The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-07-10
LINCOLN AND HAMLIN.
Col. mcclure Repeats His story of
Johnson's Nomination.

PHILADELPHIA, July 9-An editorial by
COL Mcclure appears in tOday's Times in
which the writer says:
In all the grave political emergencies
arising from the new and often appalling
duties imposed by internecine war was one
of those called to the inner councils of
Abraham Lincoln. He distrusted his own
Judgment in politics, and was ever careful
to gather the best counsels from all the
varied shades of opinion and interest to
guide him in his conclusions; ana there were
not only scores of confidential conferences
In the White House of which John G. Nico-
lay never heard, but no man ever met or
neard OF John &. Nicolay in such councils.
lie was good mechanical, routine clerk
ne was utterly insufficient as the secretary
OF the President; his removal was earnestly
pressed upon Lincoln on more than one Oc-
caslon because OF his utter want of tact and
htness for his trust. and only the proverbial
kindness of Lincoln saved him from dis
missal; lie saw and knew President Lin
colni the man Abraham Lincoln he never
saw ana never knew; and his assumption
tnat ne was the trusted repository of Lin
CONS confidential convictions and efforts
would have been regarded as grOtesque
quarter OF century ago. when Lincoln and
MS close surroundings were well understood.
HIS biography of Lincoln is invaluable as an
accurate history of the public acts of the
Lncoln administration, but there is not
cnapter or page on the inner personal attri-
Dutes OF the man that is not burdened with
objectionable errors. Nic0lay was plod-
ding, precise, mechanical clerk; well fitted
TO preserve historical data and present them
lntelllgently and correctly. but there his
ntneSS as biOgrapher ended.
now repeat that, in obedience to tele-
graphic request from President Lincoln,
visited him at the White House the day be-
lore the Baltimore convention of 1864 At
tnat interview Mr.. Lincoln earnestly ex-
plalned why the nomination of well-known
Southern man like Andrew johnson, who
mad been Congressman, Governor and SEN
ator, by the favor Of his state, would not
only natiOnalize the Republican party and
the government, but would greatly lessen
the grave peril of the recognition of the
Confederacy by England and France. He
believed that tha election to the Vice Presi-
dency of a representative statesman from an
lnsurgent state that had been restored to the
Union would disarm the enemies of the
republic abroad and remove the load of sec
tionalism from the government that seemed
so greatly to hinder peace. No intimatlOn, no
trace, of prejudice against Mr.. Hamlin
was exhibited, and l well know that no such
consideration could have influenced Mr..
Lincoln in such an emergency. Had he be-
lieved Mr.. Hamlin to be the man who could
best promote the great work whose direction
fell solely upon himself, he would have
favored Hamlin's nomination, regardless Of
his personal wishes; but he believed that
great public achievement would be attained
by the election of johnson, and / returned
to Baltimore to work and vote for Johnson.
although against all personal predictions
In the matter"