The Colorado statesman., 1913-02-08
New York Editor and Statesman
Shown to Have Had His
Complete Confidence.
AIDED IN SELECTING CABINET
AS Leader In Politics of the Empire
State Mr.. Weed Was Invited
to Springfield to Talk Over
the Coming Presi-
dents Advisers.

New traits of the character of Abra-
ham Lincoln, his appreciation of a
compliment, his own estimate of his
inaugural address and his insistence
on telling the truth, even though it
were not only unpopular but humili-
ating to himself, are revealed in a
letter of a long correspondence be-
tween him and Thurlow Weed, first
editor of the Albany Evening Journal.
and for many years the Republican
leader of the state.
The letter written by Mr.. Weed has
not been preserved, but it was in
praise of President Lincolns inaugu-
raj address and of his speech of noti-
fication. But the answer is in the
possession of William Barnes, Jr., of
Albany, chairman of the Republican
state committee and grandson of Mr..
Weed. In it President Lincoln ex-
presses the opinion that the inaugural
address will wear as well as or better
than anything else he has produced.
1t is not at all likely that the pres
ent generation will agree with his es-
timate of the lasting qualities Of the
address. Few persons now know, ex-
cept in the most general way, what it
was about, while his Gettysburg ad-
dress has become one of the classics
of the English language.
Mr.. Weed was one of the strong per-
sonalities of the convention at Chi
cago which nominated Lincoln, the
head of the New York delegation, and
in charge of the campaign which had
lN, ,iro knf
William H. Seward generally regard
ed as the leading candidate.
The defeat of Governor Seward was
a great disappointment to Mr.. Weed,
and as he was preparing to leave the
convention city he was asked to visit
Mr.. Lincoln at Springfield. He did not
do SO at that time, but went to Iowa,
where he had planned to rest, but on
his way back to Albany he did stop
and had five hour conversation with
the nominee of his party.
1t was that conversation that began
a friendship that lasted through the
life of Mr.. Lincoln, and this last letter
was one Of many that passed between
the men. They were ordinarily in re-
lation to national matters, but not In
frequently the personal element crept
In.
They did not meet again until after
the election, when Mr.. Lincoln invited
the leader of the party in New York to
Springfield to talk over the makeup of
cabinet. Although Mr.. Weed had Sc
lected governors and their cabinets in
New York state. this was the first time
he had ever been asked by a president
for assistance of that kind, and he told
Mr.. Lincoln 50 They discussed men
under consideration, but Mr.. Weed
admitted In his autobiography that
the men were Mr.. Lincoln's selection,
and when he objected to this one or
that one the president-elect would
turn the conversation by one of his
inimitable stories.
Some of the letters showed that Mr..
Lincoln had a grasp of political detail
with which he had not been credited.
After his election. and before his in
augural he used Mr.. Weed to convey
to a convention of editors his view
on secession, and in one and another
the correspondence was kept up even
during the trying days Of the Civil
war.