Evening journal., 1911-04-20
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The MiSCarried Plan That
Changed History
By SHolland."

How different would have been the
course Of American history right after
the close of the Civil War" said Thur
low Weed to me a year or two before
his death, which occurred in 1882, "had
we been able to accomplish what
good many of us thought would be a
very wise thing to do at the time of the
convention in 1864 which nominated
Abraham Lincoln for President"
The famous old Whig and Republi
can political leader paused for an in
slant and reached out his hand to-
wards me so that he might feel my
hand, since he was then almost blind.
did you ever see Daniel S. Dickin-
son ?" he asked Did you ever hear him
speak? II you did. you were fortunate.
/ believe he came from a little town
on the side Of mountain inrnorthwest-
ern Connecticut, called Goshen, and
that in his early life he expected TO be
a tailor. But he was born orator. Did
you ever hear him?'
told Mr.. Weed that had seen and
heard Daniel S. Dickinson in the sum-
mer of 1868, and that be greatly re-
sembled physically Henry Ward Beech
er. excepting that he was taller man.
"Yes. that is So" Mr.. Weed replied.
"He wore his hair long. as Beecher
did; he was also smooth shaven anl
he had the same projecting or full eyes
which long ago learned are one of the
best physical evidences of the power
Of oratory. You heard him make a po-
litioal speech, presume?"
replied that Mr. Dickinson had
come to Connecticut not to make po
litical speeches, but instead to speak
for the cause Of the Union and so TO
speak as 70 encourage men to en-
list.
"Oh, remember that time very
WELL" Mr.. Weed replied. 1T was just
after the draft riots IN 1863 and en-
listments were slow. II was necessary
TO fill up depleted regiments. Mr..
Dickinson was sent for TO make
speeches In Connecticut, Massachusetts
and Rhode Island. Those speeches re-
kindled the excitement and enthusiasm
which prevailed in New England dur
ing the first year of the war"
THAT he certainly did in my town"
| replied "Mr. Dickinson spoke in the
public square. There was a great
crowd around the platform. After he
finished, some twenty-five or thirty
young men stepped out of that crowd,
went to the platform. and gave their
names to the enlisting officer, who
sat at a table there
Now" continued Mr.. Weed. you
will understand why so many Repub-
licans thought that it would be the
wisest step to take 20 nominate Daniel
S. Dickinson for vice-president with
Lincoln at the Republican National
Convention in the spring'of 1864. Dick
inson was universally recognized as
! one OF the greatest living orators of
the United States. He had been Unite
States Senator from New York He had
been a Democrat all along and a warm
friend Of President Franklin Pierce,
but when war began he was one of the
first TO put party behind him.
Il never knew exactly why the plan
to nominate Daniel S. Dickinson Tor
/ Vice-President with Lincoln in 1864
miscarried. We knew that he would
receive anywhere from a hundred and
sixty to two hundred votes in the con-
vention. We thought that strength Of
that kind, and the ia t that his name
on the ticket would strengthen the
ticket in New York State. then as now
the critical State in presidential cleo
tions, would in all probability bring
the nomination to him. We had good
reason 10 believe that Lincoln would
be pleased If Dickinson were nominat-
ed and that belief was confirmed when,
after the convention had done its work,
We learned that Lincoln, although he
did not complain, was disposed to re-
gret the nomination of Andrew john
son. have always been convinced that
the real history of Johnson's nomina-
ton is known to only one OF two men.
| But suppose a man of the energy, the
| brilliancy, the fine record and the ora
torical power of Daniel S Dickinson
had been nominated with Lincoln in
/ 1864 Then. / am convinced, our his
/ tory would have been different for the
four years Immediately following the
close Of the war"
Copyright, 1911. by E. J. Edwards. All
rights resered.l
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell Of
"The Portraits That We're Used for a
Temptation