The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-04

change the opinion that Mr.. Blaine is no
longer a candidate for the Presidency. We
shall be surprised if his name is even men
toned at the Cincinnati Convention. If he
should prove to the satisfaction Of the coun-
try that the letters of Mulligan are perfectly
proper there will still be upon his name
stain making it impossible for him ever to
be anything more than n wounded soldier in
the ranks of the republican party If Mr..
Blaine were fighting for his fortune or his
liberty, if he were in the position OF
Belknap or Babcock, We could under
stand why he should seek the counsel OF
Senator Carpenter and Judge Black But his
case required no legal aid. 1t was the lead
crship of u party, the possession of the
highest Office in the nation, that were at
stake, and the moment he called in brace
of lawyers, the moment the question was
made personal. he descended from his proud
position as the first .commoner OF his party.
its leader in the House, and tho chief i'd
wiser, if not the chief executive, Of a new
republican administration. We are sure
that q man as astute as Mr.. Blaine must
see that when he called in the services Of
Carpenter and Black they came as mourners
for political funeral, and not rs the cham
pions Of successful candidate for the
Presidency
Therefore, while it may be possible, as we
sincerely trust it will SO prove, for Mr. Blaine
to show that his letters are in no way evil
dence Of his corruption as a member Of Con-
gress, his relation to this canvass assumes
new character. lie was yesterday tho choice
of the republican party in a majority of the
States. His friends claimed, and with JUS
tice, that he had control of three-sevenths
of the delegates to Cincinnati. Can he con-
troll these delegates? Can he direct them In
the choice of another candidate? Will they
run from his standard in despairing mutiny
or fall back in good order, following him into
the camp Of the friendlest rival? It is too
soon to answer these questions All will de-
pend upon the manner in which he bears
himself in the next three or four days. The
chances are, however, that he will have no
control over these votes. A political party
is not apt to continue its confidence in a
leader who took it to the verge of that sure
defeat which would have attended the
nomination Of Mr.. Blaine. It will argue,
and justly, that with tho knowledge that
there was that in his public career which
he was compelled to conceal, and the
disclosure Of which would have imper-
illed his party, he should never have
gone into the canvass As the temper Of
large bodies of political and other followers
is to turn upon the unfortunate and unsuc-
cessful, it would not surprise us to see Mr..
Blaine by the time tho Convention assem-
bled OF Cincinnati with as little authority in
its counsels rs Mr.. Colfax or Mr.. Patterson.
1t will be q surprise to us and the manifesto
ton Of fidelity which we have never yet
seen in politics if Mr.. Blaine has any inilu-
ence in the Convention beyond what he may
have over his friends from the State of Maine.
1t seems inevitable that the strength Of
Blaine will crumble rs rapidly and as ire
trievably rs that of Napoleon ut Waterloo.
The republicans from now to the day of the
Convention will ask-not sWhat did the late
Mr.. Blaine want?" not "What would be
most pleasing to his memory as political
leader" but what is best for the success
Of the party in the fall ?" The friends of
Blaine will go off in various directions.
Pennsylvania will be unit for Mr..
Conkling. The friends of Hayes in
Ohio will stand by their Governor with
renewed devotion in the hope that he will
be the Great Unknown. The Post Office peo-
pie will show renewed energy for the radiant
Jewell, and there will be new strength for
Bristow. The fall of Blaine and the man.
ner Of it will be IN especial advantage for
Bristow. 1t would not surprise us, as one Of
the consequences Of this thunder and light
ming canvass, if Bristow began from now to
show himself formidable candidate so
formidable, at least, that it will require
strong effort on the part of the admins
tration and the machine republicans to beat
him. This is problem that must be
we'll considered by the leaders. Bristow is
good man to fall back upon, and MS a neg
alive leader, with n summer lightning repu-
tation, he may have value at Cincinnati
which will make him the candidate of n
troubled and weary party looking for leader,
and failing in the men it knows and trusts,
takes this new one from kentucky in the
hope that he may blunder into victory In
other words, Bristow becomes an accidental
candidate exactly as Andrew johnson WINS at
Baltimore when he was nominated for the
Vice Presidency with Lincoln.
The advance of Bristow means also the
advance Of Mr.. Washburne, Of Illinois Mr..
Washburne has been from the first the can
didate with most available strength. We
have felt that if this Convention was not
drilled by the leaders before the meeting it
would be apt to gravitate to Mr.. Washburne
There seemed to be no better way ont of the
quarrels of such candidates ms Morton.
Conkling and Blaine-quarrels which make
rivals enemies. While Mr.. Conkling is Justly
the choice of General Grant for the success
sion Mr. Washburnc has claims uron tbo