New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-27

An ELOQUENT ARGUMENT BY SENATOR w"oriN-
SENATOR'S sTRAIIAN AND nAIBFRT uEFfNl
CONKLING-A mNGiNG SPEECH BY sENATO

SENATOR'S sTRAHAN AND nAIBrRT uEFfSD
| CONKLING-A mNGiNG SPEECH BY sENAGOR
MCCARTHY.
AIBASY, May 26.-In the Srua,c to-day Mr..
Woodin said &" desire to present several remon-
stranccs against the rrturn to the United STATES Sen
ate of Mcssr.. Conl,lng and Platt. These rcmon-
stranccs are from citizens IN various parts of The
State and one is signed by 900 citizens of my own
district" Ne moved TO refer the rcInonstran"cs to
the Committee of the Whole. and then spoke as
follows:
The rcmonsrancc which have the honor present II
the voice of the cons tu,irry hch reIr'~cu IN this
body have neither the dispose itiun nor th. courage
TO disregard IT, II /, quite IN accord VT" my 'i"ws and
hence have great p'asc in presenting II h"s" aud IN
giving pubr assurance of nv mt,itou to give heed to
its suggcStuns Bui since 1tcupla act ION tuaY ar
fecl sonnet and further han NJ irm Lat con
sucncy II Is perhaps my duty {" justify my pnrc 10
matter Of the rcnour rance. For tine hi- time tn hc
ton IN the 81 tn Uncd states. The -tat ha- not
sccedcd nor haA failed 1" select prH"n- L" ri"h'
II IN mat body nor nave oar 'pt' noeh -
pclcd 80 rcVoniion has harprned to disinrp thc
and the parent Government nor haS ihcr' Oc'f hor
IA there threat ned. any nyiduus Legislation sacrificing
impcrilnc material interest or political neht 0f
the state. For aughi any body knows or prci'h' We
s occupy Ia the Onion the po.on by common consent
ton wealth and Intelligence grcacs In commerce,
en and domestic; greatest I'm political Ngn, ancc aud
important department OF the General Government IT,
for any reason. We " been deprived "l our dn' .h"' OF
repe-enaiiou the rsslltv" dc partmcnt ~ the TOW
crumcnt. against our viii. aud tIIi condition was l"f
sistently enforced upon -N 'h ;hc rr" 10 is7 "I si"
nanship had been cNhau-:ci IA frit'-s n"r ooi4in
All The tcrriI, tri of hattie i,,o,.d n srrnrc r,.
turn constitutional righis - lar hc d.- .-ad'an
tac,s which result 90 ~ti" fom The fuur" Of "lt'-
-1ntatiu are conocruc,l It matter, uui what de-
may b- The results are the -au" whatever thr cru~"
II We il Ia claim and "sSsS our-''N oi the uh'"ir"
yerted u KIT OF Representation 10" ttuit uWu aud
W. NAV remedy II at ouf pcL,ufr. liul " q.
psiNr of thH night without nuit ~ our own "" have
ju.t cause OF plant asun-i some body or poser.
\ communication from thc Etccu. ,yc inform. ns
that both our SENATOR have rreisur' nni thrr'W
Occs-ioncd Varanc"H in our representation ~ ihc
United siatcs renaic. fhe rigit {" rrsgn AL oinc"
cannot be denied. and II not qur-u"nr'l Pr
does for good and sufficient i,iaon-. and ho may
with propncty wuIhod them from the pubic. Bti
II De -hnl, adopt ih "htT cou'' "id ti'r biz a~H
10 the public. lac must expect {" h Judged 10y that ia
his Senators have gwen tbcir rrnson.. aud
by doing they confessed that their conduct required
Governor ha- not honofrd us with official statement
Of these reasons. but they have bocn given puhnc
and placed upon III journal and thus there ha~ been
Inadc, was undoubtedly in,ondcd. record, cudur
Ing time Of the winch controlled tIrn
der ~,. iittle n nm,fhiug short of briIavo Try have
been Obliged 10 long the verdict Of the O
Il is Que Of condemnation II IL crn,atir n moi severe
No question ever submiicd To the public ~ the de
cisiOn Of which there such unhnimy. Equally rm
phac II the tone and utteraucc tho.cpubcan prc-s
buth aud of the STATE. Even many ~ the most
prominent and inhurntlal Journals hitherto friendly
10 Mr.. COnknng, do not hesitate to charactcrihr hlS
action as mistake aud his REASONS pucrilr.
His personal friends and long time cyord followers IN
great numbers fraDky but rrgfcuuly concur III tine
swelling volume of public indignation over what they
IleaSed 10 describe tho greatest mistake OF hs
mistake.
MALICE PEEPENsE SHOWN.
Tile making Of mistake implies the exercise OF tho
Judgment, effort of the mind 10 determine properly
and rightly submitted to It for consideration
mistake in the performance Of public duiy implies
conscientious effort Of the mind 10 discover clearly
where duty leads, whether the effort be successful or
otherwise. Presumably The reasons publicly announced
by Messrs COukllng nnd Patt are the best aud AL
that can be given aud II so history ~lli
tue most GupendOus blundcr Of modern times
Their action haA not the e1tenuating merit which |
charity awards account OF mistake Of judg
mcnt. II evidences neither Wit nor wisdom, neither
act II Ia absolutely barren OF saesinanllke purpose
stripped OF all lmDaleua matters with when tne re-
signed Senators have skully invested the subject the
case may be stated with absolute truth ~ follows:
The President In the exercise Of unqucstiOncd con
stitutional prerogaye nominated for the office OF Cot
lecOr Of the Port OF New-Iork ngishcd citizen Of
this state without first consulting AessIs COnkng and
Plat What duty imposed by that act upon the |
Senate Of the United states was simply aud solely 10
make due inquiry Into Jne proprety OF it thas |
made confirm reject It, And whether they confirm
or reject, It s their special prerogatyc absolutely re-
or power; and so' also IL the rEhi OF ihe ~
ucnt IN respect to NOMINATIONS aIC no. uituc, -
cannot with due regard 10 his Official OATH share lhese
In the true intent OF the Constitution. The act OF |
confirmation or rejection "a the act m d dno
tinct and absolutely independent. Any other ~, ~
depreciation OF the COnnututiOn ONerTides lts |
intent and meaning and makes the method OF appoint
ments To office a face II is not denied that senator
NAV solicit the President to make particular appoint
Inent but he may not clam II night any more than
a private Citizen And the Presidents duty TO sena-
tor 10 heed his solicitations In tnat regard, IL IN no
spect other or than 10 private citizen Iho
Prcsdents right and duty are TO seek for Information
a. 10 the fitness of particular nomination where ne
may And the Importance and value OF all solicitation
and to be determined with roference
public interest and not with references TO the IN
terest OF the individual That right the President mas
exercised That duty he has performed fcaressy, In
dependently aud with proper regard 10 an
official oath which he alone must observe. Our Senh,
tors would have their whole duty had they remained
AT their posts and voted cOnscentOsly To cOnm or re-
ect That duty performed would have parayEed all
Criticisms and they would stood firm before their
constuents Justified and hOnorcd for their courage and
their independence.
THE "sELP-REsPECT" PRETExT.
But told by these apologists that proper sere
spect left them other alternative The argument Of self
respects ally at best but for our senior Senator
1t lis utterly unavaing since he has passed through this
ordeal once before and did not him then that
selfrespect required him 70 desert his post Presl
Continasd on Pifh Page.