THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD -1857 -1864 93 



still coming from the seat of war, I could not bring myself 

 at the steamer office to sign the necessary papers, finally 

 refused, and having returned home, took part for the first 

 time in a political campaign as a speaker, going through 

 central New York, and supporting the Republican can- 

 didate against the Democratic. The election seemed of 

 vast importance. The Democrats had nominated for the 

 governorship, Mr. Horatio Seymour, a man of the high- 

 est personal character, and, so far as the usual duties of 

 governor were concerned, admirable; but he had been 

 bitterly opposed to the war, and it seemed sure that his 

 election would encourage the South and make disunion 

 certain; therefore it was that I threw myself into the 

 campaign with all my might, speaking night and day ; but 

 alas ! the election went against us. 



At the close of the campaign, my dyspepsia returning 

 with renewed violence, I was thinking what should be done, 

 when I happened to meet my father's old friend, Mr. 

 Thurlow Weed, a devoted adherent of Mr. Seward through 

 his whole career, and, at that moment, one of the main sup- 

 ports of the Lincoln Administration. It was upon the 

 deck of a North River steamer, and on my mentioning my 

 dilemma he said: "You can just now do more for us 

 abroad than at home. You can work in the same line with 

 Archbishop Hughes, Bishop Mcllvaine, and myself ; every- 

 thing that can be done, in the shape of contributions to 

 newspapers, or speeches, even to the most restricted au- 

 diences abroad, will help us: the great thing is to gain 

 time, increase the number of those who oppose European 

 intervention in our affairs, and procure takers for our 

 new National bonds. " 



The result was that I made a short visit to Europe, 

 stopping first in London. Political feeling there was bit- 

 terly against us. A handful of true men, John Bright and 

 Goldwin Smith at the head of them, were doing heroic 

 work in our behalf, but the forces against them seemed 

 overwhelming. Drawing money one morning in one of 

 the large banks of London, I happened to exhibit a few 



