The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-08
The Canvass for the Presldsncy-Ths
Changing Tides.

Of an interview with Mr. Blaine. In this
conversation Mr.. Blaine is represented as
saying that he is not afraid of any of his
rivals-Morton, Bristow or Conkling. The
only one he fears is 'the Unknown Man."
Mr. Blaine is one Of the most ingenious, rs
he is one of the most amiable and winning,
OF our public men. He showed in his Ander-
sonville speech o close knowledge of the
moving currents of American politics, and
he may well dread the Unknown Man. In
America the Unknown Man is oftentimes the
powerful factor in the political problem.
1t is not so in England or France. In Eng
land the leader of party-and the Prime
Minister is almost certain to be leader by in
tellect and experimentation, as sometimes
happens for political reasons, an unknown
man is selected he is sure to be crushed by
the common sense of the party, which grasses
q man and not name. When Addington
became Prime Minister, in the time of Pitt,
rs a compromise, and when Aberdeen was
selected because he was neither Russell nor
Palmerston the arrangement failed Either
would have succeeded with us, be-
the Palmerstons and Pitts and ele-
vate tho Aberdeens and Addingtons.
The class which gives power in England is
small, cultivated, sensible-lords and gen.
tlemen who know their leaders, and select
them because they can lead. The class which
gives power with us is the people, who do
not know their leaders, who are governed
by clamor, passion, State pride, sectional
aspirations. To them Blaine, Morton, Conk-
ling are ensigns, remnants, and after they
have been blown and tattered in few storms
a new flag, with a new name. is relief, and
they cheer it as heartily as the old one. Eng
land selects positive, while we are apt to be
content with negative leaders. This is what
gives the Unknown Man an Importance
which we would much rather he did not pos
sess-an importance which he will always
have, SO long as conventions throw aside
Calhoun, Douglas, Webster, a Chase and
Seward, who can lead, and take up Har-
rison, Scott, Polk, Pierce, a Breckin-
ridge and Grant, who can run.
Morton, Conkling and Blaine can lead;
but can they run? That is the question
that now puzzles the chiefs of the re-
publican party Each of these cham
pions has potent following. There
is fourth name which occurs to
all readers with value of its own
that of Bristow, of Kentucky. Bristow is a
sentiment Just now-the sentiment of re-
form. This is because of the developments
of the past few weeks Bristow is the
flower of safety which bold republicans
would pluck out Of the dangerous nettle of
Belknapism. Republicans fly toward Bris-
tow as the inhabitants Of Herculaneum and
Pompeii fed from the sweeping lava of the
burning mountain. He is their refuge, and
if this volcano Of crime continues its erup-
ton they may have to take him in
apite Of themselves. But New Hamp-
shire, Rhode Island and even Con-
necticut indicate that even the vol
cano is not to be feared. The folly, the
weakness, the incapacity of the democrats
oil indicate that whoever leads the republic
cans will win. The monster rebellion men
aces us from the South, the monster repudi-
alton from the West and we shall be apt to
risk another Belknap rather than meet an
other jefferson Davis, who favored rebellion,
or another Johnson, who was willing to sur
render our national credit. Therefore Bris-
tow's strength is negative and secondary, and
the problem of the republican succession,
until the tides change, is between Morton,
Conkling and Blaine.
Of these men Conkling is the leader, with
the chances of victory on his side. We
question if Blaine and Morton combined
can defeat him. New York will sup
port him-practically as unit-what
ever political handles like Curtis may say to
the contrary. Behind New York we have
Pennsylvania, the second State in the
Union, under the veteran leadership of
Simon Cameron. New Jersey shows signs of
falling into line. The best advices are that
Mississippi, Alabama and North Carolina
will support him rs o second if not a first
choice Ohio would prefer Hayes-would
like to keep him in reserve as the
Unknown Man; but of the three Ohio
would much rather have Conkling if it
came to choice. More than all, he has the
avowed support of the President. Grant is
really Conkling's most powerful ally. As
politics 60 now the influence of an admins
tration over a party is irresistible. jefferson
showed this when he not only named Madi-
son to succeed him, but Monroe to succeed
Madison. jackson showed it when he took
the second rate Van Buren, and forced him
upon q party which had dozen leaders
with more ability and more availability. If
Lincoln had lived he would no doubt have
welded the same influence. So long as
Grant was negative and silent-so long rs
he saw tho chance of the third term
his power WINS dormant. Politicians
traded upon him. Adventures used his
name. Tho party seemed to disintegrate.