The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-25

they wcre the sort OF men who nev forget
an act Of personal kindness
So Il came 30 pass that In the two months
intervening between the Cincinnati and
Baltimore conventions It became clear
that no other Liberal Republican candi-
date would be substituted for Greeley,
and that the only possible hope Of defeat
ing Grants reelection lay in the ~concentra-
ton OF the opposition on the Cincinnati
NOMINEES. When the Democratic national
convention net In Baltimore on July Q &
accepted the Cincinnati platform by a vote
Of $40 70 81. and by $50 to 20 nominated
Horace reeley for President. Mr.. Rhodes's
comment Is: In all our political annals
there 10 no. such striking instance Of eating
crow NJ the nomination of Horace Greeley
by the Democrats. No other Republican
writer or speaker had 30 viliied them
indeed, the gist Of his abuse was popularity
put thus: Il do not say that all Democrats
are ~rascals, but IL Ii u~ndeniably true that
all rascals are Democratic" Gen. Sher-
man, writing to his brother from Paris, said:
Il feel amazed to see the turn things have
taken. Grant, who never was q Repub-
hcan. 10 POUR candidate; and Greeley. who
never was a Democrat. but quite the re-
verse. is the Democratic candidate
The first indication Of the final result
came nom the State election Of North Caro-
Lima. then q doubtful State, vet where the
Republican candidate for Governor had
a majority OF nearly 1900. Neither did
the September elections in Vermont and
Maize a6ord the Fusionists any comfort.
Il b nevertheless a matter OF record that
In site OF these Indications, which seem
to confirm the early belief of his supporters
and his opponents alike, Greeley was a
candidate Of exceedingly doubtful prom
ise toward the close OF Ser tember. and at
the beginning Of October q considerable
degree Of confidence was manifested in
his election. AL exertions were nov d.
rected toward Pennsylvania, Ohio and
Indiana. which held State elections on the
second Tuesday of October. Greeley him.
self in September a a our through
the three October States, 81 eaking TO vast
audiences In q number Of cities. and az
parently arousing great enthusiasm. As
James G. Blaine put It, Greeley could call
out q large proportion Of tho men who
intended TO vote against him than any
candidate had ever before succeeded in
doing. The truth. OF course, is that his
name had been honored for 80 many years
in every Republican household that the
desire TO see and hear him was universal
and secured TO him the ostensible majesty
Of numbers at every meeting. So great,
indeed. was the general demonstration OF
interest that a degree OF unessiness was
created at Republican headquarters as to
the ultimate effect of his tour. Meanwhile
the Democratic leaders in the main, and
the Democratic organization. stood Loyalty
by Greeley. Ex-senator Buckalew and
ex-senator Hendricks, both men OF ability
and character. consented to run for Gov
ernor on the Greeley ticket in Pennsylvania
and Indiana, and in New York, Francis
Herman, a pure, capable and popular man,
was brought forward to contest the Cover
norship with Gen. Dix. In Ohio the Ger
mans, who had generally been Republicans,
were counted as being largely in the Greeley
| ranks, though Greeley himself, being a
~teetotaller, was personally obnoxious to
them. The Irish. | the cities were sup
posed to be attracted by the unfailing
yleader for tho oppressed: the farmers OF
the West by the journalist who was their
! advocate and friend. Aphrase in Greeley's
letter to the Cincinnati conv ention had
become famous rs a watchword OF con-
citation. Il accert your nomination. be
wrote. ain the. confident trust that the
masses Of our coumtrymen, North and
South, are eager to clasp hands across the
bloody chasm."
On both sides the campaign was one OF
rancorous personalitie les but as Mr.. Rhodes
recalls, these bore more severely on Greeley
than on Grant, for the reason that the
Administration party had on their side
Thomas Mast. who entered the contest
with energy unimpaired by his triumphant
attack on the Tweed ring. As things
turned out. Nast's cartoons in Harpcr's
Weekly seem not to have been needed to
elect Grant, but there is no doubt that they
were exceedingly effective with the mass
OF the people and in a close election might
easily have turned the scale. 80 potent was
ridicule against a man like Greeley, whose
personality and the circumstances Of whose
candidacy presented a broad target to
his shafts.
On Tuesday, October 8. 1872. was shat
tered the hope Of the Liberal Republicans
and Democrats. Honest Buckalew" was de-
feated in Pennsylvania by more than 5000.
The Republicans carried Ohio by more than
$4,000. II Hendricks was elected Governor
of Indiana by the narrow plurality of i,I4s.
the result was due to his personal popularity
1AhN hON w WIG VAS ~ NhO NAOIAIy
movement. The Legislature chosen was
Republican. 1t was thus already evident
hat no hope remained for Greeley. On
November 5 there was. as had been prophe-
sled. a great tidal wave.' but it was one
suited to the requirements Of Nast's pencil,
which showed Democrats, Liberal Repub-
licans and Greeley swallowed up in the ad-
vancing food. The overwhelming victory
OF Grant carried with it a large accretion OF
Republican strength in Congress. In both
houses the Republicans regained a two-
thirds majority. That proved, however. TO
be q detnment TO the Republican party and
70 the country. There was. nevertheless, as
our author recognizes, n good result from
the Cincinnati convention and its pre-
posterous nomination Of Greeley. namely
the Endorsement Of the Cincinnati platform
by the Democrats. In the Baltimore con-
vention Northern and Southern Democrats
had solemnly declared: w pledge our
selves 20 maintain the Union of these
States, emancipation and enfranchisement.
and to oppose any reopening of the ques-
t;ona ae&tled nv kha Thirfeenth Eu1rtaanth