National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-06-17
Grant on ConkIine.

General Garfield either as candidate, Presi-
dent-elect, or President in fact. 1t is I'M
true that Robertson's name was ever
mentioned between Mr. Conkling and the
President in connection with the collect
orShip of New York. It is untrue that
prior to the nomination of Robertson
there had been the least sign of disagree
ment between the President and Mr..
Conkling. The fact is, as stated By all the
Ad,ninis tratiOn organs, that the President had
prepared has mind foi' d quarrel agith
Nr. Conkltng, and thought it had
better be precipitdted at The beginning
0 has term than to come LATER There is not
an Administration organ, from the gen.
eral railroad bugler (the New York 1ri-
bune) down to the smallest penny-whistle
weekly issued from country post-office,
which has not repeatedly declared that
lLe President bad determined to have an
early quarrel with Mr.. Conkling and get
it off his hands. There is not a single
editor Of all the Administration tribe,
from the wild ass of the Cincinnati Com
Taercidldow to the demurest donkey who
feeds at the official fodder-racki in consider
alton of the patent outside organ he runs,
who has not boasted of the prowess of the
President in having dared to throw
stones at Conkling to show him
who was President. The refusal
of ConkIing to complain of i'll
treatment perpleXed the Administration.
He had been invited to Mentor to give
his views and had complied. Afterward
it became evident that he had been
grossly imposed upon in being taken
from the Senate Chamber to travel hun
dreds of miles for the purpose of inform
ing the President-elect of his opinions,
IN order that there might be no consideration
shoun him by mistake. General Garfield
SO managed as to have both General
Grant and Mr.. Conkling pilot him the
way in his search for modes Of disoblig-
ing and offending them. He sought from
them expressions as to what would be
disagreeable to them and did those things.
When the Cabinet was formed re-
gardless of the proper consideration
due tothe Republican party of New York,
great was the dismay at Mr.. Conkling's
good nature. He would not quarrel.
Party unity demanded sacrifices, and
none were so patient as he. But the
quarrel had to come. So testify all the
organs. There must be found some
method for breaking the silence and
ending the patience of the man whose
peaceful inclination was an obstacle to
the plans of those who deemed his de-
strnction essential to their success in
1884. 1t was finally determined that the
appointment of Robertson as collector
would compel the issue. 1t would
be a stinging personal insult. The
barb could be dipped in the poison
of deceit. Conkling could be requested
to visit the White House, and could be
made to think that, while his bitter enc
mics were to have the consideration to
which their perfdy to their party at Chi
cago entitled them, they were only to be
bestowed where they could be of least
detriment to the party and to the public
service. He could even be intrusted with
arranging the official cushions upon which
they were to recline. Then, when he had
been made to believe that all was fair and
Robertson could be sent in with
out notice to him for the boss-ship of New
York Republican politics.
All this programme of indirection was
not only carried out, but for fear that Mr.
would not then make show of
resistance he was widely advertised as
being in great rage in kilograms writ
ten before he had had an opportunity to
express an opinion. Writers who were
evidently under inspiration from the
White House conducted both sides of the
controversy for two or three days, while
Mr.. Conkling looked on in wonder at
their mendacity. After weeks of abso-
lutte inaction by him. busy remonstrance
Of Republican Senators against the Presi-
dents wanton, unprovoked, and mis-
chievous assault, and vehement and vim
dictive adherence by the latter, inter-
spersed with false shows of disposition
TO reconsider, the two New York Sena-
tors left the Senate, and for the first time
made statement of the case