New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-03
THE LATE ALBERT H. TRACY-POLITI-
Cal HISTORY


TIE de..h Of THE Distinguished gentleman has
broreh, GU. eome remiui.eences connected VIA rs
potiesl life which are bi.tore.ly incorrect in point
Of fact ard il s due to the memory OF Mr. irsey A.
vel az 70 the truth Of history, tina, they should be
ceuseted.
yu AiJany Eres,rg Journal shish ought to be
good authority ia reeo!ectohs of tbis kind, says:
" But for that sepu a.or Imearpg that of Mr. Tracy
"srom the Wig party in 1899, Mr.. Tracy would
have been the Wig nominee for Vice-Piesider.
with Gen. Harrison, and, consequently, Pfesidsut
"ipste.d Of John Tyler" Under another date, The
ErtniHe Journal remarks: Though not openly Jet
VIRTUALLY, Mr.. Tracy Jeff. the Wing parry in ls1s'
Tni, latter statement is true thus giving distinct
contradiction to the frst unless assuming the hypoih
.,i. a. certain that had Mr.. I. remained Wbiy he
would have been the Nominee Of that party, n any
,r.nt for Vice President. In relation 10 tns, fact-tns
ro1s1a,iop Of President ard Yice-Presoent, a. Har
rjsburgt. in December ls39-Gsr. Scott wac the frat
cboic. Of the Ns~.YoIk deies ates. lie hailed from
yueitis and according to all rules previously gov
epc II selection o. Presidential candidates, had hs
been the nominee, the Vice-President wouli have
been claimed BY the North. But Ner.Yok had net
got 80 far az that Satisfied with securing the rom-
nation Of Gen Scott, mad they accomplished it, they
would have been content to defer the selection Of
Vce-Pretde1t 10 the ether States. Least Of al
would they have offered Nr. Tracy, for his name was
not mentioned for that Office considered TO beopg
in reality, to the Wing party. Dir Tallmadge, then
cspysfsirg for the Office Of United States Senator in
This State hsvirg failed election by the then lat
Legislature through the disagreement Of the Senate
which was still Jackson-Vsn Buren, as sg,inst the
Assembly which was Wing, and had nominated Mr..
Tainsdge for that office dad rant the nomination for
Vice-PIesdent also in case Gen Scott wss nominated
for President, but one cflice at time WAS thought
quite enough for him by bis new party friends.
Gen Harrison was finally nominated, and being
citizen Of Northern State, tie VicePresdency went
South, as a matter CT course, and john Tyler was
nominated. Alter Mr.. Tyer's detection 20 the Wig
party, while actirg President we have It from good
authority that he fered Mr. Tracy seat in his very
chsDgenble Cabinet but for various reasons the latter
gentleman declined it.
1t may seem extraordinary that man so generally
known in this State possessing the high mental
qualifications Of Mr.. Tracy, gifted with such rans-
cendent cooquial powers, and elevated so early in
life as the age OF twenty-five years to seat IN Con-
gress, which he occupied for six consecutive years,
and quilted with reputation to himself and general
admiration Of HE abilities, should not aferward have
filed offices Of still higher distinction. But when the
peculiar structure Of his mind is considered and bis
own just appreciation Of his own faculties is under
stood, his eter political course is plain one. His
physicsl frame and bodily health were shattered in
1925 by extreme illness, from which he never fully
recovered and but partially for several years .hers-
after. That was the principal cau.e OF his declining
to serve longer in Congress, where he might have re-
NAMED aImost indefinitely at his own will la 1922
his name was, uted. with some Others, in the
Senate Of this State as candidate for the United
States Senate and he nominated by that body for
the Office az agains. Judge Spencer, the nominee Of
the Assembly, who were Of opposite politics to the
Senate. This latter body were determined that Judge
S. should not be elected, and were willing to use the
name of Mr. Tracy, or almost any one else TO defeat
bim-not that the Senate would have selected Mr..
Tracy at all if they had the power to elect as well as
TO ate for he was not of their party, they be-
ing Bucktais and Mr.. Tracy Clntonian, as also was
Judge Spencer. For thus permitting his name TO be
used by the Senate, the Judge never forgsve Mr.
Tracy supposiDg he had, by such course, aided IN
his own defeat.
Somewhat regaining bis health, ami being sue
ceeded in Congress by Mr.. Garnsy of Chsutauque,
man Of very moderate abi ties, Mr.. Tracy was in
duced by his friends to again run for Congress in 1896
but Mr.. Garnsy having succeeded in obtaining from
Congress important local harbor improvements his
constituents considered it urgrateeu not TO re-eect
him. and Mr.. Tracy defeated by small msjority.
Soon after that Gov. Clinton appointed him Judge OF
the With Judicial Circuit, which, from the INSULT
cient condition of his health, he declined.
In 1899 the Anti Masonic party, to which Mr.. Tracy
had recently become attached, being in full power in
Western New York elected bun to the State Senate,
and being reelected in 1888 he remained il that body
eight years There he established the high legal rep
utstion By bis luminous opinions given in that body
as Court Ct Erors, and on which his public fame
vii hereafter mainly rect. AS politician, from bis
habitua dis.rus Of Affirmative party action, he would
never have achieved high position. Entering the
New.York Serate with William II. Maynard Of Utica
ana William ii. Seward of Auburn-the former a vet
e1an in both law and politics, aud the latter stripping
in either-his already tablished repu' ion placed
him next only to Maynard, and in political influence
far above every other Senator Of his party. But
Maynard died. ard Mr.. Tracy had his strength
and his Doubling temperament permitted, might have
assumed the leadership If his paity-now become by
assimilation with the National Republicans, Wing |
with no one to question his right claim to that high
position. But he was both political doubter and a
skeptic With wonderful power. of rstiocinstion
viewing and handling all subjects with oleaness and
ingenuity on every side lie came TO few certain con
cusens-a monstrous fault, either 10 politician or
statesman. Thus while his fellow Senators, legis
latos or with the law Judges in the Court Of Errors
Es,eIe with the highest pleasure TO his Arguments
and yielded profound respec to his legal opinions ard
social circles sat entranced in the charm of his COLO
quL powers, lis political associates failed TO receive
Lis warm and vigorous cooperation and gradually
withdrew the confidence with which they had
been inspired 10 their earlier associations. Mr.