New-York tribune., 1880-06-12
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.



CANE TO BE NOMINA1ED-CORDIAL WORDS OF
PRAISE FOR TIE BLAINE DELEGATES.
70 the Edttor OF The Tribune.
SIR: Great as is the disappointment of the friends
of James G. Blaine that he was not nominated, 1t
is aleviated by the complete triumph of all the
special principles which during the conflicts OF tins
remarkable Convention. his candidacy came To
represent. Those principles, all connected and in
volved together, were
III The perfect equality and individual freedom
of all the delegates.
(2l The night of every Congressional district to
be represented by delegates OF its own selection.
(3) The rotation of Presidents, according to the
theory and practice Of the Nation, not to be vio-
lated by athrd term of General Grant.
The continued existence of the Republican party
depended upon the courageous vindicaton of these
principles. BY bare maj MiGy OF 81 i'll the State
Convention of New-York, of 20 in Pennsylvania,
md of an uncertain in Illinois, attempts had been
made, either by overruling the choice OF
the Congressional districts or by TesOlu-
tions of instructions, to cOerce the votes
of 63 delegates against the wishes of their
districts. If this coercion had succeeded and by the
40 votes of these three States and the almost solid
votes of the hOpelesSly Democratic States of Ala
bama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri,
Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, General Grant had
been nominated third time, against the daclara-
tOns and votes Of the Republican States of Califor-
mia, Connecticut, Iowa. Maine, Massachusetts, Mich
igan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada New-liamp-
Shire, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin; +;
1t is not ndisCrcct, now the danger has passed.
to say that the nominee would have been defeated
at the polls, and the Republican party, on wrong
ISSUE with candidate most unwlsely selected,
would have gone down to destruction not soon to
rise again.
Fortunately. delegates representing unvarying
maiorities Of over seventy were determined that
however they might differ as 10 candidates. no such
supreme folly the nomination OF General Grant
by the methods in which alone II could be etected,
should be accomplished in the National Convention
of 1880; and the perslstency of men OF intelligent
conviction triuInphed the ObStinacy OF lntatu-
ated and enraged eguiists and their unreaSOnmg
and leludcd Southern followers And thereby the Re-
publican party has been saved to control and bless
the country.
The delegates IN favor Of Blaine Sherman and
Washburne controlled the Convention from the
start never yielded control for single moment or
or any one vote, and at last selected candidate on
whom all could unite aud go on to victory The
personal disappointment of the friends of each OF
these candidates largely disappears IN view OF the
general success of all i'll vindicatng and est1blish
ing fundamental principles of inestmabie value.
DISTRICT REPRESENTATIONS.
The special feature of the progress 0f the ConVen
ton toward the establishment of correct principles
was the admission of the cOntes;ng delegates from
nine districts in Illinois The State Convention had
Aagranty disregarded and Overrued the district
conventions and the latter appealed to the National
Convention for redress. The Blaine and Sherman
men, who controlled the Committee OH Credentials,
could gain little in votes by giving it. Only thir
teen of their delegates in Illinois aud Alabama were
admitted by it, wniie by applying the same rule
thev four in Kansas, leaving q
net gain of only nine: and they lost
more than the advantage thus gained by intensity
ing and sOlIdifying, during the contests and test
votes Over contested seats, the Grant column,
80 that it would not break and nominate either
Blaine or Sherman. But sacred principle, that OF
district representation never violated before 1880
was in peril, and the Blaine and Sherman men de-
tcrmined to save and viudicate it for the general
good of the party although it might be followed
BY the defeat of their candidates and the selection Of
anew man. The violated principle was, after much
DELAY for the report of the Credentials Committee,
forever established by that report and the decision
of the Convention admitting the Illinois and Ala
hama contestants In the next National Convention
no Congressional district will be attempted to he
deprived by State Of representation by dele
gates of ITS own free choice.
THE QUICK NOMINATION OF GARFIELD.
When the anti Grant forces determined to bring
the work was quickly aud thoroughly done. On
Tuesday morning there was danger that some Of
the Sherman votes from the South would go to
Grant and further. that If the Grant forces con-
cluded to break they would 90 to EdmundS OF WIn-
DOM both allies of Grant. Massachusetts, there
fore. promptly went from Edmunds to Sherman and
thus DESTROYED the formers votes and strengthened
and held those Of the latter MlnneS0as seven
next changed to Blaine, and another dark horse,
4 a. It..,U la
Garfield movement was begun by Wisconsin, and
followed up 10y Indiana. Iowa and Maine gave the
signal to the Blame forces, and Ohio TO those OF
Sherman; aud Garfield was at once nominated.
with sixty votes to spare. Senator COnkling made
an earnest appeal to Vermont to bring her ten
votes to the help OF Grant. but they either wished
not or thought 1t unwIse to go; and the Grant
column ga ming no reinfOrcemcnts and seeing no
new candidate to whom 1t could move. awaited
its defeat in sullen Obstinacy. AS secretary
Sherman has said, the country had been
saved from great peril aud it had been quickly
and we'll doue. Aud II may here be well re-
marked that while no attempt had been made by
either Mr.. Sherman or MIR. Blaine TO cOntrol the
action of the Convention over those terrible tele
graphic wires which much troubled Senator
Conkling. vet before tie last crisis occurred both
tolepraphed their friends not to adhere To then
oersonal interests ~ 'Te "isk OF the fatai nOnlna
fion of General Grant. but to support promptly the
best and most available nOminee Oh whom all coulo
unite.
TIE MASSACHUSETTS DKLEGATioN.
Jtis nleasure t. be able TO praise the Massachu
sotts delegation. Because so requested by he
state Convention she held twenty OF her votes fo
Edmunds during twenty balIOtings. But when TIT
4,r,a for effective action came her delegates de
cided promptly and moved without hesitation o.
DELAY: and the first change on Tuesday
Nv Massachusetts from Edmnnds to Sherman
made feasible the successinI transfer u