Private
Washington City,
June 5. 1860.
My dear Sir,
Your note of the 31st May, reached me a day or two since. I
think your reserve in regard to private correspondence, eminently proper under
present circumstances, and no personal or political friend ought to except to
it.
My information from the interior of Pennsylvania is
encouraging, and in Philadelphia we have silenced the Fillmore organ of '56,
through the influence of which we were then betrayed. Consequently, the third
ticket has now but one paper there, – the Evening Journal – of limited
influence & character, & not of American antecedents, which is
really the important point in our local politics. You are aware of Course, that
the political organization of Pennsylvania supporting You, is not strictly
Republican. To bring in the Americans, disaffected Democrats, & general
elements of Opposition, we called it the People's Party, & in that name all
our victories have been achieved & the State redeemed. The largest infusion
is Republican in character, & that spring from our old Whig party. Of late,
there has been an attempt in Philadelphia, to get a distinctive Republican organization,
in anticipation of future results. Certain patriots suppose that prominence in
this way now, may be serviceable hereafter. The only effect of that movement is
to embarrass us with those, who hold the balance of power, & to a great
extent the result in their hands. You will at once see the hazard of such an
experiment, as introducing an element of discord among men, who have hitherto
acted in concert & harmoniously. Our friends have however judiciously
yielded, all that good policy might concede to these parties, and it now looks,
as if we would work smoothly together.
There is a pause in Pennsylvania & New Jersey, which
will continue until after the Baltimore nominations. Douglass has a strong hold
on his party in both. But I am persuaded not only from observation, but from
close contact with all the factions at Charleston, that nothing can now happen
at Baltimore, which will seriously damage us. In the first place, I cannot see
how Douglass is to obtain two thirds. That will depend upon the admission of
bogus delegates from the South, which the New York vote will decide, & New
York put the knife to his throat at Charleston. If nominated, the Cotton States
will certainly run a separate ticket, which of itself would demoralize the
party. If not nominated & an obnoxious platform be adopted, such as is now
proposed & intended with the aid of New York, his friends assured me at
Charleston – I mean the men authorized to speak – that they would quietly
retire from the Convention. In either Contingency therefore, our prospect is
not impaired.
Pennsylvania after all is to be the battle ground of this
Contest. New Jersey breathes the same atmosphere & sympathizes with us. In
order to reach the Commercial Classes, the North American has been obliged to
address their reason & intelligence gradually, commending & illustrating
Your Conservative Whig character & antecedents. This will serve to explain
why we have not shouted as loudly as some others. Had we done so, our influence
for good, would have been much neutralized. The state of the Tariff here is
likely to aid us materially. Hunter & the controlling spirits of the Senate
are disinclined to touch the House bill, & intend to adjourn if possible,
after passing the appropriations – say about the 25. If they do, we will raise
a storm about their ears, which will echo across your prairies. Our man
Cameron, has not done all that we desired, but he will be constrained to do the
rest. Let me say just here, there is a rivalry springing up between him &
Curtin, our Candidate for Governor, which you would do well to ignore entirely.
It will be bad enough by & by when we win. Let us know neither now. Seward
is much cut down & has good sense enough to avoid Chase's bad taste &
folly. The real & upright men who sustained him, are in grave earnest – I
mean such as Spaulding who represents Buffalo. Greely writes me, that his
quarrel is about ended, which ought never to have been begun, & that
henceforth Webb & Co, will be allowed to splurge in peace. Laus Deo.
Very Truly
James E. Harvey
SOURCE: Abraham Lincoln Papers
at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
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