my memories of eighty years-第17节

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As　secretary　of　state　it　was　my　duty　to　have　the　papers　all　prepared　for　execution　as　soon　as　the　college　had　voted；　and　to　attach　to　them　the　great　seal　of　the　State；　and　then　they　were　sent　by　special　messenger　to　Washington　to　be　delivered　to　the　House　of　Representatives。　　Mr。　Greeley；　at　the　opening　of　the　session；　said　to　me：　　〃Chauncey；　as　I　am　not　very　familiar　with　parliamentary　law；　I　wish　you　would　take　a　seat　on　the　steps　beside　me　here；　so　that　I　can　consult　you　if　necessary。〃　　After　this　effective　and　affecting　speech　he　leaned　down　until　he　was　close　to　my　ear；　and　said：　　〃Chauncey；　how　long　do　you　think　it　will　be　before　that　d…　drunken　fool　will　be　able　to　return　and　take　his　seat？〃

General　Grant's　administration　soon　aroused　great　opposition。　Carl　Schurz；　Charles　Francis　Adams；　and　other　leaders　became　very　hostile　to　the　administration　and　to　a　second　term。　　The　country　was　longing　for　peace。　　The　〃carpet…bag〃　governments　of　the　South　were　full　of　corruption　and　incompetence　and　imposed　upon　the　Southern　States　intolerable　burdens　of　debt。　　The　feeling　was　becoming　general　that　there　should　be　universal　amnesty　in　order　that　the　best　and　most　capable　people　of　the　South　could　return　to　the　management　of　their　own　affairs。

This　led　to　the　calling　of　a　convention　of　the　Republicans；　which　nominated　Horace　Greeley　for　president。　　I　had　no　desire　nor　the　slightest　intention　of　being　involved　in　this　controversy；　but　was　happily　pursuing　my　profession；　with　increasing　fondness　for　private　life。

One　day　Commodore　Vanderbilt；　who　had　a　strong　friendship　for　Mr。　Greeley；　but　took　no　interest　in　politics；　said　to　me：　〃Mr。　Greeley　has　been　to　see　me　and　is　very　anxious　for　you　to　assist　him。　　If　you　can　aid　him　in　any　way　I　wish　you　would。〃

Afterwards　Mr。　Greeley　called　at　my　house。　　〃Chauncey；〃　he　said　（he　always　called　me　Chauncey）；　〃as　you　know；　I　have　been　nominated　by　the　Liberal　Republican　convention　for　President　of　the　United　States。　　If　I　can　get　the　indorsement　of　the　Democratic　party　my　election　is　assured。　　My　Democratic　friends　tell　me　that　in　order　to　accomplish　that　I　must　demonstrate　that　I　have　a　substantial　Republican　following。　　So　we　have　called　a　meeting　at　Rochester；　which　is　the　capital　of　the　strongest　Republican　counties　of　the　State。　　It　is　necessary　to　have　for　the　principal　speaker　some　Republican　of　State　and　national　reputation。　　I　have　selected　you　for　that　purpose。〃

To　my　protest　that　I　did　not　wish　to　enter　into　the　contest　nor　to　take　any　part　in　active　politics；　he　said；　very　indignantly：　〃I　have　supported　you　in　my　paper　and　personally　during　the　whole　of　your　career。　　I　thought　that　if　anybody　was　capable　of　gratitude　it　is　you；　and　I　have　had　unfortunate　experiences　with　many。〃　I　never　was　able　to　resist　an　appeal　of　this　kind；　so　I　said　impulsively：　　〃Mr。　Greeley；　I　will　go。〃

The　meeting　was　a　marvellous　success　for　the　purpose　for　which　it　was　called。　　It　was　purely　a　Republican　gathering。　　The　crowd　was　several　times　larger　than　the　hall　could　accommodate。　Henry　R。　Selden；　one　of　the　judges　of　the　Court　of　Appeals　and　one　of　the　most　eminent　and　respected　Republicans　of　the　State；　presided。　　The　two　hundred　vice…presidents　and　secretaries　upon　the　platform　I　had　known　intimately　for　years　as　Republican　leaders　of　their　counties　and　districts。　　The　demonstration　so　impressed　the　Democratic　State　leaders　that　at　the　national　Democratic　convention　Mr。　Greeley　was　indorsed。

There　were　two　State　conventions　held　simultaneously　that　year；　one　Democratic　and　one　Liberal　Republican。　　In　the　division　of　offices　the　Democratic　party；　being　the　larger；　was　given　the　governorship　and　the　Liberal　Republicans　had　the　lieutenant…　governorship。　　I　was　elected　as　the　presiding　officer　of　the　Liberal　Republican　convention　and　also　was　made　unanimously　its　nominee　for　lieutenant…governor。　　The　Democratic　convention　nominated　Francis　Kernan；　one　of　the　most　distinguished　lawyers　of　the　State；　and　afterwards　United　States　senator。

If　the　election　had　been　held　early　in　the　canvass　there　is　little　doubt　but　that　Mr。　Greeley　would　have　carried　the　State　by　an　overwhelming　majority。　　His　difficulty　was　that　for　a　quarter　of　a　century；　as　editor　of　the　New　York　Tribune；　he　had　been　the　most　merciless；　bitter；　and　formidable　critic　and　opponent　of　the　Democratic　party。　　The　deep…seated　animosity　against　him　was　fully　aroused　as　the　campaign　proceeded　by　a　propaganda　which　placed　in　the　hands　of　every　Democrat　these　former　slashing　editorials　of　the　New　York　Tribune。　　Their　effect　upon　the　Democratic　voters　was　evident　after　a　while；　and　when　in　the　September　election　North　Carolina　went　Republican；　a　great　mass　of　Republicans；　who　had　made　up　their　minds　to　support　Mr。　Greeley；　went　back　to　their　party；　and　he　was　overwhelmingly　defeated。

In　the　early　part　of　his　canvass　Mr。　Greeley　made　a　tour　of　the　country。　　There　have　been　many　such　travels　by　presidential　candidates；　but　none　like　this。　　His　march　was　a　triumphal　procession；　and　his　audiences　enormous　and　most　enthusiastic。　The　whole　country　marvelled　at　his　intellectual　versatility。　　He　spoke　every　day；　and　often　several　times　a　day；　and　each　speech　was　absolutely　new。　　There　seemed　to　be　no　limit　to　his　originality；　his　freshness；　or　the　new　angles　from　which　to　present　the　issues　of　the　canvass。　　No　candidate　was　ever　so　bitterly　abused　and　so　slandered。

A　veteran　speaker　has　in　the　course　of　his　career　original　experiences。　　The　cordiality　and　responsiveness　of　his　audience　is　not　always　an　index　of　their　agreement　with　his　argument。　During　the　campaign　Mr。　Greeley　came　to　me　and　said：　　〃I　have　received　encouraging　accounts　from　the　State　of　Maine。　　I　have　a　letter　from　such　a　place〃naming　it〃from　the　principal　of　the　academy　there。　　He　writes　me　that　the　Congregational　minister；　who　has　the　largest　church　in　town；　the　bank　president；　the　manufacturer；　the　principal　lawyer；　and　himself　are　lifelong　readers　of　the　Tribune；　and　those　steadfast　Republicans　intend　to　support　me。　　He　thinks　if　they　can　have　a　public　meeting　with　a　speaker　of　national　reputation；　the　result　might　be　an　overturn　in　my　favor　in　this　community；　which　is　almost　unanimously　Republican；　that　it　may　influence　the　whole　State；　and；〃　continued　Mr。　Greeley；　〃he　suggests　you　as　the　speaker；　and　I　earnestly　ask　you　to　go。〃

When　I　arrived　at　the　place　I　was　entertained　by　the　manufacturer。　The　audience　crowded　the　largest　hall　in　the　town。　　The　principal　of　the　academy　presided；　the　Congregational　minister　opened　the　exercises　with　a　prayer；　and　I　was　introduced　and　received　with　great　cordiality。

For　such　an　audience　my　line　of　talk　was　praising　General　Grant　as　the　greatest　general　of　modern　times；　and　how　largely　the　preservation　of　the　Union　depended　upon　his　military　genius。　Then　to　picture　the　tremendous　responsibilities　of　the　presidency　and　the　impossibility　of　a　man；　however　great　as　a　soldier；　with　a　lifetime　of　military　education；　environment；　and　experiences；　succeeding　in　civil　office；　especially　as　great　a　one　as　the　presidency　of　the　United　States。　　Then　came；　naturally；　a　eulogium　of　Horace　Greeley；　the　maker　of　public　opinion；　the　moulder　of　national　policies；　the　most　eloquent　and　resourceful　leader　of　the　Republican　party　since　its　formation。　　The　audience　cheered　with　great　enthusiasm　all　these　allusions　to　General　Grant；　and　responded　with　equal　fervor　to　my　praise　of　Horace　Greeley。

When　I　concluded　they　stood　up　and　gave　me　cordial　cheers；　and　the　presiding　officer　came　forward　and　said：　　〃I　now　suggest　that　we　close　this　meeting　with　three　rousing　cheers　for　Horace　Greeley。〃　The　principal　of　the　academy；　the　manufacturer；　the　minister；　the　lawyer；　a　very　few　of　the　audience；　and　several　women　responded。　After　this　frost　a　farmer　rose　gradually；　and　as　he　began　to　let　out　link　after　link　of　his　body；　which　seemed　about　seven　feet　talI；　he　reached　his　full　height；　and　then　in　a　voice　which　could　be　heard　a　mile　shouted：　　〃Three　cheers　for　General　Grant！〃　　The　response　nearly　took　the　roof　off　the　house。　　I　left　the　State　the　next　morning　and　told　Mr。　Greeley　that　he　could　not　carry　Maine。

Among　the　amusing　episodes　of　the　campaign　was　one　which　occurred　at　an　open…door　mass　meeting　at　Watertown；　N。　Y。　　John　A。　Dix　had　been　nominated　for　governor　on　the　Republican　ticket；　and　I　was　speaking　of　him　and　his　career。　　He　had　changed　from　one　party　to　the　other　five　or　six　times　in　the　course　of　his　long　career；　and　each　time　received　an　office。　　There　was　great　doubt　as　to　his　age；　because　in　the　American　Encyclopaedia　the　date　of　his　birth　was　given　as　of　a　certain　year；　and　in　the　French　Encyclopaedia；　which　published　his　biography　when　he　was　minister　to　France；　a　widely　different　date　was　given。　　In　the　full　tide　of　partisan　oratory　I　went　over　these　changes　of　political　activity；　and　how　each　one　had　been　rewarded；　also　the　doubt　as　to　his　age；　and　then　I　shouted：　　〃I　have　discovered　among　the　records　of　the　Pilgrim　Fathers　that　when　they　landed　on　Plymouth　Rock　they　found　John　A。　Dix　standing　on　the　rock　and　announcing　that　unless　they　made　him　justice　of　the　peace　he　would　join　the　Indians。〃　　An　indignant　farmer；　who　could　no