The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-10-02

INDIVIDUAL In the whole country connected with
the press, to whom the Senator could have
deigned to accord so great distinction. His
contemptuous indifference to the structures of
newspaper writer's in general is'well and wide
ly known. He has never made any ,efforts to
concilate or placate them. His enemies at.
tribute this to his incurable Tarrogance, his
friends to his innate independence. But at
any rate there is something to challenge admir-
alton in the chivalric and manly way in which
ne enters the arena, bravely deiant.ofI the in
Vulnerable javelins of quill and steel which
will be hurled upon him from every, direction
whatever he may say or do. 1t forcibly recalls
the story of Gulliver, and it will be remem.
bered that even the diminutiye Inhabitants of
Lilliput succeeded in giving some ANNOYANCE to
the visitor whose superiority of stature caused
them SO much terror and wonder. 1t is quite
possible for man whose nature Is keenly SEN
sitive, to be so lifted up by consciousness Of the
recttude of his purpose and the dignity of his
cause as to subordinate all personal and selfish
considerations to the effective championship of
principles that are dearer to him than his am
bitions.
There was potent reason, and .one perhaps
not so well understood by people out of the
State as in it, why Mr.. Curtis was honored with
the Senator'S direct attention. They have in
time past been personal as well as political
friends. Up to January, 1876. their relations
were cordial and intimate. Mr.. Curtis has been
the frequent and enthusiastic eulogist by voice
and pen of Mr.. Conkling. Somewhat sudden
y and without any apparent cause, there be-
gan to appear in Harper's Weekly editoriallar-
tcles animadverting upon the Senator, and
deprecating his claims as q Presidential cam
didate. They conceded his uprightness and
ability, but held him up to reprobation as q .
machine polititian," and an adept in the arts
by which organizations are managed and eau
cuses controlled. His fidelity to the Repabli-
can party was made a theme of reproach and
dsparagement. They conveyed the idea, with
out expressing it in words that he was more of
partisan than statesman, more Of q self
seeker than of patriot Everybody knows
what followed. Mr.. Curtis was the one dele
gate of the seventy from New York at Cincin-
natl who cast his unique and delicate vote"
steadily and persistently against Mr.. Conklng
His power and influence gave respeetability to
cabal which had heretofore been so utterly
| feeble in numbers or character, that it was not
worth noticing. On the advent of Hayes this
faction entrenched itself behind the new adj
ministration, and has been endeavoring to 10
cruit its ranks by enlisting supporters of the
Presidential policy" Its present strength
has just been measured at Rochester It sue
| ceeded In choosing quarter part of the dele
| gates. Mr.. Curtis appeared there as its leader,
and the Senator remembering no doubt the
| motto which his antagonist had made famous
| year before, "plain words are best" avaiied
himself of the opportunity to return one broad
side in exchange for a series of thrusts which
having been delivered from behind the defences
of an editorial sanctum, could rot be repaid in
kind.
Forthwith, all the editors in New York were
l thrown into commissions, and uncomfortable
spasms seized upon several laymen of exeep-
tionally excitable temperament. The whole
thing would be indescribably funny if it were
not a rather pitiabls exhibition of the
weakness of human nature. We shall
see for week longer-such performances new
er last over nine days-antics, which though
they ''make the unskillful laugh, cannot but
make the judicious grieve", and then there will
come a reaction; those who are equal to
the fatigue of thinking at all will gradually
begin to realize that Senator Conkling did not
utter word in the Rochester convention that
evinced hostility to the President; that his ut
terances in that respect were discreet and deco
rons and that all this hna and cry is simply
discreditable to those who make it, not hurtful
to the man it is aimed at. A public man is OF
ten more effectually served by those who abuse
/ thou hxytb hos uho y1roiS II
to give the journals credit for having had any
part or lot in promoting the political fortunes
in that line, of our Senator, but if they have
done anything it has been by misrepresenting
and maligning him. Even in his own home
in the the city of Utica the local Repub-
lican sheet published there is as unfriendly
to him as it is prudent to be in community
which never neglects an opportunityof sig-
nifying its esteem for and pride in their
| illustrious townsman. / am quite
sure he does not court denunciation, however
much he may have thrived by it. But he has
so high degree of self respect that he never
can be persuaded to do anything that bears the
semblance of seeking popular favor. There is
many good friend of his who has often ex-
claimed with groan 'if he would only bend a
Il u
praise; if he were the least trihe polite and
yielding, what an idol of the people he would
be?' The thing is impossible. 1t is not in his
nature. He could not do 1t if he would, and he
would not do it if he could.
1t is not uncommon to hear the suggestion
made that the political situation presents an
opportunity" for Conkling-that he has only
to ally himself with the Administration to
achieve great triumph. was talking with
gentleman the other day, who expressed sur
prise that our Senator did not discern the signs
of the times more clearly. L asked him If it
had never occurred to him that a mans CON.
victions hadssomething to do with shaping his
course. saw by his surprised look at the
question thatrt the thought had never entered his
mind. His highest conception of statesman
ship was to go, not for what was right but for
what was likely to win. There are more peo-
pie in a shop keeping city like New York whose
standard of morals reaches no higher than
this than there are in rural communities where
trade and gain are not the chief ends of man.
Mr.. Conkling is not favorite with this class
because there is an immeasurable distance be-
tween his elevation and their plane.
Il 0Au 10 tuo uhu, 1OEsOObu, WuO las OIGtu
been described as sort of expert in the leger-
dermain of politics! The common sense of the
country was never affronted with grosser de-
ception. There is not more upright, down.
right, honest earnest, sincere and reliable be-
ing within the length and breadth of tho Re-
public. He is proud-spirited, infsxible of pur-
pose, immovably tenacious Of his opinions, but
the perfect type of honor and probity. His
very intrepidity and manliness have made
him the subject of a great deal of objurgation,
but nobody believe has ever had the temerity
to cast a doubt upon his incorruptibility.
For my part, L am inclined to 1think that the
foolish people who are mingling their voices in
the chorus of invective which has constituted
the doxology of the Rochester convention are
unconsciously heaping Goals of fire on the
head of the master spirit of that convocation.
The clamor of the mob is very different thing
from the sober judgment of the masses. But
it is none the less pleasure to me to put my
self on record in behalf of the truth, at the