The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-17
The Republican Convention-Hsyes
and wheeler.

Cnicago, IN lobu, auJournou ye6teruay, "A1ci
nominating for the Presidency Rutherford
B. Hayes, of Ohio, and for the Vice Presi-
dency William A. Wheeler, of New York.
1t was dramatic, picturesque. fighting Con-
vention. All the pent-up animosities
Of State politics had full play. Penn
sylvania fought over the hereditary quarrels
of the house Of Cameron. New York re-
vived the strifes of her Montagues and
Capulets. Illinois seemed to have no
higher purpose than to defeat the nomina-
tion of the one republican, Mr.. Washburne,
whose name would have been an assurance
of victory. Ohio and Maine seemed to be
the only States who stood by their colors
with unfaltering courage. Hayes won
the nomination for the Presidency, while
Blaine comes out of the fight as much
the leader of the republican party as Henry
Clay was the leader of the wings in their
palmiest days.
Mr.. Blaine made what we might call
Henry Clay canvass. We cannot but admire
the gallantry and the resolution of his
friends. Never was leader so bravely
supported. There was something like
chivalry in the way his friends nailed his
colors to tho mast and went down with
them floating in the breeze. What is to
us the attractiveness Of Mr.. Blaine's
canvass was really its weakness. It was
a series of cavalry charges. Mr.. Blaine
fought for the nomination as though he
were fighting for ON election. He treated
his party brethren ns though they were dem
ocrats He had the Convention from the first
His policy was plainly that of alliance and
Cancellation. But the tactics he used in
Mr. Tilden's name, for instance would have
had more courtesy than that OF Mr.. Conk-
ling. The election Of Mr.. Mcpherson
Us President was q useless blunder
Some impartial man like Mr.. Curtis Mr..
Dana or Governor Chamberlain might have
been given this honor. But Mr.. Blaine's
friends must 60 into the Pennsylvania dele
CATION and elevate a man simply to humiliate
the Secretary of War. The throwing ont
of Frederick Douglass was also blunder.
Mr. Morton had scant courtesy, while Mr..
Dana was actually Kissed for making
q reform speech. It was rule or
ruin with Blaine from the beginning and
the result was that every element in the
Convention combined against him. In
stead of breaking the coalition, arrnying one
against the other, capturing some and coax
ing Others Mr.. Blaines leaders managed in
two days to combine every element in the
Convention against him. The cup pressed
his lips, only to be tossed away by the heed
lessness of his own friends.
While the great defeat, as matter of gen.
eralship alone, fell upon Blaine's lieuten-
ants, the tactics of his opponents were mas
terly Don Cameron comes out in this
Convention in bold relief as by all odds
its most skilful and daring leader. Mr..
Cameron seemed to be the especial object of
the assaults of the Blaine lines. He had &C
cepted the War Office and the Blaine forces
chose to regard it as an offence,
as if he had not right as q re-
publican to accept any honor the Presi-
dent bestowed upon him. The delegation
mutinied. 1t was proclaimed to the world
that the administration, in the person of its
War Minister-and the Camerons espe-
the Convention, Every despatch from Gin
cinnati told the same legend The end was
terrible to the hopes of Blaine. Don Cam
eron took command of the anti-Blaine forces
at once. In minority always, he won every
point His mutinous Pennsylvania delegation
was held in subsection until the time came,
and then it was launched like q thunderbolt
at Blaine's trembling columns. If Penn
sylvania could only have been wrested
from Don Cameron's leadership on the
second ballot Blaine would have won. This
was the expressed purpose Of Blaine's
friends Mr.. Mcpherson, from his place in
the chair, led the movement. But the
young War Secretary was the master of his
opponents. He held Pennsylvania while it
pleased him, and only loosed his hold
to defeat Blaine. This episode is the
most dramatic incident in the Con-
vention-the one brilliant achievement
in political generalship. As our dispatches
show, the position of Cameron was not Of
his own seeking, but position forced upon
him. The Blaine forces offered him no al
tentative but humiliation. The result is
that Blaine's victory turned into defeat,
leaving Cameron victor in the Convention.
New York was forced into the same position
by the treatment bestowed upon Mr.. Conk-
ling. Because of an unfortunate personal
difference the friends OF Mr.. Blaine re-
solved that Mr.. Conkling should share
in the humiliation imposed upon the
Camerons. AS one of our correspondents
said the other day, Mr.. Conkling was treated
as though he were q democrat. He was
arraigned upon the floor of the Convention.
When Mr.. Woodford presented his name he
had barely civil treatment The most elo-
quent republican in the Senate did not re-
ceive the courtesy from the friends of Blaine
that they would have shown Tilden. AS
consequence New York, which, under ordi-