The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-26
TIE REPUBLICAN SITUATION.

1ne OIeak III Tue hepuUllCau parry Is
not only unhesled, but threatens to con-
tinue and widen until after the next
Presidential election. The cause of the
difficulty can clearly be traced to the
action Of the Chicago Convention
Conkling as the leader of the third
termers went into the Convention with
the determination ofnominating Grant, or
failing in this, to stand aloofin the con-
test. Grant was defeated, and Gar.
field nominated. The nomination of
Garfield produced very little enthusiasm
in the country. Grant and CoDkliDg
were Indifferent and taciturn, and after
the nomination of Hancock by the Dem.
ocrats, it seemed that Gar6eld's defeat
was inevitable. The nomination of Grant
for third term was not abandoned by
his friends, but only deferred until 1884.
If Garfield should be elected. and the
Federal patronage used in opposition to
Grant, he could not be nominated in
1884; but if Hancock should be elected
itWould lend to unity the Republican
party, and render Grants nomination in
1884 almost a certainty. Under these
circums tances the election of Garfield
could not be hoped unless the co.opera.
ton of Conkling and his allies could be
secured, aud this could be accom-
plished only by some assurance that the
influence of the government would not
be used against Grant. Conkliug doubt
less had some assurance of this kind, and
entering actively into the contest secured
the election of Garfield. Garfield having
entered upon the duties of his Office,
Conkling expected and required that the
appointments by the President to con-
trolling political Offices should not be
given to those who are opposed to him
and to Grant IS the nominee in 1884
The nomination by the President of Mr..
Robertson to the Collectorship of the
Port of New York, who is politically
inimical to both Grant and Conkling, if
confirmed by the Senate, would not only
render the nomination of. Grant in 1884
highly improbable but atthe same time
endanger Conklings reelection to the
Senate. The President by this nomina-
tion clearly meant opposition to Grant
for third term, and as Conkling had
nothing to hope for from the success of
any of the other leaders of the party, and
his political fortune is associated With
and dependent upon thesuccess of Grant,
he fought the confirmation OF Robertson
with all the power, influence and strategy
which he could command. When he saw
that defeat was inevitable, he no longer
concealed his opposition to the admins
tration, but made open var upon it. The
Republican party is to-day divided into
two great and powerful factions, each of
which is more inimicable to the other
than either is to the Democrats. The
factions are the same as existed in the
Chicago Convention. The one for
Grant all the time, and to the exclusion
of all Others, and the other uncompro-
m;singly opposed to him. The Chicago
Convention did not heal the dissension,
and the discord is now more inveterate
than ever before, with little prospect of
reconciliation. One or both of the fac
tions must meet with defeat, and with
this defeat the leaders pass into political
obscurity.