The consternation was intense. Nearly all the delegates rose to their feet, calling first on this one, then on that one to take the chair. The outsiders and roughs. broke in on the floor of the hall and commenced damning Church. Benches were overturned. Bedlam reigned. Surrogate Tucker gathered the Tweed crowd and proposed three cheers for John Hoffman, which were noisily given. Then followed cheers for Murphy. But when a Dix man proposed three cheers for General Dix, he was hissed and groaned down. This made clear the motion for adjournment. Senator Shafer, of Albany, a member of the committee on resolutions, mounted the platform, and with the aid of John G. Saxe, as chairman, tried to organize the body into a Democratic mass meeting, but without success. "D-n the mass meeting, we want the nomination" was the sentiment which came from the floor.' It was thought by the Tammany supporters that on adjournment a large number of the country delegates would tire out and depart. It effected just the opposite result. However, the Dix supporters had been alarmed at the hisses which, while not in great numbers, engendered a feeling in the delegates that it would endanger the harmony of the convention if his name were pressed. Whether justly or not, the hisses were chiefly charged to Murphy supporters. Some of the western Democrats withdrew their support from Dix, thereby rendering his election improbable. Other Dix men suggested his withdrawal and concentration on either Hoffman or Slocum. The latter was persona non grata to the followers New York Tribune, Sept. 12, 1866. That Shafer knew the crowd with which he was dealing is illustrated, when in the course of his remarks he said: "If you have not got enough money to pay your hotel bills and your fare back home, we will raise it for you"; he was greeted with "Bully for you," "That's the point," "We want some place to sleep and something to eat." of Thurlow Weed, who demurred to Slocum on the ground that they had said many unpleasant things concerning him in the previous election, and did not want to swallow their own words so soon.' It was generally understood that each should vote as he saw fit upon the first ballot; then, if it was seen that Dix had no chance, to go for Hoffman in a body. In the early part of the convention Thurlow Weed, backed by Henry Raymond and the Times, made great efforts in aid of General Dix. Weed perceived, however, after the fourth adjournment that he was vanquished. Horace Greeley describes his discomfiture with a pleasant relish. He became careless, ate two suppers, and spent most of the night smoking his mean cigars and prophesying the defeat of the party this fall. He couldn't be consoled, and the Hoffman men did not try to console him. They maintained that the Convention was a Democratic one and Weed should be satisfied with a back seat." 2 1 The Convention re-convened the next morning, September 12, 1866. Mr. A. H. Green, chairman of the committee on permanent organization, reported Hon. Sandford E. Church for president. Francis Kernan moved the adoption of the committee's report in a conciliatory speech. He knew that there were a few members who felt aggrieved by the decision of the Chair yesterday. He regretted this very much, but still not more, nor as much, as our eminent presid 'New York Herald, Sept. 12, 1866. 'New York Tribune, Sept. 12, 1866. A Tammany delegate was reported to have made the following remark, which Greeley, in a very compassionate spirit, felt the necessity to report: "Thurlow Weed is an old, played-out stump, and he cannot shove any old-time granny like Dix on the Democratic party! No! not if the Court knows itself, which she thinks she does." ing officer. After his very proper and handsome explanation this morning he felt certain there was not a delegate present who would not freely and fully credit the circumstance to inadvertence and not to intention.' When Mr. Church resumed the chair he was greeted with great applause intermingled with hisses. He closed the incident of the previous day in a few well chosen words calculated to carry belief. Shortly after the convention had been called to order, Judge Pierrepont, in seconding the nomination of John T. Hoffman made by A. Oakey Hall, coolly announced that he was authorized by General Dix to withdraw his name.2 Pierrepont's effrontery was still more pronounced when he stated in the same speech, that he had united with the Hoffman Democrats before the Phila delphia convention. Judge Pierrepont had ostentatiously refused to participate in the Philadelphia convention and in his speech at Albany, for the first time, virtually assigned the reason for so doing. He said that, "Three months ago several of us assembled together in the City of New York and decided that Mayor Hoffman should be nominated for Governor."3 It is evident that 'New York Times, Sept. 13, 1866. New York World, Sept. 13, 1866. “He said that he desired to make a few words of explanation in reference to what had occurred yesterday partly on account of a misapprehension on the part of the Chair, and partly on account of a misapprehension by a portion of the Convention. When the Chair found that neither of the Committees were prepared with a report, he supposed that the Convention would be inclined to yield to an adjournment until this morning. When the motion was made to adjourn the Chairman declared it carried, hastily, perhaps, before the voting was finished. If that created any ill feeling in the mind of any gentleman present, no one more regretted it than the Chair." New York Times, Sept. 13, 1866. Pierrepont closed his speech thus: "My friend, my intimate friend, one whom I respect, whom I personally like, has had his name before this Convention, and with or Pierrepont played the traitor to Dix, for Weed declared that on the day previous Judge Pierrepont had concurred with him that Dix was the logical candidate.' Mayor Hoffman was enthusiastically nominated by acclamation and was immediately notified of his nomination, so that he was enabled to reach the convention at one-thirty in the afternoon, and make an address of acceptance. He spoke in a self-laudatory manner of his conduct in former offices. He decried the Radicals and emphasized the importance of looking out for the constructive rights of New York State and the Democratic party.3 Two names were placed in nomination for lieutenantgovernor; those of Robert H. Pruyn, of Albany, and without his consent, his friends who have been in recent communication with him-that gallant, excellent, noble, perfect gentleman, and statesman-have desired me to say when I got up here to speak that the name of General Dix should be no longer before this Convention, but should be withdrawn in favor of John T. Hoffman." New York Tribune, Sept. 13, 1866. 'New York Times, Sept. 17, 1866. His infamy and connection with Tweed were not then generally known. The Times had this to say on Hoffman: "He is a gentleman of ability and eminent purity of character and his course during the war was patriotic and unexceptionable. We do not think that he will command as large a degree of public confidence and support in the pending canvass as would General Dix. . . However,. . Mr. Hoffman is a gentleman to whom no possible exception can be taken on personal grounds." New York Times, Sept. 13, 1866. . The Independent saw a striking similarity between Hoffman and Horatio Seymour. "Both John T. Hoffman and Horatio Seymour are aristocratic in sympathy and tastes, while 'democrats' in name; both have a clear pro-slavery record; both look for an election at the hands of the rum-selling interest, which they have served; both can boast a large following of 'friends' in the lowest strata of metropolitan ignorance and degradation." The Independent, Sept. 27, 1866. New York World, Sept. 13, 1866. History of the Bench and Bar of New York, vol. i, p. 445. Robert H. Pruyn was formerly a Whig, then a strong Republican. At this time he zealously advocated a policy of prompt restoration of the Union Harlow L. Comstock, of Wyoming. On the defeat of General Dix, the western delegates made a strong effort to force the nomination of Mr. Comstock. It was argued that this recognition should be given to the Dix interests as compensation for his defeat. An effort was made to have Pruyn withdraw, but the Tammany slate proved too strong, and the vote resulted in his nomination. For canal commissioner there was no contest. William W. Wright was nominated by acclamation. For inspector of state prisons, Mr. Washington J. Smith withdrew from the field in favor of Frank B. Gallagher, of Buffalo." The Democratic organs outside of New York City gave very subdued accounts of the Tammany coup d'état by the admission of loyal representatives to their seats in Congress. He was a man of ability, great practical energy, and had had a large share of political experience. The Times regretted “exceedingly that Mr. Pruyn saw fit to accept a nomination at the hands of the Albany Convention. He regards it.. not as a Democratic Convention but as a Convention of National Union Men." New York Times, Oct. 5, 1866. 'New York Herald, Sept. 13, 1866. "The following were announced as the new State Committee: Ist District-Chas. G. Cornell, Peter B. Sweeney, Thos. E. Stewart. 2nd District-William M. Parks, Elias Beach. 3rd District-Peter Cagger, F. D. Laflin, Gideon Reynolds. 4th District-Wm. J. Averill, A. B. Waldo, George Briggs. 5th District-Delos Dewolf, Lewis H. Brown, Henry H. Fish. 6th District-Henry D. Banto, Jr., C. H. Walrath, D. L. Follett. 7th District-C. C. B. Walker, Elmore P. Rose, David H. Asell. 8th District-Henry A. Richmond, J. W. Sherman, A. P. Lanning. Members of the State Committee-at-Large were Samuel J. Tilden, N. Y. C.; Francis Kernan, Oneida; William G. Fargo, Erie. The ticket was as follows: Governor-John T. Hoffman, New York. -New York World, Sept. 13, 1866. |