Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-03-06
Mr.. Seward Declines the next Presi.
dencv.

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Mr.. Seward Declines the next Presi.
dency.
Mr.. Seward, having boon informed cfthc
existence Of a Club in Philadelphia. the
purpose of which was to nominate him for
the next Presidency, sent the fol.owi ~ let
ter to its President:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 1861,
DEAR Sin l have received the letter
which was addressed to me on the Sth inst.
by you, an officer Of a poli ical ASSOCIATION
recently organized in Philadelphia.
You will excuse me, my dear Sir, fcr.whst
may seem unkind or ungrateful In this rsply
to that communication, which has given me
some uneasiness, and which only fails to in
ftlct severe pain upon me because / do not
regard the movement which it describes a.
one Of very considerable magnitude.
The Club, as YOU inform. me, have adop.
ted a resolution to exertthemselves to secure
my advancement to the Presidency of the
United States, aud this resolution is pener.
ouslly- based upon a high appreciation Of
such public services as l have hitherto at
tempted to perform.
laval myselfot the good wiz ofthe Club,
thus. tatteringly manifested, to say thatf
consider the proceeding as one altogether
unwise, and tending to produce only publio
evil in . crisis when every possible path Of
danger ought to be carefully avoided. 1t il
a partisan movement, and, worst OF all, q
partisan movement of q personal character.
1t, when the present civil war was loom
, ing up before us, / had cherished an am.
bition to attain the high position you have
indicated, ! should have adopted one of two
, courses which lay open TO me-namely,
either to Withdraw from the public service
. at home to a position of honor without great
T responsibility abroad, or to retire to private
1 life, and, avoiding the %caprices of fortune,
await the chances of public favor.
But 1 deliberately took another course.
i | %renounced all ambition, and came into the
D Executive Government to aid in saving the
Constitution and tho integrity of my coun-
$ try, or to perish with them. 1t seemed to
me, then, that must necessarily reuounce
r all expectation offuture personal advantage,
in order that the ~counsels that l might give
to the President in such a crisis should not
only be, but be recognized as being, disin-
terested, loyal, and patriotic.
Acting on this principle, l shun no dan
U ger and shrink from no responsibility. So I
neither look for, nor, if it should be offer
ed to me, would l ever hereafter accept any
reward. M |r.. ........- tt.hi -l-NI
II The country is to be saved or lost by the
highest efforts of public and private virtu.
ID before another Presidential election shall oc-
cur. Ii it shall be saved, as l believed it will,
L do not fear that my zeal in that great
y achievement will be overlooked by the crate.
full generations to come after u.s. IT. IN
the other hand, it shall be lost, he who
9, shall study the cause Of the great ruin shall
not find among them ans, want Of self sacri
foe on my part. , l could never consent, il
unanimously called upon, to be q President
p of a division of the Republic. l cheerfully
re give up. my aspirations for rule in the whole
% Republic as a contri button to the effort.
m necessary to maintain it in its integrity. ]
be hardly need add that it results from thes,
re circumstances that l not only ask, but per
IN %emptorily require, my friends, in whose be
&c half you have written to me, to drop my
en- name henceforth and forever from amonJ
!r those to whom they look as possible candi
'ir dates for national distinctions and prefer
&c ments. Very truly yours,
o. WILLIAM ii. SEWARD.