Columbus, May 30, [I860.]
My Dear Sir, Your
letter of the 22d reached me some days ago and I thank you for it. I have
never doubted your friendship. You have given proofs of it when it was
important & timely.
But you will pardon me, I hope, if I am entirely candid. It
does seem to me that there are influences about the Gazette Office which are, without
any reason, unfriendly. Before your return from Chicago a paragraph was
copied from the Times of a very mean character — the object of which seemed to
be to depreciate & vilify Elliott & Mullett and through them to
disparage me. Now whatever may be said of the discretion of some of the acts
and words of these gentlemen, they are undoubtedly active, earnest and
hardworking Republicans and as such deserve recognition and respect. That they
are friends of mine is, I hope, no crime. I am sure it is not in your
estimation. I shall be sorry to think it is in the estimation of any of those
connected with the Gazette. They are friends and I am grateful for their
friendship. It was given early — from no personal motives, — and has been long
continued. It is earnest, sincere and faithful. It does not make me responsible
for all they do or say, or require my approval of all or any of their sayings
or doings. But it does require me to reciprocate their good will; to give them
credit for honorable motives; and to desire that they have like credit with
others. Hence I was so sorry to see that article in the Gazette. I saw no good
to come from it — but harm rather.
And to-day I find in the Gazette an extract from some
correspondent which says that “Guthrie is playing the part of Chase at Chicago,
who really had no chance but would not allow his state to vote for any but
himself.” Is it right to give such a reference to me a conspicuous place in the
Editorial columns of the Gazette? It may be that I had no chance
at Chicago; but I suppose that nobody doubts that had the Ohio delegation
manifested the same disregard of personal preferences, which was exhibited by
the New York, Illinois and Missouri delegations, and given to me, as the
nominee of Ohio, the same earnest and genuine support which was given to Mr.
Seward, Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Bates by those delegations respectively, that my
vote on the first ballot would have largely exceeded Mr. Lincoln's; and there
are those who felt themselves constrained to vote for other candidates in
consequence of the division of the Ohio delegation, who do not hesitate to give
it as their judgment that had our delegation acted towards me in the same
generous spirit which was manifested by the other delegations towards the
candidates presented by their states, the nomination would have been given to
Ohio. Be this as it may — and I am not at all sorry that the nomination fell to
another since that other is so worthy — the fling of the correspondent is as
ungenerous as it is injurious. No man knows better than you that I never sought
to prevent the delegation from voting for anyone but myself. All I desired was
unity and good faith. True I wanted no merely complimentary vote. When the
Republicans of Ohio nominated me they contemplated no such child's play, hiding
something; not much like child's play, for such play under such circumstances
cannot be innocent. You saw, I presume, my letter to Mr. Eggleston. It
expressed my real sentiments. The Convention had named me in good faith. There
was no such reason to suppose that I could not be elected if nominated, as
would make an earnest effort to give effect to the preference of the Ohio
Convention, unpatriotic. Justice to me, I am not afraid to say that boldly
— justice to me, no less than good faith to the Republicans of Ohio, demanded
such — an effort. It is useless to discuss the causes why it was not made. Far
however from desiring to control the delegation or any member of it in adhering
to me, I should never have allowed my name to be presented at all had I
anticipated the division which actually took place; so that in this as well as
the other respect the allegation of the correspondent is as unjust as it is
ungenerous. I repeat the expression of my regret that such things get into the
Gazette.
I am ready to join with you in “endeavoring to remove all
the old roots of bitterness growing out of diverse antecedents.” Such, in my
administration of the State Government, was my constant endeavor. The result is
seen in the present union and strength of the Republican Party in Ohio. Last
winter and at Chicago however more of those “roots” were served up for my
entertainment than suited either my palate or my digestion. I trust that as
little similar entertainment may be offered hereafter as possible.
_______________
* From letter-book 7, pp. 66-68.
SOURCE: Diary and correspondence of Salmon P. Chase, Annual
Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1902, Vol.
2, p. 286-8
