CONKLING AND FOLGER- 1867 -1868 139 



ing Judge Folger to the great Lord Chancellor Eldon, of 

 whom it was said that, despite his profound knowledge 

 of the law, "nojaan^ever did so much good as he pre- 

 vented. " The result was that the bill was passed by the 

 Senate in spite of the judiciary committee. 



During the continuance of the discussion Judge Folger 

 had remained in his usual seat, but immediately after the 

 passage of the bill he resumed his place as president of the 

 Senate. He was evidently vexed, and in declaring the 

 Senate adjourned he brought the gavel down with a sort 

 of fling which caused it to fly out of his hand and fall in 

 front of his desk on the floor. Fortunately it was after 

 midnight and few saw it; but there was a general feeling 

 of regret among us all that a man so highly respected 

 should have so lost his temper. By common consent the 

 whole matter was hushed; no mention of it, so far as I 

 could learn, was made in the public press, and soon all 

 seemed forgotten. 



Unfortunately it was remembered, and in a quarter 

 which brought upon Judge Folger one of the worst dis- 

 appointments of his life. 



For, in the course of the following summer, the Constitu- 

 tional Convention of the State was to hold its session and 

 its presidency was justly considered a great honor. Two 

 candidates were named, one being Judge Folger and the 

 other Mr. William A. Wheeler, then a member of Congress 

 and afterward Vice-President of the United States. The 

 result of the canvas by the friends of both these gentlemen 

 seemed doubtful, when one morning there appeared in the 

 "New York Tribune," the most powerful organ of the Re- 

 publican party, one of Horace Greeley's most trenchant 

 articles. It dwelt on the importance of the convention 

 in the history of the State, on the responsibility of its 

 members, on the characteristics which should mark its 

 presiding officer, and, as to this latter point, wound up 

 pungently by saying that it would be best to have a presi- 

 dent who, when he disagreed with members, did not throw 

 his gavel at them. This shot took effect ; it ran through 



