"
His men received the gallant boast
With shouts that shook the rocks around.
But hark, a voice? old Arcote's ghost
Calls out, in anger, from the ground,
"If here your bones you mean to lay,
Then, damn it, I'll take mine away."
I do not know that I can give a fair and impartial estimate
of Roscoe Conkling. I never had any personal difficulty
with him. On the other hand, he was good enough to say of
a speech which I made in the Presidential campaign of 1872,
that it was the best speech made in the country that year.
But I never had much personal intercourse with him, and formed
an exceedingly unfavorable opinion of him. He was an able
man, though not superior in ability to some of his associates.
I do not think he was the equal in debate of Mr. Blaine,
or of Carl Schurz, or, on financial questions with which the
latter was familiar, of John Sherman. But he was undoubtedly
a strong man. His speech nominating Grant at the National
Convention of 1880 was one of very great power. But he was
unfit to be the leader of a great party, and was sure, if
he were trusted with power, to bring it to destruction.
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