The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-06-15
POLITICAL.


Horace GREELEY's PRIVATE LETTER To Gov. Sew
ARD.-Theletter of Horace Greeley to Gov. Seward.
often mentioned in the late controversy between
the Philosopher and his contemporaries of the
press, has at last seen the light 1t was forwarded
to Geeeley through Thurlow Weed, on Wednesday,
and published in the Tribune of Yesterday The
episte is too long for us to publish entire because
OF the crowded state of our columns to-day, but we
give the following eccerpta, which shows the pth of
the document. The letter is dated New York, No
vember II, 1854, and commences as follows:
Cor. Se'enrd The election is over and its re-
suits sufficiently aScertaiHed. 1t seems to me n fit
ting time to announce YOU the dissolution of the
political firm of Seward, Weed and Greeley, by the
Withdrawal of the junior paIt Itner, said withdrawal
to take effect on the morning after the first Tues.
day in February next. And. as it may a great
presumption in me to assume that any such firm
exists, especially since the public was advised,
rather more thar year ago, by editorial re-
script in the EreniHg journal formally reading me
ont ot the Wing party, that | esteemed no
longer either useful or ornamental in the concern,
You will, am sure, indulge me in some reminiscent
ces which seem to beft the occasion.
Greeley then mentions his engagement as editor
of paper in the Seward interest, on the eve of the
election of that gentleman to the gubernatorial
chair of New York, and which Greeley intimates
had no small influence in securing Mr.. Seward 5
success. The letter then says:-
When it was done, you were Governor dispens.
ing Offices worth So 900 to $40 900 a wear to your
friends and compatriots and returned to nv gar
ret and crust, and my desperate battle with pc
cuniary obligations heaped upon me by bad part
ners in business and the disastrous events of 1897
| believe it did not then to that some one
OF these abundant places might have been offered
to me without injustice; | now think it should have
occurred to you. If it did occur to me- | was not
the man to ask you for it, / think that should not
have been necessary.
Then came on the Harrison campaign, and Horace
was engaged editor of a Log Cabin paper; but
at the close of the fight he found himself ''still
without property and in debt, but with an improved
position" He again complains of ingrattude:-
Now came the great scramble of the swell mob
of coon minstrels and cider 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 say it who should not-had
done so much toward General Harrison's nomina-
tiOn and election as yours respectfully asked no.
thing, expected nothing; but you, Governor Sew
ard, 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 undeserved.
After paragraph the starting of the Tribune
paper, he says:-
And let me here honor one grateful recollection
When the Wing party under your rule had offices to
give, my name was never thought of; but when in
42-3, we were hopelessly out of power, was hon
ored with the party nomination for State Printer.
When we came again to have State Printer to
elect as well as nominate, the place went to Weed
as it ought. Yet it is worth something to know
that there was once time when it not deemed
too great sacrifice to recognize me as belonging
to your household
The celebrated RedGeld and Pringle libel case is
then mentioned as follows:
The plaintiffs after using nv columns to the ex-
tent OF their needs or desires, stopped writing and
called on me for the name of their assailant.
protfered it to them-a thoroughly responsible
name. They refused to accept it unless it should
prove to be one of the four or five first men in
Batavia!-when they had known from the first who
it was, and that it 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 tn give them to your hearts con
tent. | do not think you at liberty to humili-
ate me in the eyes Of my own and your public as
you did | think you exalted your own judicial
sternness and fearlessness undhy at nv expense
If | am not mistaken, this judgment is the only
speech, letter or document, addressed to the public
in which you ever recognized my existence. | hope
l may not go down to posterity embalmed
therein.
The writer then SAYS that he was sent to Congress
for ninety days merely to enable Brooks to secure
seat therein for four years. The gubernatoria
contest, at which Myron H. Clark was elected, is
then brought up:
But this last spring, after the Nebraska question
had created new state of things at the North
one or two personal friends, of no political Consid
Grafton, suggested my name as candidate for
Governor, and did discourage them. Soon
the persons who were afterward mainly instru.
mental in nominating Clark came about me and
asked it / could secure the Know Nothing vote.
] told them neither could nor would touch it; on
the contrary, ! loathed and repeled it. Thereupon
they turned upon Clark. | suspect it is true that
mot h0y hnA a1n bod
But had Weed and you been favorable, there ,rouId
have been party in the State ere this which could
and would have elected me to any post, without
inJurlng itself or endangerng your re election.
] should have hated to serve as Lieut. Governor
but should have glored in running for the post
L want to have my enemies all upon at once;
am tired of fighting them pecemea And
though should have been beaten in the canvass
know that my running would have helped the ticket
and helped my paper. 1t was thought best to lei
the matter take another course. No other name
could have been put on the ticket bitterly hum
bling to me as that which was selected. The nomi
nation was given to Raymond; the fight left to me
And, Governor Seward, hare made it, though il
be conceited in me to say so. What little fgh
there has been, have stirred up.
After asserting that the Tribune was the only
paper that entered heartily in the contest the letter
concludes follows:
Gov. Seward, know that some of your mos
cherished friends think me great obstacle to voul
advancement-that John Schoocraft for one in
ssts that YOU and Weed shall not be identified
with me- | trust, after a time you will not
be. trust | shall never be found in opposition tc
you; have no farther wish but to glide out of The
newspaper world as quietly and as speedily as pos
sibe, join my family in Europe and il possible stay
there quite time-long enough to cool nv fevereC
brain and renovate my overtasked energies. All
ask is that we shall be counted even on the morn
ing after the first Tuesday in February, as afore
said, and that may thereafter take such course as
seems best without reference to the past YOU
have done me acts of valued kindness in the line o
! your profession; let close with the assurance
that these will ever be gratefully remembered by
ours, HORACE GREELEY.
Hon. VIM. H. Seward, Present