St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-09
Nieolay's Telegram to Mrs.
Hamlin Anglers the Phila-
delphia Editor.
Close Relations With Lincoln
Gave Him knowledge Of
the Facts.
The Times Man Repeats His
Version of Andy John
sons Nomination.
Quaker City Editors and Wan
amaker Will Testify in
the Bank Case.

PHILADELPHIA. July S.-The follow
lng editorial of Col. Mcclure will ap-
pear in to-morrow's Times: The igno-
rance exhibited by John g. NicOlay in
his public telegram to the wIG,ow of ex-
Vice President Hamlin is equaled only
by his arrogance in assuming to speak
for Abraham Lincoln in matters about
which Nicolay was never consulted,
and of which he had no more knOwl-
edge than any other routine clerk about
the White house. L do not regret that
Mr.. Nicolay has rushed into dispute
that must lead to the clear establish
ment of the exact truth as to the defeat
of Hamlin IN 1864. 1t will surely great
Iy impair, if not destroy NicOlay's hith-
erto generally accepted claim to ac-
curacy as the biOgrapher of Lincoln, but
he can complain of none but himself.
1 saw Abraham Lincoln at all hours
of the day and night during his presi-
dental service, and he has himself
abundantly testified to the trust that
existed between US. Having had the
direction of his battle in the pivotal
state of the Union, he doubtless ac-
corded me more credit than / merited,
as the only success in politics and war is
success; and the fact that | never
sought or desired honors or profits from
his administration, and never embar-
rassed him with exactionS of any kind,
made our relations the most grateful
memories of my life. In all of
the many grave political emergencies
arising from the new and often ap-
palling duties imposed by internicIne
war, was one of those called
to the inner cOunsels of Abraham
Lincoln. He distrusted his Judgment
in politics and was ever careful to
gather the best cOunselS from all the
varied shades of opinion aud interest to
guide him in his conclusions; and there
were not only scores of confidential
conferences in the White house of
which John @. Nicolay never heard,
but no man ever met or heard OF John
g. NicOlay in such councils. He was a
good mechanical routine clerk; he was
utterly inefficient as the secretary of
the president; his removal was earn
estly pressed upon Lincoln on more
than one occasion because of his utter
want of tact and fitness for his
trust, and only the prOyerbial
kindness of Lincoln saved him
from dismissal. He saw and knew
President Lincoln; the man Abraham
Lincold ne never saw and never knew;
and his assumption that he was the
trusted repository of LincOln's con-
fdential convictions and efforts would
have been regarded as grotesQue a quar-
ter of a century ago, when Lincoln and
his surroundings were well understood.
His biography of Lincoln Is invaluable
as an accurate history of the public acts
of the Lincoln administration, but there
is not chapter or page on the inner
personal attributes of the man that is
not burdened with
objectionable Errors.
NicOlay was plOdGing, precise, me-
ehanical clerk, well fitted to preserve
historical data and present it intelli-
gently and correctly; but there his fit
ness as biOgrapher ended. / now re-
peat, that in obedience to telegraphic
request from President Lincoln Visited
him at the White house the day before
the Baltimore convention of 1864. At
that interview Mr.. Lincoln earnestly
explained why the nomination of well
known Southern man like Andrew
johnson, who had been congressman,
governor and senator by the favor of
his state, would not onsy nationalize the
Republican party and the government,
but would greatly lessen the grave peril
of the recognition of the COnfederacy
by England and France. He be-
leved that the election to the
vice presidency of a representative
statesman from an insurgent state that
had been restored 10 the Union, would
disarm the enemies of the republic
abroad and remove the load of section
alism from the government that seemed
TO greatly hinder peace. No intimation,
no trace of prejudice against Mr.. Ham
lin was exhibited, and l we'll knew that
no such consideration could have in
fluenced Mr.. Lincoln in such an emer-
geDcy. Had he believed Mr.. Hamlin to
be the man who could best promote the
great work whose direction fell solely
upon himself, he would have favored
Hamlin's denomination regardless of his
personal wishes; but he believed that a
great public achievement would be at
tanned by the election of johnson, and !
returned to Baltimore to work and vote
for Johnson, although against all my
personal prediction in the matter.
False and InsOIent.
Mr.. NicOlay's public telegram to Mrs.
Hamlin, saying that the foregoing state
Aent sis entirely erroneous" is as in
ent as il is false; and the correctness
C~my statements not even inferentially
cOntradicted by Nicolay's quotation
from Lincoln. On the contrary, Nico
lays statement given in his history
(vOl. 9, pages 1878, and copied il
another cOlumn) proves simply
that Nicolay was. dress parading
at Baltimore and knew nothing
of the presidents purposes. True, he
seems to assume that he had RESPONSE
bic charge of the executive duties. as he
says that 'Mr. NIcolay wrote letter tC
Mr.. Hay, who had been left in charge Of
the executive Office" asking whether
Leonard SWEET, one of the president,
most intimate friends, was ''all right " il
urging the nomination of Judge Ad
vocate General Holt for vice presi
dent. Had NicOlay ever learned any
thing in the White house hC
would have known that of all living
men Leonard SWEET was the one mos
trusted by Abraham Lincoln, and he
should have known that when Sweet
was opposing Hamlin. Lincoln was no
yearning for HamliD's denomination
Then comes Lincoln's answer to NicO
lays bombastic query, saying: ''Swet
Is unquestiOnably all right" And be
cause Lincoln did not proclaim himsel
fool by giving NicOlay an opportunity
to herald Lincoln's sacredlY private
convictions as to the vice presidency
he assumes that he has
LfDcOIn'e written wOrds,'
to justly his contradiction of circum
stantial statement and executed pur
pose, of which he could have had NJ
knowledge. When Leonard SWEET wa!
against Hamlin, none could escape tht