Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-03-14
fhurloR Weed ON GreeIey.


GiTIoN.
Thurlow Weed, in very interesting ar
tiele in the March GaiaIy, gives the follow
ing account Of the dissolution of the polit-
ieal partnership:
The first intimation Of Mr.. Greeley's de
| sire to 20 before the people for repre-
sentative Office was received in 1916, when
| he came 10 Albany, and in a hesitating
manner inquired if ! thought he could be
| nominated in some of our strong Nhig
counties as Il delegate to the State C0nstitu-
tional Convention. adding that he thought
he could be useful in such body. replied
that most Of the counties had already made
their nominations, and expressed my regret
that he had not made the suggestion to me
Mt an earlier DAY. lie said that he would
have done so if he had not expected a n9mi-
nation from Chautauqua, where some of
his relatives resided. In looking about for
an opening, Washington county seemed to
be the most likely to act upon the sugges-
ton ; but on closer examination we found
that its Wing convention would meet the
next day. An effort TO place Mr.. Greeley in
nomination from Delaware county was un-
successful. the nominees having been agreed
on before our messenger reached Delhi. We
New Scotland, in Albany county, TO induce
the delegate. in that town, in which a can
didate was to be located. to accept Mr..
Greeley. But they had already agreed on
DR.. Rainsiord. and with that failure the
project was abandoned. If Mr.. Greeley had
made his wishes known two or three weeks
earlier they would have been gratitied, al
though there had been, | believe, but two
precedents in the history Of our State. In
the first Constitutional Convention Aaron
Burr. though residing in New York, was
chosen delegate from Orange county: and
in the second Constitutional Convention
Martin Van Buren,. n resident of Columbia
county. was elected delegate from OtSego.
In ISL Mr. Greeley called on me at the
Ast0r House and asked if ! did not think
that the time and circumstances were favor
able 10 his nomination for Governor. re-
piled that did think the time and circum
stances favorable % his election. If nomina-
ted. but my friends had lost control of the
State convention. This answer pCrpleXed
him, but o few words Of explanation made
it quite clear Admitting that he had
brought the people up to the point Of ac-
cepting temperance candidate for Tower
nor. ! remarked that another aspiraut had
" stolen his thunder In other words,
while be had shaken the temperance bush,
Nyr0n II. Clark would catch the bird. In
addition 60 the iact that Mr. Clark had bee
come the temperance candidate. ! Informed
Mr. Greeley that " Know Nothing or
" Choctaw' lodges had been secretly or
aanized throughout the State. hy means OF
which many delegates for Clark bad been
secured. Mr.. Greeley saw that, 90 Use an
expression then well understood. the slate
had been broken, and cheeriulIy reliuqui~h
ed the idea of being nominated. But tew
days atterward Mr. Greeley came to Albany
and said in an abrupt but not uniricndly
way " Is there any objection 90 my run
ming for Lieutenant-Goyernor ;' ! replied /
as promptly: Certainly not. ID ou reilea- |
ton You are willing o. take tie nominal /
ti0n. WHY should not hc willing 20 !
take it2 You say that haze many enc /
mIcs. know that, and If they should all /
fall upon me and defeat my election, tlc I.
Office is not important and the party would /
not be injured. | should rather like to try |
conclusions with them then reminded /
him of 4 cry raised IN the Philadelphia ua- /
tioual convention when Abbot Lawrence. of F.
Boston, was named for Nice-Pre~ilcut o. /
run with General Taylor for President and ]
when q dozen men sprang TO their feet and /
shouted that it wouli not do % have " cot /
ton at both ends of the ticket, Mr.. Gree I
les laughed and said. '' suppose you mean /
that il wouldn't do 10 have Maine Law at I
both ends of our State ticket After % I
little more conversation Mr.. Greeley he I
came entirely satisfied that nomination for /
Lieutenant Governor was not desirable. and |
left me in good spirits.
went TO the State Convention prepared |
to acquiesce in the nomination of Mr.. Clark /
for Governor, and only caring that tne |
other nominee should be So selected as to |
strengthen the ticket No candidate for |
Lieutenant-Goycrnor had been designated. |
Many delegates were anxious % t1tIGsf the I
ticket by the domination of a candidate for |
Iieutenant-G0vernor who was not commit /
ted in favor of p7ohibitory or Maine law |
legislation, and yet who would not be OBJ /
noxious 10 temperance men. Several names /
were canyaSS5d. hut none seemed To unite /
all interests until that of the late Henry j. |
Raymond was suggested. That nomination I
wounded Mr.. Greeley deeply lie had F.
cheeriully withdrawn his own name. bat he .
could not patiently uhmit TO the nominal
ton of a personal. professional and political /
rival. This was, | have reason to believe,
the entering wedge to final alienation be-
tween Us. Mr.. Greeley not only held me
responsible for Mr.. Raymond's nomination,
but supposed that in my conversation with
him the intention to do 50 had been con-
ccaled.
In that supp0sition. howeycr, he erred,
for | had not thought of Mr.. Raymond in
that connection until his name was sug
gested TO me at Syracuse. But oar rcla-
tions grew less and leSscordial from that
time until 1850. when he appeared in the
National Republican Convention at Chicago
zcalously opposing the nomination of Gov
ernor Seward, since which time we never
warmly, but after his election and during
the war collisions and antagonisms placed
great gulf between Us. lie was radical,
and was conservative. He was in favor of
secession, and against it. lie was in favor
of peace, while urged a vigorous prosocu-
ton of the war But this is neither the
time nor the place to enter upon these ques-
tons. So far rs Mr. Greeley is concerned.
they belong to the dead past.