The daily gazette., 1881-07-22
a Horse Of Another Color.
rom tho I.ouisxilla CONGRESSIONAL

We publish this morning . very
temperate and intelligent communities
tion from q Republican, who claims to
be. and signs himself "Stalwart,"
and who comes to the defense Of Mr..
Conkling. His argument is that if the
attempt upon the Presidents life be
charged to the bitter spirit engendered
by the feu1 between the New York
Senator and the administration, all
differences Of opinion. all freedom Of
debate would be estopped unless some
madman should kill one Of the parties
to the dispute. This, it seems to us,
10 too sweeping q statement Of the
case. 1t is not the discussion of ra-
ti0nal differences which men have
reason TO fear. It is inflamed party
spirit overfowing the bounds Of hu-
manity and reason, respesting Moth
ing, sparing nothing in its passionate
love and quest of the spoils Of Office
such, IN one word, as Mr.. Conkling
mas arrayed.
There is no doubt in our mind that
the man Guiteau believed himself safe
in killing, tho President. He may
have been put up to do the job by no
one, but he got his cue from the bite
terness which Mr.. Conkling knows so
well how tostimulate, and was inspired
by the desperate fortunes of himself
and the clique Of which he claims to
be member.
Mr.. Conkling's methods are aggres-
sive and violent. He is not only ex>
treme, but autocratic and venomous.
ns~ s,rM H.. ID~wrorsvSr~
vicious because his temper is harsh
and his political objects sordid. He
sets nothing before the imagination of
an elevated or inspiring kind. His
alluremen.s appeal to the baser side Of
men. He is uDforgiving, unyielding,
self confident and arrogant-just the
sort of man to waken confidence and
the hope of protection In the mind Of Q
mad dog like Guiteau.
The Star Route people are simply
followers Of Conkling. After all, 1t may
turn out that they set the scoundrel on.
At all events, the investigation, taking
their motive to guide 1t, should be
searching and thorough. We accuse no.
body. But we acquit nobody. Murder
Is . damning crime, and the people and
the law can not afford to have its posibles
instigators, any more than Its actnal
perpetrators, slurred over. All that we
have ever demanded, let us repeat, 10
that reasonable suspicious, based upon
obvious motives, should not be whistled
down the wind simply because they may
attach themselves to some Republican
having previously good party standing.
Mr.. Conkling is not man OF high or
noble character. He is a brilliant par
tisan speaker and debater. The men
about him are ne better than he is.
Among them, they made not only an
irreeoncilable quarrel, but Conkling and
Plat, by resignlng their seats In the
Senate, carried this to dangerous Lengths
and encouraged the belief In feeble
minds that they were ready and ripe fol
any extreme. Both sides, indead, ai
Albany seem to have gone crazy, for the
step-ladder escapade was only degree
less villainous than the attempt upon
the life Of the President.
We regret that our correspondent, who
Is an estimable and patriotic man, signs
himself ga Stalwart." On both sides oi
the line, Democratic and Republican
Stalwartism Is merely another name fol
extremism. The StalwaIt, according t(
our conception, is one who puts hil
party above his country, and who hatei
all who do not agree with him. He Il
the embodiment Of party spirit. He see
no good In anything outside Of his party
His party Is all right and the other part!
is ali wrong. He is narrow, vindictive
J and pragmatical. Now we know on
correspondent does not answer this de
scription, and we think he does bimsel
, an injustice when he signs himself ~
Stalwsrt." God forbid that, In stig
matizing those who would rejoice Il
Garfeld's death, we should include hin
! or refer to such as he. Only those VIII
are embittered by the circumstances o
the pending fight to the point Of benz
J unable to see that there are two sides tt
. the question would or could rejoice II
zee fatal termination to Gulteau's act
1t is q fortunate circumstance tina
. Guiteau is rot Southern man. II b
. were we should have heard, from on
i end of the North to the other, but on
, voice ringing :-"Rebel hate unquench
able Rebel malice treason still rampan
and the war not yet oserW What
sauce for the goose ought to be sauce 70
the gander. The Stalwarts, who hav
been for years denouncing us as
bloody, barbarous people, who love notf
, Ing so much as numbering Unionisi
and roasting niggers, are now able
see how 1t is, and 1t is evident that the
i fooI tnrx