The Portland daily press., 1878-12-24
TUE DAY MORNING. DECEMBER "a.

TUE>DAY MORNING., DECEMBER "a.
No doubt for time be thought be bad done
tolerxbly "smart' thing AID that the end iusti-
fed the means. But the prize finally eluded
his grasp, and now events are showing the
falsty of his prophesy. If the revelations in
respect of the efforts of several of his imme-
diate friends to secure a majority in the
electoral college by bribery had not effect
,ually disposed Of his chances Of ever again
being Presidential candidate, his committal
on the record to the prediction that it
was not feasible to resume on the date
fixed upon ought to convince his country men
that he is not euitabe person to bs entrusted
with the control of the affairs If government.
A man who will coolly propose to break con-
tract because he is not sure of being able to
fulfil It two years and half later, does thing
that is neither consistent with good taste, nor
drfensible in morals And when it turGs out
that his premises were fallacious and his con.
clusions unsourd, be forfeits all claim to be
accepted as guide in matters involving the
national honor and credit.
Nor is IL Mr.. Tilden alone on whom the fai.-
ure of his prognostications brings deserved re-
proach. The party who adopted his opinions
by according him their suffrsges is seriously
compromised by the discovery that they were
in the wrong. The Democrats to be sure have
survived, many similar mistakes. They have
long history of confessed errors to atone fol,
and are continually adding new chapters to it.
They trausgressed the tenets of humanity
while they championed slavery, OF patriotism
while they resisted the suppression OF r. -bsllion
and OF honesty In all the aid and comfort they
rendered to the soft money fanatics with whom
they formed alliances. They are so Complete
~ weighed down by sins of omission and of
commission, that it is an evidence Of remarka-
bls tenacity of life that they should be able to
pluck up courage enough to engage in another
Campaign IL is true they have q fixed re-
serve OF loS electoral votes but even of these
there are several that they would have no more
chance OF securing in fair poll than thew
would those Of Vermont or Iowa. And it may
be that the necessity they are under of apollo
gizipR for or defending the method by which
the solid South" has been thrown into the
Denocratics Scale Irrespective of the rights of
maiorities may be the means of awakening
the North to the duty of uniting IN solemn
earnest to maintain that provision of the Con-
stitution which guarantees that every citizen
shall epjoy the privileges of a Republican gov.
ernment. Truckliog to the South was what
caused the overthrow of the Democracy in 1860
As long rs it Continues to manifest the same
spirit OF subse'viency, it ought never to bs per-
mitted to regain ascsodency in the administra-
tion Of Federal affAirs.
am glad for Que, to find something in the
newspapers about Senator Conkline that in
neither false nor def.mstory. The discoverv
mas been made that he is not an asoirsnt for
the Presidency. This is a fact of which his
constituents have been aware for a long time.
Since 1t Is 60, is better that it should be pener
ally understood, fora man who is supposed to be
LOOKING after the great station, enjoys very little
rest or peace of mind while he remains 10 state
OF expectant uncertainty. There is an incessan.
run upon Presidential candidate com pared with
which the importantly of savings baaks' d.
lpositors 10 panic is positive inertia. Thev
are visited by individuals, by delegations bv
al sorts OF people with propositions and suo.
gastions all having the sembanes of solicitnds
Tor tbeir success, but really prom pted bv the
".sn OF tne bearers to get in early on the
winning side Its worth the while of a gen.
uemsn'who has abundant occupation fra]
MIS- hours to be rid of such o source of snnov.
ance and presume that the Senator'S nosition
has been made known through his responses 70
parties who have addressed him on tho ann
position that he was not sverse to enterino the
Lists as competitor for the exalted post which
stnoneht to be the very summit of, human
ambition. &
The Whalen conspiracy was crushed out Fri.
day by verdict in.favor of Gen. Sbsridan
Inere nasn't been any doubt from the begio.
ming but that the scheme of black-mail
would be b'ffied. 1t had been so thorouobIv
explored and uaravelled By Mr.. Herrick. Az.
slstant District Attorney of New York. and
Mr. beckWlth District Attorney of Louisiana.
tnat those gentlemen wers able, as each of tb.
accomplices in the plot appeared upon thu
stanG 70 make witnesses for the defence mt of
tnem.2 The terrible cross-x animation ron.
victed them of being engaged in a raid nno,
the National Treasury, to extort from it a vast
sum OF money as compensation for properts
they never had any legal claim to, and which
wasn't worth tithe of what they pretended to
value 1t at. The Judge who tried the case i'm
parted special z-st to it by deciding that anv
damages recovered would constitute personal
Judgment against the Lieutenant General. II
u not IN the least unlikely, that owing to this
rnling the Jary felt all the more satisfaction in
relieving Gen. Sheridan from liability. which
1t could have been scored against him nigh,
have caused him good deal of trouble. II ia
no light matter to be pursued by gang of adj
,Venturers armed with docketed Indignant
and having all the intricate mach, nery of iudi-
cature at their service to harass an upluckv d..
fendant, The great soldier has suffered too
much vexation already on account of this
fraudulent crusade. Besides the work be did
In tracing the history of the com mbinaton ano
hunting down the actors in it he has been kent
nero three weeks in attendance upon the sria,
and 1t is we'll known that his military dutirs
engross his attention to such an extent tha,
ne Is one OF the busiest men in the countrv
II s certainly to b. hoped that the pratif, inc
discontinue of this notable furay will di,cour.
age further attempts to make the public coff,rs
atspol for the concocters of bogus claims
sksinss sno government. YARMOUTH.
NEWS IN A NUTSHELL.