The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-06-22
That Private Letter.
horace GREELEY TO wx. II. SEWARD.
NEW Yonk. Sat. Eve. Nov. II. 1851.

fitting time To announce to you the dissolu-
ton of the political firm Of Seward, Weed and
Greeley, by the withdrawal Of the junior part
ner-said withdrawal to take effect on the morn
ing after the first Tuesday In February next
And, rs Il may seem great presumption In me
to assume that any such firm exists, especially
since the public was advised, rather more than
n year ago, by an editorial rescript in the Eve
ming Journal formally reading me out OF the
whig party, that was esteemed no longer use
full or ornamental in the concern, you will,
am sure, indulge me In some "reminiscences
which seem to bcft the occasion.
Twas o poor young printer and editor OF
literary journal-a very active and bitter Wing
In small way, but not seeking to be known
out OF my ward committec-when, after the
great political rcyulsion Of 1897, was one day
called to the City Hotel, where two strangers
introduced themselves as Thurlow Weed and
Lewis Benedict, Of Albany. They told me that
cheap campaign paper OF peculiar stamp
at Albany had been resolved on, and that had
been selected to edith. The announcement might
well be deemed hattering by one who had never
even sought the notice Of the great, and who
was not known as partisan writer, and ca
gerly embraced their proposals. They asked
me to fix my salary for the year; named 81 =
600, which they agreed to; and did the work
required to the best Of my ability. II was work
that made no figure and created no sensation;
but loved It and did II well. When 1t was
done you were Governor, dispensing ofi-
ces worth 81, 900 to $40, 900 per annum to your
friends and compatriots, and returned to my
garnet and my crust, and my desperate battle
with pecuniary obligationsAeaped upon me by
bal partners In business and the disastrous
events Of 1887. believe II did not then occur
TO me that some one Of these abundant places
might have been offered to me without injustice;
/ now think that II should have occurred to you.
40. II IA all
YOU for IL; think that should not have been
necessary. l only remember that no friend In
Albany inquired rs TO my pecuniary circum-
stances; that your friend (but not mine) Rob-
ert G. Wetmore was one Of the chief dispensers
of YOUR patronage here; and that such devoted
compatriots rs A. II. Wells and John Hooks
were lifted by you out Of pauperism into indie
pendence, as am glad was not; and yet IN
inquiry from you rs to my needs and means nj
that time would have been timely, and held ever
in grateful remembrance.
I'm the Harrison campaign Of 1910 was again
designated to edit o campaign paper. pub
Iisbed Il rs we'll, and ought to have made some
thing by Il, In spite Of its extremely low price;
my extreme poverty was the main reason why
aid not. II compelled me to hire press-work,
mailing, &C., done by the job, and high charges
for extra work nearly ate me up. At the close
was still without property and In debt, but
this paper had rather improved my position. -.
Now came the great scramble of the swell
mob of coon Ministries and cider-suckcrs ut
Washington--I not being counted In. Several
regiments Of them went on from this city; but
no one of the whole crowd-thOugh | say IL who
should not-had done 80 much toward General
Harrison's nomination and election rs yours
respectfully. asked nothing, expected moth
ing; but you, Governor Seward, ought to have
asked that be Postmaster of New York. Your
asking would have been In vain; but II would
have been an act Of grace neither wasted nor
undeseryed.
soon after started the Tribune, because
was urged to do 50 by certain OF your friends,
and because such paper was needed here.
was promised certain pecuniary aid In so doing;
II might have been given me without cost or
risk to any one. All ever had was q loan, by
piecemeal, Of 81 900 from James CoEgeshall.L
God bless his hohored memory! i did not seek
for this, and think II Is the one sole case in
which ever received pccuniary favor from q
political associate. am very thankful that he
did not die until II was fully repaid.
And let me here honor one grateful recollec-
ton. When the Wing party under your rule
had offices to give, my name was never thought
Of; but when in 1923 we were hopelessly out
of power, was honorcd with the party nomin-
alton for State printer. When we came again
to have State printer to elect rs well rs nom
mate, the place went to Weed, rs II ought Yet
Il Is worth something to know that there was
once time when u was not deemed too great
sacrifice to recognize me as belonging to your
household. II new Office had not since been
created on purpose to give Its valuable patron
age to III. j. Raymond, and enable 81. John to
show forth his Times as the organ Of the Wing
State administration, should have been still
more grateful.
In iSiS your star again rose, and my warm
est hopes were realized in your election to the
Senate. I was no longer needy, and had no
more claim than desire to be recognized by Gen.
Taylor. think had some claim to forbear-
ancc from you. What received thereupon was
most humiliating lecture in the shape OF de-
cison In the libel case Of Rcdfeld and Pnngle,
and an obligation to publish 1t In my own and
the other journal Of our supposed concern.
thought and still think this lecture needless,
cruel and notifying. The plaintiffs, after
using my columns to the extent Of their needs
or desires, stopped writing, and called on me
for the name Of their assailant. 1profered It
to them, thoroughly responsible name. They
refused TO accept II unless II should prove to be
one of the four or Ave first men In Batavia -
when they had known from the first who II was,
and Il was neither of them. They would not
accept that which they had demanded; they
sued me instead for money, and money you were
Mt liberty TO give them to your hearts content.
do not think you were at liberty to humiliate
me in the eyes of my own and your' public as
you did think you exalted your own judi
cial sternness and fearlessness unduly ut my
expense. think you had q better occasion for
the display of these qualities when Webb threw
himself untimely upon you for a pardon which
he had done all q man could do to demcrit.-
Ellis paper Is paying you for II now.)
have publicly set forth my view Of your and
our duty with respect to fusion, Nebraska and
party designation. I will not repeat any Of
that. have referred also to Weeds reading
me out Of the Wing party-my crime being, in
tins as in some other thing, that of doing to-day
what more polite persons will not DO ready to
do till tomorrow.
Let me speak of the late canvass. | was.oncc
sent to Congress for ninety days merely to ena-
BILE Jim Brooks 10 secure seat therein for Jour
years. | think I never limited to any human
being that | would have liked to be put forward
for any place. But James W. White. (you hard
ly know how good and true a man he isl start:
ell my name for Congress, and Brooks packed
delegation thought could help him through;
so I was put on behind him. But this last
spring, after the Nebraska question had created
a new state of things ut the North, one or two
personal friends, of no political consideration, ,
suggested my name rs candidate for Governor,
and I did not discourage them. Soon the per-
sons who were afterwards mainly instrumental
in nominating Clark came about me, and asked
IL | could secure the Know Nothing vote.
told them neither could nor would touch II;
on the contrary, loathed and repealed it
Thercupon they turned upon Clark.
said nothing, did nothing. A hundred peo-
pie asked me who should be run for Governor:
sometimes indicated Patterson; never limited
at my own name. But by-and-by Weed came
down and called me to him, to tell me why he
could not support me for Governor. l had
never asked nor counted ON his support.
am sure Weed did not mean to humiiate
me; but he did il. The upshOt Of his discourse
Every cautiously st,ted) was this: II were q
candidate for Governor, should beat not my
self only but you. Perhaps that was true
But as had In no manner solicited his or your
support, thought this might have been said to