, 1881-05-20
COMBINES DESPERATE aGVE.

York is the resignation, by himself
aud colleague, 81 ;heir respective
seats Ia the L. ). Senate. Baliird
NJ every turn ia his desperate strug>
gle 20 preren. the confirmation OF
Mr. Euber,oan as Collector Of the
port of New York, Mr.. Conkling
found himself IN the drspara;c strait
Of man compelled TO either suffer
defeat or rVu from The bai,I- field
He chose the hitter course, though
the thinking public ~ill agree tha,
had lac remained ct his post Of duty
and conscien;iously discharged the
functions Of his high office, much
more credit would have attach
ed to him, even though he had stood
alone IN his opposition TO any CON
frmatlon.
In his letter TO Gov. Cornell. nc-
c"mpanying his resignation, Mr..
Conkling takes long, roundabout
way Of bringing in many outside
matters, and 10 set forth hi5 particu-
iaF reasons for considering the Pres
iient's selection OF Robertson un-
wise. Without making any charge
OF unhtness against Robertson, he
concludes that rather than be par
~ to the transaction, and bc forced
To surrender his manhood and Sena-
torial pFerosative, he will resi- gn.
1t is difficult for dispassionate OBJ
server TO see juit wherein the force
of this proud politicians logic lies.
In the FIRST place. President Garfield
merely exercised his plain, consti,u
tional preroga;ivo III sending the
nomination 10 the Senate. II does
not appear tha. any attempt has
beeen made 20 force BOSS" Roscoe
into voting in any particular way, or
against his convictions OF duty. The
Senate is given the power 70 reject
or confirm any nomination sen; 70 il
for approval, and if Robertson could
be fairly approved by the Senate in
spite of Mr.. Coukling's opposition,
1t is not quite plain that he would in
any degree be responsible for such
confirmation, or be regarded as a
party TO il. II we mistake no, the
calm and enlightened judgment of
the public will pronounce such la
hored and fiimsy excuses to be the
merest sophistry, aud the course of
the principal actor that of an arro-
CANT, conceited and selfish political
despOt. If his reasoning is sound,
then, on the ether hand, had a ma
jority in the Senate vo.ed to reject
Robertson, the President could con-
sistently have said: MY rights are
invaded. ] am forced 10 name some
person for Collector Cf New York,
other than the one | chose. Rather
than be Il party 10 such an action,
therefore, will resign" Now,
wouldn't tnat be An interesting posi-
tion for statesman 10 place himself
IMP And yet it represents the pres
else role in which the great New
York apostle voluntarily figures to-
day. He says in substance: "Be-
cause canno: be absolute dictator
as to this appointment, / will refuse
TO perform the duries of the high
office which | accepted at the hands
OF the people and thereby agreed to
carry out" When his imperious
will first clashed with that of the
President, Mr.. Conkling made a
great show of bluster and brap
about how he was going to annihi-
late the latter by defeating the con.
hrmapon; then, after dallying along
and delaying as r.uch as possible in
order 20 gain strength, he sees de-
feat and utter rout staring him in
the face in fight of his own seeking,
and he resolves to "jump the game"
and cover his own weakness and fol
ly by all ac: intended for purely
dramatic effect. Evidently relying
on the n. Y. Legislature, which was
elected mainly in his interest, to send
himself and Platt back to the Senate,
ho might possibly be mistaken in his
calculations, even with al! his politi.
cal shrewdness. That Legislature
has already endorsed Robertson in
emphatic terms since his nomination
for Collector, and, now that Conk
ling bas resigned on the Robertson
issue alone, they conld hardly en-
dorse him by election if they
wished TO be consistent and 20 show
any manhood.
Back OF all the sophistical oo.er-
ing with which Mr.. Conkling seeks
to gloss it over. the fact is patent TO
Eli ohsarYars that fha Y V Cnctnrn