The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-24

Capacity to seize the critical aspect Of
case and to present it to the common per-
ception in telling way has been repeatedly
noted as an attribute Of the Presidents
mind, and he has just given another illus
tration of tho possession Of this faculty, for
the latest political occurrence is the result
of an intellectual operation precisely like
that which several times in the war summed
up the whole case before the country in one
happy phrase. But this time the result is
an net and not IN epigram. 1t is not the
least of the contradictions which strew the
line of General Grants history that he-a
soldier mostly known for hard service for
the literal stolid application of force to
facts, and, withal, q taciturn soldier, man
as speechless to the public as William the
Silent or General Monk--should yet have
reached the mind Of the nation more by. his
mere phrases than my other person save
two or three Of it's really great thinkers.
But as he gave us phrases when acts were
all we looked for. now, when we have accus-
toned ourselves to expect phrases of no par
ticular value, comes nm act, happily con-
ceived and deftly executed and the effect OF
which, in clearing up the confusion of
Presidential politics, must necessarily be
very great
But short time since the Presidential
field was the least defined of all political
spectacles It was like a race with no favor
ties; no animal in it of such achievements
or such supreme strain rs to give conf
dence in his possibilities that might over
whelm the doubters Every political trainer
or stable boy or jockey hurrahed for his
own nag SO Justify as to impress the hearers.
and the consequence was that thought did
not gather to any common centre, but was
distracted and lost in vain speculation.
Conkling. Blaine, Morton, Bristow, Fish,
Hayes, Washburne, Hartranft, Pierrepont
and dozen others came and went like an
endless panorama before the eyes of the
republican party; and the worst of it
NIL was that no man could positively
say that the least likely of oil might
not be nominated, or that the nomina-
ton would not fall upon some person so
much less likely than any one of these that
the consideration of possible persons. It
was, in short, the characteristic feature ofthe
canvass that such fact seemed the only
possible solution, because the number of
candidates of great prominence implied an
obstinate conflict Of their respective interests
removed by compromise on some man pre-
sumably amenable to all these influences.
Our readers know that we have regarded
such a result with apprehension, and it must
be conceded by every person of fair judg-
ment that to have feeble person-some
Presidential Office during the coming term
would be national calamity. It would es-
tablish such a relation of parties as to put
the simple obligation of duty to- the country
in the scale against the republicans if the
democrats should present any man only
moderately better than such IN obscure nom
entity. 1t would provoke a revolt against
the republicans of the whole non party vote
in the nation, and that vote is to decide this
contest. 1t would produce, therefore. inev-
itably democratic victory, though many
men who would thereby assist that victory
are not yet convinced that the democrats are
to be trusted with power.
But that possibility has grown less and
less as the strength of several candidates has
been put to positive tests. And now as the
party mind separates those who are seriously
men ofnational and Presidential proportions
from those merely local magnates over whom
their adherents made agreat clamor in hopes
not that they could be nominated, but that
they might secure some substantial advan-
tage as the price of relinquishing an attitude
that embarrassed the action of their party
now that this division is made it is found
that the number of men who can go to Gin
cinnati with any rational hope to be harmo-
niously nominated is very small indeed
smaller far than it commonly is on these oc-
casions.
At this peculiar stage of the case, there
fore, the Presidents coup detat is Of great
importance. He perceives that OF the small
number of men who are thus possible the
one Of the number who, for all reasons taken
together must be considered the most salts
factory, is Senator Conkling; and he acts on
that opinion, takes steps at once to make
his opinion felt and to gather in IN effective
unity in support of that candidate the some
time divided, unsettled and even distracted
party sentiment. BY this course the Presi-
dent recognizes his moral obligations to tho
party as its ostensible head. He abandons
that attitude of indifference in which he
was presented when, a short time ago, he
was reported as saying that he had no pref
erence Us to his successor. They who were
interested in the distinctions of the re-
publican party applauded ms a piece of
virtue the notion that President must
stand neutral in such cases. If
man believes that the victory Of o GER
tain party is necessary for the national
welfare md that the marty will win with ono