Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-28

Garaela's Trenbles Beginning.
It seems that at last the crisis in the
ranks of the Republican party has ar
rived. that the gH1between the factions
is at hsA-1, and that the nomination by
Mr. Garfield of State Senator Robertson,
of New York, to be Collector of the
port of New York, IS the cause of the
trouble. Il viii be remembered that it
was over this position that the antago-
uism between Hayes and Conkling was
developed, and now a similar antago-
uism between the New York Apollo and
the President is threatened over the same
bone Of contention.
Senator Robertson is prominently an
anti Conkling man. At the Chicago
Convention he stoutly opposed the
Grant Conkling faction, and was an out
and.Out adherent of Blaine. His nomi-
nation by the President is, therefore, re-
garded as a direct slap in the face at
ConkIing, and as evidence that Mr. Gar
field has made up his mind to throw
down the gauntlet to the stalwart
element of his party. 1t is stated,
also, that when the nomination
was sent in to the Senate, Vice President
Arthur was taken completely by sur.
prise and quickly sent for Conkling.
After the Senate adjourned, the New
York Senator aud his two lieutenants,
Arthur and Platt, met in the room of
the former, and, with bated breath; dis
cussed the situation. The question
whether or not to fight the administra-
lion was anxiously considered, and we
see that lively speculation is even now
going on in Washington as to what was
the result Of this conference of the
three leaders of the stalwarts.
Much interest is felt as to what Conk-
ling will do about it. especially as the
nomination was referred to the Com
nittes on Commerce, of which he is
Chairman, and a majority Of whose
members he can control in opposition to
favorable report, if he so desires.
1t is further stated that Conkling and
his friends are very indignant over
Robertsons nomination, and threaten to
oppose his confirmation. The great
point at issue is, can they afford at this
time to fight the administration.
The dispatches have already informed
US that the New York Senate has passed
resolutions strongly advocating the
nomination on the ground that the
nominee is an honest man. This
is doubtless one of the
main reasons why the stalwarts
oppose him, but if Conkling determines
on opposition, he will find himself in a
very embarrassing position. He will
no. only place himself in antagonism to
his party in his own State, but he will
also array himself against an administra-
ton which, having been legally elected,
occupies much stronger hold upon the
pubic than did the fraudulent admins
trstion of Hayes.
It is probable, therefore, that the New
York Adonis, who is conspicuously
noted for giving discretion its due con-
sideration as the better part Of valor, will,
on this OCCASION as ne did at Canonchet,
submit TO the affront, and retire from the
field. Nevertheless, it is evidently
quarrel which cannot long be delayed,
and the pent UP wrath of the Grant
Conkling stslwarts against the Garfield
Blaine faction will burst out at the earli-
est opportunity, when it can be vented
more safely than at present. And when
the clash OF arms does come,
while, OF course, the Democrats will
feel much more sympathy for Garfield
than for his Opponents-inasmuch as he
is the representative of the more conser-
vative and more honest element of his
party-it wiz be a fight in which the
Democrats can act with wisdom, and on
which, as they did during the Hayes
Conkling imbroglio, look on with great
complacency. Whether or not the conflict
will begin now or at some future time
the ill-feeling between the two wings
bids fair to steadily grow in bitterness,
and may by 1884 break up the Republi-
can party as completely as internal dis
sension disrupted the Democracy IN
Charleston in 1860.