The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-29
Later Aspects OF the Canvass-conk-
ling and Hayes.

In few days the Republican Convention
will decide one of the problems which have
so long perplexed the people-namely,
Which republican leader is to bear the
republican standard? AS the day draws
near the air is filed with the notes
of war. From every quarter come
the sounds of preparation. The Morton
camp resounds with activity. The Indiana
Senator develops strength which we in the
East are apt to underrate--a positive strength
grounded on admiration for high intellectual
governing faculties So far as the war issues
have life the campaign Of Morton is seri-
Gus. Were he not stricken with an illness
which is beyond remedy and which may
at any moment terminate the career of
one of the boldest and bravest of the de-
tenders of the Union it would be hard to
withdraw the West from his standard. The
Blaine camp is alive and noisy, with scouts
riding in all directions and the followers
shouting But care sits on the captains
brow, and somehow the cheers of the fol-
lowers are like those of Richards soldiers
before the battle of Bos worth feld-meant
more for the encouragement of the general
than as nm expression of their own conf
dence and enthusiasm Nor can we
marvel that care should darken the
brow of the commander, for he has seen
visions of Northern Pacific, Union Pacific,
Texas Pacific, and other ghosts, and not
swearing Tom Scott can cheer him up. The
Conkling camp is hushed, but the listener
will hear beyond the tramp and chal-
lcnge Of sentinels the limitations
of steady work We should be apt to
mistake the Bristow camp for one of Moody
and Sankey's inquiry meetings did we not
know that it was n gathering of saints,
spiritual sappcrs, detectives and Treasury
agents, who were beating drums and chanting
ballads and inventing ISLANDERS in the hope of
driving off their rivals But the trained sol
der sees that before June IA the ''Bristow
camp" will be marched off by the provost
guard as camp nuisance, and sent to the
rear with the suffers and ammunition wagons
and laundresses. There is another camp,
about which we know little, SO we'll is it
guarded. An unknown chieftain holds
command there and some say that, when
the day of trial comes, this Great Unknown
will be the victorious one-the leader of the
party for the next campaign.
There are few struggling camps here and
there affecting to support Hartranft, Jewell
and other amiable gentlemen but they are
not considered in the fight except as contin-
gents who may in a critical moment decide
the day. The campaign now lies between
Morton, Conkling and Blaine, and as we read
the bulletins of each camp we are surprised
at the hope expressed on every side, the con-
tradictions, the want of information. we
meet Blaine scout who tells US that
Blaine wins reinforcements every hour,
that State after State comes into his swelling
columns, and that he will be victorious
on the advance Before we are through
there comes a Morton scout who tells us TINT
the South is for Morton, that Illinois, In
diana, Missouri and Ohio mean to stand by
the West all the time, that the Mississippi
Valley intends at the proper moment 70 en-
force its supremacy, and that there is more
manhood IN Mortons feeble frame than in
all of his opponents combined The Conk-
ling scout tells us that Pennsyivania and
New York are unit that Ohio and New
Jersey will come at the whisper, that the
South will rally around the Conkling banner
as soon as that of Morton droops, that
the feudal barons of the party-Grant,
all for Roscoe, and mean to do stout service
n his name on the eventful day. Every in
formant gives his leader a majority, and the
only way we can arrive at conclusion is to
carefully weigh nll we hear and compare the
feverish, clamorous reports of these partisans
with our own special sources of informa-
ton
Looking closely at the field we think, as
matters now stand, that Roscoe Conkling
will be nomiuated at Cincinnati. That is
the condition of the campaign on this, the
seventeenth day preceding the battle. In
the first place, Conkling has grown in
strength ever since the presentation of his
name by the HERALD. As a candidate the
moro the people see of him the better they
like him. The only charge which even envy
can mike is that he sometimes loses his
temper and calls a liar liar. Well, this was
Andrew Jackson's way. ConkIing differs
from the smooth, insinuating Blaine as Jack
son differed from Van Buren,. The charge
that Conkling's nomination would mean the
Endorsement Of Grant is answered by the
fact that the nomination of Morton, Blaine,
Bristow or even the Great Unknown would
mean the same thing. Whoever carries the
republican banner this fall will carry Grant
perched upon it. The administration sup
ports Conkling. The leaders of the Senate,
three-fourths of them, are for Conkling
after themselves. There is scarcely
leading republican among those who have
lived in Washington for eight years and
remain in full communion with the party
who does not believe that the true
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