The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-07
The regular circulation of THE Sun (
The Feeling of the House.

WARRINGTON, Jan. 6.-Num Is the word.
The distinguishing feature OF Washington
to-day Is sort OF mystery or secrecy. The
Senate committee on the count of the cleo
toral vote agreed TO keep their proceed
ings strictly secret. The House committee
on the subject passed similar resolution
Almost everybody whose opinion Is worth
having has DO opinion. This goes so far
that the most distinguished Senator from
the South told me, complainingly, that he
himself could not get his Democratic
friends who act on that conference COM
mittee to divuge their proceedings. The
only man who talks freely is the hereto
fore silent man-GRANT. Aud he talks
rather too freely.
Yet the curtain will soon rise. all mystic
rious shiftings behind the scene cease, and
the public behold parliamentary con-
flict perhaps more exciting and more i'm
portant than any ever had. At present l
can only endeavor to intimate what
transpres behind the scenes, the probable
parts the most prominent actors will play,
the attitude OF the troupe generally. with
tho usual jealouscs and clashing interests
dividing them, and the temper and spirit
Of the audience rs reported on the stage.
said n fortnight ago that Mr.. CoNKLING
would net fairly, and against the scheme
OF Mr.. MORTON and his confederates to de-
stroy the republic. Mr.. CoNKLIS0 has, at
last, confirmed the report by his speech ia
the Senate.
said, at the same time that Mr.. BLAINE
would take position similar TO Mr.. CoSK-
LIMOS, probably even more energetic. Mr..
nU t.tat ....ifl
now soon be heard from.
! said that GRANT was not absolutely in
favor OF putting HAYES into the White
House, and in the last published interview
with GRANT-whch may be called official.
as 1t was written out not only with his
consent but Mt his own request-he said
that there will probably be new election;
that he himself would recommend new
elects-n, rs the two Houses would scarcely
be able to agree on anything before the
lth of March.
said that Mr.. FERRY, through whose in
struluentality alone Mr.. HAYES can be
President. is himself haunted by the ghost
Of the White House. A new election would
make MI. rpnav President during the in
terregnum. He hesitates seriously. lie Is
s~..- L--~ ~-".iiant reasons for believ-
Ing that MIR. FERRY has already violated
the command OF Mr.. MORTON in three vital
points-in accepting the Oregon and South
ern TILDEN returns, which MORTON openly
announced would never be received ut
all by Mr.. FERRY, as the shortest settle
ment OF all difficulties; in appointing Mr..
CoNKLISG on the Conference Committee,
and in his own disavowal OF any such pow
ers as MORTON insists upon. His tongue,
like that of BLAINE, will be considerably
loosened by hisrcJleotion, which will short
ly take place.
said that the Democratic part of the
House would be found perfectly united
whenever the time for action arrived.
And this can unhestatingly reassert. To
be perfectly clear, there is not, In spite OF
all the overtures to Southern members and
all the interviews with BsS HILL, sin-
gle Democratic member OF the House who
Is not known to be IN favor of electing Mr..
TILDEN by the House, in compliance with
the Constitution before the 4th of March,
II, by any hish-hnded measures, MORTON
and his cOnfederates should succeed in
preventing MIR. TILDEN's election by the
Electoral College. l have spoken with
Ben HILL repeatedly, and his declaration is
very emphatic that Mr.. TILDES Is elected
and must be hidugtrdted. This is the
opinion of every Southern member OF any
ability or prominence with whom have
conversed-of GORDON and LAMAR, Gen.
CLARK, HOOKER, ELLIS, YATES. Tuck Err,
and others. There can be nothing more I'M
founded than the report OF any Demo-
cratic division or the hope OF Mr.. IIAyEs's
friends TO secure combination with
Southern members. The only two South
ern men who have been drawn INTO the
combination are two cX-Confederate guer-
rilla chicfs-MosW and SnELBY-both to-
tally destitute OF influence or following.
said that the confidence in Mr.. TfLDEN's
integrity among all Democrats is implicit,
and this is undoubtedly true. But if the
whole truth may be stated, there is, never
thelcss, considerable degree OF dissatis-
faction in the Democratic camp. Leading
men in both Houses criticisc Mr.. TILDEN's
so-callcd leadership. They think II is not
firm enough, and wish il TO be more ag-
gressive They believe in Mr.. TILDEN's
ability as a lawyer, thinker, and states
man, but doubt it as n popular leader n
leader who actually docs lead, aud not
gency, can arouse ana electlify these
masses by words that become facts. Mr.
THDEN retcencc since the election his
studied abstenuon from any public ex-
preston whatever as to the situation, and
the quality of procrastination which he is
said TO possess, are all commented upon by
his friends.
Letters from all parts Of the coun-
cry show that the people, in this chi
sis are far more determined and aggrcs-
sive than the leaders. But this may be
natural enough when il is remem bered that
leading politicians have grave response
bility, and therefore must often be led
by expediency, while the masses are led by
conviction, by plain and simple conceptions
of right and wrong never thinking, la this
good policy but rather, Is this righti
have been permitted to look over the
correspondence of some of my friends in
both Houses, and il is certainly astonishing
with what unanimity men of the highest
character in every section OF the country
view the present crisis, with how much