The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-08
conkhng-Grant--T The. Next President

IIIU ~ v
bar OF the country who Is not known by
somebody else TO be a second or third-elass
lawyer. Pretty good proof of his abilities
rs LAWYER Is 10 be found in the fact that
he enjoys as lucrative a practice as almost
any member OF the bar I'm the United
States. As a constitutional lawyer he took
rank when In the United States Senate
below only Mr.. THURMAN and Mr.. Ed
xrxps. We ought to add Mr.. GARi.AND's
name, though he, a southern man, can
never hope TO be classed 10y the northern
papers among the greatest OF The legal III
minaries OF the country.
This distinguished New Yorker, whom
the public regard as so far superior to
General GRANT in many respects-not OF
course as a s~oldier-persists in playing
the role OF a BOSWELL TO the great Third
Termer. But, then, what an unaccounta-
bic thing it is that the lordly CoNKLING,
who despises almost every other man IN
the world, and is consumed by vanity,
pufTed ND by pride, and the scorniul leader
of the army OF Stalwarts, should be willing
10 humble himself az he does whenever he
has occasion to speak Of General GRANT.
Last Saturday nighta clubin New YORK city
gave It's May dinner. Among the guests
were both Democrats and Republicans.
General GRANT, the silent man, was there,
but did not remain silent. Mr.. CoNK-
LING was toasted, and made one OF his
characteristic responses. He did not dls-
regard the courtesies Of the occasion, we
take il for granted. though some OF his
remarks must have been rather distastsful
10 his Democratic hearers. BY the way,
he used that same old stale expression,
with using which too frequently he has
been tainted by the New York Tribune.
Mr.. BLAINE's organ, and, perhaps in con-
tempt OF the Tribune, spoke OF ''the ardu-
Gus greatness Of deeds done" by General
GRANT.
Mfr. CoNKLING also went back TO the
Chicago Convention OF 1880, wherein, as he
seems steadfastly to believe, General GRANT
was slaughtered in the house OF bis
friends. al recollect," declared the
famous ex-senator, ~ recollect,-and for
n never reflect but with pride or pleas
urs on the part / bore-a conference OF
756 men, APO of whom were sent for one
specific purpose, and who were in honor
bound before God and man TO abide by their
Instructions. And yet they were BEATEN"
Which is pretty hard upon the Half-B-eeds.
1t charges them with a gross offence against
good faith. The use OF such language by
Mr.. CoYKLING satisfies Us that he has made
up his mind to sink the ship which he is
not allowed to command. His wounded
vanity still causes him TO chafe under the
modification OF the crushing deieat'he re-
ccived at the hands Of the 1lalf-Breeds
when the New York Legislature refused TO
remand him to the seat in the United States
Senate which he claimed to have vacated
out Of respect to his constituents. He
traces all his troubles back to the Chicago {
Convention, as well he may for he was
really President OF the United States for
the larger portion of General. GRANTS s
two tcrms-certainly so far az the En-
pire State OF New York was con-
cerned; and if GRANT had been nomi- {
mated at Chicago in 1880. and had I
been reelected, as il is at least possible he t
would have been reelected If he had been 1
nominated there, Mr.. CoNKLING would j
have escaped all the numerous veXations
and notifications which have since been q
his bitter portion. lie would have remain /
ed the WARWICK OF the United States, or :
the King-Maker-the RICHELIEU, greater
than his King-the WoLsEY who could say
81 and my King" have done so and so.
But though the grieis are all nIs own, Mr..
CoYKIING is too shrewd TO pose as q martyr.
He knows that he would receive no SYM
patty from the public, nor even from the
Republicans,-certainly not from anybody
except Stalwarts and so he curses his enc
mics by the aid Of hepotent name Of "the
hero Of A%ppomattoX Courthouse" Mr..
CoNKLING added to what we have already
quoted:
81 believe, and / say it in all confidence,
that the result of that Convention put back
this country ten years. Some one said
when Napoleon lost Waterloo that the
Clock OF Ages had been turned back six
degrees. SO did l believe when / sat in
Chicago and saw it, and all the events OF
the checkered time / have since passed
through show that the sorrowful work OF
that day cost the nation ten years OF pro-
gress. What is, Is right, they say, so what
has occurred has happened"
And this leads up to what we wish to call
particular attention t~o-namely, Mr.. COYK-
LlNG's declaration, in effect, that the Dem
ocrats will certainly elect the next Presi-
dent of the United States. That's what he
meant when he said that the Clock OF Ages
had been turned back six degrees, as he
showed by adding Immediately what here
follows:
"Onc OF my friends here tonight is a
leader and example Of the Democratic par
ty. Well, he and the rest OF them are about
TO take control OF the country; indeed,
they control it pretty well already. Two
years ago the Republican party came out
with flying colors from the greatest battle
1t had ever fought, in which, though
weighted down and struggling against
heavy odds, 1t ~triumphed and flew its BAN
ner in every State from sea TO sea. To-day, |
In almost every State from sea TO sea, il lies
prostrate."
Surely that is encouraging. The leader
OF the Stalwats says that the Democrats
are "about to take control Of the country"
"indeed," he adds, "they control il pretty
well already" That is TO say, we have the
House OF Representatives already, and will
have the President after the next election.
This prediction means that Mr.. CONKLING
will take no hand in a~yerting the righteous
defeat which his party prepared for itself
when IL overslaughed GRANT at Chicago