The New York herald., 1877-10-19
Mr.. conkl,ng in Senatorial Undrsss.

we print lively letter from Washington,
containing among other things, an inter
view with Mr. Garfield, in the ordinary
newspaper acceptation Of that word, and
what is not an interview, though in some
respects more interesting than an interview,
with Senator Conkling. There is the Gus
| tomary series of Questions and answers be-
tween the writer of the letter and Mr..
| Garfield, but as to Mr.. Conkling our corre-
spondent merely relates snatches OF free
and sarcastically playful conversation be-
tween the Senator and a knot of intimate
friends who had casually dropped in upon
him at his room for pleasant evening chat.
Mr.. Garfield, though he likes President
Hayes personally and respects his inten-
tions, thinks that he has blundercd as
politician and that the republican defeat
in Ohio is q fruit of his mistakes. Mr.. Gar
field thinks the Southern policy cost the
purity some votes, though not more than five
or ten per cent, but that the civil service
ORDER which e-ofticered" the republican
party, was fatal error in strategy. Mr.
Garfield would seem to feel sore over Mr..
for the Senatorship, but he will make no
mischief and do nothing to embarrass the
President.
The public will be more entertained with
the glimpses which this letter affords OF the
temper and sentiments of Mr. Conkling.
The Senator was in perfect health and ex-
cellent spirits, and talked with the light
! - ~, \ hn,J
of relaxation. He wore no war paint and
probably does not intend to put on any-at
least for the present. He finds so large
proportion of the republican Sen
atory of his own way of thinking
that he is justified in dismissing all
anxiety lest he should be isolated and
regarded as black sheep in the flock. He,
indeed, said nothing on this point, but the
fact that Mr.. Hayes course is generally dis
tasteful to the republican Senators accounts
for the sportive buoyancy Of Mr.. Conkling.
He finds that he is floating with the tide and
needs to make no special exertions to vindi-
cate his attitude toward the President in
which he has so much good company. He
took up and commented on Mr. Hayes Mes
sage with light, playful malice like that
Of cat toying with a mouse, not
tearing his victim, but handling it with
velvet touch, without protruding his claws.
It strikes us that Mr.. Conkling's criticisms
of the Message are mere cavils. They are
Of no value except as illustrations of hfs
hostile end semi-contemptuous feeling tow
ard the President The Senator is, no
doubt, very much relieved, and feels quite
at his ease at finding that he has no
battle to fight in his own party and
that there is substantial agreement
with his own views as TO what he
regards as the crotchets of the President.
Since the other Senators are disposed to do
what he had contemplated he would doubt
less more willingly follow than lead in what
is likely to be a common and spontaneous
movement of the republican Senators. Like
all the other machine politicians he doubt
less believes that Mr.. Hayes cannot afford to
divorce himself from the party that elected
him, and that the President will be brought
to see this when he finds that he has no
stanch defenders among the republicans of
either House.