The sun., 1890-01-12


we're Gre seem ashes on the pare"
IT,
II was at an unusually early age that Roscoe
Conkline first held public oflce. He lacked
six months OF being 21 when he was appointed
By Governor Fish to flll vacancy In the post Of
| District Attorney Of Oneida county. His du-
ties in this of1oe gave him practice In the art
OF thinking swiftly and talking fiuently on his
| feet Like other tyros In oratory. he was at
first awkward In gesture and prone to hesita-
| ton in speech He had. It seems, q trick OF
| talking with his arms akimbo. But these faults
| we're soon corrected. and within eight years
after his admission TO the bar he had become
one OF the most efficient jury lawyers in CEN
| trail New York. winning cases even against
Joshua A. Spencer, the most distinguished ad-
vocate in that section at the time This fact
was forgotten by those who predicted failure
for ConkllnR. when, after Withdrawing from
public life. he resumed the practice Of his pro-
fession In New York oity. Tho second step In
his political career was made in 1858. whom he
was chosen Mayor OF Utica. In the autumn Of
the same year he was elected member OF the
House OF Representatives, and was thrice re-
nominated and twice reelected BY the same con-
stituency His experience In the lower House
OF Congress lasted from 1859 to 1868, and again
from 1865 to March 4. 1857 whom he took
the seat in the Senate, which he was TO- hold
for fourteen years. During his three terms In
the popular branch Of the Federal Legislature
ConklinR sided with the advanced radicals, or.
to use the phrase OF tho day. BLACK Republic
cans" who, under the leadership OF Thaddeus
Stevens. opposed the conciation OF the border
States by the insertion OF guarantees OF slavery
in the Constitution. preferred the abolition Of
slavery to the early termination Of the war
under Democratic Generals, and In reoonstruc-
tive legislation were animated by the purpose
to make sure what had been won. Only once
during this period did Conkling separate him
self from his radical comrades. He opposed
the Legal Tender act. but there is reason to
believe that In this particular ConklinR, who
was no expert in finance. rather reflected q
certain current OF opinion In New York than
expressed any Independent convictions Of his
own. We should mention that In the chapters
dealing with this part OF his subjects public
life the biographer makes no reference to the
passage at arms between Conkling and Blaine.
In which the former. far from coming of VIC
torious. was wounded to the quick. In the
court rooms Of New York inland towns ConklinE
had the reputation Of being master OF sar-
oRsm-a reputation gained for the most part by
impertinent not to say offensive personal allu-
sion. The cup which he had made others
drink OF was In the House Of Represen-
tatives pushed to his own lips. and in the
comparison Of Conkling with a strutting.
ruf1ing. and gobblinR turkey cock there was
aranklinR verisimilitude. This 10 not the only |
instance Of well-meant suppression In this |
volume. On page 53S the biographer says that |
he is about to give the full and correct text"
Of his subjects speech at the Rochester Con- |
vention in September. 1877. yet on page $40 |
epithets applied to Mr. George William Curtis, |
which were deplorable In point Of TASTE and |
could only have elicited approval from the bas- |
or portion Of the audience. Our own opinion is |
that, while the main purpose OF the speech was |
fully justified by the distinctly foreshadowed |
course Of Mr.. Hayes. and by the disputable
nature OF his title to the Presidency. yet the
tone Of the paragraphs levelled at Mr.. Curtis
did the speaker irreparable harm. A man who
had never been known to say q discourteous
word of others should not have been subjected
to vulgar insult. We may add that the biog-
rapher has done we'll not to reproduce any of
the abusive personalities launched by Conkling
at Horace Greeley in the campaign Of 1874
HI.
There 10 no doubt that Conkling was en-
dowed with the physical attributes OF An
orator. He was six feet three inches tall: his
head was we'll shaped, his eye was expressive.
his features were mobile His shoulders
were broad and he never suffered from the
abdominal rotundity which is apt to come with
age ae was by nature athletic and habitually
cultivated muscular viRor. He would have
been graceful could he have outgrown self
and an irresistible propensity to
pose. To the last, in his carriage. bearing, and
gesture there was something studied and
theatrical which was not adapted to impress
we'll bred people. however magnificent" 1t
may have seemed to low-grade politicians or
agriculturists. As to his prepa-
rstions for public speaking the statements
made by the biographer are not altogether rec
oncilsble. On page 26 we are told that. except
On two occasions in the Presidential campaign
of 1852. ConklinR's stump speeches were never
written out before delivery. Yet. on page 976.
We learn that his first speech in q campaign
was usually written out. 1t was statement of
he case. and became the basis for o series OF
speeches." Where tho whole speech was not
written out and committed to memory. he
lsed memoranda Of topics and OF epiGram-
natic sayings jotted down upon the backs
" envelopes. We are here referring to pro-
neditated speaking; It is not to be disputed
hat Conkling was ready and effective In de-
,ate. To his powers of spontaneous advocacy
md retort they who have heard him In tho ex-
cutive sessions Of the Senate bear conclusive ,
His diction and method Of delivery
re discussed at length by the author OF this ,
memoir. He was fond OF quoting the Bible
md Of introducing short poetical extracts. /,
lis preference for short words Is perhaps, we ..
re told, attributable to his intimacy with .
Governor Seymour. The latter 1t seems. once
Erote an address to school teachers consisting :
hiefy Of monosyllables. On this point we :
nay remark that they who are not Latin and :
ireek scholars do wisely to conflne them
elves as closely as possible to words Of
.nRlo-Saxon origin. While speaking It was =
onklinG's habit to be intensely in earnest y
Ie would utter the tritest saying with such an
Impressive manner that large audience would .
stem to 1t intently. 1t was from the first his y
ustom to watch individuals in tho audience,
nd to select two or three persons to whom his 3
,ok and voice should be particularly address, .
d. Whom speaking to large assemblies no !.
ave special attention to the enunciation OF y
no vowels; he was slow and careful to pro- :,