112 POLITICAL LIFE -IV 



ment. It had become difficult to raise troops, yet it was 

 most important to avoid a draft. In the city of New 

 York, at the prospect of an enforced levy of troops, 

 there had been serious uprisings which were only sup- 

 pressed after a considerable loss of life. It was neces- 

 sary to make one supreme effort, and the Republican 

 members of the legislature decided to raise a loan of 

 several millions for bounties to those who should volun- 

 teer. This decision was not arrived at without much 

 opposition, and, strange to say, its most serious oppo- 

 nent was Horace Greeley, who came to Albany in the 

 hope of defeating it. Invaluable as his services had been 

 during the struggle which preceded the war, it must be 

 confessed, even by his most devoted friends, that during 

 the war he was not unfrequently a stumbling block. His 

 cry "on to Richmond " during the first part of the strug- 

 gle, his fearful alarm when, like the heroes in the "Big- 

 low Papers, " he really discovered "why baggonets is 

 peaked, " his terror as the conflict deepened, his propo- 

 sals for special peace negotiations later all these things 

 were among the serious obstacles which President Lin- 

 coln had to encounter; and now, fearing burdens which, 

 in his opinion, could not and would not be borne by the 

 State, and conjuring up specters of trouble, he came to 

 Albany and earnestly advised members of the legislature 

 against the passage of the bounty bill. Fortunately, 

 common sense triumphed, and the bill was passed. 



Opposition came also from another and far different 

 source. There was then in the State Senate a Democrat 

 of the oldest and strongest type; a man who believed 

 most devoutly in Jefferson and Jackson, and abhorred 

 above all things, abolitionists and protectionists, Dr. 

 Allaben of Schoharie. A more thoroughly honest man 

 never lived; he was steadily on the side of good legisla- 

 tion; but in the midst of the discussion regarding this 

 great loan for bounties he arose and began a speech 

 which, as he spoke but rarely, received general attention. 

 He was deeply in earnest. He said (in substance), "I 



