The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-25
THE CAUSE.
Cause Of the Quarrel Between COnkIJng
and blaine,

These two worthless have not been on
friendly terms for ten years. The Chi
cago Tribune gives tho following nc.
count Of their quarrel.
On tho Gath of April, 1866, while the
Army Appropriation bill was under dis
cussion In the House, Mr.. Conkling re-
ilected severely upon General Fry. Pro-
vost Marshal General during tho war.
Blaine defended Fry, declaring that
there was not n more honorable and
high toned officer in the army than he.
lie further said: THAT officer. doubt
not. is ready to meet tho gentleman
from New York or anybody else in the
proper forum. ] must say that do not
think that it is any very creditable pro-
ceedipg for the gentleman from New
York here in this place to traduce Gen.
Fry rs military officer whom he has no
opportunity to be heard"
Gonklng responded "If Gen. Fry is
reduced to depending for yudication
upon the gentleman from Maine, he is
to ne comniseratel certain. IT | have
fallen TO the necessity Of taking lessons
from that gentleman in the rules of pro
priety, or Of right or wrong, God help
me" On subsequent day Mr.. Blaine
read q letter in the House from General
Fry. which closed as follows "He
(Conkling) can therefore only escape
the charge Of deliberate and malignant
falsehood rs u member Of Congress by
confessing an objectionable breach Of
duty as Judge Advocate He held both
offices aud took pay for both ut the same
time, he has certainly been false to
honor in ono, aud perhaps. us the sequel
may show, in both.
This drew an explanation from Conk
the Government. Blaine charged that
he violated the law. which he quoted,
prohibiting him to receive compensa-
ton while holding the Office he did. Ia
the progress Of the discussion Conkling
said: Z" IT the gentleman from Maine
had the least idea how profoundly in
different | am to his opinion upon the
subject he has boon discussing, or upon
any other subject pertinent to me, |
think that he would hardly take the
trouble to rise here and express his opin-
ion, and. rs n matter of entire indiifer-
cuce to me what that opinion may be, |
certainly will not detaiD the House by dis
cussing the question whether 1t is well
or i'll founded. or by noticing what he
says, " and concluded by calling Blaine
aud having nothing whatever to do
with the question" Blaine closed the
discussion a. follows Gas to the the gen
tlemaa's cruel sarcasm, hope he will
not be too severe. The contempt OF
that large minded gentle man is so wilt
ing his naughty disdain, his grandlo-
quent swell, his majestic superemi-
nent, Overpowering, turkey gobbler
strut has been SO crushing to
myself and all the members Of this
House, that | know it was an
act of the greatest temerity for me to
venture upon a controversy with him.
But, sir, / know who is responsible for
all this / know that, within the last
five weeks, as members Of the House will
recOllect, an extra strut has charac-
terized the gentleman's bearing. 1t is
the fault of another. That gifted and
satirieal writer, Theodore Tilton, Of the
New York Independent, spent some
weeks recently in this city. His letters
published in that paper embraced, with
many serious statements. Il little jocose
satire, part Of which was the
late Winter Davis had fallen upon tho
member from New York. The gentle
man took it seriously, and it has given
his strut additional pomposity. The re-
sembiance Is great 1t is striking. Hy-
peron to u S3ltyr, Thersites TO Hercules,
mud to marble, dunghiil to diamond, d
singed cat to Bengal tiger, u whining
puppy to roaring lion. Shade Of the
/ mighty Davis, forgive the almost pro
fanation OF that jocose satirel"
That pas8age-at-arms between the
two distinguished gentlemen ended theil
personal and social relations, and tc
each other they have never spoken
since