The New York herald., 1875-10-19
senator conkIing's speech.

superiority. In mere eloquenee he outranks
them both, though in vigor Of mind and po-
/ litieal discernment either Of them is at least
his peer. AS the foremost republican leader
in this State his title is uncontested, and
! great expectation was raised when it was an
nounced that he would open the active
republican campaign in this State with a
! great speech at Albany last evening
We must frankly express our disap-
pointment on reading his speech.
1t is indeed, dexterous and able;
but the talent it exhibits is not that of
statesman, but of a mere politician. He dis
cusses every subject he touches on the low
plane Of vulgar partisan politics. There
could not be greater contrast between the
productions of men of real ability than this
speech presents to those which used to be
made by Mr.. Seward when he was the lead
ing New York Senator. Mr.. Stewards method
was entirely different Instead of long tis-
sue Of gibes and invectiyes against his po-
litical opponents Mr.. Seward filed his
speeches with original and often startling
ideas, which electrified public sentiment by
in the famous ''irrepressible conflict" speech
at Rochester But Senator Conkling does
not aspire to carry political thought forward
by advancing to new heights. His speech
nowhere rises above the level of stale par
tisan recriminations. 1t falls short of the
demands of this new era. Instead Of carp
ing at Governor Tilden it was incumbent on
IL ay.F
him by pointing out more efficient methods
of reform. Instead of arraigning the demo-
cratic party as infationists it behooved him
| to outline plan by which the act of last
January prescribing resumption of specie
payments on January l, 1879, could be made
practicable and efficient. There is moth
| ing, absolutely nothing, in Mr.. Conk-
| lings long speech which sheds new
light on any political problem or her
aids an advance in the political ideas
Of the period. From beginning to end it is
a mere TRADE against the democratic party,
whereas it is the proper business of states
man to show how things can be done and
not merely to carp at false measures pro-
posed by others. Governor Tilden has
shown himself to be more of statesman
than Senator Conkling; for he has really
done something to stir public thought while
Mr. Conkling merely finds fault and proposes
nothing new, which is as futile as it would
be for a newspaper to waste its space in be-
rating its contemporaries instead of accom-
plishing feats of enterprise which would
compel them all to talk about and advertise
it. 1t was not by mere invective and mega
tive criticism that Mr. Seward attained his
great eminence and we commend his ex-
ample to our present republican Senator.
Mr. Conkling devotes the early part Of his
speech to an arraignment Of the democratic
party for its opposition to the policy of the
republicans on the negro question. He re-
calls the democratic opposition to President
Lincoln, to the emancipation proclamation,
! to the enlistment of negro soldiers and to
the new amendments of the federal constitu-
tion. What he says on these topics is his
torically true, but politically irrelevant. If
there is any force in his argument the dis
| tinguished men, including Patrick Henry
| who tried to prevent the adoption Of the con-
| stitution, should never have been permitted
| to hold any office under the federal govern
ment. If Mr.. Conkling's principle had been
carried out it would have precluded the ap-
| pointment Of Generals Grant, Sherman
and Sheridan to high positions in
the army because they had been supporters
| Of President Buchanan. 1t would have for
| hidden President Grant to appoint the rebel
/ General Longstreet to q position Of trust.
1t would preclude the election Of intelligent
! Southerners to Congress or to any State
| office. Such q line Of argument is quite
absurd. Here is the most plausible thing
| Mr.. Conkling finds to say on it:-''If you
were going to select pilot for o North River
steamboat you might like TO know how
many times he ran against snags and rocks,
and even against buoys and lighthouses
But if Commodore Vanderbilt had proved to
be bad pilot on q North River steamboat
would it follow that he was unfit to manage
railroad? Is it necessary consequence
of Mr.. OConor's support Of slavery that he
is not great lawyer? Even on Senator
| Conkling's rule there is q credit as well as a
/ debit side Of the account The democratic
party unanimously agreed with Mr. Conk-
ling in opposing the Legal Tender act at the
time it was passed, and if an irredeemable
paper currency is the curse which he deems
it he is bound to acknowledge that there is
one great subject on which the judgment Of
the democratic party was sound. Senator
Conklings arraignment Of the democratic
party for its course on the negro question is
preposterous unless he Is prepared
to maintain that Governor Tilden
could not have been right on the
Tweed Ring question and cannot be right
on the Canal Ring question, because he diff
fered from the republican party on the ques-
ton Of slavery. This desperate and foolish
nttarnrt 10 keen dead issues alive does no