my memories of eighty years-第4节

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　cried　〃platform；〃　and　I　was　escorted　to　the　platform；　but　had　no　idea　of　making　a　speech。　My　experience　for　years　at　college　and　at　home　had　saturated　me　with　the　questions　at　issue　in　all　their　aspects。　　From　a　full　heart；　and　a　sore　one；　I　poured　out　a　confession　of　faith。　I　thought　I　had　spoken　only　a　few　minutes；　but　found　afterwards　that　it　was　over　an　hour。　　The　local　committee　wrote　to　the　State　committee　about　the　meeting；　and　in　a　few　days　I　received　a　letter　from　the　chairman　of　the　State　committee　inviting　me　to　fill　a　series　of　engagements　covering　the　whole　State　of　New　York。

The　campaign　of　1856　differed　from　all　others　in　memory　of　men　then　living。　　The　issues　between　the　parties　appealed　on　the　Republican　side　to　the　young。　　There　had　grown　up　among　the　young　voters　an　intense　hostility　to　slavery。　　The　moral　force　of　the　arguments　against　the　institution　captured　them。　　They　had　no　hostility　to　the　South；　nor　to　the　Southern　sIaveholders；　they　regarded　their　position　as　an　inheritance；　and　were　willing　to　help　on　the　lines　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　original　idea　of　purchasing　the　slaves　and　freeing　them。　　But　the　suggestion　had　no　friends　among　the　slaveholders。　　These　young　men　believed　that　any　extension　or　strengthening　of　the　institution　would　be　disastrous　to　the　country。　　The　threatened　dissolution　of　the　Union；　secession；　or　rebellion　did　not　frighten　them。

Political　conventions　are　the　most　interesting　of　popular　gatherings。　The　members　have　been　delegated　by　their　fellow　citizens　to　represent　them；　and　they　are　above　the　average　in　intelligence；　political　information　of　conditions　in　the　State　and　nation；　as　the　convention　represents　the　State　or　the　republic。　　The　belief　that　they　are　generally　boss…governed　is　a　mistake。　　The　party　leader；　sometimes　designated　as　boss；　invariably　consults　with　the　strongest　men　there　are　in　the　convention　before　he　arrives　at　a　decision。　　He　is　generally　successful；　because　he　has　so　well　prepared　the　way；　and　his　own　judgment　is　always　modified　and　frequently　changed　in　these　conferences。

In　1858　I　had　the　first　sensation　of　the　responsibility　of　public　office。　　I　was　not　an　applicant　for　the　place；　in　fact；　knew　nothing　about　it　until　I　was　elected　a　delegate　to　the　Republican　State　convention　from　the　third　assembly　district　of　Westchester　County。　　The　convention　was　held　at　Syracuse。　　The　Westchester　delegates　arrived　late　at　night　or；　rather；　early　in　the　morning；　and　we　came　to　the　hotel　with　large　numbers　of　other　delegates　from　different　sections　who　had　arrived　on　the　same　train。　　It　was　two　o'clock；　but　the　State　leader；　Thurlow　Weed；　was　in　the　lobby　of　the　hotel　to　greet　the　delegates。　　He　said　to　me：　　〃You　are　from　Peekskill。　　With　whom　are　you　studying　law？〃　　I　answered：　〃With　Judge　William　Nelson。〃　　〃Oh；〃　he　remarked；　〃I　remember　Judge　Nelson　well。　　He　was　very　active　in　the　campaign　of　1828。〃　It　was　a　feat　of　memory　to　thus　recall　the　usefulness　of　a　local　politician　thirty　years　before。　　I　noticed；　as　each　delegate　was　introduced；　that　Mr。　Weed　had　some　neighborhood　recollections　of　the　man　which　put　a　tag　on　him。

The　next　day；　as　we　met　the　leader；　he　recalled　us　by　name；　the　places　where　we　lived；　and　the　districts　represented。　　Mr。　Blaine　was　the　only　other　man　I　ever　met　or　knew　who　possessed　this　extraordinary　gift　for　party　leadership。

There　was　a　revolt　in　the　convention　among　the　young　members；　who　had　a　candidate　of　their　own。　　Mr。　Weed's　candidate　for　governor　was　Edwin　D。　Morgan；　a　successful　New　York　merchant；　who　had　made　a　good　record　as　a　State　senator。　　I　remember　one　of　Mr。　Weed's　arguments　was　that　the　Democrats　were　in　power　everywhere　and　could　assess　their　office…holders；　while　the　Republicans　would　have　to　rely　for　campaign　funds　upon　voluntary　contributions；　which　would　come　nowhere　so　freely　as　from　Mr。　Morgan　and　his　friends。　　When　the　convention　met　Mr。　Weed　had　won　over　a　large　majority　of　the　delegates　for　his　candidate。　　It　was　a　triumph　not　only　of　his　skill　but　of　his　magnetism；　which　were　always　successfully　exerted　upon　a　doubtful　member。

I　was　elected　to　the　assembly；　the　popular　branch　of　the　New　York　Legislature；　in　1861。　　I　was　nominated　during　an　absence　from　the　State；　without　being　a　candidate　or　knowing　of　it　until　my　return。　　Of　course；　I　could　expect　nothing　from　my　father；　and　my　own　earnings　were　not　large；　so　I　had　to　rely　upon　a　personal　canvass　of　a　district　which　had　been　largely　spoiled　by　rich　candidates　running　against　each　other　and　spending　large　amounts　of　money。　　I　made　a　hot　canvass；　speaking　every　day；　and　with　an　investment　of　less　than　one　hundred　dollars　for　travel　and　other　expenses　I　was　triumphantly　elected。

By　far　the　most　interesting　member　of　the　legislature　was　the　speaker；　Henry　J。　Raymond。　　He　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　I　ever　met。　　During　the　session　I　became　intimate　with　him；　and　the　better　I　knew　him　the　more　I　became　impressed　with　his　genius；　the　variety　of　his　attainments；　the　perfection　of　his　equipment；　and　his　ready　command　of　all　his　powers　and　resources。　Raymond　was　then　editor　of　the　New　York　Times　and　contributed　a　leading　article　every　day。　　He　was　the　best　debater　we　had　and　the　most　convincing。　　I　have　seen　him　often；　when　some　other　member　was　in　the　chair　of　the　committee　of　the　whole；　and　we　were　discussing　a　critical　question；　take　his　seat　on　the　floor　and　commence　writing　an　editorial。　　As　the　debate　progressed；　he　would　rise　and　participate。　　When　he　had　made　his　point；　which　he　always　did　with　directness　and　lucidity；　he　would　resume　writing　his　editorial。　　The　debate　would　usually　end　with　Mr。　Raymond　carrying　his　point　and　also　finishing　his　editorial；　an　example　which　seems　to　refute　the　statement　of　metaphysicians　that　two　parts　of　the　mind　cannot　work　at　the　same　time。

Two　years　afterwards；　when　I　was　secretary　of　state；　I　passed　much　of　my　time　at　Saratoga；　because　it　was　so　near　Albany。　　Mr。　Raymond　was　also　there　writing　the　〃Life　of　Abraham　Lincoln。〃　　I　breakfasted　with　him　frequently　and　found　that　he　had　written　for　an　hour　or　more　before　breakfast。　　He　said　to　me　in　explanation　that　if　one　would　take　an　hour　before　breakfast　every　morning　and　concentrate　his　mind　upon　his　subject；　he　would　soon　fill　a　library。

Mr。　Raymond　had　been　as　a　young　man　a　reporter　in　the　United　States　Senate。　　He　told　me　that；　while　at　that　time　there　was　no　system　of　shorthand　or　stenography；　he　had　devised　a　crude　one　for　himself；　by　which　he　could　take　down　accurately　any　address　of　a　deliberate　speaker。

Daniel　Webster；　the　most　famous　orator　our　country　has　ever　produced；　was　very　deliberate　in　his　utterances。　　He　soon　discovered　Raymond's　ability；　and　for　several　years　he　always　had　Raymond　with　him；　and　once　said　to　him：　　〃Except　for　you；　the　world　would　have　very　few　of　my　speeches。　　Your　reports　have　preserved　them。〃

Mr。　Raymond　told　me　this　story　of　　Mr。　Webster's　remarkable　memory。　Once　he　said　to　Mr。　Webster：　　〃You　never　use　notes　and　apparently　have　made　no　preparation；　yet　you　are　the　only　speaker　I　report　whose　speeches　are　perfect　in　structure；　language；　and　rhetoric。　How　is　this　possible？〃　　Webster　replied：　　〃It　is　my　memory。　　I　can　prepare　a　speech；　revise　and　correct　it　in　my　memory；　and　then　deliver　the　corrected　speech　exactly　as　finished。〃　　I　have　known　most　of　the　great　orators　of　the　world；　but　none　had　any　approach　to　a　faculty　like　this；　though　several　could　repeat　after　second　reading　the　speech　which　they　had　prepared。

In　1862　I　was　candiate　for　re…election　to　the　assembly。　　Political　conditions　had　so　changed　that　they　were　almost　reversed。　　The　enthusiasm　of　the　war　which　had　carried　the　Republicans　into　power　the　year　before　had　been　succeeded　by　general　unrest。　　Our　armies　had　been　defeated；　and　industrial　and　commercial　depression　was　general。

The　leader　of　the　Democratic　Party　in　the　State　was　Dean　Richmond。　He　was　one　of　those　original　men　of　great　brain…power；　force；　and　character；　knowlege　of　men；　and　executive　ability；　of　which　that　period　had　a　number。　　From　the　humblest　beginning　he　had　worked　his　way　in　politics　to　the　leadership　of　his　party；　to　the　presidency　of　the　greatest　corporation　in　the　State；　the　New　York　Central　Railroad　Company；　and　in　his　many　and　successful　adventures　had　accumulated　a　fortune。　　His　foresight　was　almost　a　gift　of　prophecy；　and　his　judgment　was　rarely　wrong。　　He　believed　that　the　disasters　in　the　field　and　the　bad　times　at　home　could　be　charged　up　to　the　Lincoln　administration　and　lead　to　a　Democratic　victory。　　He　also　believed　that　there　was　only　one　man　in　the　party　whose　leadership　would　surely　win；　and　that　man　was　Horatio　Seymour。　But　Seymour　had　higher　ambitions　than　the　governorship　of　New　York　and　was　very　reluctant　to　run。　　Nevertheless；　he　could　not　resist　Richmond's　insistence　that　he　must　sacrifice　himself；　if　necessary；　to　save　the　party。

The　Republicans　nominated　General　James　W。　Wadsworth　for　governor。　Wadsworth　had　enlisted　at　the　beginning　of　the　war　and　made　a　most　brilliant　record；　both　as　a　fighting　soldier　and　administrator。　The　Republican　party　was　sharply　divided　between　radicals　who　insisted　on　immediate　emancipation　of　the　slaves；　and　conservativ