The daily gazette., 1881-07-28
From the N. Y. Sun.
Thurman and COnklfng,

from Inc N. 4. sun.
Thurman and COnkling.
The two foremost leaders of the SEN
ate, who for twelve years opposed each
other on al! the great questions that sep
arated the Democratic and the Republi-
can parties, and whose speeches form q
part Of the history of these times, are
retired from public life, with little pros
pect Of immediate return.
Mr.. Thurman will be sixty-elght
years old next November, and Mr.. Conk.
ling will only have scored fifty-two
years at the close OF October. Though
antagonists in the fierce conflicts, from
reconstruction down to the Inauguration
of Gen. Garfield, they were personal
friends, each respecting the other as o
foeman worthy of his steel.
With minds differently organized and
trained, their methods of argument were
wide apart. Mr.. Thurman was always
clear, direct, and compact, with dash
of humor In his speech, but without the
least attempt at ornament. AS pr ompt
and vigorous dsbater, we'll equipped in
constitutional and In political know.
ledge; an acute lawyer, with the super
added experience Of q Judge; an excell-
ent scholar, familiar with the classics,
and natural lover of Intellectual con-
troversy, he has had few equals In the
Senate. His best speeches, like those
Of Pitt were made on the spur of the
occasion.
Mr.. Conkling, though but thirty.eight
years of age when he entered the Sem
ate, carried to that body reputation for
rare intellectual gifts and for high at
tainments, acquired during three terms
IN the House of Representatives. He
took rank Immediately with Trumbull.
Morton, Grimes, Fessenden, Summer,
Wade, Sherman, and Edmunds, then the
recognized leaders of the Republican
side, and he grew in fame and in lnflu-
ence until he overtopped them all. On
the day of his resignation he was the
first and most commanding figure In his
party, though among the least popular
of those who contended for the primacy
Conscious of strong powers, and
ambitious of distinction, he did not
court favor with the arts of the poll.
tician, but aimed al leadership, in
right Of intellectual force. In debate
he invariably went to the front ht
was ready for any turn it might take,
and he had at hand most varied
stock of resources, no matter who
took the field against him. Severe
study, a memory like storehouse Of
law, literature, science aud song, long
practice, and keen faculties, made hin
dreaded combatant. An extraordi-
nary flow Of language and spontaneou,
flowers of rhetoric, perhaps, decorated
too highly his argument but, all in al
few men in public life have deserved
more attention than Mr.. ConklinQ,
At any period of the Senate, Thur.
man and Conkling would have beer
conspicuous characters, who could
I have held their own with the best
/ They leave void which will be hard
; to hll, not only for pre-eminence, buI
as examples of honor and integrity
, sustained amid o pervading corrun
: tion, and loose notions of accounta-
, bilIty.
! The Republicans lost three of the;,
ablest men in the Senate when Conlx
ling, Blaine and Carpenter were re.
moved from that scene. The Demo
Gratis were equally unfortunate in los
ing Thurman, Eaton, Mcdonald, apt
Others of lesser degree who had at
tain ID prominence and usefulness. A,
a body, the Senate has fallen from IL,
former high estate, and no longer en-
joys the confidence that the ceuntr,
once reposed in it. The purchase O
seats, almost in open market, by ricl
aspirants for political fame the con.
slant accession Of the agents, attor.
neys, or creatures Of great corpora.
tions and the presence of notoriou
| jebbers In Legislation, have contribute,
| to decline, which is getting wors
/ instead of better.
, Taken collectively, the members O
} the Senate, with occasional exceptions
such as Mr.. Edmunds or Mr.. Bayard