Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-07-07
WHAT pIp CoNkIINe sAyf

W W fth N'N " tttN' "a
once more there is a revival %
newspaper controversy over the ex-
act words used by Roscoe Conklins
in the magnificent oratorical effort he
put furth in placing General Grants
name before the Republican National
Convention az Chicago. in 1850, for
the Presidential nomination. Senator
Conkiing was leader of the Grant
forces In that mernora BILE contest end
his nominatin address So stirred the
convention that the upruarious ap~
plause continued uninterruptedly fu'.
thirty-five minutes, the first instance
uf the extreme noise mania" which
IN recent years has become notorious
at the national gatherings Of great
political parties.
During the primary campaign pre-
Cp,iing the national convention, the
Grant cohorts made the country ring
with the refrain uf popular cam
paign contribution by Private Miles
o'Renly." running as follows:
when asked what state he halls from
Our sole reply shall ~
He comes from Appomattox
And its famous appie tree
The controversy which has been
continued, at intervals. since thai
noted political event OF more than
forty years ago is. first. whether Sena-
tor Conkhng really employed this uro-
tatirn as the opening remarks ~ his
nominating address; second. whether
H. rrnploved the forn quoted aIpnvc
or ono somewhat different but ~ tho
same effect
II those who were familiar with
the fmpcrious ,orklinE. at that time
Al the zenith ~ his public career. Il
does not seem pnssihle that he should
have made oratortcal use Of a comp
let that Sounds too much like What ve
cali 4 adrtv q ~ congenial to him
ConkHngs dignity was uf high order,
end there are many who bold that Re
would have considered it beneath him
to give countenanc 70 any quotation
that did not measure with his high
conceptions ~ oratorical effect AMI
he was one II the countr1'R create
orators At that time.
The newspaper reports " that his
,oric political event DO NOT afford re-
Liable evidence On one side Or the
other. as they differ materially. Some
credi,ing Cnnkling with the use of
the quotation and others making no
reference to it, Nj Alfred K. Cenk-
ling, relative of Grants eloquent
champion. and his hiographer. gives
credence 10 the reported lec of the
quotation. and in his book presents
it il the form given above
But the late Thomas y. Cooper of
Media Pa. who was one of the closest
political observers of his time and =
man Of remarkable ability in collatiug
political history. and also was dele
gate to tha Republican National CON
vention Of 1880 gives testimony which
seems TO leave the contention that
Conkline used the alleged "ditts with
little basis Of fact. IN his very in
teresting work American Politics.
he includes among the Great
Speeches on Great Issues the mooted
address by Conkling, and sets forth
his opening as follows When asked
whence comes our candidate. we say
from Appomauox
Now. that sounds more like Conk-
ling. Preface il with the formal ad
dress: MIR President and Gentle
men Of the Republican National Con
vention," and let the imagination re-
vert 10 ConkIings impressive pres
ence and magnificent oratory, and ali
who knew the man or are at all fam
liar with his history. viii incline to
the opinion that Mr. Cooper has re-
corded him faithfully, and that he
merely employed the sentiment in
cluded i" Private Miles o'Renly's"
rhyme to direct il to a more nohla
and effective ora torical purpose
However. the controversy is or,
again. and doubtless will continue in
definitely without positive deter
mination. But we incline 70 pin otr
faith to the Cooper version.
AN ENPMy IN TuE LIN1r