New-York tribune., 1869-01-18
THE CHOICE or SENATOR.


Messrs Marshall o. Roberts and Noah Davis
having Withdrawn, an animated canvass at
Albany for the choice of L. S. Senator from
this State was closed on Saturday evening III
meeting of the Republican members of the
Legislature, of whom 30 preferred Reuben l..
Fenton, late Governor, and A. Edwin ID.
Morgan the present Senator. AS but II Sena-
tors and 7G Assembymen are counted Repub
licans, all but one of them must have attended
and voted. The nomination Of Gov. Fenton
was promptly made unanimous, and he will be
elected tomorrow with barely q formal oppO-
sitiOn
Edwin ID. Morgan, after serving with dis
tinction in our Common Council and the State
Senate was first chosen Governor in 1853, and
reelected in 1860 by a largely increased majority
AS follows:
1855 Il. d Morgan. .2i7g53 A. J. rarktr .29o,5l;
1860 T. d. Morgan. 35s2,2 VIM. Kelly .294 sl2
Morgan over all. 45CIgl Jas. 7. Brady 1854
In 1862, Horatio Seymour was chosen Gov
ernor over Gen. James ). WadswOrth, and ex-
Gov Morgan was thcreupOn elected to the L.
S. Senate in place of Preston King: the Legis-
lature being still Republican on Joint Ballot.
1t Is naked justice to say that Gov. Morgan
has proved sagacious, faithful. and efficient
public officer in all the stations he has filled
Seldom rising to debate, he has never failed
to speak pertinently and fOrcibly; while no
Senator has been more constant in lis atten-
tiOn to his duties, or more energetic IN the
discharge of every responsibility. Though it
is reported that he long hesitated to break
with President johnson, and was for time
inclined to uphold his veto of the Civil Rights
III Inv
been more uniformly right or whose cOunsels
have been more judicious, than those of Gov.
Morgan. Hence, il seemed probable, until the
last few weeks that lie would be reelected
with the unanimous assent of the Republicans
of our State.
But that was not TO be and it is due 70 Gov.
Morgan that the true reason should he given.
He stands identified in the general estimation
with our JohnsODized Federal Office holders,
whose pccuniary and political affiliation with
the COpperhead Democracy, during the dark
hours of 'G6 and '67. is bitterly remembered.
That one of the best subsidized of these rene
gades is now seeking translation from the Col
lectOfship of this port into the character of an
Envoy Extraordinary [veryl to the Emperor Of
All the Russias, intensified the feeling of hos
tility to the entire crowd, and to any one whom
they were known to favor Nobody imagined
that they would all be kept in place under
Gen. Grant but the apprehension that some of
them might be, and that Gov. Morgan, from
bygone associations, would be inclined to re-
gard them with favor turned the scale against
his reelection.
REUBEN T.. FENTON, Il native and lifelong
resident Of the County of Chautauqua, grew
up II Democrat in that intensely Wing COM
munity, and hence, though an active politician,
was never candidate for Office, or WAS but
formally one, until the year 1852, when every
one else was astonished, if he was not, by his
election as Representative in Congress over an
unpopular Wing candidate by majority of
Sc. Taking his seat as new Member in that
Congress through which Senator Douglas drove
his Nebraska bill, Mr.. Fenton, with Col Ben
ton, Nath'l p. Banks, and other lifelong
Democrats, took ground decidedly againstit, and
fought il out on that line, which brought the
most of them naturally into the new organiza-
tion known as the Republican party. Mr. Fenton
was renominated by this new party in 1854,
when the Know Nothing Simoom swept over
his district; but he was again chosen their
standard bearer by the Republicans in 1855, and
triumphantly reelected, as he was at each sub
sequent choice of Representative In Congress
down to that of 1862. Here is tho recorded