Arizona republican., 1920-10-12
GRANT SEYMOUR RACE
 OF 1868
By Frederic J. Haskin


 WASHINGTON. D. C., Oct. 1.-The long and bitter quarrel between Pres ident Johnson and congress resulted in the adoption of a policy of reconstruc- tion in the southern states which hao in it more of Thaddeus Stevens than or Abraham Lincoln. It resulted also Tn the enfranchisement of the negroes. But. so far as the campaign Of leoo was concerned, it's most important re- suit was the adherence of General Ulysses S. Grant to the Republican party and his triumphal election to the presidency General Grant was the greatest of all war heroes, yet II was with the utmost difficulty that he was persuaded to become a candidate. In the first place Grant was Dem ocrat. so far as he had any politics at all. His last vote before the war was for radical pro slavery Demo- crat. and he was not even supporter of Douglas in the quadranguiar right of 1860. He never cast a Republican vote until after he had served eight years as a Republican president. The Democrats claimed him. They had even talked of nominating him in 1864. During the Johnson administration there was an earnest effort to get the Democratic party on its feet and to nominate Grant for President. If it had not been for the quarrel between SOhSApoc anu tue pT6SllenL, WHICH re- suited in a violent break between Grant and Johnson. the probabilities are that Grant would have been nom mated and elected by the Democrats in 1888.
 But Johnson had provoked Grant to anger and had attempted to supersede him in command of the army by call ing General Thomas to that position. Grant naturally found sympathizers among the Republican leaders in con gress. nearly all of whom hated John son with their whole souls. So when the Republicans began to plead with Grant to be their candidate, he listened. For a time he held back. honestly doubting the wisdom of the step. Finally his consent was obtained, his candidacy announced and the whole thing was over. So far as the head of the ticket was concerned, the Re- publican national convention which met in Chicago on May 20 was merely ratification meeting.
 South Did Not Count
 While some of the southern states were permitted to take part in the election, no attention was paid to them as 1t was known that they would be excluded if their votes affected the re- suit The race in the North became contest in loyalty. The Republicans waved the bloody shirt" kept on fighting the war. told the boys" to vote as they shot" and called all the Democrats "Copperheads." The Dem ocrats. on the other hand. made vio- lent protestations of intense loyalty, assuming the higher patriotism" of a firm reliance upon the liberties guar anteed by the Constitution. For the most part the Democrats were sup porters of President Johnson's admin istration
 
 Chicago on the same day-of course it was an sccident-that the National Soldiers and Sailors convention met. The soldiers and sailors got under way little quicker than the Republicans and recommended the nomination of ITant. The convention. next day. accepted the recommendation with a whoop.
 In some respects, however it was the maddest' bunch of Republicans that ever assembled in a national conven- ton. The impeachment trial of fresldent Johnson had been dragging ltser out. and every Republican in the country was absolutely confident that the verdict of the senate would be guilty" Only four days before the Chicago convention met the senate voted and Johnson was acquitted The vote was thirty-four guilty and nine teen not guilty. but that lacked one vote or being the requisite two-thirds Seven Republicans had joined tbf | twelve Democrats then in tba ee,,att m young for acquittal. Tn the con. l nehtlon these senators were called the seven traitors" Whatever may h, tne ilnal verdict of history in the case or Andrew Johnson as a statesman it IS already unanimously agreed tha ms acquittal in the impeachment nro. l ceedlngS was right.
 Wade's Shattered Hopee
 here was old Len Wade, presiden | pro tempore of the senate If John son mad been convicted he would hay sISceeded to the presidency under tn olu order of succession. He thought was certainty. Grant was to be nom mated for president, but Wade wa running for vice president on tn strength of promising patronage fo Ine lew months he was to be president Ine Wade boom fell through whel Johnson was acquitted and Schuyle Coifax of Indiana got second place o the ticket
 The Democratic convention that yea met in Tammany hall on Fourteent street, New York. on July 4 It was great loyaIistic and patriotic gather Ing and not even the Republican could do more yelling for the flas Qulte by accident, most peculiar co incidence, a national soldiers and sail ors' convention met in New York O the same day. That convention, en tirely distinct from the one that ha met in Chicago in May. recommends to the Democratic convention the nom ination of General Winfield Scott Han cock. But the Democrats didn't ap prove the recommendation.
 Despite the fact not then so appa rent, that the Democrats did not hay a ghost of a show to defeat Grant wit anybody they might name. there was great contest over the nomination. l the first place, Andrew Johnson, pres ident of the United States wanted [ run on the Democratic ticket Fl wrote a letter saying he would acceI the nomination. Then George IT. Pen dleton of Ohio was there as the em bidiment of the "Greenback' sent ment, which was gaining ground a over the country. On the first ballC Pendleton led, Johnson was second, an Hancock third, with a dozen other car didates in the field.
 Wiley Wire Pullers
 In that convention were the tw shrewdest politicians who ever entere the national arena under the Demo cratic banner-HoratiO Seymour ar Samuel J. Tilden. Seymour was pres dent of the convention, Tilden W. leading the New York delegatio