my memories of eighty years-第18节

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indignant　farmer；　who　could　not　hold　his　wrath　any　longer；　shouted：　〃That's　a　lie！　　The　Pilgrims　landed　more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago。〃　　I　saw　that　my　interrupter　had　swallowed　my　bait；　hook；　and　line；　bob　and　sinker；　pole　and　all；　and　shouted　with　great　indignation：　　〃Sir；　I　have　narrated　that　historical　incident　throughout　the　State；　from　Montauk　Point　to　Niagara　Falls；　and　you　are　the　first　man　who　has　had　the　audacity　to　question　it。〃

Another　farmer　stepped　up　to　the　heckler　and　said：　　〃Here　is　my　hat；　neighbor。　　You　can　keep　it。　　I　am　going　bareheaded　for　the　rest　of　my　life。〃　　In　his　uproarious　laughter　the　crowd　all　joined。　It　was　years　before　the　questioning　farmer　could　visit　Watertown　without　encountering　innumerable　questions　as　to　when　the　Pilgrims　landed　on　Plymouth　Rock。

The　last　meeting　of　the　campaign　was　held　at　Mr。　Greeley's　home　at　Chappaqua　in　Westchester　County。　　We　all　knew　that　the　contest　was　hopeless　and　defeat　sure。　　I　was　one　of　the　speakers；　both　as　his　neighbor　and　friend；　and　accompanied　him　to　New　York。　A　rough　crowd　on　the　train　jeered　him　as　we　rode　along。　　We　went　to　his　office；　and　there　he　spoke　of　the　lies　that　had　been　told　about　him；　and　which　had　been　believed　by　the　public；　of　the　cartoons　which　had　misrepresented　him；　especially　those　of　Tom　Nast；　and　of　which　there　were　many　lying　about。　　Leaning　upon　his　desk；　a　discouraged　and　hopeless　man；　he　said：　　〃I　have　given　my　life　to　the　freeing　of　the　slaves；　and　yet　they　have　been　made　to　believe　that　I　was　a　slave　driver。　　It　has　been　made　to　appear；　and　people　have　been　made　to　believe；　that　I　was　wrong　or　faithless；　or　on　the　other　side　of　the　reforms　which　I　have　advocated　all　my　life。　　I　will　be　beaten　in　the　campaign　and　I　am　ruined　for　life。〃　He　was　overcome　with　emotion；　and　it　was　the　saddest　interview　I　ever　had　with　any　one。　　It　was　really　the　breaking　of　a　great　heart。　　He　died　before　the　votes　were　counted。

There　was　instantly　a　tremendous　revulsion　of　popular　feeling　in　the　country。　　He　had　lost　his　wife　during　the　campaign；　and　the　people　woke　up　suddenly　to　the　sorrows　under　which　he　had　labored；　to　his　genius　as　a　journalist；　to　his　activity　as　a　reformer；　and　to　a　usefulness　that　had　no　parallel　among　his　contemporaries。　　The　president…elect；　General　Grant；　and　the　vice…president…elect；　Schuyler　Colfax；　attended　the　funeral；　and　without　distinction　of　party　his　death　was　universally　mourned。

After　the　election；　in　consultation　on　railroad　affairs；　Commodore　Vanderbilt　said　to　me；　〃I　was　very　glad　you　were　defeated；〃　which　was　his　way　of　saying　that　he　did　not　want　me　either　to　leave　the　railroad　or　to　have　other　duties　which　would　impair　my　efficiency。

With　the　tragic　death　of　Mr。　Greeley　the　Liberal　Republican　movement　ended。　　Most　of　us　who　had　followed　him　resumed　at　once　our　Republican　party　relations　and　entered　actively　into　its　work　in　the　next　campaign。　　The　revolt　was　forgiven；　except　in　very　few　instances；　and　the　Greeley　men　went　back　to　their　old　positions　in　their　various　localities　and　became　prominent　in　the　official　life　of　the　State。　　I；　as　usual；　in　the　fall　took　my　vacation　on　the　platform　for　the　party。



VII。　　RUTHERFORD　B。　HAYES　AND　WILLIAM　M。　EVARTS

It　is　one　of　the　tragedies　of　history　that　in　the　procession　of　events；　the　accumulation　of　incidents；　year　by　year　and　generation　by　generation；　famous　men　of　any　period　so　rapidly　disappear。

At　the　close　of　the　Civil　War　there　were　at　least　a　score　of　generals　in　the　North；　and　as　many　in　the　South；　whose　names　were　household　words。　　About　fifty…five　years　have　passed　since　the　war　closed；　and　the　average　citizen　knows　only　two　of　themGrant　and　Lee。

One　of　the　last　acts　of　General　Grant　was　to　tender　to　Senator　Conkling　the　position　of　chief　justice　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States。　　Conkling　had　gained　from　the　senatorship　and　the　leadership　of　his　party　a　great　reputation；　to　which　subsequent　service　in　the　Senate　could　add　little　or　nothing。　He　was　in　his　early　forties；　in　the　prime　of　his　powers；　and　he　would　have　had　before　him；　as　chief　justice　of　this　great　court；　a　long　life　of　usefulness　and　distinction。

Conkling　was　essentially　an　advocate；　and　as　an　advocate　not　possessing　the　judicial　temperament。　　While　there　was　a　great　surprise　that　he　declined　this　wonderful　opportunity；　we　can　see　now　that　the　environment　and　restrictions　of　the　position　would　have　made　it　impossible　for　this　fiery　and　ambitious　spirit。　　It　was　well　known　that　General　Grant；　so　far　as　he　could　influence　the　actions　of　the　national　Republican　convention；　was　in　favor　of　Senator　Conkling　as　his　successor。　　The　senator's　friends　believed；　and　they　made　him　believe；　that　the　presidency　was　within　his　grasp。

When　the　national　convention　met　it　was　discovered　that　the　bitterness　between　the　two　leaders；　Blaine　and　Conkling；　made　harmony　impossible。　　The　bitterness　by　that　time　was　on　Conkling's　side　against　Blaine。　　With　the　latter's　make…up；　resentment　could　not　last　very　long。　　It　is　an　interesting　speculation　what　might　have　happened　if　these　two　leaders　had　become　friends。　　It　is　among　the　possibilities　that　both　might　have　achieved　the　great　object　of　their　ambitions　and　been　presidents　of　the　United　States。

The　outstanding　feature　of　that　convention　in　the　history　of　those　interesting　gatherings　was　the　speech　of　Colonel　Robert　G。　Ingersoll；　nominating　Mr。　Blaine。　　In　its　effect　upon　the　audience；　in　its　reception　by　the　country；　and　by　itself　as　an　effort　of　that　kind；　it　stands　unprecedented　and　unequalled。

As　usual　in　popular　conventions；　where　the　antagonism　of　the　leaders　and　the　bitterness　of　their　partisanship　threatens　the　unity　of　the　party；　the　result　was　the　nomination　of　a　〃dark　horse；〃　and　the　convention　cIosed　its　labors　by　presenting　to　the　country　General　Rutherford　B。　Hayes。

President　Hayes；　although　one　of　the　most　amiabIe；　genial；　and　companionable　of　our　presidents；　with　every　quality　to　attach　men　to　him　and　make　warm　friendships；　was；　nevertheless；　one　of　the　most　isolated。　　He　inherited　all　the　business　troubles；　economic　disorganization；　and　currency　disturbances　which　grew　out　of　the　panic　of　1873。　　He　was　met　with　more　bankruptcy　than　had　ever　occurred　in　our　business　history。

With　rare　courage　and　the　most　perfect　good　nature；　he　installed　essential　reforms；　which；　in　the　then　condition　of　party　organization　and　public　sentiment；　practically　offended　everybody。　　He　threw　the　extreme　radicals　of　his　party　into　a　frenzy　of　rage　by　wiping　out　the　〃carpet…bag〃　governments　and　restoring　self…government　for　the　South。　　He　inaugurated　civil…service　reform；　but　in　doing　so　antagonized　most　of　the　senators　and　members　of　the　House。

When　he　found　that　the　collector　of　the　port　of　New　York；　Chester　A。　Arthur；　and　the　surveyor；　Alonzo　B。　Cornell；　were　running　their　offices　with　their　vast　patronage　on　strictly　machine　lines；　and　that　this　had　the　general　approval　of　party　leaders；　he　removed　them　and　appointed　for　their　successors　General　Edwin　A。　Merritt　and　Silas　W。　Burt；　with　instructions　to　remove　no　one　on　account　of　politics；　and　to　appoint　no　one　except　for　demonstrated　efficiency　for　the　place。　　He　pursued　the　same　policy　in　the　Internal　Revenue　and　Post…Office　Departments。　　This　policy　threatened　the　primacy　of　the　Conkling　machine。

President　Hayes　had　a　very　strong　Cabinet。　　The　secretary　of　state；　William　M。　Evarts；　and　the　secretary　of　the　treasury；　John　Sherman；　were　two　of　the　ablest　men　in　the　country。　　Evarts　was　the　leader　of　the　national　bar；　and　in　crystallized　mentality　had　no　equal　in　the　profession　or　outside　of　it。　　Sherman　was　the　foremost　and　best…informed　economist；　and　also　a　great　statesman。　　In　close　consultation　with　Sherman；　Hayes　brought　about　the　resumption　of　specie　payment。　　The　〃green…backers；〃　who　were　for　unlimited　paper；　and　the　silver　men；　who　were　for　unlimited　coinage　of　silver；　and　who　were　very　numerous；　joined　the　insurgent　brigade。

While　Mr。　Hayes　retired　from　the　presidency　by　what　might　be　called　unanimous　consent；　he　had　created　conditions　which　made　possible　the　success　of　his　party　in　1880。

It　was　a　refreshing　experience　to　meet　the　president　during　these　troublous　times。　　While　everybody　else　was　excited；　he　was　perfectly　calm。　　While　most　of　the　great　men　at　the　Capitol　were　raging；　he；　at　the　other　end　of　the　avenue；　was　placid　and　serene。　　He　said　once　to　me：　　〃It　is　a　novel　experience　when　you　do　what　you　think　right　and　best　for　the　country　to　have　it　so　generally　criticised　and　disapproved。　　But　the　compensation　is　that　you　expect　antagonism　and　disapproval　and　would　think　something　was　the　matter　with　your　decisions　if　you　did　not　receive　them。〃

The　general　abuse　to　which　he　was　subjected　from　so　many　sources　affected　the　public's　view　of　him。　　After　he　had　left　the　presidency　he　told　me　that　he　thought　it　was　the　duty　of　an　ex…president　to　utilize　the　prestige　which　belonged　to　the　office　in　the　aid　of　education。　　〃I　have　found；〃　he　said；　〃that　it　helps　enormously　in　colleges　and　schools　to　have　lectures；　lessons；　etc。；　in　history　and　patriotism；　and　behind　them　the　personality　of　an　ex…president　of　the　United　States。〃

As