The New York herald., 1876-10-04
senator conklinss speech .t Utica.

Senator Conkling's Speech ~ Utica.
The speech of Mr.. Conkling at Utica last
evening proves that he is very heartily with
the republican party in this Presidential
election. In consequence of i'll health he
comes late into the canvass but his speech
shows that he has undiminished confidence
in the political organization with which he
has SO long acted, although he cannot be as
active as usual. He thinks the prospect of
the party is bright on every side, and says
'if it were not SO should still more regret
being less able than usual to advocate
cause in which never believed more ear
nestly than now" The insinuations thrown
out in various quarters that MIR. Conkling
was sulking, like Achilles in his tent, would
seem destitute of foundation.
There is one feature Of Mr.. Conkling's
speech which will attract general notice, be-
cause it is an implied rebuke Of the
personal aspersions on Governor Tilden
which make SO large figure in the
republican canvass. Mr.. Conkling dep
recates this kind of warfare. He quotes and
indorses some excellent remarks made on
June 25 by Governor Hayes to his assembled
neighbors. 'Let us see to it." said Mr..
Hayes, 'that abuse or vituperation of the
candidate that shall be named at St Louis
does not proceed from our lips" Mr.. Conk-
ling thinks this was good advice, and
does not conceal his regret that it has not
been followed. Abiding to the centennial,
which brings so many foreign visitors, he
says 1.-THE country is on exhibition, with
its methods, its manners, its ideas, its cul-
ture, its standards Of thought, its attain
ments in dignity and reason Calumny and
rancor in public discussions seem out
of place and out of time" 1.-THE repub-
lican party can stand and succeed on its
own argument, on its own record" Know
ing personally each of the Presidential
candidates, I prefer to treat them as
deserving of support or opposition be-
cause of the political sentiments they
embody and the political organizations they
represent" This is in o tone SO much more
elevated than the vituperative speeches
which have thus far debased and vulgarized
the political canvass that we cannot withhold
our approval
Mr.. Conkling evinces the sense and sagac-
ity which come of large experience in main
tanning that neither candidate can act in op-
position to the public sentiment of his own
party In the event of his election, and that it
is absurd and futile to pretend that either
MI. Tilden or Mr.. Hayes would not be con-
trolled by the wishes of his political sup
porters. Mr.. Conkling would not consider
it virtue in President to affect i9depen-
dence and insist on 'my policy" In fact.
he thinks that such a course would deserve
blame and scorn. "Few men," says Mr..
Conkling, ''are base and presumptuous
enough to accept party or public trusts
in o representative system, and then,
on pretext of independence or superiority,
to defeat the purpose and conviction of the
constituency which delegated power to
them" Senator Conkling accordingly rests
his whole argument on the contrasted char
acter and tendencies of the two parties,
scouting the idea that either candidate would
act against the general sense of his party if
intrusted with power. "That each of the
candidates for the Presidency will maintain
and illustrate the policy and spirit of his
party is as certain as good faith in man, and
this fact presents in the clearest light the
difference between them" Mr.. Conkling,
therefore, devotes the greater part of his
speech to o comparison of the aims of the
two great parties as illustrated by their his
tory for the last twenty years.
Near the close of his speech he discharges
shot at the pretentious reformers of his
own party, who try to make it appear that
Governor Hayes belongs to their set and
would make them his mentors if he
should be elected. ''The republican
party" he says, ''is not made up of
theorists, or critics. or professional re-
formers, or vainglorious pretenders to
supreme wisdom. Its task has been with
actual, difficult, vast affairs. 1t has made
mistakes but the wonder is not that it has
made SO many, but 80 few" If Mr.. Curtis
and his coadjutors should take this observa-
ton to themselves they probably would not
misconceive the intention Of it's author, who
takes pains to show that he does not share
their hostility to President Grant. 'sWhen,"
he says, .'the passionate discords and selfish
hates and rivalries and hollow pretensions
Of to-day are dead the stones which have
been hurled at Grant will be gathered to
raise a monument to one of the truest, most
fearless patriots who ever served his coun-
try" There is so little novelty in the main
part of Mr.. Conkling's arguments that they
call for no special comment
Interstato Riffo Matches.
The Crescent City Rifle Club, of New Or
I<ro GOOD Ia fbn &c