National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-21
BEN BUTLER'S VISION.
WHAT THE ESSEX STATESMAN SEES.
Conkling and Platts Resignation from an indie.
pendent Standpoint-The Theory Of the AZ
fair-The Trip to Mentor-Who is
Robertson IA Prediction.
General Ben. F. Butler has been inter-

Robertson "A Prediction.
General Ben. F. Butler has been inter-
viewed by Herald correspondent in New York
on the prevailing topic. He says of the
designations: az think it was a brave, saga
cious, and polite act, and I think 1 can
see why it was done. He was in the Senate, where
all admit he was Jacae princeps representing the
great State of New York, in the most cordial rela
tons with all of its trusted statesmen and political
leaders. No man ever held before such relations.
His lifelong friend was Vice President, another
Governor of the State of New York, and his col
league was intimately bound to him by long years
of agreement, and he is of more than ordinary
strength and closeneSS. 1t is acknowledged on all
hands that he had led the Republican party to
victory in his State and in the country. He had
just emerged from four years contest forced on
him by the tergiversation of Hayes from the prin-
ciples upon which he was elected. He had, by his
high character his personal magnetism-because
he is magnetic in his attraction to men that come
near him nd know his qualities of mind and
heart-many Senators of both parties, who in all
matters, setting aside partisan differences
which affect the good of the country and the adj
ministration of affairs, were quite willing and de-
sirous of following his lead, knowing that he
would not lead them to do anything-as he had
never done-of which they would have cause to
repent, for the reason that it was unjust or I'M
stateSmanlike, or, above all, tainted with suspi
cion of corruption. From the statements in his
letter to Governor Cornell it appears that he had
made no demands upon the administration for
places for his friends or power or patronage for
himself; that he had not even made suggestions
upon questions involving the distribution of
patronage except when asked. In spite of all this,
inspired, he had cause to believe, by the admin
istration, he had seen almost the whole RepubI-
press-certainly ali that was controlled by the
publishing accusations far and
wide that he was attempting to dictate, not in the
line ofpocy but in the matter of place for his po
litical friends Well, he was conscious that he had
made every sacrifice of personal feelings to remain
in accord with the administration; yet every jour-
nal which claimed to be its supporter made these
harsh and unjust accusations against him.
THEORY OF THE RESIGNATION.
Let us go back a little What did we first see?
The President appointed as his Cabinet leader
gentleman with whom Mr.. Conkling had differ
ence of sixteen years standing. His the first
Cabinet Office that was made certain. Did Mr..
Conkling evince any opposition to this? Did he
even sulk in his tent? On the contrary, when
summoned by the President to Mentor to give ad-
vice upon the formation, it is to be presumed, of
the Cabinet he obediently and loyalty answered
the summons. Has there been an intimation even
that he undertook in any way to control or inter-
fere with that appointment or selection of the
Presidents Premier? The only rumor of any ac-
ton of his in regard TO the Cabinet that have
seen at the interview at Mentor was that he sug-
gested that the State of New York, now the second
if not the first, financial centre of the world as
well as the pivotal Republican State of the Union,
should have the SecretaryShip of the Treasury.
That, so far as learn, he might well have deemed
to be in accordance with the wishes Of the President
because am led to believe that for services rem
dered in the campaign Mr.. Garfield had made such
intimation that it was relied upon as promise
that the Treasury should go to a well-known
banker of New York, provided large sum was
subscribed by him and his friends to the expenses
of the presidential canvass. That sum has been
put at 100000. Mr.. Conkling
RETURNED FROM MENTOR,
and the administration journals said at that time
that the meeting had been not only friendly but
cordial. That statement received credence because
one of Mr.. Conklings friends, Judge Folger, and
not the banker was summoned to Mentor as al
legged, to be made the head of the Treasury. When
l saw this announcement supposed that the sum-
moning of Judge FOlger was probably the result of
Mr.. Conkling's advice. 1 assumed that probably
Mr. Conkling suggested that, while New York ought
to have the Treasury, yet the appointment of a
banker who had supplied large funds to so high
a place might bring faint of scandal upon the
new administration if the arrangement was car
ried out; but of this know nothing IfMr. Couk-
ling knew the facts as think they will at some
time appear, can well conceive that such advice
would he given by of his high sense of pro-
priety in political action. However that may be,
Judge Folger not called upon to leave his high
judicial position for what would not have been
even temporary promotion. Another gentleman
was selected as Postmaster General, Cabinet po-
sition made in the later and not in the earlier days
Of this Republic, and not usually held to be a
Cabinet position of the first class which the State
Of New York might well claim
THE NEW YORK NOMINATIONS.
The next think saw was that the President had
sent in nominations of certain gentlemen to office
10 whose decapitatiOn by Hayes Conkling had OBJ |
ected. Mr.. Conkling and Mr. Plat allege that
his was done without their knowledge, without !
consultation with them, and without their advice
Or promotion. These nominations were at once |
heralded in the administration press as an evil
1ence that the President was doing everything he
could to please and satisfy Mr.. Conkling. Read in
the light of what has followed, an uncharitable
mind might deem that this performance, like the |
of Conkling to Mentor was but cum |
ningly devised scheme to make it appear that the
President had been yielding in all he had done in
matters in New York TO the wishes of the Senator
and the fruitless summons to Mentor and the |
clarnOr of the administration press upon both mat
ers gives color to such thought. But the echo of
his cry that the President was doing everything |
for Mr.. Conkling had not died away before, with
out consultation with him. without consultation |
with any leading New York Republican, and with
1ut any inspiration from that State, Mr.. Robert
sons name was sent to the Senate for the highest
political Office in the United States with more I'M
rammcied political power and patronage than |
any Cabinet Office, because the appointments of |
Cabinet officers of any moment must receive the |
sanction Of The President and the advice and con-
sent of the Senate, while the collector of New York
IS substantially uncontrolled in his appointments |
WHO IS Mr.. ROBERTSON?
Now who is Mr.. Robertson? l speak only of |
course, of his relations TO Mr.. ConkIing. He was |
we'll known to be Mr.. Conkling's bitterest enemy |
IN the State of New York, man whom he accused |
Of breaking his pledged personal faith TO Mr..
Conkling and the State convention in the matter
IF his action delegate at Chicago. Rumor says
hat that personal difference had gone so far that
Tonkling had refused to give him his hand, put
ing the refusal upon the ground that having
oToken faith with him Il was unsafe TO be even
ais acquaintance. What next happened? Mt
Conkling and Nj. Plat, the Senators; Mr. Arthur,
he Vice President; Mr. Cornell the Governor,
ind Mr.. James. the Cabinet officer, all united in
,equcSt that Mr.. Robertson's name should be with
irawn, the appointment being made without their
and as all of them publicly allesc in
he most solemn manner, in contravention of
pledges of the President that they would be con-
ulted in a matter of such moment. Certainly no
more weighty opposition was ever made to
nominee to Office. What were the grounds upon
which the nomination was made? The highest
ground that II was put upon was that it was to
please faction of the Republican party in the
State of New York, insignificant in numbers, in
considerable in weight and only influential in
lamor The other and less creditabie ground was
hat the nomination was reward to Mr. Robert
on for breaking away from his pledges to his con-
tituents and by leaving Grant at critical time,