Evening journal., 1914-05-20
New News Of Yesterday
The Real Founder OF
the Republican
Party
by Holland.

A day or two before the meeting o|
Congress, in December. 1880. for itI
final session in the administration o|
President Rutherford B. Hayes. I mel
General Joseph r. Hawley in thI
smoking compartment of a train run
ming between New York and Wash|
ington' General Hawley was to takd
his seat in the United States Senatd
ON March 4, as the successor of Senl
ator William w. Eaton, of Connectil
cut, who, although Democrat. was i
warm personal friend Of the general
Several times General Hawley had
been a candidate before the Connect
ucut Legislature for election as mil
ted States Senator. Political and facl
uonal disturbances in Connecticut
mad defeated him. He was thereford
especially gratified that at last his
highly honorable ambition to repre-
sent Connecticut in the Federal SEN
ate was attained.
In 1880, General Hawley was a man
OF national reputation, and he had
been frequently spoken of as an
available candidate for the Republi.
can Presidential nomination. found
General Hawley in a most amiable
mood. We chatted during the entire
ride from Philadelphia to Washing.
ton Among ther interesting state
ments made to me by him was one
which related to Isaac p. Christiancy
of Michigan, who, a year earlier. had
resigned his seat in the United States
Senate to accept the somewhat incOn-
spieuous diplomatic appointment oil
Minister to Peru.
have always felt the greatest in
terest in Judge Christiancy, both as a
man and as a Republican" said Gen.
eral Hawley. 81 used to be fond
when he was a member of the Sen
ate, of going over from the House tc
the Senate chamber to have a little
chat with him. l told him once that
always looked upon him as the rea
founder Of the Republican party. ant
In reply he said to me that no one
man was the founder of that party
It was created in obedience to ma.
tion-wide impulse.
Il often recalled that when a very
young man / heard some of the politi
clans OF that TIME speak of an arden
abolitiOnist from Michigan who tool
part in the Free-soil convention al
Buffalo in 1S4S, the convention which
nominated Martin Van Buren, foi
President and Charles Frances Ad
ans for Vice President. The nam,
itself of this man made an impression
upon my Christiancy. ! haC
never before heard it.
"A few years later, / think Il 1854
when | was beginning to be active il
politics in Connecticut, / read in tn
newspapers an account of the man
ner in which the Free-sOil party anC
the Wings of Michigan perfected a fu
sion, and it was said that the man il
Michigan who made that possible wal
Isaac p. Christiancy I knew at onc'
that it was the same man who ha,
taken part in the Free-sOil convention
at Buffalo, and ! thought a great dea
about him
THAT fusion was undoubtedly th'
beginning Of the Republican part
organization, and / believe they still
celebrate in Michigan the fusion ant
/ the Republican organization Whicl
/ Immediately followed it. hav
never changed my own view that 81
far as any one person deserves cred
1 it for the organization of tn
Republican party Judge Christianc
was the man.
Il never was able to find out wha
the reason was which impelled Judg
Christiancy TO retire from the Sen
ate, where he had made a high repu
tation. and to accept such a smal
diplomatic post as Minister TO Peru.
| Copyright. f914, by f. J. Edwardi
/ All right reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell @
when Chauncey Depew and tn
Hudson River Railroad Were Young.