Evening journal., 1913-11-08
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Salmon P. ChaSe'S Neigh
bOrly Plan
BY Holland.
By Holland.

The late James H. Briggs was for so
many years associated, oftsn in inauen
tial ways, with the great men VINO were
handling the affairs OF the nation from
1850 until after the vii War that he
accumulated an extraordinary and valu
able fund OF anecdotal "reminiscences
OF these men and the events with which
their public career. were identified lie
was, if my recollection is accurate, near
of kin to Charles H. Briggs, who for
many years was an influential force in
American literature. lie established the
periodical OF which Edgar Allen Poe
afterward became the editor, and with
George William Curtis and Parke God
win he was directly concerned in the
editorial management OF the once fam
Gus Putnam's Magazine
James II. Briggs was, all his life, an
active politician; Charles +. Briggs was,
all his life, literary man, and both
of these relatives were alike in their ca
pacity for retaining in their memory
vivid recollections of men who were of
prominence in the particular intellectual
field in which they moved.
"You may not know that James I'll.
Briggs was really the confidential po-
litical friend in New York State Of Sal
mon p. Chase. when Chase was governor
Of Ohio" Charles +. Briggs once said to
me.
"Govenor Chase impaired to him
many confidential statements, especially
at the time the friends of Chase were
making a preliminary campaign for he
purpose of securing Chase's nomination
for the presidency in 1860. Mr.. Briggs
went so far as to call IN Nha5e's inter-
est upon Abraham Lincoln in the early
winter of 1860 when Lincoln. was in
New York. and he told Governor Chose
that he looked with great favor upon
the proposed nomination of Chase for
the presidency. Furthermore, Mr.. Briggs
told Governor Chase that he heard that
in Illinois there was a strong movement
under way In favor of the nomination
of Chase for President and Lincoln for
Vice President
"The warm and confidential relations
which had been long maintained be-
tween Mr. Briggs and Governor Chase
were continued all the time that Mr..
Chase was a member Of President Lin
coins cabinet as secretary of the treas
ury
At one time Governor Chase said to
Mr.. Briggs that it had always been a
source of sorrow to h'~t that he and
President Lincoln did not seem TO get /
along very well together He went so
far as to say that the secretary of State,
William H. Seward, had become very
chummy with President Lincoln and for
long time he. Chase, could not under /
stand this. At last he made up his (
mind that it was cli'efly due 60 the fact /
that Seward lived across Pennsylvania |
avenue from the White House and for /
that reason could conveniently run "a
and chat With the President in weigh I
borly and friendly way, whereas he,
Chase. had taken a house about mile
and a half from the White House and
therefore could not conveniently culti-
vate the neighborly relations with the
President which Seward was able to do.
"Then Chase, after musing mo-
ment. said that if a plan which he had
warmly advocated vixen he was mem.
her of the Senate. between lS49 and
1850, had been accepted by Congress,
Seward would have had no advantage
over him 80 far as neighborly relations
We're concerned.
"AIr Chase told Mr. Briggs that when
Senator he had urged Congress to ap-
propriate money for the purchase OF
houses which could be used fer the
homes of members of the cabinet, while
they were in office and that It was his
plan tohave these houses soscie,ted thit
they would be within Il few minutes
walk of the White House. Congress,
however, would not listen to tac propos-
ition. If Congress had listened. Secre-
tarv Chase said that he would have been
able to occupy house as near to the
White House as was the one Seward
took, so that he, too would have been
upon neighborly terms with the Presi-
don't" -,
Copyright, 1918. by f. J Edwards. All
right sreserved.l