The Washington herald., 1914-02-06
HISTORY BUnDERS
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Wfitten Expss.ay for Ths wasAinstoa HeisId,
ssCAMUEL J. TTLDEN was the sub
- tlest politician with whom 1 have
ever had personal acquaintance.
but learned while serving a. the 1ufge
who presided over the trial Of William
n Tweed that his political gifts for or
ganixation and for leadership were really
supplementary to q wonderful intellec-
tual capacity he had for analysis and
for marshaling facts 30 as thoroughly TO
assimilate them and obtain their mean
Ing"
This Statement was made to me by
the late Judge Noah Davis. who In his
Gay was a. influential a politician a. any
Of his generation In New York, having
served rs q member Of Congress and AZ
United States district attorney under
President Grant for the district Of which
New York City is part Judge Davis
was beaten for the United States Senate
in the midsixties by Roscoe Conklin. al
though by the narrow margin of two
votes. In his long service upon the Su-
preme Court bench he tried many cases
Of national interest, including the prose-
cution Of William NJ. Tweed and that Of
Edwin 9. Stokes for the murder Of
James Fisk At the time when Judge
Davis made the remark quoted above to
some OF the distinguished judges Of New
York State who had been prominently
with important national poll
tics.
81 never think of Samuel ]. Tilden's
very successful political maneuver in
forcing the nomination for President In
the Democratic national convention OF
lsss without recalling something that an
Intimate personal and political friend of
AaIA -. - 4
Il was speaking to this gentleman OF
the skill and adroitness with which TIL
den had compassed the Presidential nomi-
nation Of Horatio Seymour, who at the
time the convention met was unthought
Of as a Presidential candidate.
MY friend said that he had often
wondered what the course OF national
politics would have been had sug-
gestion which Tilden made In 1875 been
carried into effect. Tilden was then a
little under forty years OF age. He had
gained a high reputation with the
older Democratic politicians-van Buren,.
Marcy and wright-but was little known
outside of New York State.
"A year or two before the national
OF 1856 political conditions
we're chaotic. The Democracy was at
,ea apparently and the Presidential candi-
late who was finally nominated was at
hat time living in London at the Court
1f st. James
THE Republican party had not been
organized and there were still doubts
about the ability OF the young Republi-
ans to perfect a national organization.
There were a good many conferences
n New York City by leaders on both
'ides. At one of these conferences men
who had been prominent as Democrats,
md some others who had broken away
rom the Democratic party on the
slavery issue were present.
One name after another was discussed
With reference to the question OF avail
Ibility. II seemed to be the general i'm
,ression that the Democratic party would
,e compelled to nominate James Buch-
man. but there were grave doubts about
he triumph OF the party with Buchanan
IS the candidate, provided the Republi-
ans would be able to organize perfectly
md name a candidate who would appeal
o the country.
AT last Tilden said that while he did
OF intend seriously at that time to sug-
est for consideration a name which he
ad in mine. nevertheless he thought the |
me had come when IL might be worth |
'hile to give some thought to the avail |
bility OF man whose name had not |
cen mentioned.
They asked Tilden to whom he refer |
ed. and he replied that he had been for |
wear or more thinking about the avail |
bility OF Gen. John e. Fremont as a \
andidate for the Presidency.
He spoke with more enthusiasm than |
as his habit OF Gen. Fremont's per- |
onality. He said his picturesque and |
rilliant adventure as the first United |
tates Senator across the continent, blaZ- |
ig a new trail to California. and his |
lection from California. gave 10 his per- |
,nality romantic quality which would |
e sure to appeal to the American peo-
Ie.
1T was then Mr.. 'Tilden made known |
lie fact that Gen. Fremont was by birth |
citizen OF the South. having been born
South Carolina. He though Fremont
ad not identified himself particularly
ith national politics. but was disposed
support the fundamental principles of
merican democracy. He asked those
no were present to think over the avail
Dility OF John c. Fremont.
Whatever the Democrats thought OF
lis suggestion was never known, but
y friend told me that Republican lead
8 heard of this suggestion Of Tilden,
nd II was this which led first to the
entification of Fremont in association
ith the Republican nomination for
resident in 1856
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