Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-06

and Lane to make aggressive resistance to
the nomination of Seward was his attitude
on the school question that was very offens-
i've to the many thousands of voters IN their
respective States who either adhered to the
American organization or cherished Its
strong preiudices against any division OF
the school fund 1t was Stewards record on
that single question, when Governor of New
York, that made him an impossible candi-
date for President in 1860, unless he was to
be nominated simply to be defeated.
INDIANA FIRST FOR LINCOLN.
Many delegates most reluctantly gave up
their preference for Seward in obedience to
the counsel of these two men from the two
States which were to decide the great con-
test in October, and whose Judgment was
! entitled to most respect; but it was choice
between defeat or victory, and much as a
majority of the convention loved Seward,
they felt that duty to the republican party
was paramount. And it was Curtin and
Lane also who decided that Lincoln should
| be the candidate after Seward had been
practically Overthrown.
When it became known that Stewards
nomination would defeat the party in Penn
| sylvania and Indiana, the natural inquiry
was-Who can best aid those candidates for
Governor in their State contests? Indiana
decided in favor of Lincoln at an early stage
of the struggle, and her action had much to
do in deciding Pennsylvania support OF
Lincoln. The Pennsylvania delegation had
much less knowledge of Lincoln than the
men from Indiana, and there were very
few original Lincoln supporters among
them. Wilmot was for Lincoln from the
start; Stevens was for Judge Mclean; Reed
was for General Cameron. The delegation
was not q harmonious one because OF the
hostility of considerable number OF the
delegates TO Cameron for President, and 1t
was not until the first day that the conven-
ton met that Pennsylvania got into any
thing like q potential attitude. AT a meet
ing of the delegation it was proposed that
the first, second and third choice of the
delegates for President should be formally
declared
TWO PERFUNCToRY DECLARATIONS
1t is needless to say that this proposition
did not come from the earnest supporters of
Cameron, but it was coupled with the sug-
gestion that Cameron should be unani-
mously declared the first choice Of the State,
which was done. Stevens was stubbornly
for Mclean, and had considerable follow
ing. He asked that Mclean be declared
the second choice of the State, and as Mo
Lean was then known to be practically out
of the fight, he was given substantially
unanimous vote as the second choice.
The third choice to be expressed BY the
delegation brought the State down to prac-
tical business, and it was well known that
both the first and second choice were mere
perfunctory declarations The battle came
then between Bates and Lincoln, and but
for the fact that Indiana had previously
declared for Lincoln and that Cur
tin and Lane were acting in con-
cert, there is little reason to doubt that
Bates would have been preferred. Much
feeling was exhibited in deciding the third
choice of the State, and Lincoln finally won
over Bates by majority. When it became
known that Pennsylvania had indicated
Lincoln as her third choice ID gave a won
derful impetus to the Lincoln cause. Cam
eron and Mclean were not seriously con-
sidered, and what was nominally the third
choice of the State was accepted as really
the first choice among possible candidates.
The slogan of the Lincoln workers was soon
heard on every side-"Pennsylvania's for
Lincoln" and from the time that Pennsyl-
vania ranged herself along with Indiana in
support of Lincoln, not only was Stewards
defeat inevitable, but the nomination of
Lincoln was practically assured. Thus did
two men not only determine Stewards de-
feat, but they practically determined the
nomination of Lincoln
THURLow WEED AS A LEADER q.
Notwithstanding the substantial advan-
tages gained by the supporters of Lincoln
in the preliminary struggles at Chicago, the
fight for Seward was maintained with des-
perate resolve until the final ballot was
taken. 1t was, indeed, battle of giants
Thurlow Weed was the Seward leader and
he was simply incompatible as a master in
handling q convention. With him were
such able leutenants as Governor Morgan,
and Raymond, of the New York Times, with
Evarts as Chairman of the delegation, whose
speech nominating Seward was the most i'm
pressive utterance of his life.
The Bates men were led by Frank Blair,
the only Republican Congressman from a
lave sState, who was nothing if not heroic,
aided by his brother Montgomery, who was
politician of uncommon cunning. With them
was Horace Greeley, who was Chairman of
the delegation from the then almost mac
cessible State of Oregon.
1t was Lincoln's friends, however, who
were the ''hustlers" of that battle. They
had men for sober counsel like David Davis;
men of supreme sagacity like Leonard
SWEET; men of tireleSs effort like Norman
B. Judd, and they had what was more i'm
portant than ala seething multitude wild
with enthusiasm for Abraham Lincoln.
PACKED WITH LINCOLN SHoUTERs
For once Thurlow Weed was outgen-
eraled lust at critical stage of the battle.
final struggle was to be made, the friends of
Seward got up an imposing demonstration
on the streets of Chicago. They had bands
and banners; immense numbers and gener-
Gus enthusiasm; but, while the Seward men
were thus making public display of their
earnestness and strength, SWEET and Judd
filled the immense galleries of the wigwam,
in which the convention was held, with men
who were ready to shout to the echo for
Lincoln whenever opportunity offered. The
result was that, when the Seward men filed
into the convention there were seats for the
delegates, but few for any Others, and the
convention was encircled by an immense
throng that made the wigwain tremble with
its cheers for the 'rail-splitter
Twelve names had been put in nomina-
ton for President, but the first ballot |
developed to the comprehension of all that
the struggle was between Seward and Lin
coin. Seward had received 173L votes and
Lincoln 102. The other votes scattered be-
tween ten candidates, the highest of whom
(Cameron) received 501S, all of which were
from Pennsylvania with the exception Of
three. Cameron's name was at once with
drawn, and on the second ballot Seward
rose to 1S4k, with Lincoln closely follow
ing at 1S1, but both lacking the 233 votes
necessary to choice. The third ballot was
taken amid breathless excitement, with
Lincoln steadily gaining and Seward now
and then losing, and when the ballot ended
Lincoln had 2315f to 1S0 for Seward.
A WILD RUsH FOR LINCOLN.
Lincoln lacked but 2% votes of ma