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

But the two men we're so TAR apart. The
laughing rollicking, sensitive, joyous Gar
field: complaisant, t,selt-lndulgent, anxious to
see everyone about him so happy, to whom
politics was after all such a game; flexible.
unreasonable, dramatic, willing to make
anv sacrifice for peace; and on the other
hand the stern, imperious, dominant Sena-
Tor, to whom the slightest political incident
had the gravity of the Magma Charta; aus
tere. reserved, an anchorite; never uncon-
Ecious of his own personality, nor timid in
asserting it, of the wcrld, but above it; ex-
acting, almost burdensome, in friendship,
implacable in enmity. No two men could
have been less in unison, nor can / conceive
the possibility of a universe large. enough
to have permitted their existence together
in state Of harmony or recognition.
And snCh 4 Cabinet. When the Garfield
Cabinet came it vexed the Senator. And
among other acts OF unspeakable folly, of
giving way TO Grade, interested advice; of
once more surrendering his own Judgment,
which was never wrong to the impertunities
Of those who were never right-how could
he in a moment of unspeakable weakness
have done such 4 thing as to 90 to Mentor?
1t was so sorely against his will, for had the
people not observed that Blaine did not go?
Think OF that! How he raved over it.
Blaine not going TO Mentorl Was there not
enough in that to exaspcrate even the mos
patient of men, let alone this suspicious,
irritated statesmen?
HIS OPINION OF THE CABINET.
And such Cabinetl "a statesman-ves,
heavily plated, TO look like silver. A poll
tician. but sEirking his opinions when they
were worth anvthinCi A name. A brother
ir-law! Some clerkSi Why did not the
Executive. after he had agreed with himself
that he must endure MS Secretary of State
that he must even carry on his back this old
man Of the sea, send for the Treasury APP
pointmcnt Clerk, and ask him to detail some
clerks from the upper divisions Of the Treas
urv to complete the Cabinet? 1t would
have been as useful and representative
I remember this as a condensed summary
of Conkling's commentaries upon the Gar
field cabinet, intermingled with running
descriptive phrases. intensely amusing, but
not to be printed now. The incident shows
that when the New York nominations were
made Mr.. COnllling was in state of unrest
toward the Administration, which might
fash into any form of commotion. When
the New York nominations came it was the
general desire, even among those who had
the fortunes of Mr.. Conkling much at heart,
to regard them with indifference. NV re-
membrance is that Grant was of this
mind. At least I inferred as much from a
letter Grant wrote to me from Galveston on
his way TO Mexico, aliuding to the nomira
ton OF Robertson to be Collector Of the
Port, whicn showed that it was nos kill
ing matter and expressing the hope that
Garfield would soon be out of his patronage
troubles and sailing over smooth seas to a
successful administration.
Grant did not return from Mexico until
the battle was on, and then the instinct of
hattie asserting itself his heart was in the
y~I- gs bo D,,+ Tool-1,,,r
must have immediate war-had no patience
with any policy Of silence and Indifference.
AN ADMINISTRATION S HONEYMOON
You can never, " as L ventured to say to
ConkliG@, ''vou can never successfully
quarrel with an administration in its honey
moon. The people will shrink They are
out Of an election fight, why plunge them
into patronage strife? Give them time to
breathe In few months the appointments
will be over and the outs in a mood for
criticism and controversy. You can dig up
or lmproyise some twopence half penny
question which patriotism will no longer
endure. You viii then fight with the hope
OF a responsive public sentiment. Now it is
patriotism wanting office-then it will be
patriotism disappointed in Office. Patriot
ism is now against you. Remember
Douglas war on Buchanan, his anti
4-ttt4ll HlOl tNNlIONGTSN. DOuHldS ildu u
grievance and in that found his pretext
Remember how Sumner and Schurz opened
up on the French Arms sale against Grant
Il was their preteXt. | believe in righteous
indignation but there is a time for it to
speak and a time for silence. The time for
silence is in a honeymoon of the new ad
miulstration."
ROBERTSON IN THE CONVENTION.
was furthermore strengthened in this
opinion from the story told General Grant
and myself by the late Mr. Chaffee, of Col
orado, that Mr.. Robertson had gone to the
convention which nominated Garfield as an
original Garfield man, and that Blaine was
O nominal. not real choice. 1t was the be- |
lief OF Chaifee, and 1 know that he con-
veved il to Grant as a fact within his own |
knowledge, that Robertson, having de- |
SPARED of driving the Blaine chariot over
the fiery furnace of the Grant flames, had |
evolved Garfield as a possibility, had ap- |
preached Chaffee with request for aid. |
Chaffee, however, was Blaine enthusiast |
and had no second choice. After Blaine |
anyone would do, and he was without ami |
mositieS toward either Conkling or Grant |
With Robertson, however, Csnkling had |
risen TO the dignity of fanaticism. Robert |
son opposed Grant, not because he disliked |
the General or had the slightest doubt of his |
patriotism, but because Grants reelection
meant his own political destruction in New /
York, and with him that of Hustled, De- |
pew, Roberts, Evarts, Bliss, Choate-who-
ever ventured to breathe without looking
with the Islam ewes of prayer and adora-
tion toward the Prophet of Utica.
But Robertson meant Blaine, to the angry
eyes OF COnkling. Never receptive in the |
matter of advice, he didn't take mine, |
thus cynlcally given, in good part. For, |
said the prophet, 81 do well to be angry |
even unto death" This was his mood. |
His temper in those days was so volcanic |
that ! studied my peace of mind, and pre- |
served my admiration for Conkling, by |
keeping away. 1 had no heart in his coun-
ellis, not much belief in the policy they in
spired
SENATOR Combines RESIGNATION.
His resignation from the Senate was
q surprise. 1 knew of it first in the pub
lie journals. Ii was splendid and conclu-
sive. You must admire the scornful re-
nunciatiOn. Here was a man, who could
afford to do right no matter the sacrifice.
a sentiment of grumbling approval when
we heard he had resigned. Here, again,
was Coriolanus, the old Roman once more,
like an eagle in a dove-cote fluttering the
NOlsCes in Corioli But when the news
came that after the drama of the renuncia-
tion there was to be the melodrama of the
re-election-it chilled! Coriolanus had be-
come Buffalo Bill, and the finest political
incident in the drama of American politics
was to descend into a bar-room brawl, and
the pititul vranglings Of q legislative eau
Gus at Albany
And the friendships, the fair and noble
friendships, which in their fruitage and
their bloom had meant so much in the early
COnEling dayS when this oone1v vouno |