Secretary of State, he
volunteered to speak of the situation of the party in New York and of
Mr. Conkling's standing in the State. Among other things, he said that
Mr. Conkling was the only man who had had three elections to the Senate,
and that Mr. Conkling and his friends would be considered fairly in
the appointments that might be made in that State.

When in a conversation with Conkling, I mentioned Blaine's remark, he
said, "Do you believe one word of that?"

I said, "Yes, I believe Mr. Blaine."

He said with emphasis, "I don't."

Subsequent events strengthened Mr. Conkling in his opinion, but those
events did not change my opinion of Mr. Blaine's integrity of purpose
in the conversations of which I have spoken.

My knowledge of the events, not important in themselves, but which
seem to have the relation of a prelude to the great tragedy, was
derived from three persons, Mr. Conkling, Mr. Blaine, and Mr. Marshall
Jewell. At the request of the President, Mr. Conkling called upon him
the Sunday preceding the day of catastrophe. The President gave Mr.
Conkling the names of persons that he was considering favorably for
certain places. To several of these Mr. Conkling made objections, and
in some cases other persons were named. As Mr. Conkling was leaving
he said, "Mr. President, what do you propose about the collectorship
of New York?" The President said, "We will leave that for another
time." These statements I received from Mr. Conkling.

From Mr. Jewell I received the following statement as coming from the
President: When the New York nominations were sent to the Senate, the
President was forthwith in the receipt of letters and despatches in
protest, coupled with the suggestion that everything had been
surrendered to Conkling. Without delay and without consultation with
any one, the President nominated Judge Robertson to the office of
collector of New York. Further, the President said, as reported by Mr.
Jewell, Mr. Blaine heard of the nomination, and he came in very pale
and much astonished.

From Mr. Blaine I received the specific statement that he had no
knowledge of the nomination of Judge Robertson until it had been made.

These statements are reconcilable with each other, and they place the
responsibility for the sudden and fatal rupture of the relations
between Mr. Conkling and the President upon the President. Mr. Conkling
could not fail to regard the nomination of Robertson as a wilful a