New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-23
THE SPIRIT OF THE CONVENTION.
INV TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.I

TELEGRAPH TO THE TRlBi Nil
syP,crsE N.Y. March Ex-senator Coakling
Gained the victory in the Republican Convention
to-dav. which has been in his power from the first,
Int it was victory SO disastrous that tonight his
enemies are exultant and many of his friends admit
that his prospects as a Presidential candidate are
damaged beyond repair. The Convention passed
he resolution which one of his strongest supporters
'romed-nassed il by a more than twO-thlTds vote
after long and hot debate of three hours ana yet
carried their point at the expense of such deter
mined and plain protest on the part OF thelr
opponents that il is everywhere conceded that
the moral effect of the resolution is destroyed,
and Mr. Conklmg goes out of the Convention much
weaker than he went in. The result is good illus
tration of the extent to which a plucky minority
can daunt and even oyorawe majority which lacks
the courage to use the power it holds. Mr. Conk-
linss friends who originally proposed to send del
cration TO Cincinnati substantially if not openly
pledged to him. have been compelled to put up with
m EXPRESSION of opinion in his favor which is not
worth the struggle il cost, and with delegation
which though OstanSby his. contains con
siderable pTopOltiOn of men whose votes VIII
he given 10 him in the Convention, but all
whose labors from this time forth Will he against
him aud for some other candidate. Late last night
the design of even inStructng the delegation was
abandoned and the resolutions then framed were
those adopted to-day. This further concession to
the opponents Of pledged delegation was brought
about by the evident increase In the sentiment OF
the rural delegates who came III on the late trans
and by the unexpectedly determined attitude Of Mr..
Curtis and those who we're acting with lin. Mr.
Conkling's friends yielded all this in the hope OF
harmony only to find this position bitterly assailed,
with only few more than hundred votes, or just
10 more than the Conkling estimate allowed them
yesterday.
The independent Republicans fought the compro-
mise platform until a compromise had ceased to be
Of any value and the candidate in whose behalf the
compromise was made had apparently ceased to be
worth negotiation. 1t goes without saying that
This is a political surprise first, that the men LED by
Mr. Curtis should have asked 50 much, and second
that the men pledged to Mr.. Conkling should have
Welded so much, only to be pushed to the wall Tor
their pains. There is a very prevalent I'M
preston that this action by the Republican
Convention has made il unlikely that HoN'
Tilden should secure from the Utica Convention
anything like a pledged delegation. even admitting
that the delegation itself should be IN bis favor
From the best information obtanable 1t does not
appear that there is any intention OF attempting to
pledge the DELEGATION to Gov. Tidcn on the part Of
MS friends but the same impression seems TO color
The prospects of both. Mr.. Conklinc's nomination
would have made Gov. Tildens seem natural II
necessary, but to-days action WILL 1t is believed by
Inany throw a considerable obstacle in the way OF
his securing the delegation, though it should be un-
Instructed and unplcdged. But this is a Democratic
DEPRESSION.
GooD-LooRING CONVENTION.
Tine Convention opened this morning in Wietngs
Opera-house with pretty full attendance of dele
gates and reasonable show of spectators There
might have been more of both, but the house was
..tr. m IN
Curtis, who made his way quietly into the hall a
few moments before the opening of the Convention,
and took seat in the front of delegates to the
right of the stage where, by half turning on his
heels he could command both the eyes and the ears
Of the assembage When Mr.. Cornell STEPPED for
Yard and hammered the Convention into shape It
ras a very respectable and intellgent-lookng body
nat presented itself. There was only a bit Of the
ough element peepng out here and there, and the
Convention as a whole. wore the look Of a dehbcra
i've body Of no mean order
The speeches that opened the day received the
sual accents Of applause Mr. Cornclrs frank refer
ace to the disgrace and ruin of Rcpu bhcan Cab-
net Minister was not SO well received as his alusion
to what lie called the contemplate results of the
canal war. Through all of the formal speeches OF
he day there ran vein Of profound thankfulness
the victory In New-HampshlTe, but no aiiusiOn
as made to the appliances by which that victory
was largely secured, the market rates OF the ma
jority.
EARLY HOsTnITIES.
10 the general surprise the clash Of conflict began
at the very outset and in the midst Of the routine
motions which usually succeed each other with ma
chine-like regularity, and the making of which
Oleases the vanity of the aspiring delegate. Mr.
Foster of Westchcster, who proved himself to-day
an unpleasant opponent even of Presidential can
didatc, suddenly moved that the rules of the
Senate Of this State he adopted as the rules of the
Convention "You mean the rules of the Assembly,
called out some one, claritably bent correcting
supposed mistake. NO Sir, | mean the rules Of the
Senate said Mr. Foster and Mr.. Curtis rose
at once to explain frankly what every one
had already seen, that the adoption Of rules
of the Senate was sought because they do not permit
the use of the previous question. When he an
nounced his intention of making a defense Of the
Republican principle of free speech the same APP
plause that had greeted his name and his appear
as he rose to address the Chair broke out again.
and it was evident during the remainder of the day
that he spoke to an audience largely i'll sympathy
with him-nOt so much, perhaps, among the dele
gates as among the many Republicans present as
spectators.
His presentation of his desire for free and impair
tial hearing drew out from his seat, as one draws
tight cork from a bottle, Col Charles s. Spencer Of
New-York, who had previously moved to amend Mr..
ForsteTs motion by substituting the Assembly rules
and who now dlsclamed any intention to interfere
With any discussion. He went on to say
that he heard for the first time a pro