ARTHUR, CLEVELAND, AND ELAINE 1881-1884 193 



taken the leading part in his support, knocked at the door, 

 and called for Mr. Levi P. Morton, previously a member 

 of Congress, and, several years later, Vice-President of 

 the United States and Governor of New York. Mr. Morton 

 came out into the corridor, and thereupon the visitors said 

 to him, "We wish to give the Vice-Presidency to New York 

 as a token of good will, and you are the man who should 

 take it; don't fail to accept it." Mr. Morton answered 

 that he had but a moment before, in this conference 

 of his delegation, declined the nomination. At this the 

 visitors said, "Go back instantly and tell them that you 

 have reconsidered and will accept; we will see that the 

 convention nominates you. ' ' Mr. Morton started to follow 

 this advice, but was just too late : while he was outside the 

 door he had been taken at his word, the place which he 

 had declined had been offered to General Arthur, he had 

 accepted it, and so the latter and not Mr. Morton became 

 President of the United States. 



Up to the time when the Presidency devolved upon him, 

 General Arthur had shown no qualities which would have 

 suggested him for that high office, and I remember viv- 

 idly that when the news of Garfield's assassination ar- 

 rived in Berlin, where I was then living as minister, my 

 first overwhelming feeling was not, as I should have ex- 

 pected, horror at the death of Garfield, but stupefaction 

 at the elevation of Arthur. It was a common saying of 

 that time among those who knew him best, l ' i Chef Arthur 

 President of the United States! Good God!" But the 

 change in him on taking the Presidency was amazing. Up 

 to that time he had been known as one of Mr. Conkling's 

 henchmen, though of the better sort. As such he had held 

 the collectorship of the port of New York, and as such, 

 during his occupancy of the Vice-Presidency, he had vis- 

 ited Albany and done his best, though in vain, to secure 

 Mr. Conkling's renomination ; but immediately on his ele- 

 vation to the Presidency all this was changed, and there is 

 excellent authority for the statement that when Mr. Conk- 

 ling wished him to continue, as President, in the subservi- 



I. 13 



