Evening journal., 1913-05-27
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Virginian Who Was
True to His Constituents
BY uoiIaud

ne late I1fHIdiHtl AfVArAho f'if''h''f+
who was for several years before his
death IN 1899, the oldest active prac- !
tlcing lawyer in the country, must
have been about 80 years Of age when
J had most entertaining conversa- (
tion with him. Mr.. Silliman was
born in 1905; he was "a years Of age
az the time of his death For many
years he was the oldest living grad
unte Of Yale College. At 80 Mr..
snliman's mental faculties seemed TO
be unimpaired certainly he talked
with great vividness Of men and
events of which he had knowledge
during his active career at the bar
Of nearly seventy years, and also
when prominent I'm politics in the
days when the Whig party was in
creaslng in strength, until at last IL
won the Presidential victory in 1870
had heard that Mr.. Silliman was
n delegate to the Whig convention
Of 1899 at which William Henry Har
rison, of Ohio. was nominated for
President, and John Tyler, Of Vir-
ginia for Vice President. asked
Mr. Silliman If It we're true that the
nomination for Vice-president had
been offered to several distinguished
Wings and declined by them until at
last it was offered to John Tyler, a
Virginia Whig. who accepted.
THAT is faithful history" Mr.. Sill
lman said. IL am a good witness to
the truth Of the statement because
] have personal knowledge of the
facts.
"As a young man ! took great in
terest in the movements which.
after 1886 we're so concentrated as
to create the great national Whig
party I was a strong believer in
the protective policy advocated by
Henry Clay. ! was also a very great
admirer OF Mr.. Clay. ! presume 1t
was for that reason that I was elect
ed delegate from one of the New
York State districts to the Whig
convention which was held at Harris
burg in the fall of 1888. about a
year before the Presidential election.
"That was a momentous gathering.
There were many young men present
who afterward gained national repu-
tations. II was at this convention
that the West rather than the States
of the Atlantic coast became the
dominant factor in American Prosi-
dental politics.
"Mr. Clay. whose State was Ken
lucky, was regarded as a Southern
man. The splendid growth OF the
country north Of the Ohio river and
west Of the Allegheny mountains had
made 1t possible for the States and
territories TO concentrate very great
creative strength at the Harrisburg
convention. That strength was dem
onstrated when william Henry Har-
rson was nominated for President
instead of Henry Clay
81 remember that after inQuiring
among the delegations from the va
rious States II was decided that the
best man to put in nomination for
! Vice-president was Benjamin Wat
! l1ins Leigh, of Virginia. II is my rec
objection that Mr. Leigh himself knew
nothing about this. but can recall
with what manly dignity he rose on
/ the floor of the convention when his
name was proposed and said that as
/ he was elected as a delegate to sup
| port the nomination of Henry Clay
| for President. his constituents might
/ regard II as a betrayal of his trust II
/ he should accept a nomination for
/ WE lNrAu'nA NAAfi AAfuif LAY NNh
been defeated for the Presidential
nomination. The whole convention
was visibly affected by Mr.. Leigh's
presence and by his brief statement.
! only wish that he had accepted; he
was one Of the noblest of men, a
staunch Whig and a. true patriot. He
was a man OF very great statesman
like qualities. We should have had
a great President had he succeeded
TO the Presidency after the death OF
Presidnt Harrison.
Delegates came 10 me and asked
me VI would support the nomina-
tion Of Senator Nathaniel Tallmadgs
Of New York. 7 said that Senator
Tallmadge was a good man and q
strong man. but that he. too, was 4
Henry Clay Whig, and I was sure
he would decline the offer of the
Z nomination. That was exactly wha
he did. I learned too. that the offei
was made to Samuel l.. Southard, o
New Jersey. who declined il, ang
then the delegates being a good dea
discounted by the repeated declina
tlons. the nomination was offered t
John Tyler, OF Virginia, who accepte'
it without hesitation.
Il look back to that convention o
the Whig party at Harrisburg as on
OF the most valuable Of the expert
ences OF my life. I learned more o
politics of the better kind when
was at that convention than | ha
before learned I'm all my life.
81 can only say again that ] wis
Mr. Leigh, of Virginia. had bee
nominated for president instea
Of John Tyler | think II he had bee
chosen tho Whig party would hav
been victorious at the Presidents
election Of 1914"
(Copyrieht 1919. by r. J. Edwards
All rights regerved.)
1-op,orron Ar Eduardo viii fcl