Very shortly, the party OF tue itelo
were signs Of discomfort at the ABUSES IN tnc oI1,I
DANGEROUS Federal usurpations ana tue ~, ,b
Willingness to forgive the past cease Ine s gg See
government. Under that discomfort ana GsSat t
faction the Cincinnati mOVemeint peg1n bUDa i'm n
for other reforms than IN the assessment oi tdAe' a
collection OF revenues IL TOOK new Color anu ~ ryn
non assembled In Nav instead OF being merely meet
inc of Revenue Rciormers it a body OF men
rel9Sreeenting nearly every State, and demanding
thorough and complete reform IN III ,no
Genartfnents and all the relations OF Government;
M revenue Reformers were outnumbered ana
overwhelmed in their own organization. Ihey hau IN,
it in few friends and 10 multitude had descended
nnon Them Let us lose sight Of the fact however
That these gentlemen were the COOL uelDeIdte thtI
80 a,d fST the whole; that although here great
vi - entbnsose persons who from all sorts OF
tves--nOsr OF them, let MS hope, hOlestlad hOcheu
no ms cave OF Adullam-he best and carefullest
nuobt he O.
Of the whole down IN inc rec lIaue center vi ~
F these men believed in things in heat passion
mir Rhetoric was tabulaed and their figures not
of speech; they had not at any time been carried away
with enthusiasm. such men as Schurz, Horace White
Judge SallO Stanley Matthews, ana others having
or at stake than any temporary success IN THIS mat
fer Rent wei out of the whr and devoted themselves
10 directing il wisely. There was long ana cieiu de
liberation upon the platform; and the best thought OF
the Convention was gwen TO 1t. The trainers Of II did
honest work, and did 10 with an lncgeht sense OF her
responsibility not skful political mhners to Trick
outa party campaign but as cheers OF truth
and utterers of promises the country must tu There
long and earnest DISCUSSION ~ coI'eo over Ihe
Tariff plank, the Free-Jaders insisting IN manly way
that there must be nothing eyaslve or tricky IN the
phTaseOOgy OF the resolution upon lha SUBJECT 'nat
whatever was said should mean something, and not
be susceptible Of two interpretations. Trey were
opposed by men VINO were not unWiIhhg 70
sacrifice principle to eXpedency and whose
Chief anxiety was for votes for me canddates IL was
good fight ii ended IN Tue au0ptiOh OF resolution
which asserted the principle OF the Revenue Reio IneTs
that Tariff legislation should not interfere with the
industries Of tho people, but admitting that there
were irreconclabe differences upon this ques-
4iOn among the members or the convention ana
RELOCATING it TO the decision OF the people in the Congress
elections. This settled all differences ana the most
uncomprOmsng Free-Traders like Atkinson, Wells and
Matthews, joined win INC eApeuehIy men ~ ehtnns
astc Endorsement OF the action OF the Committee, DIR
Atknsons approval being publicly giyenin an especially
To these men, after the adoption Of so excellent
p9tform and the far successful results Of the COnYen
ton, the nomination OF Horace Greeley who had been
lifelong opponent Of their theories and constant and
clamOrOus advocate OF Protection, came with stunning
the whole fabric of their hopes 1t had not entered their
dreams that Convention originated and carried for
ward by FTee-Traders upon the fundamental idea Of
Tariff reform could by any possibility be twisted into g
grown on their hands, and they had felt encouraged by
| II. They had Wrestled with expedency in
it. Things were going on swmmngly when
/ WELL 1t was the Old story OF the Trojan horse.
they took no heed that he was bound hand and foot
they only their ancient enemy raised up as their
result Of their labOrs Had they been impetuous men,
they would have put in Their protest then and there
and refused to support the ticket They were too cool
and reflective for that They made no cutlery no bub
BILE up as their hopes went down. And there was
! their grand mistake. All things possible that
| day The next il too late They waited. That was
the temper OF their minds 1t was constitutional with
them; they could not help it, they could not be impul
siye or hasty and the opportunity went by Had the
dissatisfaction and discomfort been gathered into shape
that night history might have been otherwise than 1t Is
But while they waited the nomination went southwark
and touched chords had not known Of TO dlsappOnt
at the result succeeded wonder at the enthusiasm
with which 1t was welcomed through the South. And
then not long in discovering the meaning
it, how IL was Providence aler all hat led up TO 1t and
pointed through the door OF brotherhood the large
forms beyond. so before the FreeTraders had settled
themselves 10 deliberate upon the situation, cohesion
and consolidation had begun the party and its nomi-
nations had been fairly launched and their day had
| passed.
And yet though It was apparent that the Cincinnati
ticket strengthening daily and that nothing could
prevent its ratification at Baltimore some Of the dssat
sGed gentlemen held their discomfort refused TO accept
the situation and entertained hopes OF changing the re-
suit IL In this hope that the Conference was called
IL have said political Of inconsider
able significance, this gathering Of hundred or more
| representative men from all sections 10 discuss
the political situation 10 sgned as view Il not only
frank recognition Of the fact that there were elements
OF weakness IN the candidate opposed TO Grant but
disposition 70 discuss the whole business fairly and