Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-05-10

Dissolution of the Firm of Seward, Weed and
GreeIey---A Racy Letter from Disappointed
Horace.
ICorres. st. Louis Globe-Democrat.l
For more than thirty years Thurlo W
Weed was connected with the Evening
Journal, and exercised an extraordinary
political influence both in and beyond
the state. His close relation to Seward,
and the belief that he kept his " slate
gave him great consequence in the
party and wide reputation outside of it.
To the firm of Seward and Weed was
added the name of Greeley, when his
services had been secured 1839-40) to
edit the Log Cabin during the famous
campaign for "Tippecanoe and Tyler
too" The illustrious firm was dissolved,
fifteen years later, by the withdrawal of
Greeley. So much has been said, and
so little is remembered of the formal an
nouncement, that few extracts from it
may be of interest. The letter was writ
ten November IL, 1854, but was not
published until 1960-in the Tribune
in consequence of the repeated assaults
on the indignant journalist by James
Watson Webb and Henry j. Raymond,
who had been to Auburn and seen the
original document. 1t opened thus:
" Governor Seward: The election is
over, and its results sufficiently ascer-
tanned. It seems to ne a fitting time to
announce to you the dissolution of the
political firm of Seward, Weed & Gree
ley by the withdrawal of the Junior
partner, said withdrawal to take effect
on the morning after the first Tuesday in
February"
After abiding to his selection to edit
campaign paper at Albany (attendant
upon the political revolution of 1880
edict, and his editing it faithfully for
81, 900 year, he continues, ''You were
then governor, dispensing offices worth
So, 900 to $500 year to your friends
and compatriots. [ returned to my gar
ret and my crust and my desperate bat
tie with pecuniary obligations, heaped
upon me by bad partners IN business,
and the disastrous events of 1887. 1 be-
lieve it did not then occur to me that
some one of those abundant places
might have been offered to me without
injustice. / now think il should have
occurred to you.
In the Harrison campaign / was again
designated to edit campaign paper. I
published itwell and ought to have made
something by tin spite of it's exceedingly
low price. My extreme poverty was the
main reason why | did not.
Now came the great scramble
of the swell mob of coon minstrels and
cider-suckers at Washington. Several
regiments of them went on from this
city; but not one of the whole crowd
though I say it who should not-had
done so much toward Gen. Harrison's
nomination and election as yours re-
spectfully. l asked nothing, expected
nothing; but you, Governor Seward,
ought to have asked that I be postmas-
ter of New York. Your asking would
have been in vain; but it would have
been an act of grace, neither wasted nor
undeserved."
The conclusion ran thus: Governor
Seward, [ know that some of your most
cherished friends think me a, great
obstacle to your advancement; that some
insist that you and Weed shall not be
identified with me. trust, after time,
you will not be. / trust I shall never be
found III opposition to you. [ have no
further wish but to glide out of the
newspaper world as quietly and speedily
as possible; join my family III Europe,
and if possible stay there quite time
long enough to cool my fevered brain
and renoyate my overtaxed energies. All
that I ask is that we shall be counted
even on the morning after the first
Tuesday in February, and that I may
thereafter take such course as seems
best, without reference to the past. You
have done me acts of valued kindness in
the line Of your profession; let me close
with the assurance that these will ever
be gratefully remembered by yours,
"HoRACE GREELEY"
This letter indicates what Greeley's
intimates have always maintained, that
he did not so much want Office as he
wanted recognition of his services. He
would not have felt bitterly toward
Seward, had he exhibited any interest in
his behalf; it was the governors COM
plete ignoring of him that gave him Of
tense.
Greeley was aggrieved, too, at Weed,
who does not, however, seem to have
had any unfriendly feeling toward him.
Greeley would not speak to him from
the day he wrote that letter. But when
the Tribune chief died, the older jour-
nalist shed tears, and pronounced him
one of the best, purest, honestest of
men. He was one of the principal
mourners at the funeral, and he often
pays most affectionate tribute to his
memory.