The Portland daily press., 1872-07-06
The Bargain Of HoratiO Seymour and
Horace GraaIav

That Mr. Greeley is the candidate of the
party which he has opposed all his life-that
he is in open opposition TO every principle he
has ever espoused, is fact well known to
every intelligent man in both parties. How
long Mr.. Greeley has been a Democrat is not
so well known. How long he has acted with
the leaders of that party in secret to accom-
plish his own elevation at the sacrifice of his
past record is now matter of some interest.
That he did act in secret with leading Demo-
Gratis is now very well known, and his nomin-
alton at Cincinnati was very far from being
an accident but on the other hand care
fully matured scheme. The following chap
ter of interesting history, serving to throw
light on this subject, is taken from the Bing-
hampton, N. Y. Republican.
We have come in possession of some facts
which account in part, if not wholly, for the
remarkable and hitherto inexplicable action OF
the Democratic leaders, in endeavoring to force
Horace Greeley upon their party as its candi-
date for the presidency. In October of last
year, months before the ''liberal' Republican
convention of Missouri began the Cincinnati
movement, Mr.. Greeley was in conference with
Democrat in this state whom we know, on
the subject of the presidency; that Democrat
was hunting for compromise or adissatisfied
Republican candidate whom the leaders of
his party would indorse and Mr.: Greeley
agreed to accept if nominated. Mr..
Greeley wrote letter to this Democrat,
in reply to one; and this led to the conference,
at Mr. Greeley's invitation; at which meeting,
Mr.. Greeley consented to become the candidate,
if the nomination were rendered him. We
have seen Mr.. Greeey's letter to which we
have referred, in his own, well-known hand
writing.
The Cincinnati convention of so-called Re-
publicans was hardly then thought of; but we
have proof that we deem conclusive, of the
fact that Democratic collision with some of
delegates of that convention, particularly from
this State, led directly to MI. Greeley's nomi-
nation. A prominent Democrat OF Central
New York wrote to prominent man, hitherto
Republican, one of Mr.. Greeley's chief
friends and advisers, in New York city, only
few days before the Cincinnati convention met
on the subject of the proposed candidacy.
That Democrat was in favor OF Greeley's NOM
nation; and believed that the Democratic
party of the country could be brought to his
support in certain contingencies. The reply to
the letter was reply which pleased and graft
fled him; it crowned the negotiation; and the
result, an understanding of what the Demo-
Gratis were prepared to undertake, was, as we
have said, made known to the prominent men
in the New York delegation at Cincinnati
The name Of the leading Democrat We have
mentioned is Horatio Seymour; and of the Re-
publican friend of Greeley, Waldo Hutchins.
That the negotiation was carried on, we have
seen the sufficient and undenable proof. We
have been shown letter from one of the we'll
known writer's of the last named correspond
ence Horace Greeley, Waldo Hutchins and
Horatio Seymour are the thigh contracting
parties" to the greatest scandal of American
politics. We state the fact of the correspond
ence on our proper responsibility; and if any
one of the persons we have named denies, we
will give dates and details, and procure test-
mony, that they will not be in position to dis
pute. The statements not contained in the
two letters, one of Mr. Greeley, which, by the
way, set aside Chase for Democratic use as
"broken down'-and the other, signed by one
of the three mentioned, are given upon perfect
to doubt that there has been a perfect
understanding between Greeley and the
Democrats for at least eight months past 1t
was after October last the tone of the Tribune
became decidedly hostile to the Republican par
ty. 1t was before the beginning of this year
that the change was generally conceded. Read
ers of that paper, who have preserved files of
it, will see that between October, 1871, and
May, 1872, the Tribune was practically Demo-
cratic Journal, as it is to-day.
Now let Mr.. Greeley, or anybody for him; or
Mr. Hutchins, or Mr. Seymour, come forward.
People generally have believed Mr.. Greeley's
nomination the result of secret bargain. The
Democrats believe it, Ter they trust their lead
ers but Republicans who have regarded Mr.
Greeley as Republican, and who have given
any confidence to Cincinnati, will be astounded
to learn that he was in effect sold to the Demo-
Gratis before Cincinnati; that he would undoubt-
eddy have been made candidate before the
regular Democratic convention, if there had
been no Cincinnati; and that they are the VIC
TINS of a bargain carried out by trickery;
which WILT grows more and more likely-be
contaminated at Baltimore, -