New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-02-14
how Thurlow Weed Won Over Bennett.


Just before the hostilities began Got
the war of the rebelion) one of the
duties intrusted to him was to secure
the influence of the New York Herald
on the side of the administration. The
sympathies of that paper were with the
south. and its opposition to Mr.. Lincoln
and Mr.. Seward encouraged rebellion
and streng thened the rebel cause. Fer
nando Wood, then mayor of New York,
entertained kindred sentiments. With
its large circulation in Europe, the Her.
aid was creating dangerous public
opinion abroad, and it was felt that Mr..
Weed was the only man who could bring
about a change in its policy. The SUBJ
ject was brought before a cabinet meet
ing, as our representatives in England,
France, Belgium, and elsewhere, had
impressed the government with the
necessity of action. 1t was agreed that
Mr.. Weed should be asked to visit Mr..
Bennett. Mr.. Seward stated to the
meeting that Mr.. Weeds relations with
Mr.. Bennett were such as to insure the
failure of the object contemplated; but
Mr.. Weed was summoned to Washing
ton by telegraph, and told that ''his ex-
perience in telling cats" pointed him
out as the man to accomplish this
special task. Lincoln insisted that he
should make the trial, and Weed re-
turned by the next train to New York
with that object. His acquaintance
with Bennett commenced in 1872, when
the latter was Washington reporter.
Weed was deeply interested in the sue
cess of Henry Clay whom Bennett re-
peatedly attacked and derided, 80 that
the two journalists had been in direct
antagonism. One charge made by Ben
nett had so incrnsed Mr.. Weed that not
q word had passed between the two for
more than thirty years, although they
lived much together at the Aston house,
in New York, and were brought other
wise in contact. On reaching the city
Weed sent word that he wished to see
Mr.. Bennett, and was invited to dinner
that afternoon at Washington Heights,
where Bennett lived. The two editors
sat long time at table, and the ques-
ton was evidently put before the Herald
proprietor in an entirely new light. In
parting, Mr.. Weedw cordially invited
to visit his host frequently, at his office
and residence. Nothing was then said
in regard to the future course of the
Herald, but that journal came promptly
to the support of the government, and
remained earnest and outspoken against
the rebellion. 1t was charged that Mr..
Bennett had been inundated, and that
he had been bought up by the admins
tra1ion. but both these accusations
were wholly unfounded. Mr.. Weed APP
pealed solely to Mr.. Bennett Judgment
and to his sense of duty as an inhuen-
tial journalist to the government and to
the union. A direct and simple appeal,
as Mr.. Weed so well knew how to make
it, was successful, and the social rela-
tons thus re-establishcd between these
two journalists continued throughout
the remainder of Mr.. Bennett life. Mr..
Lincoln frequently expressed to Mr..
Weed his desire to acknowledge in some
way his sense of obligation to Bennett,
and some two years afterward, when
the French mission was open, the presi-
dent authorized Mr.. Wakeman, then
surveyor of the port, to offer it to Mr..
Bennett, which offer. however, was de.
clined. Albany Esening Journal.