The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-01

was suggested that Thomas II. Benton and VIII.
lam II. Seward should be put forward In the presi.
Dental campaign OF 1855 An The candidates Of
a new national party, The Free Sellers, however.
we're reluctant 10 give up their name and organiza.
ton and 10 accep, thnse Of the Democrats or Of
the whigs. The Anti-Nebraska Democrats fe,s
that II they should allow themselves TO be en-
grated upon either Of the other parties. they
might appear 10 confess that formerly ,hey
themselves had been pro-slayery. On the other
hand, recent successes In local elections At the
North had made the wings feel s~lf sufficient
80 they said substantially 70 their temporary
allies III you Naliy desire 70 light slavery
you have only 10 unite with US. for no Northern
Wing in Congress voted for Douglas.' Seward
and Weed were In no hurry TO abandon the " hig
party. for the Presidential campaign was still
two years In the future, while Seward's term
In the Senate would expire In March. 1858 So
the Whig party nominated candidates OF its own
in the State Of New York In 1854. and. having
managed 10 cleo, them. returned Seward 70 the
senate. As soon as the election was over Horace
Greeley Withdrew from the political Arm Of Seward.
Weed and Greeley" and said In the Tribune
Of Nov. 0, 1884: Instead Of taking the position
NuNH NH'uHlSthuVrS " WN OWN dutrVrUenD
seemed 10 require. Mr.. Seward, adhsring 10 the
vacated shell Of whiggery. has stood aside and
allowed the great movement Of the Free States
TO go forward. without a word OF bold and henry
encouragement from IL national leader. The
result Ia recorded In the returns Of this election
The reference In the last sentence Is 10 the small.
ness Of the majority by which the Wing candi.
date was chosen. II was probably, as We shall
see, the dissolution 81 the partnership Of Seward.
Weed and Greeley which prevented Seward from
securing the Republican nomination for the
Presidency In 1880.
Before the autumn Of 1865 the Seward Wings
concluded that II would be most prudent 10 bring
their party officially to an end by merging II in
the Republican organization which had come
into existence In New York in spite Of their op
position. The Wing and the Republican State
committees respectively called conventions 10
meet in Syracuse in September. 1858 The Re.
publicans, thus far In New York. were men OF
diverse political anteccdents, among them bring
former adherents Of the Free Soil, the Know
Nothing or the Temperance party and Of the Hard
or the Soft" faction Of the Democracy. II was
reported that Sc ward had said 10 an Acquaintance
who doubted ~ TO which assembly he should
attend, that II would make no difference, for,
although Tho delegates would enter Al two doors,
they would como out al one. The event proved
the accuracy Of his provision, or rather the per-
fiction Of his prearrangenents The two par
ties mot In separate halls, but committees from
each soon agreed upon a union. Excepting .
few Silver Grays.' who protested against q "fus ion
with any Abolition party" the Wings marched
into the Republican Convention and renowned
their name, A majority Of the nominees Of The
consolidated conventions had been formerly
Democrats. Preston Ring beading the ticket
as candidate for the Secretaryship Of State. The
Republicans planted themselves on The issue
of antagonism to the Douglas Pierce policy In
Kansas.
BY the beginning Of 1885 Seward was gen
orally recognized a. the leader Of the RepubH-
can party in the Union, although Chase and
Sumner had preceded him in supporting the new
His candidacy for the Presidential
nomination did not, however, develop according
10 his expectation, and whom the Republican
Convention met al ladelph on
June IA. 1885, John {. Fremont was nominated
for President. The truth Is that Thurlow Weed
had no confidence In Republican success In that
year, and. therefore. was unwilling 10 press Sew.
ards nomination. Without Weeds active aid.
and with Greeley determined oppoAron, Seward
was helpless 10 stsm the tendency Of the Repubh.
can delegations 70 unite on Fremont James
Watson Webb, however. believed, up 10 the eve
Of the conventions assembling. that Seward's
and election would be certain II he
should persist. But Seward declined 10 let his
name be presented. His private letters Of The
time show, nevertheless, that he had personally
Sc, his heart on being the Republican candidate,
that the disappointment Of his hopes caused
him 10 LOSE ss~lf-oonndence and TO talk Of giving
up public lfo.
I, seemed that Stewards opportunity had come
four years later, when the irr~epresahtlity OF The
conflict between freedom and slavery had been
brought home by the troubles In Kansas 10 every
man, both at the North and a, The
South. In the spring OF 1890, Thurlow Weed
had no doubt that his friend would obtain he
Republican nomination for the Presidency,
he believed that. II Douglas should be put
for a Southern man. Stewards election would
be certain. II Is we'll known that. as a matter Of
fact, the Democracy was split asunder, one faction
Douglas and the other breckenridge.
for the other candidates for the Republican
nomination, Chase was weakened by the rivalry
Of Judge Mclean and Senator Wade In his own
State, Ohio, while, until a shor, time before the
Of the Chicago Convention. IL was unccr-
tain. that lincoln would receive oil the votes
even Of illinois. The original plan was 10 uss
Iincolnt candidacy for the Presidency so aS'ohl Up
him 10 secure the Vice Presidency, or TO be elected
q United States Senator later. When the re-
Convention met in Chicago, jun IS.
1850, the expressions OF or nion from IN visitors,
who came In overwhelming numbers, seemed
10 corroborate Weed = decla ration that The people
had st their hearts on Seward for their standard
Excepting the applause that Lincoln
from the residents Of Chicago, all tbs
other candidates together had not popular sup
port enough TO equal the enthusiasm of the "ir.
r. prsasiblos," a. the Seward men were called.
latter had solid delegations from New York,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota. California,
Kansas, Texas and the District Of Columbia
but The pledged delegates were supposed 10 be
scarcely more than a fraction Of S,ward's friends.
Thurlow Weed was there a. Seward s manager in
chief, al the head Of The New York machine; Gov.
and W. ii. Evarts was the official spokesman.
The early appearance Of Horace Greeley, how:
ever. al Chicago, was an evil omen. IL startled
the "ir~presdbles' when they learned that hs
Bates And lincoln inen had their headquarters.
and that he was making II his capital aim 10
defeat Seward. To Western farmers and back.
wood. politicians he vas an oracle and hey
seward could not carry New York or the doubt
full States, but that Bates could do so, and. IN
addition, could win over Missouri. The hrst
session bod no! ended when The convention
a division which eliminated, before The balloiing
beg an, all NJ Stewards rivals except Lincoln and
Bates. ~lincoln's manager Ind made the most
Of the superior NUM- crs Of the Illlnoisnns IN the
napyApslnn aud IN tha etv.ptG Iha anthnf OF