The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-29
John G.. BRECKlNklD6E.
POLITICAL REMINIsCENCE-HoW he CAME ~
BE VICE PRESIDENT.

A POLITICAL REMINISCENCE-Ho" ne oA- ~
BE VICE PRESIDENT.
[San Francisco Bulletin, May IL
El;tor Buuetin-In 1856 the writer OF this
went to Cincinnati, from Illinois, IN the IN
terest of Stephen A. Douglas tor the fresi.
dency. On his way Ia rather roundabout
onel he visited Washirgt There, with
other distinguished Southern friends OF me
distinguished Senator, he fell socially in with
John A. Qaitman, of Mississippi. On the
evening of his introduction to the General the
latter handed him (and here, for the easier
convenience of writing what l have to say,
I may as we'll drop the third person and as
sumo boldly the ego) printed copy OF a
speech then recently delivered by MIN IN
Congress. on the annexation OF Cuba. Our
personal relations became daily more and
more intimate. manifest Destiny was the
constant theme of our conversation. Ihere
was a vacancy in the Cabinet of president
William Walker, in Nicaragua; would go
down and become His Excellency oecretafy
of State?
As happened to have place on the Demo-
cratic State ticket in Illinois at the time,
had, perforce, to decline the alluring honor.
In his earnestness he went to Mr.. Douglas
concerning the matter. Mr.. Douglas came TO
me and asked, in his abrupt but gentle style.
DO YOU want to 60 down there" "What,
1 replied, land break our ticket at home and
let the State Central Committee wrangle over
nv successor" "Thats Just the answer |
expected from you, said he; chats right"
The next time | met Gen. Quitman ne SAID,
placing his hand kindly on my shoulder, ~
intended, my young friend, to do you good
service Ther9 are thousands in the country
who would be glad of the opportunity you
shy from. But let all that 60. You are going
to Cincinnati; SO am 1. You can be OF some
service to me there, will you ?" " What Is 1t,
General?' Wait till we get there"
When, in company with few other Hi
noisans. l reached Cincinnati two or three
days before the forthcoming organization OF
the Convention, Mr. Buchanan's friends from
Pennsylvania, two thousand strong, as was
boosted by them, had intrenched themselves
in the best places in the best hotels-in the
best rooms, the best suits of rooms, and the
best parlors The headquarters OF Mr.. Bu-
chanan, in which bands of music played
alternately day and night, were very spa
cious at one end of the main hall of the
Burnet House. Mr.. Douglass friends had to
content themselves with exceedingly con-
tracted headquarters at the other end of the
same hall. the music and other enticements
attracted the still gathering politicians from
all the States to the spacious apartments
occupied by Mr. Buchanan's friends.
Inc more uuLlUlo ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS oucIcu
by the adherents of Mr.. Douglas were graced
almost constantly with the presence of the
finest talent of the Democratic party of the
day. John G. Breckenridge, Pierre Soule,
John A. Quitman, William Ballard Preston, |
William W. Boyce and other equally eminent
Southern leaders were on hand at every hour
to consult with the Northern admirers of Mr. |
Douglas as to the be It means of securing his |
nomination. No thought whatever was en-
tertained generally as to the Vice Presidency, |
inasmuch as the candidate tor the office was |
necessarily to come from the South-tne |
chief candidates for the supreme position
being Buchanan, Douglas, Pierce and Cass, |
all of the North.
Well, as l have said, the best rooms of the
hotels had already been engaged by the null
titudinous Pennsylvanians. Walking in
mood along the main street of
the city, encountered Gov. Matteson, of my
State: Where was stopping ?? "Nowhere
yet" "Then come and help occupy my
room" Gratefully went to it. 1t was in
the attic of some hotel-the American, think
it was called-and contained beds enough to
furnish rest (?) to every individual of our del
of course that we slept C) three in one. l
registered my name on the clerks book
After looking in at headquarters. and saun-
tering about the city awhile, returned to the
hotel to look into my valise for something
when the clerk handed me sealed envelope
this card: "John A. Quitman will
call again at 4. Private" At l introduced
him to my room of Vulnerable beds. Never
mind the pleasant scene that succeeded.
Said he, after preliminary conversation
70 You remember that, when l last met you in
told you that you might be of
some service to me in Cincinnati 2" eyes,
General; and now what is it?
81 want your Illinois delegation to give me
is vote for the Vice Presidency, if it will. 1
nave not the indelicacy to 60 to Col. Richard
ION nor to Maj or Harris, to suggest the sub
ect, as they are my fellow Congressman.
But you, perhaps" taking my hand gently,
might give them the hint" I went at once
o Col. Richardson, who was our candidate
or Governor. "Why, yes" said he, casting
'ut an enormous quid of tobacco from his
Mouth, and with his great, earnest, honest ]
leart represented on his tongue, "Quitman
We have no other candidate for the Vice
Presidency. and he shall have our vote Go
nd tell him so. I'll see Harris and the
thers."
Other candidates for the Vice Presidency t
low strided forth for the distinction of a q
domination, but among them was not John c. q
'reckinridge. After well contested struo- d
lie for the first prize, Mr.. Buchanan won G
That for SO many years he had coveted. The I
isgust of the friends of Mr. Douglas, in q
luding Wings who had come into the Demo-
ratio ranks after the passage of the Kansas
'ebraska bill, and some of whom had in
.entucky, in Henry Clay's old district, as
listed in lifting Mr. Breckenridge, for the first 7
me, to seat in Congress, was expressed in T
lnguage not at all mealy or polite, nor CAL !
ulated to give confidence in the success of 1
le nomination. r
This was on certain Friday in June The '
eastward train was to leave at 3 or o'clock.
he members of the Illinois delegation, be. o
IRE proceeding to pack up their traps for de- a
arture-partly because they had really moth s
g more to do, and for the further reason
lat many of them desired to reach their homes =
q Saturday night one OF their n
umber to cast unanimous vote for Quit
IAN for the Vice-Presidency. Electricity was
vifter than steam, and when sixty miles >.
Iyarl. Il ~