Evening journal., 1910-09-10
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
War Governor Who Confer
red With the Enemy
BY "HolIand.y

Horatio Seymour. governor Of New
York state in 1852 and again in 1862,
and Democratic candidate for PTesi-
dent in 1865. when he received only
eighty electoral votes TO two hundred
and fourteen for General Grant, was
a far more adroit pplitician than
great many Of his Ncontemporarie
suspected. / know of no better ey'
dence of his political tact and SIX
than is revealed in an incident III
was connected with hts candidacy
governor in 1862.
For nearly a quarter of "A century
It had been Governor Seymour's prac-
tice to open his campaigns with a
speech which he had written out very
carefully and. with equal care, com
mitted to memory. AS soon as he had
secured the Democratic nomination IN
1862, he set about preparing the
speech that would sound the keynote
OF the campaign. He realized that he
faced a very delicate situation. IL
was the second year of the Civil War
The states great war governor. H. ID.
Morgan. was going to Washington as
a senator. II seemed vital that Mr..
Lincoln should be supported by his
l.
Seymour was not "a member of that
party. On the other hand. in his
campaigns he had always been able
to gain the support of considerable
number of Republicans, and one OF
the delicate matters he now had TO
face was how, In his speech, he could
give no offense TO either the war
Democrats or those who We're not III
sympathy with the Union cause. ana
at the same time not estrange mis-
large personal Republican following,
eager. of course. for the wars prose-
cution.
In all his active political career,
which stretched over a period OF
more than generation. Horatio Sey-
mour never worked harder than ne
did, over the speech with which be
planned TO omen the gubernatorial
campaign of 1862. lie wrote and re-
wrote. then threw everything away
and began all over again; revision
followed revision, and at last. In this
laborious manner, he produced
manuscript that. It seemed to MIN,
would do the trick. Yet, he was not
quite sure. and while the doubt was
upon him he determined on a bold
move-he would take his speech and
confer over It with none other than
one Of his keenest political oppo-
nents-Ellis II Roberts, editor, In
Utica. of the leading Republican or
gan of Central New York.
For years Mr.. Roberts. who after-
wards. was treasurer Of the United
States under Presidents Mckinley
and Roosevelt. and Horathio Seymour
had heen personal friends. 1t was
nothing unusual for the two men 20
be seen IN each others comnany;
and Mr.. Roberts was not at all as
tonished when Mr.. Seymour entered
his office But what was Mr.. Roberts s
frame of mind when Mr. Seymour
divulged the nature Of his visit can
he easily imagined, for Mr.. Roberts
was plainly asked to read the speech
and suggest any revisious that oc-
Cured to him that especially would
prevent Republicans with Sevmo1
leanings from deserting their old tav'
orite In this his latest hour OF ueed
For two OF three hours the two
men were in confidential conference
and before them was spread the man
uscript OF the Seymour sneech. JUS
what suggestions Mr.. Roberts mad'
regarding that speech cannot be said
Il Is known, however that on his al
vice. certain paragraphs were strucl
ont altogether. while other portions
of the sneech were considerably re-
vised: and after Governor Sevmou
had delivered the speech, following ~
revision by Mr. Roberts. It was foun'
that he had handled with great sttll
| as a Democrat. the questions arisini
out of the Civil War. so as to orfen'
none of the three hodies OF voters ~
had nerforce to bear in mind. AM
what's move. it was triumph ina
Ultimately led to his election.
Years later. Governor Sevmo"
found the way to reDav his deNt Z
Mr.. RoNerts. A firm OF nuhlisher
hent on issuing a history OF the states
with a volume to a state. asked tn
Governor to write the volume on Me-
York state. He declined on tn
ground that his vears We're TOO man.
and recommended Fills VI Roberts a
the one man who could do the suhle'
full iuetice. And his recommending
~ Mr. Roberts was so hearty ana si'
cere that the publishers engaged III
latter for the task.
downright. 1910 by f. ] Edward
All rights reseived.)
On Monday. Mr. Fdwa~ds W" fe
~ aThe Tnhor Leader Who koretO