To the other he believed that his election was largely due.

It was asserted by some who were in a position to know that, if the President had taken sides with Mr.Conkling, Mr.Blaine would have immediately tendered his resignation, and thus would have severed his official connection with the administration.

While no intimation of this was made known to the President, yet he no doubt believed, in consequence of the deep and intense interest Mr.Blaine had shown in the matter, that such action on his part, in the event of an adverse decision, was more than probable.
When the President saw that there was no escape,--that he was obliged to take a decided stand one way or the other,--he decided to sustain the contention of his Secretary of State.

Consequently, after the fruitless conference between the President and Senator Conkling, the name of Judge Robertson for Collector of the port at New York, was sent to the Senate.
Senator Conkling, joined by his colleague, Senator Platt, at first made an effort to have the nomination rejected, but the other Republican Senators were not willing to place themselves in open opposition to the administration.

When the fact was developed that the nomination would be confirmed, Senators Conkling and Platt immediately tendered their resignations.
This in my opinion was a grave blunder on their part, as subsequent events more than proved.