Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-12
AND DISMISSED
COL. McCLURE'S PARTING SHOT AT
COL. NICOLAY.
He Says Lincoln's Biographer Should
Have Been Drowned When He Was
Pup-Nicolay Retorts in a Milder
Manner.

PHILADELPHIA, July 1.-THE Times
this morning published an editorial
addressed to John G. Nicolay, under the
heading, Spanked and Dismissed. 1t is
in part:
"Had you known anything about the
inside political movements in the White
house in 1864, you would have known
that my letter to Lincoln, quoted in
your defense, was written because of a
suddenly developed effort in this state
to divide the lines drawn by the then
bitter Cameron and Curtin factional
war for and against Lincoln. The Cam
eron followers claimed to be special
supporters of Lincoln, and attempted to
drive Curtin and the state administra-
ton into hostility to the president. My
justly assured devotion to Curtin was
the pretext for declaring me as either
restrained in my support of Lincoln or
likely to be in opposition. The moment
| saw the statement in print wrote the
letter you quote, to dismiss from Lin
coins mind all apprehensions about
either open or passive opposition from
Curtin's friends.
Equally, indeed even more fragrant
ly, false is your statement of the only
minor truth about the action of the
Pennsylvania delegation at Baltimore,
in '64. You say Cameron cast the solid
vote OF the state for Hamlin. Had you
desired to be truthful you would have
added that Cameron cast the solid vote
of the delegation for johnson before the
close Of the first ballot.
Had you sought the truth. as an
honest biographer, you could have OBJ
tanned it without offensive disputation,
not only from me, as far as / knew it,
but from such living witnesses as
Charles A. Dana and Murat Halstead,
and from the recorded testimony of Gen
eral Cameron, Colonel Forney and
others who know much of Lincoln and
but little of you. Instead of seeking
the truth you flung your ignorance and
egotism with ostentatious indecency
upon the bereaved household of the yet
untombed Hamlin, and when brought
to bay by those better informed than
yourself, you resent it in the tone and
terms of ward heeler in whari-rat dis
trict, battling for constabulary honors.
l think it safe to say public judgment
will be that it would be well for both
Lincoln's memory and for the country
had such biographer been drowned
when pup. Dismissed.
(Signed) GA. X. MoC."
NICoLAY's ANSWER.
WASHINGTON, July 11.-Mr. Nicolay is
out with a reply to the latest communi-
cation from Colonel Mcclure. He says
he will not allow Mcclure to retreat in a
cloud of vituperatlon he reiterates his
previous assertions as to McClure's mis-
statements, and goes over the ground to
prove his position. He quotes dis
patch from B. G. Cook, who was chair
man of the Illinois delegation at the
Baltimore convention, and who says
Nicolay's statement that Lincoln
was in favor of Hamlin
is correct. Cook further says he
went to see Lincoln personally after the
receipt of the note which Nicolay has
quoted in his previous statements.
After an interview with him, Cook was
positive that Hannibal Hamlin was Lin
coins favorite, and says the fact is fur
ther proven by the action of the entire
Illinois delegation, which was unit for
Hamlin. Nicolay goes on to say that if
Mcclure received Lincoln's instructions
to vote for johnson, he betrayed them
when he went back to Baltimore, and as
a member OF the Pennsylvania delega-
ton, cast vote for Hannibal Hamlin.