The Portland daily press., 1875-02-02
Our New York Letter.
Senator ConkIing's speeCh-A Complete
Answer 10 the Cry of UsurpatiOn.

| gospel as well as law. Nobody need fear that
Senator Conkling will endorse or defend any
infractions of constitutional limitations.
There is too much of the lawyer about nm 1or
that. On the other hand his respect for the
letter of the statute does not entirely quench
his spirit of humanity. He does not lose sight
of the well being of the only class OF citizens
| in Louisiana whose rights are in the shghtest
peril.
His way of grouping the points of the case is
| enthusiastically striking. He makes effective
| use of the obvious fact that this debate is the
actual opening of the Presidential election
| that all this noise and haoo about military
| interference is simply eectioneering buncombe
| and very transparent at that. The picture he
| draws of the file leaders of the opposition,
| from the obsequious slave catcher OF ante-war
times and the fierce rebel of the civil strife
| down to the later recruit who grew sensitive in
respect of arbitrary power just about the time
he was left out of the civil list, is life-lke and
| true to nature.
His forcible statement of the extraordinary
| forbearance with which the rebel chiefs have
| been treated, is a conclusive answer to all that
| is continually urged in favor of conciliation
DNN--
| to The patience and long suffering, with which
| Southern contumacy has been borne by the
| rest of the country. Certainly the worlds
history contains no record of such universal
| forgiveness-without forfeited life and with
here and there but brief deprivation of per-
sonal liberty-the right to vote vouchsafed to
every man who had borne arms against his
country; the right to hold office even, denied
only to an hundred or so of those whose hands
were mostss deeply crimsoned with their
brothers blood. The people of the receding
states were not hindered from returning to
their allegiance on terms involving no humilia-
tion nor sacrifice. But because the blacks
were accorded the same privilege they saw fit
to slight the boon of restoration. All their SUBJ
sequent troubles are referable to this and there
never can be complete pacifcation, until the
prejudice of color fades away under the light
of:an advanced civilization.
But of course the real ground of difference
| is kept as well concealed as circumstances will
| admit of. There is where the clap trap comes
| in. 1t is much safer thing to declare, on the
| eve of political campaign, that jealousy OF
authority is natural to free people, than it is
| to confess that it is seriously proposed to re-
| store party to power on so vulgar question
| as bias against race. And yet there is not
| the smallest conceivable ground for arraigning
the administration for its exercise of inordi-
nate power The age has gone by when the
liberty of the governed stood in need OF special
safeguards The populace have gradually
gained such absolute sway, that contempt OF au-
thority seems the gravesL danger to the dignity
if not to the security of the state. The tone OF
comment upon public men has fallen so low
that it can scarcely be called decent. In so far
as newspapers have been able to WELD any in
fiuence upon popular sentiment, they have en-
couraged an exceedingly disrespectful, vulgar
and fiippant tenor of remark respecting on
cials, and the tendency of the times is rather
to disparage than to exaggerate magsteral
sway When the superstition prevailed that
empires were founded and kings ruled by di-
vine right there was need of watchfuness that
the liberty of the subject should Eot be en-
croached upon. But in republic, where the
tenure of office is brief and uncertaH the great
er danger is that the functionaries who are tenn
porarily invested with control, will not be prop
erly respected and obeyed.
| Seeing clearly that the opposition have seized
upon the pretext of the Louisiana troubles. to
precpitate the presidential struggle, Senator
| Conkling at last accepts the gage OF battle. lt
| is not often that his eloquent voice is heard in
| the Senate chamber. But when he does speak,
it is with force of reasoning and felicity OF IL
| lustration, which not only holds the floor ana
| galleries in rapt attention but commands the
| ear of the nation. Proudly conscious of the
claims of the Republican party to the continued
| confidence of the country, he scorns to assume
defensive attitude, but gallantly attacks the
enemy, laying bare the motives and exposing
the insincerity of the men, who are keeping up
| an agitation hurtfu to the peace and prosperity
| IF the Republic, simply to work their way back
| into power.
| Senator Conking's strength es debater
arises not less fgsm his readiness, huency and
| culture, which are remarkable, than from his
| downright honesty and earnestness. He never
says any thing that he does not mean. He is
| exceedingly careful about making any state
ment, until he is in possession of evidence OF its
| correctness. He is thoroughly conscientious
| and Just man, and has no sort of patience with
the small arts and tricks of small politicians.
! Hence the contemptuous disdain with which he
excoriates the hollow partisans who are mean
enough to misrepresent so blameless a Presi-
dent as Grant, and so brave General as Sher-
idan in the hope of making a bit of political
capital
There is probably no man in public life to-
day who has less personal stake in the perpetu-
alton of Republican ascendepcy than the gifted
Senator of the Empire State As far as his
own interests are concerned, it would be the
best thing that could happen TO him, to be per
mitted to relinquish his seat. The same amount
| of time which he now gives to the country fol-
compensation which will hardly pay his house
rent would yield him princely income, it be-
slowed upon the practice of his profession. 1t
would be impossible for him to hold his place if
he did not avail himself of the vacations to
earn his livelihood as lawyer. Consequently
he is terribly overworked 1t would be better
for his health, his comfort and his fortunes to
be relieved of the cares of craftsmanship. Ii
would be serious misfortune, however to the
state to lose him. In these days of carping crit
icism and coarse lampooning, it is not easy to
get an accurate conception of the moral and in.
tellectual stature of contemporary leaders, but
l think 1t will be conceded by nine out of ten Of
the most intelligent citizens of New York
party predictions aside-that no abler or bet
ter man ever represented this people in the ma
tonal council than Roscoe Conkling. 1 say
this with full recollection that Martin Van Bu
rem, VIM. L. Marcy, Silas Wright and VIM. 81
Seward were among the list of his predecessors
He is younger man to-day than either of thu
gentlemen named were when they first entered
the Senate chamber, but measuring his expert
ence by his years of public service, rather thar
by his years of life has been very great. Hi
industry is untiring, his memory wonderful
Although he rarely mingles in the debates, h,
is as hard a worker as there is in the Senate
and not unfrequently supplements the labors o
the DAVIS session by sitting till midnight and af