The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-28
4 REyTSfSCENCE or DiTTD DUDLEY
EIELD TIfIRTY YEARS AGO.

i nc temperance ti DaNlu Duul'N r'lh
in public life. and the prominent position he
has at once taken in Congress- aitr 80 many
years OF rosoute atstcntion from politi' T. have
revived r'oollcciions OF occurrences in his early
career. unknown to or forgotten by the present
generation. TOhs contemporaries Of the pr ~
cnt day Mr.. Field s known as the enthusiastic
codifcr the International lawyer. and the in
geniOus forensic controvcrsialist. Few survive
who knew him in his youth ~ the ardent par
tsan. His last appearance in that character
was ON the occasion we are about to recall.
On a pleasant Monday evening in the delight
full month Of Scptcmb, r, 1871 the writer found
himself passenger on the Hudson river
vt amer from New York to Albany, in company
" ia number Of Demo ratio politicians. bound
for the Democratic State Convention at SYRIA
cuse Among them remember David G. Brod
erick and Eugene Casscrly. both of whom after
ward had the singular fortune to represent the
State Of California in the United States Senate.
There were James Il. Brady. John H. Dcvcln.
DR.. NachG. John L. O'Sullivan. Daniel L.
Sicklcs. Thomas y. Carr. ID. Il. Floyd Jones.
Mnthorn Tompkns, Edward Sanford. Augustc
Dav zac Edward StrAhan, Edmund J. Porter,
Conrad Swac ahamcr. and. perhaps the most
modest Of all, Samuel j. Tlldon. OF course the
" old war horse Elijah I. Purdy. was in the
party. Nor should fail to record the pres u go
~ young to-day ~ they were them. Emmanuel Is.
Hart and George II. luiscr a quiet gentle
man. not s"rn outside OF ~ stateroum. Was one
luriUs Robinson, then u Master IN Chan cry n
Liberty street IN this city. 50 much Tor city
men. We had also IA fellow passenger
Mr. Congrc e-nHn thnhrelDng from Suiulk
county, and John A. Lott and his partner
Henry G. Murphy of Bruohb II, aud Dir. Bcn-
lamln hrunlr'tl uf ny sung. gusdly COM
panv. indeed; and these active politicians who
had st their iaocs toward syracuse realized
the crisis tncy were about to mo {. for they
wrre call Il upon to confront the first hHlsin-
nine OF That port ntous storm which Mr.. Sow
ard al. rw.rd cllHla t"rl2"d ~ the " irrpr's-
sihn conflict" The quest ON Of The liberation
or spread az n"i,rO Every ia thr Territories OF
| tht Tinted Stat : had ls,cn mot In Congress hy
the dntnHndo f David " lm,t for liz absolute pro-
| hlhition there. the Issue mad arson as 20
what u ton the Dcmocra,s Of N"w lorN should
IA ton of the party. commonly a. NOM mated
llunkcrs.' led y feiwn tru-Wcll the veteran
editor OF the 1ibelV irFus. had de lared AGAINST
| IN" agitation oi a." slavery, question, Inc
other. whts-,' chi'f lea Ter was john Van Buren,.
son of TN exp s,Ncnt. wrc equally resolved;
and. II defeated IA the 'pming STATE ConNrntion,
| were determined Ia inlruiu's the IroNiSo."
and comlml II possible. a vote. These were
Deep and hitter as were tho Differences Of the
| gentlemen who met ON board the steamer that
| evening nothing hut the most chivalrous cOur-
| psy prevailed. The cont stunts mutually sa-
luted before delivering fire, The groups which
sat late upon the upper de. ks mad the mid
! lands into the upper HUDSON The two or three
who survive may rcnlcInpyr tlat night the
| pause before The hattie. DhNNSlt brought Us L.
Albany. where. alter capital hr"akiast al the
| old Eagle Hotel. the members Of both factions
wont 10 consult their respective leaders. at The
offices Of The irg,iS and .i'idS newspapers. Tho
/ shaky "snakchead" Albany and : 'hcneoi.idy
| Railroad carried W westward that evening. AMI
! hy Wednesday morning all who lrt an interest
/ IN Demo rAti' pulti , were gathered ia the city
Tn Drnocritic candidate, for Governor had
| bc, Il bstt'n in the year before. and his def
had cost thr party not only his ON o. but hi life:
Z hut few then suspected that the death Of
IL Arllf fs.ft
Demo ratio party. tn" ticket for Stat on 'rr.
which W wore about Ia nominate WIS a. To- tue
| first one ever suhm It'd 10 popular vut'. am, r
IN" cnanscd PROVISIONS Of thr Constitution:
| Azuriah c. FkIEg was STATE Comptroller. and
the du su"n Of his rcnpnination WIS dNid NJ
Moniauk to Erie. Yet a Dsmocratc nominate n
WIS ~ n looked upon 10y sangune men as q
/ probable election; and nom" perhaps. uni -
David Dudl'y Field ior'saw what a long AMI
weary travel through the valley of humiliation
ziiIon rrIyr ms .nsitc To- H.. wafnin: ~i..'.- If
/ the tu"s. am iurc 20 yi'ld tn 90" sectional
imIu'- W. had been already aroused.
TINS ConN nI..n sat for the unsNamplel
| ported 81 tour duv~ and only adjourned "a little
| Huukor- captured tie Omar hy a voto oi - t. GJ
| all cont 'rt.tutS Nutiug-nnd the gruiul rN-
MM ol, AIT M ,n ioSm ds- S1 NV lSrn
The Earnburners were su Vcssiul, hv" /,
sSais; hcyy ScarrYSd nnpteir "d eesnts ' rom
Ontario and Lewis. and were still further
REINFORCED 10y s"ating Mr. Cagger oi Albany and
Gen. Barker and Mr.. Porter Of Buffalo. The
Hunkrrs then rallied. and 10y a te vote eN-
cudcd both Otsrgo contestants. On Friday
morning the disput II scat of Andrew tiirriean.
Barnburnrr. was awarded Ia Jeremiah Iowlc.
former Naval on'"r under President Tyler.
nj CHsserly nrNt lost hs seat tu Dr. Narhe. and
Alderman l.lN lngsion Livingston was compelled
I" give W hs "a Alderman Dunn. The Hunk
en- were now strong enough IN majority To
tax" NJ the contest from Albany county between
john Van Buren, ami EiWin G. Ltrhiield. the
most important ami exciting one before the
Convention. The war ragged all that day aud tho
n'Ni in the crowded hal Mr.. Van Buren, made
hi~ last ana er AT ~ oilort. He held ia" floor
i"rhourS. sp'nking IN h's own behalf AMI pour
ing fort torrent oi such unspnr NJ iny'.'' ~.
ami biting sarcarm ar hc only could utt r.
nHi 'lll'ss Hnd rlrors lcrs. The drinit oi his
friend. COMPTROLLER f'isr. would inevitably
follow iur own ,NpI!-,ou FROM iir Convention,
.ui %. irt tat hr Hul ms woull uus b" ,riN ~
rom m" party. ANA Nl hope OF q resident ial
tu- tat un &" inc Sl." OF hhdrrAunk would
T. AT IN en-. Nc man who -trurdt To John Van
Burn That SATURDAY morning. whether ir.ond
or io' can deny tuht he rose Ia the height oi Tia.
o"Nr.on. II spok. for the ConpirDllershl ..
bul l' cont 'ruihr ii th' 'sd"ny. lis nppu-
n MS al splul'y ,ow't'd t"iurr h. drnun lit
"ns AMI med io srriy'l up under ll- IRONY.
thh rman Morr = moved M asiiy IN his chair.
lrWv, WHO hnd at first lntHnd,si H. reply.
abandoned the attempt. Ia turn, perkh.nl
81 Alumy tiirwtrd Juls"l flanders ct
FRANK m watson OF l-S'N, seymour twice
Cow rUUrl the ran Ibiiu tirgtfur-flll