The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-07-04
CONKLING AND BLAINE.
Why They Never speak.- The Unplcas'
antncss of April, 1860.
rSt. Louis Globo Democrat.

In discussing the Conkling-Lamar
affair which now seems to have van
ished in words, it is evident from the
conversation of Republican Senators
that they arc not entirely in sympathy
with Mr.. Conkling. Several Of them,
recountipp some of the former contro-
versies of a similar character, in which
the Senator from New York has been
a conspicuous and an aggressive party,
recounted the time of his parliament
airy tilt with Blaine on April 30, 1866.
The subject under discussion was the
Investigation of Provost Marshal Gen.
Fry for frauds charged by Conkling in
tho Provost Marshal's Department of
the Western Division of. New York.
Blaine had criticised Conkling's volu-
bility of speech and charged that Conk-
ling was prosecutor in the case, and
produced q letter from Assistant Secre-
tary of War Dana to Conkling, and
read the law against the latter acting
in any such capacity. This Conkling
denied, and Blaine, wishing to inter-
ject a remark, Conkling said: 81 do
not wish to have anything to do with
the member from Maine, not even SO
much as to yield to him the floor. II
the member from Maine had the least
idea how profoundly Indifferent I am
to his opinion on this or any other
subject personal to mo, I think he
would hardly take the trouble to rise
here and express his opinion" And,
in apologizing to the House for delay
ing the proceedings, he characterized
Blaine's interruptions as "ungentle-
manly and impertinent." Blaine, await
ing his opportunity, took the floor and
said: GAS to the gentleman's cruel sar-
casm, hope he will not be too severe.
The contempt of that large-minded
gentleman is SO willing, his naughty
disdain, his grandiloquent swell, his
majestic, supereminent, overpowering,
turkey-gobler's strut has been so crush
! ing to myself and all the members of
this House that know it was an act
of great temerity for me to enter upon
controversy with him. I know that
| within tho last five weeks, as members
of the House will recoliect, an extra
strut has characterized the gentleman's
bearing. 1t is not his fault; it is the
| fault Of another. That gifted and sa-
tirical writer, Theodore Tilton, of the
New York Independent, spent some
weeks in this city. His letters pub
lished in that paper, embraced, with
many serious statements, a little jocose
satire, part of which was the state
|
ter Davis had fallen upon the member
from New York. The gentleman took
it seriously, and it has given his strut
additional pomposity. The resemblance
is great. Hyperion to Satyr; Their
sites to Hercules; mud to marble; dung
hill to diamond; singed cat to Ben
gal tiger; a whining puppy to a roaring
lion Shades Of tho mighty Davis, for.
give the almost profanity of that jocose
satirc.'' The Senator from New York
kept his seat in silence. Since that
day to this no word of a personal ma.
turc has been exchanged between these
gentlemen. III debate, at public
meeting, at an evening entertainment,
or at a dinner party, they meet but
never speak. Their conduct, however,
tempered by the proprieties of good
society, has been so directed that their
personal hostility would not be recog-
nized by persons not cognizant of their
relations.