The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-02

those who heard the guns of Sumter than
even republicans believe, there are also the
questions of religion and finance, which
may at any time assume gravity of the
most serious character. Democratic victory
will only come the price of republi-
can stupidity. This fear, which may be said
to grow MS we approach the meeting of the
Convention, imposes upon the republican
leaders caution that may be felt in the
destruction of the fairest hopes Of any can
didates thus far named. Here is the danger
OF the leaders now prominently before the
country in connection with the republican
nomination. The manner in which these
leaders treat each other conduces to repub-
lican success, while at the same time it
interferes with the ambition of men like
Morton and Blaine and Conkling, who have
been long in the strife, who have stood by
the flag in many dark hour and who have
earned the honors of command by hard
service in the field. The republican leaders
seem possessed by the idea that they can
win by destroying each other There is no rec
ognized leadership-no one man to whom all
may defer and whose councils should govern
the battle. Like the fencing scene in the
play, Laertes wounds Hamlet, and, chang
ing rapiers, Hamlet wounds Laertes, and
both die to slow music. But the instinct of
victory is too strong to carry these enmities
beyond the meeting of the Convention. AS
we are to have good deal of hail Columbia
and Fourth of July in this centennial year
we look for harmonious canvass. The
ct of these internecine strifes will only be
felt in Cincinnati
For these reasons we see in this canvass,
rs far as it has developed, the destruction of
the hopes Of the prominent candidates Mr.
Conkling has the precedence, but we do not
see enough strength to win. His advantage
over Blaine and Morton is that he has a
growing strength in the certainty Of the sup
port Of some Northern and many Southern
States when the time comes to break State
combinations. But will these States break
on Mr. Conkling? The President might
assure this result if he were to support
Mr.. Conkling for the next few weeks as
earnestly as Mr.. Conlling has supported
him for the last seven years The fear is
that Grant may let the canvass go by default
caring only for what concerns himself and
not wishing to be bothered by the clamor of
conflicting candidates, each Of whom may
feel that he has as much claim to the Presi-
dents support as the other. The chances
are that some unknown candidate-some
man like Polk or Pierce or Lincoln, some
clark horse"-may come to the front
ut the last moment. The true part
for Mr.. Conkling and his friends to
play, therefore, is not to lose the race alto
gether, but to SO shape it that the contestant
who wins will wear the colors Of Oneida
This is what Mr.. Seward did at Chicago in
1860 Mr.. Seward went to Chicago with even
n stronger following than Mr.. Conkling, but
he was not nominated. He 80 controlled his
defeat that he became the Premier of the new
md the chief man in the
government Of the country for two admins
trations. Not one of the men who had any
part in his downfall was permitted to exer-
else any permanent influence. We are glad
to see the support given to Mr.. Conkling by
the Troy Times and other representative re-
publican journals. That is worthy of New
York and shows true pride in the State.
We are glad to see the earnestness of jour-
nals like the Chicago Inter- Ocean, That shows
a generous national feeling on the part of
the West toward n New York leader. But
the true policy of Mr.. Conkling is to take
the canvass in time and direct it, if not for
the Presidency, for the ultimate fruits of the
triumph, the possession of the power behind
the throne which even in republics is
greater than the throne itself