The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-09-23
CLAY DISAPPOINTED.
HIS DEFEAT FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL
NOMINATION IN 1889.

Conventions Action.
The Wing convention of 1889 was
held in new Lutheran church in Har-
risburg, and it is safe assumption that
never before or since has house of God
been made the scene of so much and sc
aciroit political maneuvering as went
on there for the purpose of preventing
the nomination of Henry Clay for the
presidency The chief manipulation wa.
Thurlow Weed, who appeared there as
the friend Of Governor Seward, and the
future member Of the powerful firm OF
Seward, Weed & Greeley. This firm
was indeed the outcome of the ensu-
ing campaign. Greeley was at the con-
vention, little dreaming that the CAM
paign which was to follow would give
him the opportunity for developing the
qualities which were TO make him the
first editor of his time and lead to the
foundation of a great newspaper to be
forever linked indissolubly with his
name. Weed went into convention with
the determination of defeating Clay. He
says in his autobiography that he
had had the New York delegation in
strncted for Scott to keep it from Clay,
his real candidate being Harrison.
He entered into an agreement with
friends Of Webster. on the way to Har-
risburg from New York city, to act TO-
geter for Ciay's defeat. Webster was in
Europe at the time and had sent word
to his friends declining to be candi-
date, primarily because of Weeds re-
fusal to support him. After detailing
these facts Mr.. Weed goes on to say that,
on reaching Harrisburg, eve found a
decided plurality in favor Of Mr.. Clay"
but that, ''in the opinion of the dele
gates from Pennsylvania and New York,
Mr.. Clay could not carry either of those
states, and without them he could not
be elected.
Weed admits bargain in favor of
Harrison with the friends both of Web
ster and Of Scott, and says the Final
vote was Intentionally delayed by the
friends Of the stronger candidate (Har-
rison) for "a hours in order to placate
the angry friends of Clay, whose dis,
appointment and vexation found excited
expression.
Greeley makes frank admission in
his "Recollections Of q Busy Life" as to
the plot by saying that the parties to
it. chiefly Weed. Judged that he Clay
could not be chosen, il nominated,
while another could be. and acted &C
cordingly," adding, "lf politics do not
mediate the achievement of benefcent
ends through the choice and use of the
safest and mcst effective means, who'll
ly misapprehend them
This somewhat Jesuitical view did
not strike Clay and his friends as an
adequate justification Of the methods by
which an admitted majority Of the con.
ventioa had been prevented fr4m ex-
pressing ita will. John Tyler Of Vir-
i;iliisa. cne Of Clay's most ardent friends
IN the convention, ws.s'So overcome with
grief at Harrison's nomination that he
sEca tears, and after several uDavailing
efforts to get some one else to take the
nomination for vice president Tyler
was named for it, his tears having con-
WINGED the convention that the placing
Of go devoted friend Of , Clay on the
ticket would go far to heal the wounds
that the methods of the convention had
caused.
Clay's rage at the outcome was un-
bounded. He had been assuming in the
senate lofty Indifference TO the presi-
dency, his famous saying, 81 would
rather be right than be president, hay
ing been made public only a short time
before the convention met. There was
nobody Ill the senate at that time Of suf-
ficiently nimble wit to think of the Bit
ing rctort which Speaker Reed many
years later made to "a congressman who
for the thousandth time was stTI,tting
about in Clay's cast off garments:
Don't give yourself the slightest IN
easiness. You'll never be either" But
Clay had given himself great upeasi-
ness, for he was most DESTROYS CT the
nomination He had been candidate
eight years earlier, when he had no
chance Of election. and lie believed FIRM
ly now that if nominated he could to
elected.
When the news from Harrisburg
reached him in Washington, he lost ali
control of himself "He had been drink
ing heavily. i'll the excitement of expec-
tation," says Henry A Wise, who was
with him. HE rose from his chair,
and, walking backward and forward
rapidly, lifting his feet like horse
Stringhalted in both legs, stamped his
boots upon the floor, exclaiming: 'My
friends are not worth the powder and
shot it would take to kill them. 1t is
diabolical intrigue I know now, which
has betrayed me. am the most unfor-
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