my memories of eighty years-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

is　said　at　the　meeting　will　seriously　injure　the　political　future　of　the　authors。　　If　you　write　a　letter　it　will　be　on　record；　so　I　beg　you；　if　you　must　participate；　attend　the　meeting　and　make　a　speech。　　A　letter　cannot　be　denied；　it　can　always　be　claimed　that　a　speech　has　been　misreported。〃

The　Governor　wrote　the　letter；　one　of　the　most　violent　of　his　utterances；　and　it　was　used　against　him　with　fatal　effect　when　he　ran　for　governor；　and　also　when　a　candidate　for　president。

On　July　11th　the　draft　began　in　New　York　City。　　It　had　been　denounced　as　unconstitutional　by　every　shade　of　opposition　to　Mr。　Lincoln's　administration　and　to　the　prosecution　of　the　war。　The　attempt　to　enforce　it　led　to　one　of　the　most　serious　riots　in　the　history　of　the　city；　and　the　rage　of　the　rioters　was　against　the　officers　of　the　law；　the　headquarters　of　the　draft　authorities；　and　principally　against　the　negroes。　　Every　negro　who　was　caught　was　hung　or　burned；　and　the　negro　orphan　asylum　was　destroyed　by　fire。　　The　governor　did　his　best　to　stop　the　rioting。　　He　issued　a　proclamation　declaring　the　city　in　a　state　of　insurrection；　and　commanded　obedience　to　the　law　and　the　authorities。

In　this　incident　again　the　governor　permitted　his　opposition　to　the　war　to　lead　him　into　political　indiscretion。　　He　made　a　speech　from　the　steps　of　the　City　Hall　to　the　rioters。　　He　began　by　addressing　them　as　〃My　friends。〃　　The　governor's　object　was　to　quiet　the　mob　and　send　them　to　their　homes。　　So　instead　of　saying　〃fellow　citizens〃　he　used　the　fatal　words　〃my　friends。〃　　No　two　words　were　ever　used　against　a　public　man　with　such　fatal　effect。　Every　newspaper　opposed　to　the　governor　and　every　orator　would　describe　the　horrors；　murders；　and　destruction　of　property　by　the　mob　and　then　say：　　〃These　are　the　people　whom　Governor　Seymour　in　his　speech　from　the　steps　of　the　City　Hall　addressed　as　'my　friends。'〃

The　Vallandigham　letter　and　this　single　utterance　did　more　harm　to　Governor　Seymour's　future　ambitions　than　all　his　many　eloquent　speeches　against　Lincoln's　administration　and　the　conduct　of　the　war。

The　political　situation；　which　had　been　so　desperate　for　the　national　administration；　changed　rapidly　for　the　better　with　the　victory　at　Gettysburg；　which　forced　General　Lee　out　of　Pennsylvania　and　back　into　Virginia；　and　also　by　General　Grant's　wonderful　series　of　victories　at　Vicksburg　and　other　places　which　liberated　the　Mississippi　River。

Under　these　favorable　conditions　the　Republicans　entered　upon　the　canvass　in　the　fall　of　1863　to　reverse；　if　possible；　the　Democratic　victory　the　year　before。　　The　Republican　State　ticket　was：

Secretary　of　State　。。。。。　Chauncey　M。　Depew。　Comptroller　。。。。。　Lucius　Robinson。　Canal　Commissioner　。。。。。　Benjamin　F。　Bruce。　Treasurer　。。。。。　George　W。　Schuyler。　State　Engineer　。。。。。　William　B。　Taylor。　Prison　Inspector　。。。。。　James　K。　Bates。　Judge　of　the　Court　of　Appeals　。。。。。　Henry　S。　Selden。　Attorney…General　。。。。。　John　Cochran。

The　canvass　was　one　of　the　most　interesting　of　political　campaigns。　The　president　was　unusually　active；　and　his　series　of　letters　were　remarkable　documents。　　He　had　the　ear　of　the　public；　he　commanded　the　front　page　of　the　press；　and　he　defended　his　administration　and　its　acts　and　replied　to　his　enemies　with　skill；　tact；　and　extreme　moderation。

Public　opinion　was　peculiar。　　Military　disasters　and　increasing　taxation　had　made　the　position　of　the　administration　very　critical；　but　the　victories　which　came　during　the　summer　changed　the　situation。　I　have　never　known　in　any　canvass　any　one　incident　which　had　greater　effect　than　Sheridan's　victory　in　the　Shenandoah　Valley；　and　never　an　adventure　which　so　captured　the　popular　imagination　as　his　ride　from　Washington　to　the　front；　his　rallying　the　retreating　and　routed　troops；　reforming　them　and　turning　defeat　into　victory。　The　poem　〃Sheridan's　Ride；〃　was　recited　in　every　audience；　from　every　platform；　and　from　the　stage　in　many　theatres　and　created　the　wildest　enthusiasm。

My　friend；　Wayne　MacVeagh；　who　was　at　Yale　College　with　me；　had　succeeded　as　a　radical　leader　in　defeating　his　brother…in…law；　Don　Cameron；　and　getting　control　for　the　first　time　in　a　generation　against　the　Cameron　dynasty　of　the　Republican　State　organization　of　Pennsylvania。　　He　had　nominated　a　radical　ticket；　with　Andrew　G。　Curtin　as　a　candidate　for　governor。

MacVeagh　wrote　to　me；　saying：　　〃You　are　running　at　the　head　of　the　Republican　ticket　in　New　York。　　Your　battle　is　to　be　won　in　Pennsylvania；　and　unless　we　succeed　you　cannot。　　Come　over　and　help　us。〃

I　accepted　the　invitation　and　spent　several　most　exciting　and　delightful　weeks　campaigning　with　Governor　Curtin　and　his　party。　The　meetings　were　phenomenal　in　the　multitudes　which　attended　and　their　interest　in　the　speeches。　　I　remember　one　dramatic　occasion　at　the　city　of　Reading。　　This　was　a　Democratic　stronghold；　there　was　not　a　single　Republican　office…holder　in　the　county。　The　only　compensation　for　a　Republican　accepting　a　nomination　and　conducting　a　canvass；　with　its　large　expenses　and　certain　defeat；　was　that　for　the　rest　of　his　life　he　was　given　as　an　evidence　of　honor　the　title　of　the　office　for　which　he　ran；　and　so　the　county　was　full　of　〃judges；　Mr。　District　Attorneys；　State　Senators；　and　Congressmen〃　who　had　never　been　elected。

We　arrived　at　Reading　after　midday。　　The　leading　street；　a　very　broad　one；　was　also　on　certain　days　the　market…pIace。　　A　friend　of　the　governor；　who　had　a　handsome　house　on　this　street；　had　the　whole　party　for　luncheon。　　The　luncheon　was　an　elaborate　banquet。　　Governor　Curtin　came　to　me　and　said：　　〃You　go　out　and　entertain　the　crowd；　which　is　getting　very　impatient；　and　in　about　twenty　minutes　I　will　send　some　one　to　relieve　you。〃　　It　was　raining　in　torrents；　the　crowd　shouted　to　me　encouragingly：　　〃Never　mind　the　rain；　we　are　used　to　that；　but　we　never　heard　you。〃　　As　I　would　try　to　stop　they　would　shout：　　〃Go　ahead！〃　　In　the　meantime　the　banquet　had　turned　into　a　festive　occasion；　with　toasts　and　speeches。　　I　had　been　speaking　over　two　hours　before　the　governor　and　his　party　appeared。　　They　had　been　dining；　and　the　Eighteenth　Amendment　had　not　been　dreamed　of。　　I　was　drenched　to　the　skin；　but　waited　until　the　governor　had　delivered　his　twenty…minute　speech；　then；　without　stopping　for　the　other　orators；　I　went　over　to　the　house；　stripped；　dried　myself；　and　went　to　bed。

Utterly　exhausted　with　successive　days　and　nights　of　this　experience；　I　did　not　wake　until　about　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　Then　I　wandered　out　in　the　street；　found　the　crowd　still　there；　and　the　famous　John　W。　Forney　making　a　speech。　　They　told　me　that　he　had　been　speaking　for　four　hours；　delivering　an　historical　address；　but　had　only　reached　the　administration　of　General　Jackson。　　I　never　knew　how　long　he　kept　at　it；　but　there　was　a　tradition　with　our　party　that　he　was　still　speaking　when　the　train　left　the　next　morning。

Governor　Curtin　was　an　ideal　party　leader　and　candidate。　　He　was　one　of　the　handsomest　men　of　his　time；　six　feet　four　inches　in　height；　perfectly　proportioned　and　a　superb　figure。　　He　never　spoke　over　twenty　minutes；　but　it　was　the　talk　in　the　familiar　way　of　an　expert　to　his　neighbors。　　He　had　a　cordial　and　captivating　manner；　which　speedily　made　him　the　idol　of　the　crowd　and　a　most　agreeable　companion　in　social　circles。　　When　he　was　minister　to　Russia；　the　Czar；　who　was　of　the　same　height　and　build；　was　at　once　attracted　to　him；　and　he　took　a　first　place　among　the　diplomats　in　influence。

When　I　returned　to　New　York　to　enter　upon　my　own　canvass；　the　State　and　national　committees　imposed　upon　me　a　heavy　burden。　　Speakers　of　State　reputation　were　few；　while　the　people　were　clamoring　for　meetings。　　Fortunately　I　had　learned　how　to　protect　my　voice。　　In　the　course　of　the　campaign　every　one　who　spoke　with　me　lost　his　voice　and　had　to　return　home　for　treatment。　　When　I　was　a　student　at　Yale　the　professor　in　elocution　was　an　eccentric　old　gentleman　named　North。　　The　boys　paid　little　attention　to　him　and　were　disposed　to　ridicule　his　peculiarities。　　He　saw　that　I　was　specially　anxious　to　learn　and　said：　　〃The　principal　thing　about　oratory　is　to　use　your　diaphragm　instead　of　your　throat。〃　　His　lesson　on　that　subject　has　been　of　infinite　benefit　to　me　all　my　life。

The　programme　laid　out　called　upon　me　to　speak　on　an　average　between　six　and　seven　hours　a　day。　　The　speeches　were　from　ten　to　thirty　minutes　at　different　railway　stations；　and　wound　up　with　at　least　two　meetings　at　some　important　towns　in　the　evening；　and　each　meeting　demanded　about　an　hour。　　These　meetings　were　so　arranged　that　they　covered　the　whole　State。　　It　took　about　four　weeks；　but　the　result　of　the　campaign；　due　to　the　efforts　of　the　orators　and　other　favorable　conditions；　ended　in　the　reversal　of　the　Democratic　victory　of　the　year　before；　a　Republican　majority　of　thirty　thousand　and　the　control　of　the　legislature。


In　1864　the　political　conditions　were　very　unfavorable　for　the　Republican　party；　owing　to　the　bitter　hostility　between　the　conservative　and　radical　elements。　　Led　by　such　distinguished　men　as　Thurlow　Weed　and　Henry　J。　Raymond；　on　the　one　side；　and　Horace　Greeley；　with　an　exceedingly　capable　body　of　earnest　lieutenants　on　th