, 1880-03-07

MIR. WASHBURNE AND THE PRESIDENCY.
The following letter Of the lion. E. 3.
Washburne to James Hallett, Esq, written
several weeks ago, has just been made public:
CHICAGO. Feb. 13, l8s0.-Inm<s Hd'Iat, Esq,-
Ny DEAR SIR: I hare Just seen in the papers a
statement that my old friends In Mount Carroll
propose holding meeting tomorrow night to
organize club to advance my candidacy for the
Presidency. II such be the fact, 1t IS COM
hos double value as coming from my o1d dec con. =
sttuents and friends, who, for nine successive
elections, supported me for Congress with q zeal
grattude. I must, however, through you, beg
Of them to desist from any such action. can,
under no circumstances or conditions. become a
last, and only choice Thanking my frle1lds for
their proposed manifestation Of Kindness and
ant +. B. WAsHBuRHE.
The above is 1eiteration In writing Of
what Mr.. Washburne has frequently de-
clared verbally, and simply amounts to this:
~ lie wants Grant nominated. (2) He will
not, under any circumstances, be candidate
against him.
But suppose Gen. Grant is not candidate,
or shall before the Chicago Convention, or
during that Convention, withdraw his name;
in that case Mr.. Washburne Is as free to sup
port any other candidate, and as free to be-
come candidate himself, as is any other citi-
zen of the Republic. The effort making to
represent him as refusing the nomination, or
refusing the use of his name in the Conven-
tion as candidate for the nomination in case
Gen. Grant shall have withdrawn or other
wise ceased to be candidate, is gross in
justice to Mr. Washburne, and is wholly un-
warranted by the facts
The attempt to put him in this false posi-
ton Is doing: an injustice to tie friends of
Gen. Grant, the majority Of whom, In case
Grant be no longer candidate, will un-
doubtedlr prefer Washburne to any of the
other gentlemen who have been named. We
have no question that Gen. Grant himself,
should he cease to bea candidate, will greatly
rejoice II the Convention shall nominate his
old friend and supporter Washburne.
To represent that Mr.. Washburne will not
permit his name to be used in the Conven-
ton, In case that OF Gen. Grant is Withdrawn,
Is to represent that his friendship and his ad-
miration for Grant will be transferred to
Blaine, or Conk1ing, or Sherman, or Ed
mllnds. That this is not true is shown BY
his letter, in which he declares that he is
5" for Grant first, last and all the time" But
Grant no longer candidate will so change
the situation Of affairs that ME. Washburne
will not be at liberty to refuse the full per-
mission for the use of his name in the Con-
vention for the nomination.
1t is not at all certain that Gen. Grant will
permit his name to be used in the Conven-
tion as candidate When he returns to this
country from Mexico and discovers that
among the Republicans of several States
there Is such an overwhelming objection to
third term for any man that whole delega-
tions have been elected directly By the peo-
pie to vote against a third term; that in the
great Republican State Of PENNSYLVANIA a
large body Of the delegates instructed to op-
pose third term have been, by the skillful
OF the - machine u commanded
to vote for him; and that in New York
large body OF the delegates, Instructed By