Chapter C: Eames40 to Tilden (3)

"MY DEAR TILDEN,--The day after I got to New York Bennett sent his carriage to take me out to dine with him. He did not talk favorably of Chase, but as an antagonist of Seymour, whom he considered to be at heart opposed to him. He spoke well of Frank, and intimated a purpose to support him if nominated. The day before I left the city Montgomery and myself called at his office. He said he would have supported Frank cordially, but insisted that now it was Grant vs. Seymour, and the former w'd succeed. His son, in whom all his hopes and affections are bound up, is greatly attached to Frank. Is it not worth while to work on the old man's personal vanity and his ambition for his son's advancement in the party's consideration to get him into line to help our cause? Lawrence Jerome is devoted to Frank, and Bennett's son to him. Jerome is out for Frank, although he once subscribed to Grant. I think through him, by proper management, we might get hold of the _Herald_. Whatever may be thought or said of this fickle print, it is a power in the body politic through its vast circulation. I think it might be led to make a transit to Seymour by means of its inclinings to Frank; and Jerome would be a safe conduct in this matter, as he and Bennett were both shipped once for Grant, but now prefer my hero. They want a hero, and so does our cause; and although Frank is a mighty small young Hickory, he is the best we can now command. Do try and make something of these suggestions; we have so good a cause, and its success is so essential to the welfare of the country, that some condescensions to the old Plutus (or Pluto, if you please) might be a cheap purchase of a three months' command of his columns. If my scribblings in them could be of use in reviving memories of the Jackson-Van Buren era and the prosperous times it brought about for the Republic, I would give a part of every day to inveigh against the monstrous doings of the banditti that now set up for a Congress--and it would be by way of contrast.

"I believe the convention, although it seems to have been by accident, really made the wisest disposition, both as to the ticket and the platform that could have been devised. Seymour's eloquence and polish and moderation has a happy influence to recommend us to the refined and all who are apprehensive of rash counsels in this crisis. Frank's boldness and thorough grasp of all the issues which are looked to as necessary to put the Democracy at once in possession of the good, will do much to rally to our standard all the zealots for the instant overthrow of the corrupt military despotism that now lords it over the land.

"I enjoin it on you to give your sister that _dollar_ I promised to return through you and you w'd not take; I insist on a specific performance for the honor of

"Yr. mo. afft.,
"F. P. BLAIR."

HORATIO SEYMOUR TO TILDEN

"UTICA, _July 20, 1868_.

"MY DEAR SIR,--I have given much thought to the subject of organization. I am satisfied a new course must be taken. I do not count in any degree upon the national committee. It will do nothing from the nature of its organization. We have been a long time out of power, and are apt to call upon those who used to be efficient without making allowance for the change made by time. We only need organization. The moment we get it we shall become aggressive. We can get no vigorous organization without putting our young men into the field. To do this we must give them a motive as well as a method for action. This has been done in New Jersey and Connecticut by the Jackson clubs. They are, to a degree, secret organizations. This gives them the charm of novelty, as we have heretofore had nothing of the kind on our side. They hold out a motive to the active young men, as they give to them power at once in their localities. James Spencer, Esq., of New York, and Mr. Palmer, of Wisconsin, called upon me last week with a plan of the kind, which I think is the right thing. They are both good organizers. This scheme is the most efficient, and costs the least. When a club is formed it is not only self-sustaining, but it does a great deal of work at its own cost. If men are sent at once into Maine, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania they will in a little time give such a start to the movement that it will go on of itself. Time is everything, and it is my opinion any other method should be dropped and this plan entered upon. It has freshness, economy, and simplicity to recommend it. It appeals to young men, as it gives them something to do, and also gives them strength and power in their towns. I wish you would see Messrs. Spencer and Palmer when they call upon you. I am quite well now, but I am suffering with the rest of mankind from the heat. I am overwhelmed with letters. Of course, all I get are very satisfactory. Our papers should keep up a steady fire upon the subjects of debt, taxation, etc., etc.

"Truly yours, &c.,
"HORATIO SEYMOUR."

"_Hon. S. J. Tilden._"

F. P. BLAIR TO TILDEN

"SILVER SPRING, _10 Aug., '68_.

"MY DEAR TILDEN,--Your Milwaukee speech has done me much good--a thing not to be thought of if it were not that this good done to one obscure individual extends to the whole country, when everybody is alike advantaged as I am. Your exposure of the terrible cost the whole nation is put to in maintaining an army to hold one portion of it in subjection makes it plain that the entire commonwealth is subjected. That section of ours which bears the tax (more than England and France both bear to enslave two empires), to keep the South under the foot of our quondam slaves, certainly gets less for its money, although laid out in producing a very thorough despotism, than the imperial dynasties abroad. You have made a capital demonstration of the enormity of the flight into tyranny which our Radicals have made in a short time, from the vantage-ground they obtained in the war over our free govt. The North sells itself into debt and slavery to enslave the South.

"But I owe you something more than the commonalty for your speech--your making my son a great man, giving him the heirship of Old Hickory's glory, although I know it is far beyond his reach, fills me with delight. You put a brilliant rainbow before my eyes, and tell me there is a pot of gold where it stands on the earth. The vision pleases, however, sensible that no effort will find its footing on the ground. Yet I hope Frank's aspirations will not all prove delusions to him or his father. He has all Old Hickory's devotion to his country, and he has the courage to attempt its redemption from the hands of the banditti that has for the time seized on all its wealth and all the defences of its liberties, and I have faith in a providence to overrule it, so that my young stripling who is put forward in the battle against the Philistines may do some execution with his sling.

"I beg you write me a line to say what promise you bring from the West. I have some influence with Bennett. If you think well of it I will write to him and urge him to open his columns to us. I think if Frank made well-considered speeches Bennett would _Herald_ them.

"Yours afft.,
"F. P. BLAIR."

"MY DEAR TILDEN,--My father wished me to mail this for him. I agree in what he says about your Milwaukee speech. It was unanswerable in argument as to Frank's coming East. I am glad he has declined doing so. His letter to that effect came yesterday, saying he did so because you had advised him to confine himself to the West. He has made no speeches, except some off-hand efforts at receptions, etc., etc.

"Y'rs truly,
"M. BLAIR."

"WASHN., _Aug. 15, '68_."

HORATIO SEYMOUR TO TILDEN

"UTICA, _August 17, 1868_.

"MY DEAR SIR,--I send you three letters got to-day: one from Chicago about Indiana and Illinois; one from Governor Haight, of California, about the Pacific States; one from Henry D. Barto, of this State, who writes about the mining States. You know him as a gentleman of sagacity and standing. Of course, candidates always get flattering statements which prove nothing. But these letters, like all the letters I get, use the same language. Indeed, if my letters were not dated from different States I should think they were all written from one locality. This uniformity of words and facts means a great deal. It foretells a political change.

"Truly yours, &c.,
"HORATIO SEYMOUR."

"_Hon. Samuel J. Tilden._"

AGREEMENT OF AUGUST BELMONT, SAMUEL J. TILDEN, AUGUSTUS SCHELL, RICHARD SCHELL, GEORGE I. MAGEE, THOMAS C. DURANT, CHARLES O'CONOR, AND C. H. MCCORMICK TO SUBSCRIBE $10,000 EACH TOWARDS ELECTION EXPENSES OF CAMPAIGN OF 1868

"We, the undersigned, each for himself, hereby agrees with Augustus Schell, Chairman of the Democratic National Executive Committee, to pay to said Schell each ten thousand dollars in such instalments as he may call, which sums shall be expended in such manner as the national Democratic committee shall determine, to defray the just and lawful expenses of circulating documents and newspapers, perfecting organizations, etc., to promote the election of Seymour and Blair.

"It is understood that if in the judgment of said committee the subscriptions for the purposes of the said election not embraced herein shall render it unnecessary to expend the whole amount hereto subscribed, then any surplus which shall remain shall be refunded to the subscribers in equal proportion.

"NEW YORK, _Aug. 15, 1868_.

"AUGUST BELMONT,
"S. J. TILDEN,
"AUGUSTUS SCHELL,
"RICHD. SCHELL,
"GEORGE I. MAGEE,
"THOS. C. DURANT,
"CH. O'CONOR,
"C. H. MCCORMICK."