Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-13
NOW 1t is NlCOLAY.
Lincoln's Secretary Comes Back
at Mcclure.
NOT INCLINED 70 BE DISMISSED, !"

Nor to Let the Col onel Retreat Under a
Cloud of Vituper ation''-The Argume nt
Up to Date Presented the Biogra-
pher Sees 1t, and All the Evidence Gone
over Tersely and Observation-Disclosures
ton of the Charge That the CoIonel's
Assertions Discredit Lincoln.
WASHINGTON, July 1s.-Mr. Nicolay,
prints the following in response to Colonel
McClure's open letter: Il will not allow
you to retreat in A cloud of vituperation
from full conviction of having made
misstatement of history. l need only to
sum up the points of evidence. You al
lege that Mr.. Lincoln called and in
structed you to oppose Hamlin and nomi-
nate johnson.
a. This is proved to be a misstatement
by Lincoln's written words, Wish not to
interfere about vice president Can not
interfere about platform. Convention
must judge for itself 1t is not ques-
ton between your assertion, and my as.
sertion, but between your assertion AMI
Lincnln's written word,
Quoting the illinois Chairman.
80 1t is proved to be a misstatement by
the testimony of B C. Cook, of the Hi,
nois delegation, who says: Mr. Nicolay's
statement 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 l
went to see Mr. Lincoln personally however.
There are always men who say the presi-
Dental candidate prefers this man or that,
and they doit with n ot the slightest author
ity. 1t was so in this campaign. 1t was
reported that Andrew johnson was Mr..
Lincoln's choice aud it was my business to
lind out whether he was or was not. We
were beyond all measure for Mr.. Linct N
first, last, and for all time If he desired
Mr.. johnson he would have been cur
choice, but he did not. AS the lis
patch indicates, Mr.. Lincoln vas
particularly anxious not to mai
known his preferences on the question of
his associate on the ticket But that he
had preference ! positively know At. or
my interview with / i'm l was as positive
that Hannibal Hamlin was his favorite a.
l am that am alive to-day. The fact 5
further proven 10y the action of the entire
Illinois delegation, which was a unit for
Mr.. Hamlin. and, a. l stated before, we
were at MS service il the matter
Confirmed by Hay and Cameron.
IS. 1t is proved 20 he d misstatement by
Colonel Hay, who says; i have nothing
to say about Mr.. Nicolays assertion or
about this telegram, but do corroborate
the statement that Mr.. Lincoln withheld
al1 lpt1la Tod inA n q
Baltimore convention Of 1864 and further:
q stand simply by the proposition con-
tanned in our history. For several
days before the convention the president
was besieSed by inquiries as to his
personal wishes in regard to his associate
on the ticket. He had persistently refuse d
to give the slightest intimatfon of such
wish. Il 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
Il. IL is proved a misstatement by the
action of Simon Cameron, chairman of
the Pennsylvania delegation, in nominal
ing Hamlin as car didate for vice presi-
dent, and casting for him the whole fifty
two votes of the Pennsylvania delegation.
Reflections on the Editor.
your own action in he Baltimore conven-
tion, when at the first vote for vice presi-
dent, after the supposed instructions
which you claim to have received from
Lincoln, and having as you say returned
to work and vote for Johnson you as a
member of the Pennsylvania delegation
voted for Hannibal Hamlin for
vice president. If you did this will
ingly you betrayed Lincoln's confidence
and instructions which you allege to have
received. If you did it unwillingly you
proved yourself :poiiticaJ cipher-a pre-
tended agert to manipulate national
convention who had not influence enough
in his own delegation to control his own
vote. The first roll-call was decisive in
showing Johnson's strength against the
Pennsylvania vote yourself inciuded) and
it shows that you contributed notn-
ing for, but everything against, the result
you say you were commissioned to brir g
about. Subsequent changes. still on the
first ballot Cor there was no second). WEI q
simply the usual rush to make the choice
unanimous, in which Pennsylvania did
not lead, bu- only joined after the rush
became evident, just as Maine and Illinois
4 4