The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-12-08

| A chapter of interest to the historians
| deals extensively with the causes that
nominated Andrew johnson for Vice Pres
ident. Some personal enemies of Mr..
| Hamlin attributed this to President Lin
coin. But the truth was withheld at the
time of Mr.. Hamlin's death on the Fourth
of July, 1891, and the publication was de-
ferred until the bitterness among certain
/ Republican Statesmen and their respec
tive followers had died down 1t is an
nounced that John G. Nicolay has writ
ten supplement to the biography re-
viewing the theories and stories told by
| politicians attributing the nomination of
johnson to Lincoln.
A story is told of Lincoln's character
istic loyalty to his friends. Mr.. Hamlin
originally favored Lincolns nomination
for President instead of Seward. When
| the Maine delegates We're chosen to the
convention of 1860, Mr. Hamlin wrote to
his son, Gen. Charles Hamin, who was
then living at Orland, Me-, instructing
| him to organize the Lincoln men and the
opponents of Seward in that district and
elect John West, an avowed Lincoln man.
as delegate over an out and out Seward
| supporter. There was sharp fight and
| West was chosen. Afterward he was
candidate for collector of internal revenue
in Maine, but he was opposed by the en-
| tire congressional delegation from the
State, who had united on another man.
In spite of the fact that Fessenden, Nor
rill, Blaine and other strong men were in
the delegation, Mr.. Hamlin secured the
appointment of Mr.. West. He simply
told Mr.. Lincoln the facts-that West was
his friend against Seward, and he added
| that he knew Mr.. Lincoln never forgot his
friends. Lincoln smiled grimly and said:
| mo, | don't forget my friends and so
saying he at once made out Mr.. Vests
papers.
The Partition of Oregon is the title
of one OF the principal chapters in the
biography of Hannibal Hamlip. He be-
lieved that the American flag should have
waved over what is now called British
Columbia, and which, together with the
State of Washington, was once part of
the vast territory of Oregon. This is now
forgotten incident, but it was far
4 reaching issue in its day, and synopsis
of the story may be presented. The Unit
ed States claimed all this territory of Orc
| gon, and until 1914 allowed Great Britain
| to enjoy joint occupation. There was
/ friction between the American and Brit
+ iSh settlers. and the Democratic larty
won the presidential campaign that year
| by demanding that our claims to all of
/ Oregon should be enforced and Texas be
annexed. But, after having secured Texas
/ to increase the area of slavedOm. the slave
| power had no desire to increase the area
/ OF free soil 10y bringing all of oregon into
the Union, Yet the anti slavery Demo-
Gratis insisted ON Oregon. To quote the
/ biography;
! IF Inheritance, discovery exploration
/ and survey constitute better claim to ter
ritoly, rather than pretension based on
false evidence, then all of the land ON the
! Pacific slope that was called Oregon be
/ longed to this nation. Great
| Britain claimed it all except the lower
| part of the present State of Oregon with
1 out the shadow ot a legal title to II. The
energy and patriotism of the northern
\ Democracy saved Washington and half of
! Oregon 10 this country: the slave power
| betrayed the territory which is now Brit
ish Columbia to England"
Hannibal Hamlin ard John Quincy
Adams made the two leading speeches as
sorting American claims to all of Oregon.
| Hamlin' speech was widely circulated at
! the time. He presented our claims to
| Oregon, charged Great Britain with plan
ming to steal the territory, accused the
| slave power of acquiescing, advocated the
| opening up Of this domain, and finally
pictured the vast empire that was to erect
itself on the Pacific slope.
This was not in the days of arbitration.
and Mr., Hamlin' exposition of the fami-
/ liar land grabbing scheme employed by
| Great Britian-the building of trading
| ports and garrisoning them with soldiers
might not be palatabe reading to the
modern enthusiast who would forget his
| tory. But it was all true and Great
Britain, after war scare and a secret
bargain with the slave power, tits alleged,
! withdrew her claims to territory that
now comprises half of Oregon and Wash
ington in consideration OF British Column
bia, After this surrender was accomplish
ed the slave power forced war on Mexico
to steal more land for slavedom. Tie in
cident demonstrated the reason the slave
leaders had for backing down on the
I Oregon question.
Hannibal Hamlin was personally ac-
quainted with all the Presidents Of the
United States from John Quincy Adams
to William Mckinley, and his correspon-
dence among the presidential workers ran
Blaine Benton and Hamlin were the
leaders of au interesting movement to
make Levi Woodbury. of New Hampshire
the Democratic candidate for President
in 1852. He had been candidate in 1S4S,
but was defeated by Cass. Benton and
Hamlin were opposed to Cass, and in 1851
began to organize champaign for Wood
bury. They were sanguine of his nomina-
ton, but he died, and Franklin Pierce,
another New Hampshire man, was elect
ed. Here is one letter from Benton,
written at Washington to Hamlin On June
Is, 1851, that outlines the Woodbury.
campaign in its inception. 1t is interest
ing chiefly in showing that "Old Bullion
knew how to pull the wires on news
papers:
| suppose you see from the papers that |
am here and what am about. namely, max
ing history of the workings of the govern
ment for the 80 years | was in the Senate 4
But this does not interfere with other other