Presidential Candidates: containing Sketches, Biographical, Personal and Political, of Prominent Candidates for the Presidency in 1860

CONTAINING SKETCHES, BIOGRAPHICAL, PERSONAL AND POLITICAL, OF Prominent Candidates for the Presidency IN 1860. BY D. W. BARTLETT. NEW YORK: A. B. BURDICK, PUBLISHER, 8 SPRUCE STREET. 1859. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by A. B. BURDICK, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. W. H. TIMSON, Stereotyper. GEO. RUSSELL & CO., Printers. PREFACE. The sketches in this volume vary in length and minuteness, not from a disposition, on my part, to withhold facts, but because a few of my subjects are too cautious to allow their private history to go before the public; nevertheless, the work contains full and accurate details of the private and public history of our "PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES" not one of whom has any idea of the position I have assigned him. In selecting candidates, of course, I have followed my own judgment had I made use of everybody's, I might fill a dozen volumes. I have sketched the prominent men who have been named in connection with the Presidency in 1860. Messrs. Buchanan and Pierce I have passed over as men who have gone through a campaign and through a Presidential term and the people know them. It is the men who have not run the race for Presidential honors the new men of whom the public would learn something, or I have made a mistake in writing this book. The general reader will easily find in the volume the position of any candidate on the issues of the day; and possibly, beside, interesting personal details which show the character of the man. THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. PAGE I. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, 7 II. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS, 51 III. SALMON P. CHASE, 95 IV. EDWARD BATES, 118 V. DANIEL S. DICKINSON, 127 VI. JOHN BELL, 150 VII. JOHN P. HALE, 161 VIII. ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS, 179 IX. N. P. BANKS, 198 X. JOSEPH LANE, 205 XI. JOHN MCLEAN, 218 XII. HENRY A. WISE, 233 XIII. R. M. T. HUNTER, 244 XIV. HENRY WILSON, 251 XV. JEFFERSON DAVIS, 295 XVI. JAMES L. ORR, 305 XVII. JOHN MINOR BOTTS, 316 XVIII. JAMES H. HAMMOND, 322 XIX. HOWELL COBB, 333 XX. JOHN C. BRECKINRIDGE, 336 XXI. JOHN C. FREMONT, 346 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES. WILLIAM H. SEWARD. The stranger who enters the hall of the United States Senate and casts his eye over the array of senators, will be not a little surprised, possibly somewhat amused, when William H. Seward is pointed out to him. Accustomed to think of Mr. Seward as one of the greatest men in the country, a first class statesman, as well as orator for he has read , not heard , his numberless speeches upon the subjects of the day he expected to find a gentleman of imposing aspect, to discover the impressive appearance which awes the stranger, or the audience. But, instead of this, he finds a quiet man, sitting in his seat, listening with imperturbable calmness to every senator who chooses to speak, however dry, however provoking, however stupid. For Mr. Seward is well known to be the best listener in the Senate. This arises from his rigid politeness, if we may use the phrase, which will not allow him to refuse his ear and eye to any man who chooses to speak. There he sits, leaning back in his chair, a slender man, of average height, clad in simple black, with a singular face, grey eyes, grey hair, Roman nose, a second Wellington, ever in repose. Who ever saw William H. Seward excited? He is never to be provoked by friend or enemy, and is either devoid of all sensibility, or has a spirit which can triumph over, soar above, the common infirmities of poor human nature... >>