New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-04-25

the New York vote was thrown almost SOL
idly for the Ohioan. insuring his nomination
In 1880 Mr. Conkling appeared in the ma
tlonal convention at Chicago as the clam
p1on OF Gen. Grant. and his speech of NOM
1natlon. IN which occurred the passage: you
ask where our candidate halls from, and the
answer is, from ADpomattox" has become
celebrated. 1t was MIR. Conkling, too. who
oHered the resolution pledging every mem
Der OF the convention to support the nom
inee, whoever that nominee may be. .
and when three delegates voted snon
it was Mr.. Gonkling who offered a
resolution expelling the three delegates In
the warm discussion which followed Gen.
G eI played the part OF peacemaker. and
Ihe incident gave him an opportunity to
make that favorable Impression upon the
convention which largely promoIed his
nomination four days later. In the diff
culties following the presidential election of
1876, Dir. Conkling took conspicuous part.
notably in the framing and passage of the
electoral commission act.
Perhaps The greatest mistake in life was
his resignation from the United States SEN
ate in 1880. 1t was occasioned by what he
deemed the arbitrary and unjust conduct of
President Garfield in insisting on the con-
hrmation of Gen. Robertson as collector of
the port of New York. The public were not
in sympathy with his movement and the
fair fame of Mr.. Conkling suffered at the
hands of popular resentment. After retiring
to private life he devoted himself to the
practice of law in New York city, and man
aged several Important cases with great sue
cess.
COMPILING AND BLAINE
Mr.. Conklings quarrel with Mr.. Blaine,
arising from personalities used in debate in
the house in 1865, has exercised remarkable
influence upon the fortunes of the two men
and upon the political history of their coun-
try. 1t was strong elementi in the defeat of
4 n a limo noff mo of
1876 and again at Chicago in 1880, and
elected Mr. Cleveland president. 1t also led
indirectly to the quarrel of Conkling with
Garfield, tho RESIGNATION of Conkling and
Piatt, the assassination of Garfield. and the
fatal enlightenment of the Republican fac
lions in New York state. Mr.. Blaine
did not enter congress until 1868, or
four years after Nh Conkling, but in his
book he thus speaks OF him: "The ables5
aid most brilliant man OF the New York
delegation was Roscoe Conkhng. He had
been elected to the preceding congress when
only Twenty-Five years of age and had ex-
hibited an eloquence and readiness in de-
bate that at once placed him in the front
rank. His command of language was re-
rlarkahle In atf1uen5 and exuberant die
ton Mr.. Conkling was never surpassed in
either branch of congress, unless perhaps
by Rufus Choate." Mr. Conkling did not
often speak in those days, but on few
occasions he gave such evidence of the
possession of those powers of eloquence to
which MIR. Blaine refers that he quickly
took rank as one of the orators OF
congress. The day that congress convened
IN December, 1861, he created sensation
by Introducing a resolution requesting the
secretary of war ito report to the house
whether any, and if any, what measures
have been taken to ascertain who is respon-
sible for the disastrous movement of our
troops at Balls Bluff" The secretary of
| war, in answer to Mr.. Conklings resolution,
stated that Maj Gen Mcclellan, command
| ing the army. SIS OF opinion that an inquiry
on the subject on the resolution would at
| this time be injurious to the public service -
Mr.. Conkling was not satisfied, and i'm
| mediately offered another resolution looking
| to the same end The debate which followed
brought him out in his first forensic effort
His speech on this occasion gave him ma
tlonal fame in day.