Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-02

| continue to resound
:: !. !: ! J. !: !
g. through the country
| S1TN until the letters Of &C.
| AHfAl11kV, ceptance from the re-
| &HH&A Ma spective candidates are
| NS received by the COM
mittees Of the two
| @ENkKXkyTVN parties which will be
| MS17IiWy organized to conduct
T@TS the campaign. then the
| labors Of the active
workers Of the democratic and the republican
organizations will begin in earnest and only
end at the closing Of the polls on November 6.
The labor involved in the conduct Of Q presi-
dental campaign is stupendous, and the cost
proportionately large. Though not Methuse-
lab. have seen the workings Of the national
democratic committee since 1855. Ispent most
| OF my time during that canvass in Philadelphia,
| where l witnessed the incessant labor Of Col.
Forney and his corps Of assistants. Pennsyl-
vania was the battle ground and from Forney 9
knowledge of the state the campaign was in
trusted to him. Mr.. August belmont, the
chairman Of tho national committee and his
many aids fought the battle Of the other states
at New York, leaving Pennsylvania entirely to
| Forney. His success in electin9 Mr. buchanan
was acknowledged by the newly elected Presi-
| dent and by the democratic party. In the full
ness Of his gratitude the President-elect
| rendered Forney place in his cabinet The
postmaster generalship. il was claimed by Col
Forney, had been rendered him, but when the
President reached Washington and conferred
with the magnates Of the party he was obliged
to change his mind in view Of the opposition
Of almost the entire south. The President
sought to placate Forney, but Forney insisted
upon the President keeping his promise, and
nothing short of the position Of Postmaster
General would satisfy him. He refused the
most liberal proposition rendered through Mr..
Cornelius Wendell Of the consulate Of Liver
European correspondent Of the Union at sl0.-
900 per annum, the check for the year in ad-
vance being laid before him.
THE SPLIT AT CHARLESTON.
In 1850 the democratic. convention met at
Charleston and the story Of that ill-starred
gathering has been repeatedly told. I had the
honor Of knowing both candidates Of that and
the Baltimore convention, which grew out Of the
split at Charleston. The two candidates were
worthy of each other. Gen. Breckinridge was
one Of the most brilliant men Of the period and
of Judge Douglass, the estimate of him by Mr.
Gales that he was a phenomenal statesman
would stamp him as a man of great power.
The convention of 1864, which nominated
Gen. Mcclellan, was q forlorn hope, compara-
lively. The soldiers vote taken in the field
was influenced, it was charged, and manipu-
lated in the republican interest, but Mr. Lin
ccn had but little opposition. Many democrats
| questioned the policy of making Q nomination
at that time. saw but little Of Gen. McClel-
Ian during that canvass. The national COM
mittee conducted the campaign from New
York.
The nominee Of the convention Of 1858, Gov
Seymour, met several times during the cam
paign and in September visited him at his home
a. the request OF the President. and be had then
almost abandoned the hope of success and ex-
1 ccodh 40 ~ M L. "a
was expected he would do. The convention
which nominated Mr.. Greeley was called to
order by Mr.. August Belmont who declined q
| reelection as chairman Of the national COM
mittee and was succeeded by Mr.. Augustus
Schell, whose labor and means were bestowed
upon the canvass even when it was apparent the
election Of Mr.. Greeley was hopeless.
HOW MONEY WAS WASTED.
A day OF two before the election, certainly
within a week, deceased statesman from Indi-
ana came to Mr.. Schel and obtained 5000
with the assurance that with that aid Mr..
Greeley would carry that state. In vain Mr.
| Banks c'Anno Domini' Banks), who was
| secretary Of the committee, demon
strated the impossibility Of doing it. Mr..
s schea gave ga the money; And as usual the
the committee with the assurance that with
! $50. 600 they could carry the state for Greeley
| was sent to Mr.. Erastus Corning Gen. George
MCGEE, Henry Richmond and Mr. Barnum for
an assessment levied on them, which they
paid, but not ono of them believed the state
| could be carried. At the meeting called to
meet the gentlemen from Pennsylvania, after
hearing what they had to say, when s,bscrip-
| lions We're invited John Morrissey handed in
his check for 81 900 with the remark that Penn
sylvania could not be carried for Greeley with
| ten times the amount asked, and Barnum
whom l followed out in the mountains where
his furnaces were, gave check for some
thousands and said for all the good it
would do it might just as well be
thrown into the furnace. On my
return from this financial pilgrimage. 1 went to
Mauch Chunk to see Gen. Asa Packer and he
was far from sanguine, but gave his check for
the amount he was assessed. While there Gov
Packer received q telegram that Mr. Greeley
would reach Mauch Chunk that evening en-
route to large meeting at Allentown.
eREELEY's sPEEcHKs
A number of gentlemen with Gov. Packer en-
tered his car and asked him to address the
large crowd gathered to greet him. He asked
casually what were the principal productions
there and was informed it was slate He went
on the rear platform Of the car and for ten
minutes he talked on slate in all its varieties,
uses and value. One of the gentlemen who es-
corted Mr.. Greeley to Allentown said they had
learned more about slate than they had ever
known before. When an opportunity occurred
Mr. Greeley took me into his compartment and
asked what was said of his speeches, and was
| very much pleased to hear how they were ap-
preciated. and as the North Carolina election in
August had not taken place was enabled to
express q very hopeful opinion of the success
in November. That election, however, dis
PEELED any hope for success III the south. The
negroes for whom he had labored all his life, to
whom they were in o great measure indebted
for their freedom, voted against him to man.
MIR. Greeley was = very sensitive man and their
ingratitude and the cartoons in Harper's Weekly
by Mast cansed him much suffering. An incl
dent worthy Of record, for we never expect to
see it repeated, occurred after that election
which dimmed all our hopes Of success. The
senior Senator from North Carolina was chair
man Of the state committee and Mr.. Schell had
sent him such sum as would be requisite to
Pay the expenses of the campaign, and at its
conclusion Gen. Ransom wrote ito Mr.. Schell
that he had an unexpended balance on hand
subject to his order, and after the gloom Of de-
feat had settled on us went to Gen Ransom
and obtained that balance-some thousands
ON instance of political integrity, or, a. some
| would say, Of political greenness, for money
given for political uses Is supposed to be ex-
pended.
NORTH CAROLINA N 1876.
When left Raleigh for New York few days