The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-06
POLITICAL SEA BREEZES.
Gossip About National Affairs
from Long Branch.
Is OUR CUSTOM HOUSE IN DANGER ?
How Conkling Was Cheated and
Blaine Helped.
AN INSIDE HISTORY.
Is OUR CUSTOM HOUSE IN DANGER ?
AN INSIDE HISTORY.
LONG BRANCH. August S. 1s7.


report, brought here BY arrival from Washington.
that sweeping change is about to be made in the fed
eral Offices in New York, and that the Custom House
and other lesser pacers OF patronage to pass
into tho hands OF the friends Of Mr. Reuben Fenton
Tho Immediate adherents OF Senator Conking who be-
long to the Custom House party in the city havc
hitherto secuted the idea OF any interference with
General Arthur and his associate officials. and have
pronounced tho story of GOODNESS between the Presi
dent and Senator Conkling pure invention. But as
The report comes from = friendly source, and il
is told in a sorrowing spirit to those who may soon
have to put their political households in
order, It creates NO lito CONSERVATION among tho
faithful There corroboratng circumstances, too
which servo to give the ugly rumor too much tho ap
pearance OF truth. Mr.. Thomas Murphy, the fdus
Achas of tho President lost and lonely In the absence
Of his old chum from Long Branch, visited Washing
ton few days since for the purpose of hobnobb.ng
with His Exceency and ascertaining what going
on in Presidential quarters. According to his own
statement he had pleasant Interview with the Pres
dent and feels serenely confident from what he there
learned, that the Conkling body guard will not be
driven from their comfortable positions, at least SO
long as Grant remains command Of the federal pa
ronagc. But somehow the story has got about that
the ever-loyai Thomas shameulIy snubbed at the
White House this visit and LETT the capital with
depressing presentiment OF some impending calamity.
So the new report OF a contemplated change in the
federal Offices in New York begins to find believers
But why should the Fenton interest be studied in the
appointments? That Ia o question involving
explanation OF many OF the Presidents recent acts.
and which makes 1t necessary, in answering it, to
glance backward at certain circumstances connected
with the Cincinnati Convention.
SCENES AT THE CINCINNATI PERFORMANCE.
The Cincinnati Convention has an unwrItten his
tory. The position taken by President Grant in that
body has been correctly recorded and under
stood but by few. 1t will be remembered that for
time prior to the meeting Of the Convention the
belief prevailed that the President intended cast his
influence for Roscoe Conkhng as his successor. The
ur1agging support given by the New York Senator to
every act of the administration the valuable aid
dcred by him to the President in many difficulty, his
high standing in tho party and his unquestionable
qualifications for the position seemed to make the
choice wise and proper one. The HERALD repeatedly
urged upon President Grant the expedency of decisive
action If he really meant to assist Mr. Conkling and
the appointment of Don Cameron Secretary Of War
raised high the hopes of tho Senator's friends But
those hopes not to be realized. Although 4 is
claimed that Mr. Conkling had personal Of
Administration aid IL was never extended to
him. In plain language, he cheated by
Grant at Cincinnati. Secretary Cameron made
professions but failed carry them out on the plea
that he could control his delegation, although as
United States District Attorney Bliss remarked the
prctence that newly appointed Cabinet Minister found
himself unable TO do what he pleased with Penusyl-
delegation tale to be told to tho martinez.
Dir. Wolf, the Recorder OF tho District of Columbia,
visited the Conklipg headquarters with story OF tho
Presidents preference for their chiof: but that
proved to DO only blind On tho night preceding tho
day OF baliotng tho friends Of Mr. Conkling knew
they betrayed and deserted and the demon
sratvo among them did not hesitate dcnounce tho
President for his alleged trcachery Tho result showed
that they had at least cherished false hopes Mr. Conk
ling. starting the first ballot with ninety votes
sixty nine OF which were cast by his swn delegation
steadily down. AT no time did ho receive more than
thirty votes outside OF New York, and Of these
were known TO have been gwen to him purely
personal grounds SO that the administration never,
fact, was instrumental in giving him single vote.
GRANT FAVOR BLAINE Fog TUE SUCCESSION.
Where, then, did President Grant cast his strength;
for everybody knows he had strength and made use OF
II at Cincinnati Certainly not for Brstow the prose-
cuor OF the whiskey thieves Not for Morton, for out
side the thirty votes OF his own State Morons vote
msdopp almost exclusively OF tho extreme negro and
carpelbag element without reference to tho adm
Besides, Of the hundred votes exclusive Of
diana cast for Morton the first ballot fifty went
over Blaine tho last ballot and these fifty werc
votes controlled second choice ny tho administra
ton II Is evident, therefore, that President Grant
threw all the influence OF the administration and used
all his personal strength 10 SECURE tho nomination OF
Mr. Blame his SUCCESSOR little reflection will show
ample motive for this preference. Mr. Blaine Cad
cast feather in the way OF the Presidents
third term ambition In political morality he Is in
harmony with Grant, and neither of the two would
have had any scrupe make bargains TO the future
distribution OF the federal spoils. The imperial family
might have been almost as well provided for under
Blaine under Grant himself. Above all, Blaine had
fought Congressional investigation The tearing thorn
in Grants sdo with holiness and fcrocity. II nomi-
mated he would have made an aggressive campaign.
He would have denounced the democratic House of
Representatives a rebel body which, under the pre-
tencc OF Investigations through suborned witnesses,
tortcd testimony Misrepresentation and forgery, had
sought TO break down the men who had broken down
the Confederacy and TO accomplish through the pos
OF the federal government what they had failed
carry out through clvil war Grant must have
that such a campaign would up and shield his
own immediate friends and associates and that the
heat and excitement OF such Presidential contest,
and the concentration OF the ISSUE on Banes alleged
corrupons, whskey frauds sale burglary conspira-
ces, War Department populations and Navy DEPART
ment robberies, SO nearly affecting bis own household
would be lost sight or he prison doors oil Joyce, NC
Donald, Avery and the rest could then have been
thrown open without attracting too much attention
now TIKI ADMINISTRATION HELPED BLAINE
it Is easy to suppose that these considerations would
have made Blaine the choice OF tho President for tue
succession But aside from this the evidences Of Grants
work for Blaine IN the Cincinnati Convention were too
plaln to be mistaken. Cameron wns secret commu-
nication with the Blaine managers and opposed the
fatal abolition oil the unit rule the dele
cation, is now asserted because no knew that In the
end majority OF the delegates would vote for Blaine
and thus carry over the whole eight votes Of that
camp turned up at last active, working Blame man.
The real danger that threatened Blame tho report
which reached Cincinnati two days Dslore the nomna-
sons that his mind been affected by the sudden
attack the church door. This seemed SO probable in
vicw OF the character OF his illness, that
.sorrowiully accepted true and had the
effect OF making many Of his friends
question the expedency OF giving him the
nomination. In this moment OF peril, after n consul
tation between Eugene Hale, Mr. Frye, lngersol Of
Illinois, Waldo Hutchings, OF Ne~ York, as tie repre-
scntavcs OF Fenton, and two others, was decided
n IN M he % HIN
absolute necessity OF heading OF the new danger By In
dsputa6lc testimony. II possible, that Blaine had
made his appearance in pubic, or al least that his
mind was unimpaircd. The message was sent TO the
dearest and most confidential friend OF ,he President
II brought an immediate return the shape OF telc-
grams from Surgeon General Barnes, Secretary Chand.
err secretary Jewell, Secretary Robson, secretary
FISH. aud others, all contradicting the report OF Mr.
biainc conuition IN the mos: emphatic terms. AS
Mr. Chandler Is Eugene Hale's father-in-la aud Is
moreover, pretty independent what he Docs q
telegram from MIN backing up Baine's
finances was not unexnecicd- Rut no uersnn