St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-12

cation, who says: "Mr. Nicolay's state
ment that Mr.. Lincoln was in favor of
Hannibal Hamlin is correct. The dis
patch which is published this morning
was sent to me in reply to an inquiry to
Mr.. Lincoln in regard to the matter. 1t
read: Wish not TO interfere about vice
president. Cannot interfere about plat
form. Convention must Judge for ITSELF
| went to see MIR. Lincoln personally,
however. There are always men who
say the presidential candidates prefer
this man or that. and they do it without
the slightest authority. 1t was so in this
campaign. 1t was reported that An
drew johnson was Mr.. Lincoln'S choice.
and it was my business to find out
whether it was or not. We were, be-
yOnd all measure, for MIR. Lincoln first,
last and for all time. If he desired Mr..
johnson he would have been our choice,
but be did not. As the dispatch indi-
Gates, MIR. Lincoln was particularly
anxious not TO make known his prefer
enceS on the question of his associate
OH the ticket But that he had prefer
ence | positively know. After my in
terView with him l was as positive that
Hannibal Hamlin was his favorite as |
am that | am alive to-day. The fact is
further proven by the action of the en-
tire Illinois delegation, which was a
unit for Mr.. Hamlin. and, as | stated be-
fore. we were at his service III the mat
ter"
Third-lt is proven to be a miSState-
ment by Col. Hay, who says: Il have
nothing to say about Mr.. Nicolay'S as
Sertion or about this telegram, but L do
cOrrOborate the statement that Mr.. Lin
coin withheld all opinion calculated to
influence the Baltimore convention in
1854" And further: II stand simply
by the proposition contained in our his
tory. For several days before
the convention the president had been
besieged by inquiries as to his personal
wishes in regard to his associate on the
ticket. He had perSistently refused to
give the slightest intiMation of such
wish. 1t was therefore with
minds absolutely untrammeled by any
knowledge of the presidents wishes
that the convention went about the
work of selecting his associate on the
ticket"
Fourth-It is proven to be a misState-
ment by the action of Simon Cameron,
chairman of the Pennsylvania delega-
ton, in nominating Hamlin for vice
president, and casting for hIm the whole
fifty-twO votes of the Pennsylvania del
egatiOn.
1t is proven to be misstatement by
your own action in the Baltimore con-
vention, when, at the first vote for vice
president, after the supposed inStruc-
tiOnS You claim to have received from
Lincoln, and having, as you say, re
turned TO work and vote for Johnson"
you, as member of the Pennsylvania
delegation, voted for Hannibal Hamlin
for vice president. If you did
this willingly you betrayed Lin
coins confidence and instruc-
tons which you allege to have received,
If you did it unwilIingly, you proved
yourself political cipher-a pretended
agent to manipulate a national conven-
ton who had not influence enough in
his own delegation to control his own
vote. The first roll call was decisive in
showing JohHsOn's strength against the
Pennsylvania vote yourself included,
and it shows that you contributed moth
ing for, but everything against. the re-
suit you say you were commissioned TO
bring about. Subsequent changes still
on the first ballot for there was no sec
Ond) were simply the usual rush 10
make the choice unanimous, in which
Pennsylvania did not lead, but only
joined after the rush became evident,
just as Maine and Illinois did.
JOHN G. NICOLAY.