The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-07-25
Restored HARMONY.

The result of the Senatorial election in
New York is received with approval and ac-
claim by the Republican journals of the
whole nation, with very few exceptions.
The only considerable number of persons
who seem dissatisfied are the Democrats
who, of late, have evinced great affection
and respect for Mr.. Conkling, as they usually
do for Republicans who are at odds with
their own party. The new Senators Miller
and Laphan are gentlemen of respectable
though not of eminent ability. There would
be perhaps, some disappointment that Mr..
Conkling was not succeeded by one nearer his
own intellectual grade, and some sense of
loss in the change were it not for the convic-
tion that the arrogance and wilfulness of the
ex-senator neutralized his power for good,
and that his great strength would be practi-
cally employed for the hindrance and con-
fusion of public business. His faults of
temper and bearing and his incredible fool
ishness in the matter of his resignation have
alienated many friends who admired his
great mental gifts, and his infexible upright
ness of character. So that his retirement
from public life, which would have been
generally regarded as calamity few years
ago, is now acquiesced in as thing desirable.
All this is but fresh example of what has
been often illustrated in the history of the
Republican party, namely, that the party is
greater than any man or set of men and that
it follows no leaders out of the course in
which it is moving. Great men many 60
at the head of the procession and the whole
body will look up to them with respect and
confidence so long as they continue in the
straight path; but if they seek by and for
hidden paths they must go alone, however
great and respected they might have been,
while the procession holds its stately pro-
gress in its own way.
Salmon P. Chase, Lyman Trumbull,
Charles Sumner and Horace Greeley-not
to mention hundreds of lesser light-were
great and admired leaders of the Republican
party. Each in his several way, yielding to
faults of temper Or beguiled by false lures Of
ambition, set himself at odds with his party.
Disappointed hopes and broken hearts were
all they gained, while the party, dropping a
tear of regret for the lost leaders, moved on
steadily in the accomplishment of it's great
mission. So Mr.. Conkling, arrogant and in
tolerant, bent upon having his own way a
good deal more than his share of the time,
set himself against the purpose of the Re-
publican party to give the new administra-
tion hearty and loyal support and to have
peace and quietness in public affairs, 80 that
industry might thrive and enterprise expand
in all the borders of this prosperous Nation
He has met the common fate of all such
and the waters which have closed above
him will ripple ard smile as before, and bear
up at safe moorings the argosy of the public
safety and tranquility Those whe look for
any serious disruption of the Republican
party out of all this have read political his
tory to little purpose. 1t seems impossible
that Mr.. Conkling should join that huge ag-
glomeration of inconsistent elements coher-
ent only in opposition to the Republicans,
known as the Democratic party, for he des-
pises and detests them more than he does,
even his late associates; and even if he
should take that extreme step under spur of
anger and resentment he will draw no con-
siderable following with him. The cordial
reunion of combatants which followed the
long and heated contest at Albany is an
augury of union and goodwill among Re-
publicans and we may confidently look for
ward to general healing of differences and
united and hearty cooperation for the COM
mon good which will secure cootinued sue
cess to the great party whose ascendency
ensures good and stable government to the
Nation.