The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-18

the coming man. The warfare in which Con-
gress was then engaged against President john
son gave to the Senate opportunity to assert
senatorial prerogarive in tie matter of federal
patronage, and to agree upon terms of ssnatori-
al courtesy in its bestowment. Mr. Conkling.
having at that time not very forceful col
league, came a. into the sole control of
New York patronage, and he continued 70 hold
1t and WELD it until the end. In these years of
supremacy at home, and of almost unchallenged
precedence IN senatorial councils, Mr. Conkling
came naturally to develop an almost imperious
disposition; and though be might be beaten he
would never surrender. During Grants admin
istration he was one of the intimate and most
trusted advisers of the President, and his adj
miratiOn for the chief was chivalric He was
the power behind the throne.
The first vote of Importance which Mr.. Conk-
ling cast was in opposition to the proposed thir-
teenth amendment to the Constitution, which
provided that mo amendment shall be made to
the Constitution which will give to Congress the
power Co abolish or interfere with" slavery in
the States. This amendment, which would have
had the effect of making slavery perpetual in
this country so far any power Of the national
government could affect it. was supported by
many Republicans as peace Offering TO the
South. Among those who voted for II were John
Sherman, of Ohio, Colfax and Window The
sixty five negative votes, says Mr.. Blaine in his
Twenty Years of Congress-" were all Repub.
Hcans whom the excitement Of the hour did not
drag from their moorings. Tbaddeus Stevens was
at their head, and he was sustained by the
two Washburps by Bingham Of Ohio. by Ros-
coe Conkling, by Arson Burlingame by Owen
Lovejoy, and by others who. if less conspicuous,
were not less deserving This amendment
passed the Senate but only two Subsidiary
lard and Ohio-gave their assent it. Mr..
Conkling was reelected to the Thirty-seventh
Congress- which met in 1861. Mr.. Blaine did
not make his appearance In Congress until two
years later. but in his book he thus speaks of
Mr.. Conkling:
1.-THE ablest and most brilliant man of the
New York delegation was Roscoe Conkling. He
had been elected to the preceding Congress
when but twenty-nne years of age, aud had ex-
hibited an eloquence and readiness in debate
that at once placed him in the front rank. His
command of language was remarkable. In
affiuent and exuberaut dcton Mr. CQnkling
was never surpassed in either branch of Con-
gress unless, perhaps. by Rufus Choate."
His work during the sessions OF this Congress
stamped him of the foremost debaters and
statesmen Of the day. His speeches ques-
tons of the war, his opposition to the legal
tender act, one of the very few times he put him
self in opposition to the party and his efforts in
behalf of various measures for the reconstruc-
ton of the Southern States part of the
history of that memorable decade. He was a
member of the joint committee reconstruc-
ton, and was leader in the great debates on
that question.
Mr.. Conklings quarrel with Mr. Blaine, ars-
ing from personalities used in debate in the
House in 1865 has exercised remarkable infu-
upon the fortunes OF the two men. and
upon the political history of their country. 1t
a strong element in the defeat of Mr.. Blaine
in the Cincinnati convention of 1876 and aPain
at Chicago in 1884, and elected Mr.. Cleveland
President. It also led indirectly to the Quarrel
of Conkling with Garfield, the resignation of
ConklioR and Plat, the assassination of Gar
field. and the fatal embitterment of the Repub-
Iican factions in New York State. These Incl
dents have become part of the history of the
country.
Mr.. Conklng was unfortunate in his quarrels.
His enemies he has usually characterized in
terms which forever after forbade reconciliation.
He quarreled with Cornell. never forgiving him
for not attending conference in New York in
1881, when all his friends were to decide on his
course after resigning his seat. Mr.. Conkling
spoke of the Governor afterward that lizard
the hill" He quarreled with Chester A.
Arthur because he when President. would not
appoint John f. Smythe, of Albany, collector
of the port of New York. and remove w.
FL. Robertson to make the necessary
said the President ''Robertson's appointment
caused the trouble between you and Mr.. Gar
field, and indirectly led to the Presidents death.
Why, the entire matter would be reopened.
MALIGNANT critics would have a chance to widen
the breach that already demoraizes the party
Mr. Conkline Quilted the White House abruptly.
saying that the consequences the President
Greatly feared would prove only temporary
After that the Conkling men spoke of Mr.. Ar
thur only as the dude in the White House
Mr.. Conkling disagreed with Andrew s. Draper,
and fell out with Charles Emory Smith. or
Little Charley Smith," as he ever aften called
him. He lost the friendship of Ellis FL. Roberts,
and. in fact, turned it to angry enmity
In 1876 Mr.. Conkling received nearly 100 votes
the first ballot for the Republican presi-
Dental nomination in the Cincinnati convention.
The nomination of Hayes dsgruntled him. and
the administration Of Hayes utterly Disguised
him. In those four years, it is said, he never
set foot in the executive mansion. He was a
warm advocate of the electoral commission bill
in 1877 and delivered a two-dsys speech in
advocacy of il when The measure was before the
Senate. Although he did not oppose the find
ings of the commission in the Senate he did
not vote to sustain them but conspicuously alb
scented himself when the adjudication OF the
commission in the Florida case came mp for APP
prevail 1t was owing to the common belief that
he did believe Mr. Hayes a good one, that
be was not made member of the commission,
Mr.. Frelinghuysen being finally chosen in his
stead.
In 1880 Mr.. Conkling was q warm advocate of
the nomination of General Grant for . third
term. and led the Grant forces in the Chicago
convention. His speech nominating the ex
President, beginning:
When asked what State he halls from
Our sole response shall be,
He comes from Appomattox
And its famous apple tree
has become famous 1t was Mr. Conkiing, too,
who offMAd the resolution pledgine every mem
Der Of tNB convention TO support The nominee,
whoever that nominee may be-" and whom
three DELEGATES voted no" II was Mr. Conkiing
delegates. In the warm discussion which fol-
lowed, General Garfield played the part OF
peacemaker and the incident gave him an op
nortnnitv to make that favorable impression
upon the convention which largely pro-
NOTED his nomination four days later.
He accepted the nomination OF Garfield reluct-
family. and only consented to advocate Garfeld's
election toward the close of the Campaign
Blaine and Conkling quarrelled when they were
both members OF the House of Representatives,
during the civil war, and the appointment of
Blaine to the chief Office in Gar6eld's Cabinet
was accepted by Conkiing and his friends as a
declaration of by the new administration
on The New York Senator. War formally
declared when Judge Robertson, of Westches-
ter, an avowed opponent of Conkline, was NOM
mated for collector of customs at New York.
Conkling endeavored to prevent confirmation by
the Senate of Collector Robertson, and failing,
resigned his seat in that body, together with his
colleague, Mr.. Platt. They appealed to the
New York Legislature for Endorsement by
means of reelection. but were defeated by
Lapham and Miller. The fight at Albany was
one of the most bitter and in some respects the
most disreputable in the political history of the
country.
With the incoming of Arthur il was the COM
mon expec tation that Conkling would again be
power. and for weeks, extending even TO
months the public curiosity attended every
move which might imply place for the ex-
Senator AS he had already declined a seat on