New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-10
MR.. NICOLAY'S REPLY.
HE REASSERTS THAT LINCOLN FAVORED
HAMLIN'S REMUNERATION.
THE PRESIDENTS REFUSAL TO INTERFERE At

THE PRESIDENTS REFUSAL TO INTERFERE Al
THE BALTIMORE coNvENTIoN-coNTRovERT-
ING COLONEL MCLURE's STATEMENTS.
Washington, July 9.-John G.. Nicolay, Presi-
to he tcttPr Will yop do it? Think how mucn
dent Lincoln's private secretary, has address th
following open letter to-day to Colonel A. X.
Mcclure Editor of The Philadelphia iirses."
L viii not reply to your personal abuse It proves
I nothing but your rage and wounded vanity at being
exposed In a gross historical misstatement
You asserted that President Lincoln opposed the re-
nomination OF Hannibal Hamln for Vice-President.
refuted that assertion by calling attention 70 the written
record wherein Lincoln in his handwriting, ex.
plcltly states the contrary You now reassert your
statement % put in other words you accuse frcs
dent Lincoln of acting low political deceit and WIN
his own hand writing q deliberate he Inc country VIII
not believe the monstrous implication
Allow to restate the facts. L was at the Baa-
more Convention a spectator Tho chairman OF thc
Illinois delegation Hon. d. c. Cook, had conversation
with Of certain disaiected leaders In
Illinois That conversation reported to the President
In letter Major Hay my assistant private secretary
IN part follows:
''What transplred at home and what ne has heard
from several have made Cook suspicious has
SWEET may be untrue TO Lincoln. One OF the straws
which lead him this belief that SWEET has telgaphed
here urging the Illinois delegation to go for Holt
Cook know confdentially whether SWEET is all
right-whether IN urging Holt for VcePresdent he re-
fleets the Presidents wIshs-wheher the President has
any preference either personally the score Of policy
whether he wishes not even 10 interfere by con-
ldential indication"
Upon this letter President Lincoln made the following
Endorsement in his handwriting:
"swett is unquestonaby all right Mr.. Holt Is good
man. but L had not heard thought OF him for V. T.
interfere about V. Z. Cannot interfere aoouo
platforn-conyention must judge for itself"
This evidence IS quoted in history, and no
amount Of denial assertion 10 contrary can overtu1 10
trying evade its force you assert that Lincoln
nfnaffnp Of
and that you returned to Baltimore to work aad
obedience that request against your personal
predictions Let examine this claim. The oilciai
proceedings of the show that Of
delegates-al from Pennsylvania the others
being Simon Cameron w. w. Ketchum and NJ j. Lowery,
while list Of district delegates contains the names
Of other eminent Pennsyvanians The proceedings
also show that you acted an entirely minor part You
were member OF the Committee Organization and
presented report recommending tho permanent officers
which With that presentation your service
and influence ended, be gathered from the
proceedings CT other Pennsylvania delegates, william
w. ketchum one Of the NcepresuehIs
OF the convention: L. Mcpherson was the
Committee Credentials; A. II. Reeder on the Com
mittee Organizaton VI. B. Lowery on the Committee
on Resolutions; S. f. Wilson the Committee on Rules
and Order of Business S. a. Puryance on the National
Committee while General Simon Cameron held the leading
and important post chairman Of the Pennsylvania DELE
CATION. SO, again, among those who made motions ana
speeches were Cameron Thaddeus Stevens, A. IL Reeder
L. y.
beyond the presentation Of the routine report have men,
toned your did not give forth the squeak OF no
smallest Is it probable that Lincoln among all
men, would have called alone receive his secret
instructiOns2
1: IS matter OF public history that Simon Cameron was
more prominent and efficient any other Pennsyyanian
In the in that State TO give Lincoln second
term and that on the th OF January 1861 he transmitted
TO the President request Of Union me-
Der Of the Pennsylvania Legislature 70 aceeps renolna
tlon This and his subsequent open and unvaryns sup
port left no doubt Of Cameron's attitude How was 10
with yOu2 find among LIncOln's papers tho following
'''''i iiO"i 'O"' .Iranklln Repository Office.
''CIambersburg. Penn. May ., 1894
'Sr: have been amazed to it intmated in one or
journals that not cordially In favor ot your
denomination. shall notice the intimaons no further
than to assure you that will have no more cordial,
earnest or faithful supporter in the Baltimore Convention
than your obedent servant. A. h. MeCLURE'
sTo the President"
That is only month before the Baltimore Convention
you felt called upon personally protest against accusa
Of party dlsoyaty. But this is not all When tho
time came to make nominations for VicePresident
Simon Cameron chairman of the PENNSYLVANIA delegation,
and one Of earliest and most persistent friends of
Lincoln himself nominated Hannibal Hamlin for Vice.
President while the whole Of Pennsylvania was on the
first ballot for Hamln's nomination. SO also the
Illinois delegation entire vote FOR Hamlin on tho
first ballot Dos it stand that Lincoln called
upon you to desert Hanlin and nominate Johnson and
gave no OF this desire 70 the chairman OF the
Pennsylvania delegation and OF the Illinois delegatoni
And once more, It probable that If Lincoln had de-
sired the nomination Of Johnson he would have allowed
SWEET one Of the Presidents intimate friends to urge
the nomination OF Hotl Dare you venture the assertion
that Lincoln was deceivng Cameron deceying Cook car
rying on a intrigue against lIann ana another
secret intrigue against Holt and that on top OF the whole
he was writing deil lie to usl That may be your
conception Abraham Lincoln, but 1t is not mine That
may be your system of politics. but it was not his
JOHN G. NICOLAY.