Evening journal., 1914-02-06
NEW MEMS OF YESTERDAY
The Man Who Suggested
Fremont for President
By Holland.

Samuel J. Tilden was the subtlest
politician with whom have ever had
personal acquaintance. but / learned
while serving as the judge who pre-
sided over the trial of William NJ.
Tweed that his political gifts for or
ganization and for leadership were
really supplementary to wonderful
intellectual capacity he had for
analysis, and for marshaling facts so
as thoroughly to assimilate them and
obtain their meaning"
Ihis statement was made to me by
the late Judge Noah Davis, who in
his day was as influential politician
as any Of his generation in New York.
having served as a member of Con-
gress and as United States district at
torney under President Grant for
the district of which New York city
rs part Judge Davis was beaten for
tue United States Senate in the mid
sixties by Roscoe Conklin, although
by the narrow margin of two votes.
In his long service upon the Supreme
Court bench, he tried many cases OF
national interest, including the prose-
cution of William NJ. Tweed and that
OF Edwin S. Stokes for the murder Of
James Flick At the time when Judge
Davis made the remark quoted above
TO me he was chatting reminiscently
about some Of the distinguished
judges OF New York state who had
been prominently associated with im-
portant national politics.
Il never think OF Samuel J. Til
dcns very successful political
maneuver in forcing the nomination
OF Horatio Seymour for President in
the Democratic national convention
OF 1868 without recalling something
that an intimate personal and politi-
cal friend OF Tilden's told me at that
time" be said.
81 was speaking TO this gentleman
OF the skill and adroitness with which
Tilden bad cOmpassed the presiden-
tial nomination 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 a sug-
gestion which Tilden made IN 1855
been carried into effect. Tilden was
then little under forty years of age.
He had gained a high reputation with
the older Democratsic politicians
Van Buren, Marcy and Wright-but
was little known outside of New York
State.
"A year of two before the national
convention of 1856 political conditions
were craotic. The Democracy was
at sea apparently and the presidential
candidate who was finally nominated
was at that time living in London at
the court Of St James
"rhe Republican party had not been
organized and there were still doubts
about the ability of the young Re
publicans to perfect national or
ganization.
There were good many confer
ences in New York city by leaders
on both sides. At one of these con-
ferences men who had been promi-
nent as Democrats, and. some others
Who had broken away from the
Democratic party on the slavery issue
were present
"One name after another was dis
cussed witt references to the question
Of availability. II seemed to be the
general impression that the Demo-
cratic party would be compelled to
nominate James Buchanan. but there
we're grave doubts about the triumph
of the party with Buchanan as the
candidate, provided the Republicans
would be able to organize perfectly
and name a candidate who would APP
peal TO the country.
"At last Tilden said that while he
did not intend seriously at that time
to suggest for consideration a name
which he had in mind, nevertheless
he thought the time had come when
IL might be worth while to give some
thought TO the availability of a man
whose name had not been mentioned.
"They asked Tilden to whom he re-
ferred. and he replied that he had
been for year or more thinking
about the availability of General
John G.. Fremont as a candidate for
the presidency.
"He spoke with more enthusiasm
than was his habit OF General Fre-
mont's personality. He said his pic
turesque and brilliant adventure as
the first United States Senator across
the continent, blazing new trail to
TO California, gave to his personality
romantic quality which would be
sure to appeal TO the American people.
1T was then MIR. Tilden made known
the fact that General Fremont was
by birth citizen of the South, hav-
ing been born in South Carolina. He
thought Fremont had not identified
himself particularly with national
politics. but was disposed TO support
the fundamental principles of Ameri-
can Democracy. He asked those who
We're present to think over the avail
ability of John G.. Fremont.
Whatever the Democrats thought
OF this suggestion was never known,
but my friend told me that Republic
can leaders heard of this suggestion
OF Tilden. and it was this which led
first to the identification of Fremont
in association with the Republican
nomination for President in 1866"
Copyright 1914 by z. J. Edwards.