The New York herald., 1877-11-15
SENATOR coNKLING's MISTAKE.
From tho Times. Nov. l4l

From tho Times, Nov. a.
There Ii . story told Of VINO shot at an animal
In tho underbrusn nit II II II deer and
mss It n II q Senator Conkling hos missed
nre; and he says It HIS so-caled interview
with HERALD reporter has raised breeze. and he
hastens to say that he has not 'for months he,d an
interview for publication, only 10 one case. +"
And that case. he explains, was when he gave his
siews on the life and seres OF senator Morton. He
adds, however, as If he would anchor to the
windward that he did say OF the things ascrbed
him. AMI that he did say others. Some OF the
expressions put In his mouth he thinks are sindeco-
rous, and others contrary his .sense Of pro-
priey." This may be instance Of tardy repcn-
tance. 1t is reassurng to know that there are
really expressions which tho able senator
considers indecorous. II 10 an example OF a
late conviction. When the Senator in Rochester
calling people vulgar names and throwing about cpl
theis with absol reckIessness he seemed TO have
thrown decorum TO the winds Possibly u the HERALD
interview had been well received, no ~oud have said
OF H. ne said oi his Rochester peror NANCE that he
haa nothing TO take back, nothing % DO sorry Ior
mits, say what part OF the alleged interview was
indecorous and not his, and what part decorous
and his. Peoples ideas about decorum are, MS Mr..
Venus says. ''warous." Very likely many persons
would consider IL excessively smart to refer to the
Secretary OF State MS .tie Eyarts II IL should hap
pen ha, aforesaid Secretary less stature than
the speaker. Wc not that Mr.. Conkling,
who has sudden access of decorum would not think
this good thing TO say about an opponent. Fer tho
Senator - large-szed person. and II would be alto
sether IN keeping with his faulty logic that he should
rashly conclude that bigness OF body and weight OF
intellect were inseparaby connected The aluson TO
Hon. E. H. Roberts as .t.Ie Roberts,, as reported In
the HERALD, also has flavor OF Conkling which COM
.lsef 10 the well informed reader II have
been dccorous to speak thus OF MIR. Roberts, who IS
high oiilcal but indecorous TO characterize
Mr.. Evarts, VINO is entitled 10 respect. Would Mr.
Conkng have believe that he called man little
would he have expunee the offensive adjective alto
gether2
to bs reported by . newspaper as shiverng his TIM
bers blasting his tarry topghts and referring 10 the
Health Comm and street sweepers in terms OF
the most picturesque profanity, the rraiscm btoce,
Inc French say, would be immediately recognized
Tho mariner might rise to a1Queston OF privi-
iege and say that ike these contrary
OF propriety but that disclaimer would not
avai! with an intelligent pubic. Al Rochester, Mr..
Copkling not only called hard names but when his
wrath mad had cool said that he
stood by overy word no had said. Some Of his oppo
neuls he lkened 10 "grasshoppegs in fence corner"
in sheep's clothing aud disciples Of ladies'
magazines and gush These choice express
interviewer, but on platform where the orator Was
posing before the OF the State IL impossl
ally distributed Is il unlikely that their author called
Mr. Evarts 'ttle" or that he sneered at tho Presi-
dent?
There Is but one way out OF Senator Conkling's
dilemma He acknowledges that part OF the reported
interview is correct, and that another part Is ncor-
Let him publish edition OF the conversation
corrected by himself. The reporter sands
by the whole story Tho Scnat or admits part oil it.
He did not deny any part Of Il until an angry buzz had
reached his ears The interview printed last
Friday. Ho made his disclaimer on Monday, ana
when ne ado IL he glidcd over the surface like man
who feared that he might break through anywhere
People saying, IF Conk!ing did not say that hc
SAID something just like it, and 1t sounds SO much
like HIM that nobody could have invented it'' The
Rochester speech, to explain which the ustrious
Senator has not yet risen. showed him 10 be vulgar
and abusive scoid. The HERALD interview ad-
mirably sustains him In that character that its
gcnuinepess cannot be readily separated from It's al
lo ed invention