Evening journal., 1911-04-10
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The First Meeting Between
ThurIOW Weed and
Willard Fillmore
BY ~HoIIand."


About two years before his death,
whichoccurred in 1882, Thurlow Weed
was chatting with a group Of friends,
narrating some Of his earlier expert
ences as a great politician or, as many
called him, the Warwick" of Whig
days
He was reminded that. although he
failed to nominate for the Presidency
the man upon whom that purpose had
been centered for at least ten years,
William II. Seward. yet he might,
nevertheless be content, since he had
almost exclusively led the Whig party
to nominate a candidate for President
and another for Vice-President, both of
whom became Presidents.
Il have been given more credit for
suggesting that Zachary Taylor be
nominated for President by the Wings
in 1S4S than l really deserve Mr.
Weed said 1T is true that ! was the
first Whig leader to suggest General
Taylor's name. But the sentiment
among the leaders of the Whig party
had been steadily centering upon Cen
eral Taylor as the most available can
didate. II is more accurate to say that
was almost exclusively the influence
by which Millard Fillmore was nomi-
mated for Vice President on the ticket
for General Taylor, because l suggest
ed FillmOres name TO the convention.
II should like to tell you,' Mr.. Weed
went on to say, about my first meet
ink with Millard Fillmore. Often l
think of Il. I thought of il many times
when the estrangement between Mr..
Fillmore and myself, which lasted
nearly twenty years, from 1853 until
about 1873, separated us completely.
And after we were recOnciled l spoke
TO the ex-President about that first
meeting and he told me that he. TOO
recalled it vividly
1T was about the year 1924, per-
haps little later, that ! went TO Buff
falo TO attend a convention. I was at
that time living at Rochester. where |
was editing a paper, and Buffalo was
not then much more than struggling
village, although the completion of
the Erie Canal would, We all knew
stimulate its growth very papidly. That
was the reason why a good many
bright young men both in business and
tablish themselves in Buffalo. For that
reason, also, politics In the little city
was looked upon as OF much import
ance TO our party in the State.
81 sat in the gallery of what ! think
was then the only public hall in the
village. so that | might hear and see
everything that was said and done by
these young politicians. OF a sudden 7
-. 4 .F H-n
young man who, both by his physical
presence and by what 7 thought an un-
usually intellectual cast of counten-
ance, greatly attracted me. My eyes
we're fixed upon him and I can recall
vividly that suddenly ! had a sort Of
prophetic instinct that his career and
mine would become intimately associ-
ated
AT last he rose to speak and | was
all ears. He spoke very briefly, but
saw that he had a natural gift for
speaking. that he was very graceful.
and had moreover the physical pres
ence that counts for so much with
public speaker AS soon as possible
7 made inquiries, so that / might learn
the name aud something of the history
of this Young man. They told me his
name was Millard Fillmore.
Who is he, where does he come
from and what is his business% II
asked
They told me that he had been re-
Gently admitted to the bar and they
thought he was one Of the most prom |
Using young lawyers in Buffalo
u asked If he we're an educated man. !
They told me that he was of a very
poor family. They said that he had
yearned the trade of a wool carder and |
that some five or six years earlier he |
established himself I'm Buffalo in that
business. Then he had begun to read
law nights. then a law firm took him
in as a clerk, and after about year OF
study he had been admitted to the bar.
Well said, I should like to meet
him.
They brought us speedily together.
We stood looking each other squarely
in the eye I simply said to him Mr.
Fillmore, I have heard you speak. II
am any Judge you have special
qualifications for public life I shall
urge my friends I'm Buffalo to nomi-
nate you for the legislature
"He replied that he would be greatly
pleased to become member Of the
Legislature. ] kept my word and I
persuaded the Buffalo politicians TO
nominate him on the Anti Masonic
ticket several years later He was
elected, and from that time until he
became President the most intimate
political and personal relations were