The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-06-20

Horace Greeley to William Il. Sepdrd.


Gov SEwAgp-The election is over, and its
results sufficiently ascertained. II seems 10 NE /
fitting time 10 announce 10 you the dissolution
of the political firm of Seward, Weed and Gree |
lev, By the withdrawal of the junior partner
said withdrawal to take effect On the morning al
ter the first Tuesday in February next. And, as
it may seem a great presumption in me TO assume
that any such firm exists, especially since the
public was advised, rather more than year ago,
by an editorial rescript in the Evening Journal
formally reading me out OF the Wing party, that
was esteemed no longer either useful or crna-
mental in the concern, you will, | am sure, IN
beht the occasion.
was young printer and Editor Of Literary
Journals very active and bitter Wing in q small
way, but not seekiugto be known OCT Of my own
Ward Committee-when, after the great politi-
cal reyulsion OF 1887, l was one day called 10 the
City Hotel, where two strangers introduced
themselves as Thurlow Weed and Lewis Bene-
dict Of Albany. The told me cheap Campaign
Paper OF peculiar stamp at Albany had been re-
solved on and that had been selected TO edit il.
The announcement might well be deemed fatter-
ing by one who had never even sought the no
,ice of the great, and who was not known as
partisan writer, and l eagerly embraced their
proposals. They asked me to fix nv salary for
the year, 1 Ci,ufD, lhes
to and did the work required 10 the best OF
my ability. Ii was work that made no figure and
created no sensation; but loved it and did it
well. When it vas done, you were Governor,
dispensing Offices worth 5000 to $4,000 per
year to your friends AID compatriOrs, and re-
| turned 10 my garnet ani my crust, and my des
perate battle with pecuniary obligations heaped
| upon me by bad partners in business and the
desperate events of 1887. l believe it did not
then occur to me that some one OF these abun-
dant places might have been offered to me with
out injustice; | now think it should have &C.
CURED TO you. Il it did occur to me, l was not
the man to ask you for it; think that should
not have been necessary. ] Only remember that
no friend ct Albany inquired as t. my pecuniary
circumstances; that your friend (but not mnel
Robert Z. Wetmore, was one OF the chief cls-
pensers Of your patronage here; and that such
devoted compatriots as A. II. Wells and John
Hooks were lifted by you out OF pauperism into
independence, as l am glad was not; and yet
all inquiry from you as TO my needs and means
at that time would have been timely, anu held
ever in grateful remembrance.
| In the Harrison campaign Of lS4o, l was
again designated to edit a campaign paper.
published il as well, and ought to have made
something by it, in spite Of its extremely low
price; my extreme poverty was the main reason
Why ! did 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 po-
stion.
| Now came the great scramble of the swell
mob Of coon Ministries and cder-suckers at
Washington-I not being counted in. Several
| regiments Of them went On from this city; but
no one of the whole crOwd-though l say it who
| should not-had done SO much towards General
Harrison's nomination ind election as yours re-
specially. asked nothing, expected nothing !;
| but you, Gov. Stewards ought TO have asked that
| | be Postmaster of New York. Your asking
would have been in vain but it would have
been an act of grace neither wasted nor unde-
served.
| / soon started the Tribune, because l was
| urged to do so by certain OF your friends, and
because such paper was needed here. l was
promised certain pecunary aid in SO doing; it
might have been given me without cost or rlsh
to any one. All ! ever had was loan By piece
meal of 81 900 from James Coggshall, God bless
his honored memory. did not askior this, and
think it is the only case in which ever received
a pecunary favor from political associate.
am very thankful that he did not die till it was
| fully repaid.
| And let ne 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 '42-3, we were hopeiessly out OF
power, l was honored with the party nomination
| for State Printer. When We Game again 10 have
State Printer to elect as well as nominate, the
place went TO Weed as it ought Yet il is
worth something to know that there was once a
time when it was not deemed TOO great sacri'
flee to recognize me as belonging tc your house
| b.,l1 baip tod
on purpose to give its valuable patronage TO II.
j. Raymond and enable st. John 10 show forth
his Times as the organ of the Wing State Ad-
ministration, should have been still more CRATE
| full.
| In lS4S your star again arose, and my warm
est hopes were realized in your election 10 the
Senate. l was no longer needy and mad no more
claim than desire to be recognized by Gen. Tay.
lor. l think had some claim TO torbeiran
from you. What received thereupon was a most
humiliating lecture in the shape OF decision III
the libel case of Redtield and Pfingle, and an
obligation to publish il in my own and the other
journal of our supposed firm. | thought and
still think this lecture needlessly cruel and NOR
! iyng. The plaintiffs after using my columns 10
the extent of their needs or desires, stopped
writing and called on me for the name of their
assaant. l protfered to them a thoroughly re-
sponsioIe name. They refused to accept it un-
less it should prove to De one Of the four or five
first men in Batavia when they had known
from the first who ii was, and that il was neither
Of them. They would not accept that which
they had demanded; they sued me instead for
money, and money YOU were at liberty to give
them TO your hearts content. l do not think
you treTe at liberty to huniliate me in the eyes
OF my own and yours public ID you did. think
you exalted your own Judicial sternness and fear.
lessness unduly at my expense. think you had
a better occasion for the display Of these quail
ties when Webb threw himself untimey upon
you for pardon which he had done all man
conld do 10 dement,. His paper is paying you
for it ROW.
have publicly set forth my view Of your and
our duty with respect to Fusion, Nebraska and
party designations. will not repeat any of that.
l have referred also to Weeds reading me out
of the Wing party-my crime being, in this as
in some othea things, that Of doing to-day wha.
more polite persons will not be ready TO do till
TO morrow.
| Let me speak of the late canvass. / was once
sent to Congress for ninety days to enable Jim
Brooks to secure seat therein for four years
| think never limited to any human being that
would have liked TO be put forward to any place
But James W. White (you hardly know how
good and true man he is) started my name for
Congress, and Brookss packed delegates thought
l could help him through; so was put on be-
hind him. But last Spring, after the Nebraska
question had created new state Of thing. at the
North, one or two personal friends of no po.iri.