New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-27
JAMES G. BLAINE.
GAIL HAMI1TON's BIOGRAPHY OF THE
STATESMAN.
HIS VIEWS OF LINCoLN-ANECDoTEs OF THE
coNKLING CoNTRovERsY-RELATIoN WITH
GENERAL GRANT-THE FATHER AND
HIS cHnDREN-HIs coMrREHEN-

GENERAL oRANT-TnE FATHER AND
;, HIS CHILDREN-HIs CoMrREHEN-
srvE POLICIES.
The Compromised biography OF James G..
Blaine" (he Henry Bill Publishing Company. au-
thorixed by the family and written by Gail Hamil-
ton hae Just been issued. The story Of the Sccre-
tary's life was brought down 10 the eve or the
Presidential campaign Of 1892 by Miss Dodge,
when she was Frustrated by the Illness which for
some time threatened to end her life At the re-
ouest Of Mrs. Blaine. Harriet Prescott Spofford
nut together the notes left by Miss Dodge and
completed the work. The biography begins with
the story Of the Blaines and Gilbraiths from
whom James G. Blaine descended. and fol-
lowe his early life in Pennsylvania. his years OF
teaching and his early career as an editor In Au-
gusta. Then his start in politics is traced
IMPRESSIONS OF LINCOLN.
He went as a delegate to the convention of 1861
and favored Lincoln. while his partner in the pro-
prietorship Of THE Kenncbec Journal and those
Of his friends whom ne did not succeed In convert
ing on the way to Chicago favored seward.
After the convention he went to Springfield ana
thus wrote home his impression OF his candida'e'
came here yesterday from Chicago In company
with the committee appointed by the Natlonal
Convention to notify Mr.. Lincoln OF his nominal
ton We reached here before sunset, and were
received hy a tremendous crowd al the depot con-
Quoted to the hotel. treated to handsome supper
and then taken to Mr.. Lincoln's residence where
Mr. Ashmun. OK Massachusetts,, chairman OIL the
committee. formally notified him or Ms nomiha-
ton and Mr. Lincoln accepted II i'll most ad-
c,irable pertinent. and brief speech. We were
all then formally presented to him. and also TO
his wife, who Is very ladyk- and quite good
hooking pcrscn Lincoln himself is a far better
looking man than you would expect from the
miserable caricature sent you. II is ike MN, TO
be sure. but a most grotesque and exaggerated
painting of h!s phiz and features.
While very awkward-lootng nan. you reaiize
at that it is the. awkwardness OF genius
rather than any proof OF the lack or H. -
I think the nomination the very pest tna' coul"
have been made in every way, and nav" no
more doubt OF the election OF the tcke, man l
have that Maine will be carried by the RepuDl-
cans. Governor Morrill, and myself WORKED nara
for Lincoln from the time we reached Cnlcago.
in the result. All the way on: in the cars tried
20 persuade Lot that Lincoln was the man. but he
would not believe ii until after he reached chi
cago. His convictions were then specify sirchS n
eped and confirmed
THE TROUBLE WITH MR. CONKLING.
: One OF the most interesting chapters in the VOL
ume Is the account OF Mr.. Blaine's differences
with Roscoe Conkling. and Miss podge's eXplana-
lions Of the silent an,agonsm which had existed
between the two men before the debate over the
Fry incident
Unhapp!ly Mr. Conkling had also private
grievance At dinner party given by the Hon
Henry G. Deming Of Hartford. the conversation
a newspaper which had been puo!isAed for
little while by Mr. Deming and his friend. Park
Benjamin, and which bore for It's mo'to ''e 'ies'
No pent-up Utica contracts powers.
But the whole boundless Continent is ours
. question arose as to their authority. and the
whole company gayy contributed answers. An
impression prevailed that it was Barlow. Mr.
Conkling offered to bet basket OF champagne
that II was from Addiscn's Cato" MI Blaine
warned him not to make the bet. because ne
knew the authorship. and that the lines were not
from Addison's Cato" Mr.. Conkling was so
sure that he persisted in the bet The lines are
by Jonathan NJ. Sewall. in an "Epilogue to Cato.
written for the Bow Street Theatre In PoIts-
mouth. New-Hampshire.
Mr. Conking sent the basket of champagne.
but took his discontinue so much to heart as to
insinuate that Mr.. Blaine had been reading up
for II, and when Nj Blaine made feast ana
invited all the company to drink the champagne,
Mr.. Conkllng did not attend
OF the results OF the Fry trouble, Miss Dodge
says:
The controversy did not affect Mr. Blaine's
political course. and not pcrcept!bly think. his
political fortunes. The situation was not, IN
deed. without It's humorous side-as AT dinner
where important matters were discussed win
Secretary Fish. and Mr.. Blaine would refer Mr..
Fish to the Senator from New-York as the proper
authority, and Mr.. Conkling addressing also MT
Fish. would presently refer another question TO
the decision OF the Speaker OF the House ON
another day 1t CHANGED that group OF friends.
including both Mr. Blaine and Mr.. Conklng,
were travelling from New-York to Washington,
and enjoying the liveliest nonsense or leisurey
talk One Of them, Mr.. tslnce SenatoD Chandler,
amused himself with contrlving. as opportunity
offered a cu de sac In which 10 entrap Mr.
Blaine and Mr.. Conkling, for the sake of forcing
their skill AT keeping oct In careless manner
Mr.. Conkllng produced some ccnfecton or other
and began TO pass IL around apparently without
thinking Of the gulf fixed between himself and
mis- constructive foe. When 1t should have come
TO Mr.. Blaine. there was visible rudi'nentary
movement OF Mr. Conklings pronering hand to-
ward Mr. Blaine: bu, alas! the habit OF NE
time prevailed his good angel of gayety iorsook
him and fed. more to Mr. ConkIngs chagrin
possibly. than to any other persons Would
you have taken IT Il he had offered r. asked q
friend OF Mr.. Blaincs afterward. Certainly if
Il had choked me-" was the careless reply.
AFTER GARFIELD's ELECTION.
Coming down to 1881, the relations OF tho two
men after the election Of Garfield are detailed:
Mr. ConkllnC had allowed himself TO be par
TALLY conc,iiated before the election. and had
aided In the electoral struggle, hut became an
increasingly prominent object for concuiatioh
after the election General Garfield and MT.
Blaine were equally DESTROYS Of harmony in the
interest Of effectiveness. but neither was Wiling
to sacrifice one faction to another Tney pc
iieved that justice and patience would In the
end destroy faction and beg>t peace. The ques-
ZION was indeed. considered by Mr.. Garfield,
Mr.. Blaine and some others. whether recon
ciliation might not be brought about by asking
Mr. Conkl.ng into the Cabinet General Gar1lcld
thought that II he should accept and there should
be peace. all would be we'll II it we're to be war.
fehtng at short range might be better IMAM
from behind the entertainments OF an Executive
session. Yet he could never quite Ret his own
consent to the suggestion. though there was a
certain audacity In 1t that made 1t interesting.
Mr. Blaine on reflection felt that II would be I'M
wise and impractcable. partly for reasons per
eonai to Mr.. Conklng. partly because II would
produce coalition Cabinet with proverbial fall
IRE waiting upon It, and would ALLEVIATE the 3d.
900 Garfield Republicans of New-York at the out
set.
Mr. Blaine wrote to Mr. Garfield as follows
II would be personally unpleasant and poiti-
rally disastrous 70 have him in Cabinet associa-
tion No Cabinet could get along with him,
nor could the President. He would insult
everybody having business with his Department
whom he did not happen to like, and he really
happens to dislike about ninety-nine In every
hundred Of his acquaintances .Conl,ling Is
bound 70 80 with you, anyway, II your treatment
Of him ba decent and honorable and you will
covar deal otherwise with him. You can al