, 1872-12-06
THE LATE CAMPAIGN.
"Reminiscences of Horace Gree
ley.
The Cincinnati Conyention....The Fifth
Avenue Conference.-The 0cto'
Der Speeches, etc.

ber Speeches, etc.
pY HENRY wATrERsoN.
From the Louisrii;e Cou7fer-7our71a.
NV first meeting with Mr.. Greeley, after his
nomination at Cincinnati, WAS in New York, the
dav before the Fifth Avenue Conference. He
had sent for me to come to the Lincoln Club in
gwcnty-frst street, and, meeting Triton by
chance in Grosvenor's room, we went over
together The sold gentleman" had settled
himself in the comfortable back parior OF that
comfortable club house, equipped aud ready 1or
war. As proof of his Innocence II the hople
art of political management, and his E1ftuous |
lack of information concerning the most ordinary
details of the just-opening canvass 1t may De |
stated, as feet. that be was proioun5dly lgno-
KANT Of the real purpose and tue actual COMPOSE
vas an outside, and there WAS inside to that
titles. He, though most interested in
tho resa gndersood thonan+ the tn.t 9uSqS
Horace White, and myself, e am
writing in the way of gabbling frankness, which
is necessarily egotistical but which merely pur-
poses to add hint or two to the truth OF hlsso-
r concerning 1uuch-1nisunderstood man WHO
las been laid in his grave under circumstances
GO strangely realistic and dramatic), he thought,
I ssy. that Schurz, White, and I, representing
totaliy different elements, had come to New York
to form coalition with the Frec-traders, repre-
re,,ted hv Godkin Wells. Atkinson, Nordho9,
;lrd Goodwin, headed by Mr. Bryant, and the III
t-s-Democrats, headed by Governor r Kandolpni' Gati
cut. John FORSYTH of Alabama, Hill and billiard,
al GeorGia, and Governor Walker and bradley i5
Johnson, Of Virginia. 4 combination mo OF haaa thus
ec-t, fairly made, would perhaps; II, nave e41 been
which he'd set in favor Of tue newly-lannched
ticket. Eut it WAS, primarily, an Impossible con,
5aaction; and, this apart, it Tas contraalcted
Frr%4 fSf a q If
cation. ,,...,.
avenue Conference with one single purpose, ana
that was the purpose Of giving schurz an oceaI
conceived, rs his friend an inevitable position.
No man in Cincinnati WAS ripper for revolt the al
ternoon succeeding the nomination Of Greeley
and Bowp than Tas bn +n 6ne Tn1 no.
1:tical '' Black Friday knows how it was. Ihat ,
dismal, disconnected portion OF the hopeful,
Ight-seekng period in the aspirations OF those
OF Us who, defying partisan anteeedents and 1
partv organisms, had stood for certain clear-cut
reforms was miserably rluddlcd by the unex-
pccted nomination Of Nr. Greeley, BY the way It
was done, and by the dizzy tumult winch 49,
since as to what actually happened; for my
a own part [,s,o1 retain Which ab lnofaf'nes re:
call the red face of Frank Blair perched upon
the long legs OF Murat Halstcad, md catch the
sharp voice of Sam Bowles speaking out Of the
lips Of Carl Schurz in q soothing, patronlzlne
way, betting the admonitions Of an Old head t.
young heart. h7.o10 that my proposal to re
pudiate the whole thing WAS not encouraged L
any quarter which gave an assurance Of ade
quate cooperation end that, under the solac
ing influence Of nlE old friend Governor Aoon eaI,
disappointed Us anybody else, and, eheered D.
the glittoring assurances OF Brank beir, !; 10
cne, gave over the idea OF REFORM for the tim
Icing, and, having accepted the phantom OF re
concIliation adapted my spirit and movement
to the demands Of the situation speedily an
resolutely. Having thus given my faith an
word, did not propose to equlyocate nor e.
be idle; but to go in vigorously, and make IL
very best Of what, in my judgment, was yer
HoI Went to the Fifth Avenue Conference Wit
one single purpose, and that was TO nelp Hn1'e :
Grosyenor, and Dor5heimer to capture It; t
make it, By capturing it, the point OF schurz
departure; to convert it from an engine Of q.
vision into q vehicle Of good-feel1ng and hal
a, bsttst es or Worse, sIr dreeley'a nomination G
Baltimore WAS 3 foregone conclusion.
All this Was Greek to Mr. Greeley; When
entered the Lincoln Clubhouse WITH Iliton, i
regarded me as ono Of his "boys" who ha
gone back on him; he believed that SchnT7 va
Els enemy; he thought that White dlshked an 2
distruEted him: Ho seemed to be q divided s p
other OH precautionary. He felt personally ,ag
crieyed because a clump OF striplings, who ha
grown up, rs it were under his eye, has
snpen' at last ,H thfGTn tbese @ atrpne
ouegce. @aeo 'uii''' and not y to be- taken aero!
Lis knee in the paternal fashion. In my on
case, he united q whimsical, quasl,paternity
respect, which was altogether curious Whit
it seemed, had made . most unceremonlous d
unnd upon him; had bluntly required that
should write no letters and make no speeche
had said, in so many words. "H am to sta1
throughout the campaign for you to shoot apPl
of nv head, I mean to get out OF the way" M
Greeley made this the theme OF h1s onset On = =
In his peculiar, rapid, treble tone, he began
fore Was fairly seated
"A pretty set Of boys, you are! Eay1ous
al old man because he can write and Il tatk bet' M
than you can! Want to stop his mouth! Wa
to drive him out of the profession! WELL We
have it all your OWL way. But there are sol
people who know as much as other people,
there are men, old enough to be tue 1atheT
politics; y then, with droll pause-"and ne'
papers, tool"
Thisvas about the strain in which he talked,
tally uninformed as to the actual pushess
hand. There had arissn a little, hay unple'
antness between him and schurz. Ihe tnlng
be done, at once, was the smoothing out Of t
chance obscuration Of the perfect perfect coIdinl arla
which had previously existed. When expla
ed the case, and urged ite Importance, i,5'p he s
anywhere it shan't be said that I have thro
any stumbling blocks in the way" He seen
much Interested whilst explained the work
bling Conference; changed his half~a [fections
halfobantering tone at once; ana, before q
ted him, was addressing himself to the se:i
bueiness of the occasion with earnestnoss
decision, placing in my hands come docume
which he though might come to be OF sers
and giving me some minute, and really SHIRE
hints, as to certain possible contingencies
WAS, in short, another man and went ava
little puzzled to make him out quite clearly.
The result Of the conference was all that
friends Of h1r. Greeley could wish it to be.
was not until it had adjourned that the meet
with Schurz was had. At that meeting
letter on Civil Service Reform WAS arrane
Schurz was excessively frank and exph
AIr. Greeley little constrained, but comm!
cative. They separated civl}y, but not core
ly. Thus Nj. Greeley was fairly launched u
the deep waters Of the campaign. Schurz
13r113