The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-08-09
LEWIS CARMICHAEL.

For over twenty years he has en-
j. joyed the reputation of being 9 pol
itician of influence and sagacity
and was consulted in times of i'm
portant political movements b!
Dickinson and other eminent men
Earlier in life Mr.. Carmichael wa
an extensive dealer in lumber an(
employed a large number of men
So great was the influence he WELD
ed over them, and the people of |
section about him, that it was nee
essary TO get his consent to and sup
= port of a party movement before i
was certain OF success in the tow
of Undalia.
Mr.. Carmichael has frequently
measured his strength in town anC
: county politics with Samuel North
a sagacious and well known Demo
cratic rival, and was victor as otter
! ! or oftener than he has been defeated
When Mr.. North was candidate
for the Office of county clerk, Mr.,
Carmichael secured the delegation
of the town of UnadiIIa for Harvey
! Hunt, of Otsego, who was nominal
ed and elected. AT another time
his influence displaced Mr.. North
from the State Committee. In 1852
, he received fifteen votes in the con-
vention for Representative in Con-
gTess. He has often attended State
Conventions-somet as a dele
gate; in 1860 he attended the
Charleston and Baltimore Conven-
lions in the interest of Mr.. Dickin-
son.
Except in politics he is of re-
tired disposition, and prefers the
solitude of his out-of-the way farm
to mingling with society, He was
once married, but his wife and two
or three children are dead. Not
withstandiDg Mr.. Carmichael's love
of retirement and solitude, he is an
avidious reader, especially of news
papers, and few men, although they
may live more in politics, are better
able to judge of politics than he.
CARMICHAEL's STATEMENT.
Two interviews on the subject of
the letters and the arrangements
between Greeley, Carmichael, Sey-
mour and Hutchins were held with
Carmichael, at his residence, by the
writer of this, who was formerly
very well acquainted with Car
michael, and was recognized by him
| db AE5E SI2hls DCiOlC
sation on the subject of letters and
interviews with Seymour and
Greeley had been entered into,
business, and for what reason he
sought the interview. At first Car
michael was eyasive and inclined
| not to be communicative; but by q
number of leading questions put to
him he perceived that the writer
who had previously conversed with
Howard and others-was already in
| possession of most of the principal
| facts of importance, and he entered
into the conversation by answering
and giving explanations. Finally,
he apparently threw Off all circum-
spection, and conversed pleasantly
and without restraint, his state
ments were substantially as fol-
lows:
Carmichael wrote to Mr.. Greeley,
last September, giving him his
views about the then coming Presi-
Dental campaign, and inviting
Greeley to become candidate.
CarmichaePs letter inside was adj
| dressed to "Hon. Horace Greeley,
the next President of the United
States" Carmichael told Mr.. Gree
ley that the time had come to fraft
over and he thought the Demo-
cratic leaders would drop old issues
and support hun.
Mr.. Greeley answered this letter
in short time. He expressed Chen
or afterward-the writer is not GER
tain as to time here) his willing
ness to become q candidate, but was
fearful that the Democratic leaders
would not support him. A letter
from him INVITED Carmichael to an
interview with him. Mr.. Carmi-
chael said he went down to New
York soon after receiving that let
ter, and had long talk with Gree
lev in the Tribune office. Greeley
told Carmichael that Seymour was
standing candidate with the DEM
ocratic party, and that Mr. Seymour
would not step aside for him. Car
michael answered that he could not
tell about that, as Governor Sey-
not SAID what he would do. Car
m1chhel then offered to undertake
to secure Seymours consent and CO.
operation to the movement, and Mr..
Greeley agreed to be a candidate
lit Win
and other prominent Democrats.
Within a short time after the in
terview with Greeley, Carmichael
saw Governor Seymour. He was
not inclined TO receive the PROPOSE
ton with much favor. Carmichael
gave him his views and left him to
think the matter over. AT that
time Seymour thought that perhaps
Hutchins could be agreed upon as a
candidate, 1t was not long before
Carmichael saw Seymour again, by
appointment, and he said he had
made up his mind that Carmichael
was right, and that the Democrats
could support Greeley; or If por-
| ton of the Republican party pre-
ferred making change in the Adj
ministration, the Democrats should
not take advantage of the move
ment.
Carmichael informed Mr.. Gree
ley, as soon ss convenient, of his
success with Seymour, and went
about the State imm ediately to con-
suit the Democratic leaders. The
proposition met with very strong
opposition, but the fact that it was
about the only thing they could do,
convinced the party leaders that
they had better do it. If they
should elect prominent man from
their ranks he would have political
1 associations and friends that he
could not help serving, and they
could not get such an administra-
ton as they could not get such an
administration as they could by TAX
ing up man with no former polit-
ical associations he would be under
obligations to recognize. The lead
ers of both parties are corrupt.
Such Democratic leaders as Bel
mont, Marble and others have been
making money and political capital
out of our following, and the party
has continually lost. Three mil
lions of Democratic votes had be-
come useless for want of proper
management, and we thought it
was time to turn the tables, and
compel the leaders to follow for q
while. In 1860 we might have
elected Houston, If we had nomin-
ted him over Lincoln, because
Houston claimed that the territories
were the common property of all
the States, and the Democrats ali
over the United States could have
united on that principle. In 1854
we could have elected Reverdy
4 johnson over Lincoln. And in
1868 we could have elected Chase
over Grant. We had fooled away
so many opportunities that we con-
cluded it was best to drop some of
the old, unpopular doctrines this
fall, and come out in shape to sue
coed.
Carmichael refused to show any
letters, alleging that he had already
4 shown letters to the editor of this
paper. He said he did not under
stand Mr.. Greeiev as desiring there