Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-27

more concerned in politics. And if thi
religious opposition would not down in tn
case of Sheridan, then in. Gresham he saw
an intrepid Republican. I inferred tina
Conkling had been drawn to Gresham b,
the high appreciation in which Grant haC
held the Judge when Gresham served in tht
Western armies. Gresham was one o
| Grants enthusiasms. He had been placed
| suddenly in position of trial and tempta
tion during the war, and there was that il
the behavior of the man-some unique ant
shining quality in the way of honesty-that
won Grants heart. Conkling dwe1t upon
this. 1t was enough for him that Gresham
had been under the Grant benedition. That
to him was perpetual acceptance and absolu
tion.
If not Gresham, then Justice Miller, ther
of the Supreme Court, now unhappily be-
fore another tribunal; and Miller was
sketched in the grand Conkling way. What.
ever was sacred in the genius of the law was
epitomized in Miller. We should take him
while we could, as we would take Marshall
or Jay should the reluctant gods give them
back to our keeping.
There were outbursts of enthusiasm on
,gentler themes, and recall some evenings
when Conkling was never more radiant,
him, as 1 read before me noted in diary,
was at dinner given by John w. Mackay,
among the guests Robert Ingersoll, Charles
Crocker, of California, railroad magnate;
Ochiltree, of Texas; Senator Jones, of Ne
vada; poor, dear, ever to be remembered
Lawrence Jerome-a dinner that can only
bring sad memories, thinking of those pres
ent and since gone, Conkling so inexhaust-
ible in his banter with Mackay for having
provided such wonderful vintages for "tem-
peranee cranks" like himself and most of
the,guests present, and so on. These and
other themes The talk serious to the end
serious and memorable; the themes his
torical-no time or space to recall them
now.
POVERTY OF PUBLIC MEN.
As general thing Conkling in those days
was in reminiscent vein. recall even
ings at his rooms when would listen by
the hour to a stream of extraordinary talk.
One especially, from until 1 in the morn
ing, a monologue-the human mind in won
der at the torrent-and such talkl One of
his themes was poverty-which he dreaded.
He would sweep with abruptness upon the
theme of the misery of poverty in public
life and as the bane of public men. While
he was IN this vein one evening recalled
an incident from Greville, if remember,
about Lord John Russell having to write
magazine articles for income, at time when
his brother was one of the richest peers in
England, and he himself had high place in
politics. This must send him, the whole
story. Povertyl What he might not have
done but for that, when he was in power.
This dreadful poverty. Friends who heard
these conversations marveled, and recall
apprehensions from some who knew and
loved him, that oyerwork-legal cares
something was preying upon his most
sovereign reason, and that there were in
these odd phenomena what boded no good
to the welfare of his body or mind.
There were friends around him in whose
companionship he rejoiced. John W.
Mackay was close to him, and have letter
from Conkling-nothing ever read of his
writings so eloquent-expressive of his dis
appointment at Mackay's. refusal to be
candidate from Nevada for the United States
Senate. 1t was q politica! purpose near to
his heart, and he inveighs,d against the.
obstinacy which, as Mackay said to the Sen
ator, "would insist upon being at home in
silver mine rather than out of place in the
Senate"
OTHERS OF HIS sTAUNCH FRIENDS.
Senator Jones, of Nevada, who had more
influence with him than any of his associ-
ates, was much with him. He had also
found Mr.. Pulitzer, of the World, and one
evening he declaimed over this discovery.
And although 1 had known Mr.. Pulitzer
for years, and had realized what was posi-
Bile to the ravenous and abounding energy
of that distinguished politician and journal
ist, must have the biography all over-the
wonderful story of what was possible to
in the United States. could add
other names many of them, were it proper.
But it would be unjust to close the list
without writing that of the one friend
dearer than others, the Jonathan to his
David. the gifted, high spirited, masterful,
friendly George c. Gorham, of California.
Much might be written of his trenchant,
witty, flashing speeches. 1 presume every
one of his friends has special private vo-
cabulary. But the point of Conkling's wit
was in the manner. $50 and So, yes," as
he once said to me; "the words So and So
and perhdy are synonymous terms" How
l recall so many of these barbed winging
phrases-that so far as this writer is con- .
cerned must forever remain as shafts shot
into the silenss. He was prone to banter;
not always considerate if fun were in the
yocative, and even in amiable moods uncer-
tain, not easy to get on with. "Put Roscoe
in room with a half dozen friends, re-
solved to bewitch them all. He will quar-
rel with one or two before the evening is
over" This was said by one of his earliest
friends.
HIS WoNDRoUS MOHAWK VALLEY.
He was impatient of contradiction, could
be resonant over small annoyances; lie
awake over the idle newspaper adjective of
some tipsy political writer. His life had
developed under narrowed conditions, his
horizon never expanded, and his Judgment
and opinions wanted in perspective.
This" said the Irish car-driver to Thack-
srav, sis the hill of Howth, the highest hill
N all Ireland" 1t was the only hill the poor
BOY had ever seen, remarked Thac ackeray,
Ind was therefore to him the highest in ali
ireland. The Mohawk Valley was Conk-
ing's hill of Howth. From there somehow
lad come the statesmen, the leaders who |
had governed the nation, and there only tho
supreme test of human greatness. have sat |
with him in London, men of world wide |
anne about him, and marveled at the sweep |
md finish of his eloquence; Illustration after |
hat wondrous Mohawk Valley; some aIlu- |
ZION to Wellington recalling some Oneida |
corner grocery warrior, whose career must |
reeds be told: some story abourPeel or Bea- |
,onSfield reminding him of the eloquent |
somebody called Smith, or the astonishing |
NoDody called Jones, whose eloQuenee had |
Won even the admiration of sucn a man as |
fhurlow Weed, or had received the com
nendations even of such a critic as George |
". Demers, whose writings in an Albany |
ournal were familiar to Cabinets and Par
iaments.
have speculated Mt the effect of this mar
owed and narrowing horizon on Conkling.
For here surely WAS a man broad and large |
nough to have filed at least the canvass OF
Metternich or Gortschakoff. In intel
ectual power, in ambition, in marked and
ingular gifts, Conkltng in some respects ex-
eeded any man have ever known
EXPLAINS HIS IRRITABILITY.
His limitations seemed to chafe him, and
nay have explained, perhaps, something of