Year: 1877

But with the domestic concerns of the people |
of Louisiana he will not interfere. He will
not have anything to say on the subject of
the destruction of


THE PACKARD GOVERNMENT,
except in regard to its legal existence prior to
it's collapse for want of force to sustain it."


"But you have still failed to make this
point quite clear to me- will Mr.. Conkling' s
attitude be designed to renvigorate the old
Radical hatred OF the South and to renew the
bitterness of the last ten years ? That Is what
I am particularly interested in finding out.


again, | say, Mr.. Conkling will discuss
the question of Mr.. Kellogg's claim TO seat
in the Senate on purely legal grounds and
will carefully abstain from all semblance Of
political oratory He believes Kellogg is en-
titled to the seat and will 50 hold irrespect-
i've of all political and with an eye single to
legal considerations. Beyond this | can as
sure you he will not santagonize the Southern
policy of the Administration for the reason
that this is all there is of the Southern pol
icy practical enough for Mr. Conkling to
handle, If for no other You know Senator
Conkling never undertakes to handle or deal
with anything except practical facts


Now it was a surprise to me to learn these
things because had always counted on Mr..
Conkling as one of those Republicans who
would vote against the seating Of Brindle
Bill. / am not sure but there is a list on file
against me in the DEMOCRAT, telegraphed
from Washington last spring. in which
COnklng Is set down as one Of four or
five Republican Senators who could be de-
~, 4I, ,t:S
which Senator Bayard moved to amend by
inserting the word mot" and it may be that
put him down as likely to vote for Bayard's
amendment. If 50, I still think that cor
| reettliy represented his attitude at that time
though, perhaps, he did not regard the pro-
posed action then as final. But the election
of Spofford makes the issue now tinal and
have no reason to doubt that my informant
has given me a most accurate definition Of
Mr.. Conkling's present views and future de-
signs in the premises.


| Now word as to the convention. As said
before Mr.. Conkling had it all his own way.
He is certainly supreme in the councils of the
Republican party in this State and will secure
a large majority of the Republican State
Senators who are to be chosen this fall
|
jority in


THE STATE SENATE


or not is quite another matter. / think it will
be very close probably not more than one or
| two majority either way, with chances in
favor of the Democrats, unless the senseless
fight between Tilden, Tammany and John
Morrissey results in a sacrifice of some OF
the city districts AS to


| THE LOWER HOUSE OF THE LEGISLATURE


there will be no fight, except, of course, MIR.
Conkling would like to have his friends in the
ascendancy there as well as In the Senate.
But the lower house, which assists in choos-
ing United States Senator will not be chosen
this fall. The fight is solely on the State Sen
ate which holds over and takes part in the
choice of q Senator year from this winter.


The weakness of


THE OPPOSITION TO MIR. CONKLING


has been, as his friend just said to me, of the
bulk of Hayes Southern policy" that it was
''all wind and froth," while the strength of
Conkling has been the devotion of himself
and his friends to such practical
facts" as primary elections and
county conventions. So it always
will be as long as the President allows his
administration to be run by professional re-
formers like Schurz, for whom nobody has
any respect except Hayes, and in whom no.
body has any confidence except his own self.
ConkIing is wise, willy, far-sighted man,
keenly versed in the art of manipulating
human nature and controlling men and thus
he will always get the start of managers like
Schurz, whose strength OF character is con-
fined to his egotism and whose strength OF
purpose is bounded by his selfishness.
A, G. B.