The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-21

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are much more American than we of the
East, more representative of the temper and
genius of our people. For the past genera
ton the legend has found favor in the West
that the Mississippi Valley should rule the
nation. The Western leaders have never
waived that pretension. We had Grant and
Colfax from the West seven years ago-as we
have Grant and Ferry now. A larger part
Of the great Offices of the country are held
by Western men. They have the lust Of
power. They never forget their section in
their quarrels 1t was Sherman, in his let
ter to Grant when he assumed command of
the army, who advised him to go to the
Valley of the Mississippi as the seat Of en-
pire. So that with our divisions in the
East, with men like Curtis in New York,
only too willing to sacrifice State pride to
their own temper with the Western men
pulling together for their own special meas
ures-for soft money, cheap transportation
and every possible scheme to bind the ma
tional government to their support-there is
the danger SO far as Mr.. Conkling is con-
cerned, that the dark horse may come from
the West The Western States are divided,
but not enough SO to give the East the least
advantage. The Eastern States are divided
hopelessly, and there is not one Of the fac
tons who would not cross the Alleghanies
in moment and sell out their votes to the
highest bidder. 1t may be as in 1860. Then
the East asked the West to give it Presi-
dent We only received Secretary Of
State.
Therefore, although Conkling keeps
ahead, and although since his nomination
by the independent press Of the country.
under the lead of the HERALD, he has made a
brilliant and astonishing canvass. the re-
suit is as much in doubt as ever. and
sagacious bookmakers looking over the field
would give odds in favor of the dark horse.
1t would be well, therefore, for those who
have the special interests of Mr. Conkling in
keeping to remember this. He should not
lose the fruits of victory by an effort to win
the impossible. There is no reason why he
should not take the advice we have given
Mr.. Tilden on the democratic side, and see
that the man who wins is in sympathy with
himself and the administration. It was in
this respect that Seward was wise. He went
into his canvass with as much enthusiasm as
Mr.. Conkling. He had the youth and
courage and zeal of the party with him. He
was 80 loved and honored that when he was
beaten there was a sense of profound grief
throughout the republican States. But he
saw the dark horse gaining on him. He saw
defeat, and his representative, with unsur-
passed skill, so managed the defeat that in
the end it was victory. Seward went into
the administration as its Prime Minister
For eight years he was the most powerful man
in the country. If he had thrown away his
chance he might have fallen into some such
position as that of Bates or Mclean or Ere
mont But he held the party, and in time
governed the country-more powerful, per-
haps, as the Prime Minister of Lincoln and
johnson than if he had been chosen Presi-
dent and failed in the terrible ordeal Of the
war. Mr.. Conkling's friends have right to
exult over the pace of their favorite. AS the
race looks now he may win. But the killing
pace sometimes destroys the winning pace,
and if there is to be dark horse to the fore
let it be one that wears the colors Of Conk-
ling and Grant, whose success will not be
their defeat.