For several days the delegates to the National Convention
have been coming in. Had a call from several. Met a number at the President's.
All favor the President. There is a spirit of discontent among the Members of
Congress, stirred up, I think, by the Treasury Department. Chase has his flings
and insinuations against the President's policy, or want of policy. Nothing
suits him. There seems some difference among the delegates about the
Vice-Presidency, but they will be likely to renominate Hamlin, though he has
not much personal strength and has not the mind and temperament to build up a
party for the country. There is an impression here that he has great strength
in New England, but that is not my opinion. He has party cunning and management
but not breadth and strength and is but little cared for there; is not
offensive or obnoxious, but there is no zeal for him. As the President is a
Western man and will be renominated, the Convention will very likely feel
inclined to go East and to renominate the Vice-President also. Should New York
be united on Dix or Dickinson, the nomination would be conceded to the Empire
State, but there can be no union in that State upon either of those men or any
other.
SOURCE: Gideon Welles, Diary of Gideon Welles,
Secretary of the Navy Under Lincoln and Johnson, Vol. 2: April 1, 1864 —
December 31, 1866, p. 44-5
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