The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-26
Political "Reminiscences.

From he Bu6dlo Commercial Advertiser,
Mr.. Thurlow Weed is too old and prominent
politician, and has trod upon too many peo-
ple's corns, to be let alone by them. 1t has
been said that to have devoted friends and
bitter enemies is the test of intellectual force
and merit. Judged by this standard, Mr..
Weed is most remarkable man, and not the
least remarkable act of his whole life was his
return to the editorial harness in the evening
of a long life, and the wonderfully vigorous
manner in which he defends himself against
all manner of assailants. He has shown that
he is an ugly customer to deal with, even yet;
and his political "reminiscences, Of which he
has so rich a store, and which make so inte-
resting a feature of the New York Commercial
AdUeTtiSer, contain many valuable disclosures
with regard to the recent political history of
our country, and not unfrequently are the au-
thor's best vindication.
Mr.. Weed is now the Oldest of the promi-
nent participants in the political affairs of the
country, and being withal unimpaired in his
mental vigor, it would be very desirable that
he should devote the ripeness of his old age
to the preparation of a careful and deliberate
autobiography. Such work would be the
most valuable legacy he could leave to his
country, and the most enduring monument of
himself We hope it may be done, if for no
other purpose than to silence the msconcep-
tions and slanders which have become current
concerning various points of political history
during the war.
Commenting on which, the New York Com
mercial Advertiser ct. WIS organ) has the
following -
The friend who sends this too fattering
article inquiries whether the suggestion OF an
Autobiography" is likely to be acted upon?
Similar suggestions and inquiries have reach
ed US from numerous friendly sources several
of which seem so earnest, that if we were as
sure of the soundness of their judgment as of
the warmth of their friendship, we should be
tempted, distrustful as we are of our fitness
for the work, to undertake it. We hesitate,
because we think that when men publish
their personal histories, they ought to have a
history. And ours seems too commonplace
and uneventful to render an attempt to invest
it with public interest either sensible or safe.
And yet some highly intelligent friends insist
that a large amount of material for history, in
our possession, ought to be worked up. In
deed we were "almost persuaded to COM
mence it two years ago, when the following
letter was received -
"NEw YORK, April 81, 1S6s.-Dear Sir:-I read
little faster than 1 recovered vision, your
very interesting Letters from Europe which
library. 6r t This is my ' candid jadgmsnt % % inde
pendent OF the frequent mention In the book,
with honor Of my name; Two paragraphs,
entrance into New York, remind one OF Frank
Inns entrance into Philadelphia, and excite the
biography. 1 can't expect to live long enough
to read the work; but you can give 1T the power
difficulties in the career of distinguished use-
fulness' With great esteem; l1;I yours truly, ,,
"Thurlow Weed, Esq"
That We nOssasa q nina of 1n1itical and 1ita-
rary wealth is quite certain. We are fortu-
nate in daughter whose least merit consists
in the care taken of manuscripts, all of which,
of the slightest value or interest, for more than
forty years, have been thoughtfully preserved.
To thirty-tive bound volumes of Letters, more
than two thousand Letters, arranged alpha
betically and filed, are added Among them
are the Letters of De Witt Clinton, Ambrose
Spencer, James and William Kent, Charles g.
Haines, Generals Peter B. Porter (Senior and
Junior), Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Will
liam H. Seward, Albert II. Tracy, William H.
Maynard, Francis Granger Gulian C. Yer
planok, the brothers John A., Charles, and
Edward King, the Rev. DIR. Mott, Father
Mathew, John l.. Stevens (the traveller),
Hamilton Fish, Washington Irving, Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, Washington Hunt
Zachariah Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, Fred
erick Whittlesey, Edward Ellice (the
greatest English CommoRer''), Governor
Andrew, American ministers " II. ADAMS,
Edward L. Dayton, John Bigelow, H. S. San
ford, A. Burlingame, R. II. Pruyn, Rufus
King, Rev. Edward Mitchell of New York
(ffty years ago., Arohbishops Hughes and
Purcell, Father de smet, "Honest" John
Davis, Of Massachusetts,, William L. Marcy,
Abbot Lawrence, Millard Fillmore, George
Law, Edwin Croswell, Governors Vance, Cor
win, Dennison and Elisha Whittlesey of Ohio,
William Duane, John Binns,. Josiah Randall,
John Sergeant, and William G. Carey of Phila-
delphia, William Writ, George Peabody, John
Mclean (when P. M. CD William L. Stone,
Joseph Gales, John G. Spencer, Erastus Root,
Solomon Southwick, Philo G. Fuller, Horace
Greeley, II. T. Raymond, Edward Curtis,
NJ. II. Grinnell, R. M. Blatchford James
Bowen, Philip Hone, M. M. Noah, J..
Watson Webb, Robert B. Minturn,
Simeon Draper, S. S. Gouveneur, John
Armstrong, Jr., Addison Gardiner, Judge
Shipman, Truman Smith, John M. Clayton,
William M. Meredith, Reverdy Johnson, Am
brOse L. Jordan, Ogden Hoffman, Robert
Emmett, James Tallmadge, General Scott,
General Worth, Charles L. Livingston, Charles
p. CaGcL, C0rsm A. Worth. Admirals Earra-