Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-10
NOT REPLYING TO ABUSE.
But Examines the Colonel's Alleged In
terview with Lincoln.

But Examines the Colonel's Alleged In
terview with Lincoln.
In another part Of the letter Mr. Nico-
lay says: i will not reply to your per-
sonal abuse; it proves nothing but your
rage and wounded vanity at being exposed
in a gross historical misstatement. You
asserted thai President Lincoln opposed
the denomination of Hannibal Hamlin for
vice president ! refuted that assertion by
calling attention to the written record
wherein Lincoln, in his own hand writing
explicitly states the contrary You now
reassert your statement, or, to put il in
other words, you accuse President Lin
coin of acting low political deceit, and,
with his own hand, writing deliberate
lie. The country will not believe the
monStrous Implication.
Examining McClure's Claim.
This written evidence is quoted in our
history, and no amount of denial or aSSer-
ton to the contrary can overturn it. In
trying to evade its force you assert that
Lincoln called you to Washington and
urged the nomination of Johnson, and
that you returned to Baltimore to work
and vote in obedience to that request
against your personal prediction. Let
US examine this claim. The official pro
ceedings of The convention show that you
were one of the four delegates at-large
from Pennsylvania "a, the others being ST.
mon Cameron, W. W. ketchum, and NJ
B. Lowrey, while the list Of district dele
gates contains the names of many other
eminent Pennsylvanians.
The Colonel in the Convention.
"The proceedings also show that you
acted an entirely minor part You were
q IDpnbp the oovn yDittaa IN
ton, and presented its report, recommend
ing the permanent officers which were
elected. With that presentation your ser
vice and influence ended, so far rs can be
gathered from the proceedings. Of other
Pennsylvania delegates William w
Ketchum was one of the vice presidents
of the convention, E. Mcpherson was
on the committee on credentials, A
H Reeder on the committee on or
ganization, NJ B. Lowrey ON the commit
tee on resolutions S. F. Wilson on the
committee on rules and order of business.
and 5. a. Purviance on the national com
mittee, while General Simon Cameron
held the leading and important post as
chairman of the Pennsylvania delegation.
Is it probable that Lincoln, among
all these men. would have,called you alone
TO receive his secret instructions?
Was at Baltimore HIM self
ALLOW me TO restate the fact. was at
the Baltimore convention as a spectator
The chairman Of the Illinois delegation,
the Hon. b. c. Cook, had conversation
with me about the course of certain dis
affected leaders in Illinois That CONVEX
satjon l reported 10 the president in let
ter to Major Hay, my assistant private Sec
rotary, in part as follows: What trans
pired at home and what he has heard from
several sources have made Cook suspicious
that SWEET may be untrue to Lincoln One
of the straws which led him to this belief
is that SWEET has telegraphed here, urging
the Illinois delegation to go for Holt
What Cook Wanted to Know.
"'Cook wants to know confidentiaily
whether SWEET is all right; whether in
urging Holt for wee president he reflects
the presidents wish; whether the presi-
dent has any preferences, either person
ally or on the score of policy, or whether
be wishes not even to interfere by con-
fidential indication
"Upon this letter President Lincoln
made the following Endorsement in bis
OWL handwriting: SWEET is unquestiona-
bly, all right Mr.. Holt is good man,
but / had not heard or thought of him for
vice president. Wish not to interfere
about vice president. Cannot interfere
about platform. Convention must judge
for itself ~