New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-09-28

sincerely thinks that Lis selection IN prefer
ence to Mr. Evarts would not have been rluic-
| ulous. not q few, even of the majority, cohs'u
cred his exposure of his private sore III very
| bad taste. II is a popularity OF the soieheau
that. if able for the moment to look away
from the private ambition thwarted' or tho
| priyate greed denied, he can see clearly "la1
| contemplate objects other men make OF theH-
selves when they thrust their sorrows before
the public gaze. Yet he persists III dong the
very Same thing himself OF the majority III
this convention, each member probably goes
home profoundly ashamed of every other
member, for the small-souled and selfish spite
betrayed, but entirely unconscious that his
own spite was as pitifully shown to the con-
vention and the world.
Roscoe Conkiing has very many friends who
keenly regretted, when they read the papers
Yesterday, that wounded vanity and angry
passion had so completely Overmastered his
patriotism and his judgment. His insults do
not arm Mr.. Curtis or Mr.. Evarts. They
harm only Mr. Conkling, because they are
known to be unprOvOked and undescryed, ana
because the narrow personal feeling which
prompted them was plain. These gentlemen
have won very honorable names III this coun-
try, without ever stopping to the methods
which made State convention Mr.. Conk-
ling's property. Selected for high trusts By
President Grant, they did not fawn upon HIM
that thrift might follow fawning. They are
known in every part of the country as pure
and honest men, whose public course Is not
shaped by private grudges or selfish aims. To
Mr. Conklng they seem inferior persons, be-
j.
convention. 1t is very much to their credit
that they have not. Their wider and more
enduring influence MIR. Conkling has reason
to envy, but he strangely mistakes II lie
thinks that unprOvOked insults and YenomOuS
snoers will lessen that influence with the peo-
plc. II was not created BY the drilled ap-
plause OF interested adherents or pensioners
Ii will not be broken by the enyious hings Oh
defeated candidate.
Forgetting patriotism in passion, Mr.. Conk-
ling has made fatal mistake III Judgment
even with respect to his selfish interests. Even
with his own aGherents, 1t Will not help BIN
to have shown his sores. It will be felt that
his wanton and ranc0rous attack upon men
who had not assaed him was not calculated
nor designed to secure success for the Repnb-
Econ marty. If defeat does not come 1t VIII
not be because supporters of the Adnlinlstra-
ton do not feel his insults, but because, unlike
him. thew choose to subordinate private ami
mosities to the public welfare. Nearly one
third of the convention, and far greater pro-
portion Of the Republicans outside OF that BODY
feel % personal insults the unmerited filings at
Mir. Curtis, whose convictions they share, ana
whose action they warmly approve; nor VIII
thew easily forget the malice shown toward an
Administration which they think deserves high
honor. This is not the first time that shrewd
politician has been betrayed by vanity or tenn
per into suicidal error and if Mr.. ConlIling
has a personal foe who would rejoice ut his
destruction, that foe read the speech at Ro-
chester with delight.
As to the Presidents Southern policy, the
convention was cold. But the people are grow
ing warm Ii ayowcd 4" no opinion as to the
methods by which the Administration had
proceedeG-an unmanly insinuation instead OF
an omen charge. Though this convention has
no opinion as to the Constitutional duty OF the
President the people of this State and the
country have an opinion, which they have ex-
pressed at the polls. But The chief sore OF this
body of sorehcads was that the Administration
had proposed to put an end to The ofiice-hold-
ing despotism, 10y which conventions are made
TO serve private ambitions and grudges. This
was natural but ii was very weak to betray
the feeling. Still more weak was it to con-
trast the number of Federal and local officials.
Local officials are of different parties and
chosen in many different ways; sometimes
they owe place to local authorities, and some
times to the people only. But Federal Off
cals are all appointed by one power.
Usually they have felt that they owed
their places to one man in State or dis
tlict, who had been able to WELD public pa
tronaee for private uses. No convention ever
made so feeble plea in any good cause. But
behind all pretexts, everybody sees the real
motive of the majority Mr.. CoDkling, who
failed to be the Presidential candidate Of the
Republican party, is indignant because he has
not been asked to act as the Presidents guar
dian. The soreheads in NewYork think that
with him as dictator of the party, they might
obtain some share of power and profit. 1t re-
mains for the people, who make and unmake
parties. to decide between the unhappy Mr..
Conkling, with his unhappy frioRds, and the
cheerful and faithful President who4ls trying
to keep his pledges to the country.
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