New-York tribune., 1899-06-17

80. -, III. ionr and honorable career was more
or.a,,.,,e n hin, az a statesman and a patriot.
and none was more important and innuentah
Senator Hamlin at once Joined the Republican
nartv attendtne-though not delegate-its
first National Convention at Philadephia' anu
taking an active part in the important can"
paign that followed. The local contest IN Niai"c
was attended with great excitement anu "
thusiasm The Senator had accepted the ne
publican nomination for Governor, ana oe
tern,ned effort was made to make the rout of
the local Democracy complete. When IL pecanie
known that he had carried the State by a
nIurality OF twenty-five thousand the exuitatioh
Of Republicans there and throughout the coun-
try WAS unbounded. Hamlin gave IL apt eN-
pression. ION election night" says an eye VIII
moss ouoted bv the author II Joined the throns
going TO Norumbega when some one thrust MS
arm through mine and said Come. John. let's
on and see the boysr It was Mr.. Hamlin. who
bad inst driven up post haste from Hampton
N hear the news He was filled with excite
ment but even then he remembered to ask me
sometbing that was on his mind. Said he'
What's that verse about Sound the loud
timbrel"?' hastily recalled the lines and then
he sprang through the cheering crowd on the
stage. to be met by the most overwhelming well
come had ever witnessed When the glad up
roar of thousands had ceased from sheer ex-
haustion Mr. Hamlin lifted his arms. and IN
his ringing. clear voice recited Tom Moores
lines:
Sound the loud timbIel DER Egypts dark sea!
Jehovah has trimnphed-hs people are 1ree
Never. I am sure since Israel saw the
Egyptians dead upon the seashore.' and Moses
sang this song Of triumph over the oppressors
Of his race had the words been more ittinsly
spoken"
Mr. Hamlin soon resigned the Governor
ship and returned to the Senate. or his SUD-
seouent career as Vice President and later
again as Senator little need be said. Inc
part assigned him during the war he played
well. but it was necessarily subordinate one.
He was trusted friend and adviser of Lin
coln and earnest supporter OF his EFFORTS 10
preserve the Union and to suppress slavery. 1t
was to him that the President first read the
Emancipation Proclamation. But /: did not
fall to his lot TO accomplish any notable results
The one point of historical Importance In this
period Is his failure to receive denomination
an event discreditabe to his party and un-
fortunate to the Nation. What would have
been the course of his political action In the
Presidential office had he been reelected with
Lincoln it is impossible to say, but IT seems
certain that he would have discharged its
duties with dignity, patriotism and SOUND pohti-
cal sense How the rejection of Hamlln In
favor of Andrew johnson came to pass has long
been a subject of dispute. The attempt 10
fasten 1t upon Mr Lincoln has failed. Whlie
he declined to hamper the convention In any
way by the expression Of his wishes, there Is no
doubt that he was favorable to Hamlin, or at
least preferred his nomination to that OF john
son. whom he heartily despised. On this point
the reader will find much interesting material
in the chapter dealing with Johnson's nomina-
ton and in the letters of ]. G. Nicolay bearing
on his controversy with Colonel Mcclure which
are published as supplement The author
himself traces the unfortunate error to an in
trigue of Charles Sumner, who. 1t Is asserted,
sought to defeat Hamlin. in the expectation
that the Maine Legislature would return him
to the Senate in the place Of Fessenden, whom
| Sumner wanted to drive out Of it. The Massa-
chusetts Senator was certainly charged by Fes-
senden, Chandler and others with being respon-
sible for Johnson's elevation to the Presidency,
| and they "heaped some awful reproaches on his
! head" However this may be- II is certain that
| the Massachusetts delegation, of which Sumner
| bad control did not support Hamlin. and this
| action of the New -Englanders, with variety
of other political complications, led to the choice
| of the Tennessean. His failure was no disgrace
| to him. and no defeated politician in the history
| Of the country has been strikingly avenged.