Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-04-30
Mr.. Seward's Rejection in 1860.


Mr.. Seward's Rejection in 1860.
FROM CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS Eu1oaY.
Mr. Seward now for the first time eniored
the great advantage Of being perfectly free
from embarrassments springing out Of
union with paralyzing associates in the
same party. He took the field with
all his yigor, aud the speeches which he
made, both in the Senate and before the
people, remain to testify to his powers and
his success. With the singular mixture. of
boldness and moderation which distinguish
cd him from all others, be had maintained
his ground against all the assaults made
uIon him BY the ablest Of the slave-holding
statesmen in their stronghold of the Senate.
lie had known how to pursue that narrow
path between license and discussion on the
one hand, and personal alteration on the
other, which is so seldom faithfully ad-
hered to by public men, especially when
cunning fencers are ever laying in wait to
entrap them. He had also enjoyed the
bcneft Of experience in his administration
while Governor of New York, which had
made him familiar as well with executive
as with legislative forms Of business. The
older statesmen Of great note had vanished
so as to make his party prominence more
marked than ever. As consequence,
when the nominating convention assembled
at Chicago, the eyes Of all were turned
towards him as the candidate of all others
the most distinguished. y large plurality
had been chosen as delegates friendly to
him, and the general expectation was that
he would be nominated at once. But it
was remembered that in 1914, Henry Clay
was defeated because he had long record
Of public service, from which many marked
sayings and doings might be quoted to af.
feet impressibe waverers, and James X.
Polk was elected because nobody could
quote anything against him, for the reason
that he had never said or done ANYTHING
worth quoting at ALL Furthermore, the
ghosts OF the higher law and of the sirre-
pressible conflict fitted about to alarm ex
cited imaguations.
Last but not least came in the element
Of bargain and management manipulated BY
adopts at intrigue, which is almost insepara.
bic from similar assemblies The effect of
all these influences united was to turn the
tide at last, and Mr.. Seward, the veteran
champion Of the reforming policy, was set
aside in favor of a gentleman as little
known by anything he had ever done as tho
most sanguine friepd of such selection
could desire. The fact is beyond contra.
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suit than compliment But Mr.. Seward.
when he heard of it, did not reason on this
low level.
That he deeply felt such a refusal to rec.
oguize the value Of his long and earnest
labors in a perilous cause, | have every
at that moment that the intimacy with