The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-09-02

few months previous to the Convention
excited the active. and. we may say with
out exaggerafion. the scrid hostility of the
friends of President Grant Now, whether
Grant Is nominated or not in 1880, he is
certain to have great many supporters in
the Convention. and their influence will
nj least be sufficient 10 lay out Mr.. Bristow
very cold IL he should be a candidate.
This disposes OF Mr.. Bristow.
When we come 10 Mr. Conkling who was
strongly backed at Cincinnati, we doubt
whether he win desire to be a candidate in
this singular crisis Of the republican party.
A statesman who Is as yet but barely fifty
years OF age can afford to waite In the next
election the republicans need candidate
who Is stronger than his party, bat Mr..
Conkling with all his great and admirable
qualities, is weaker than Lis party. He has
MORALLY offended this administration. and
this administration, besides having some
friends. wields the patronage OF the govern
ment. Mr.. Conkling will agree with the
most judicious OF his admirers that his time
has not come. II. as we do not doubt, he
secures his reelection to the Senate, he
cannot fall out of the sight either Of the
country or his party, and he will be in a
position to take advantage of future events.
But he will probably make no effort TO be
the republican candidate in 1850.
AS to Messrs Hawley and Wilson, their
chances are too remote and microscopic to
be worth discussing.
HAVING hv m nvocaac of ra FIJI raacapeI
exclusion. dismissed all the other candi-
dates, we come to the other two Mr.. WASH
burne and General Grant. Mr.. WASH
burne has some very popular qualities and
public record which is greatly TO his adj
vantage. In Congress he was the most
conspicuous opponent OF every description
OF jobs, and although his unAinching zeal
for economy did not make him popular
with his fellow members, it gave
him a strong hold on the respect and
confidence of the country. His long
absence as Minister to France kept him out
of the intestine discussions of his party
and saved him from making personal enc
mics. His noble and magnanimous course
in Paris during the siege has received
universal homage and intrenched him in
the affections of our whole German popu-
lation. IT the republican party had not be-
come so debilitated as it is Mr.. Washburne
would make q strong candidate. But the
party is reduced to such a condition that
what it needs is not so much q candidate as
a saviour. 1t is the opinion of many repub-
lcans that no man so we'll meets this re-
quirement as General Grant
1t seems to be generally admitted that no
other citizen has so strong a hold upon the
republican party or upon the national feel
ing as General Grant. The great series of
ovations which have been given him in
Europe has strengthened him in his own
country by gratifying the national pride of
his countrymen. The influences which
tend toward his nomination are as active,
pervading and potent as those which origi-
nally made him candidate against his will
in 1868 Whether he can be elected as well
as nominated depends so much on the pop
ularity Of the democratic candidate whom
he will have to run against that no opinion
can yet be formed as to his success We
think that, although he is the strongest
candidate the republican party could take
up, he has more chances to be beaten than
to be elected and for this among other
reasons. that he has been brought into the
canvass too early.