144 POLITICAL LIFE -VI 



convention became thoroughly, though unjustly, discred- 

 ited throughout the State, and indeed throughout the 

 country. A curious proof of this met me. Being at 

 Cambridge, Massachusetts, I passed an evening with Gov- 

 ernor Washburn, one of the most thoughtful and valuable 

 public men of that period. In the course of our conversa- 

 tion he said: "Mr. White, it is really sad to hear of the 

 doings at your Albany convention. I can remember your 

 constitutional convention of 1846, and when I compare 

 this convention with that, it grieves me." My answer 

 was: "Governor Washburn, you are utterly mistaken: 

 there has never been a constitutional convention in the 

 State of New York, not even that you name, which has 

 contained so many men of the highest ability and charac- 

 ter as the one now in session, and none which has really 

 done better work. I am not a member of the body and 

 can say this in its behalf." At this he expressed his 

 amazement, and pointed to the "Tribune" in confirmation 

 of his own position. I then stated the case to him, and, I 

 think, alleviated his distress. 



But as the sessions of the convention drew to a close and 

 the value of its work began to be clearly understood, 

 Greeley's nobler qualities, his real truthfulness and public 

 spirit began to assert themselves, and more than once he 

 showed practical shrewdness and insight. Going into 

 convention one morning, I found the question under dis- 

 cussion to be the election of the secretary of state, attor- 

 ney-general, and others of the governor's cabinet, whose 

 appointment under the older constitutions was wisely 

 left to the governor, but who, for twenty years, had 

 been elected by the people. There was a wide-spread feel- 

 ing that the old system was wiser, and that the new had 

 by no means justified itself; in fact, that by fastening on 

 the governor the responsibility for his cabinet, the State 

 is likely to secure better men than when their choice is 

 left to the hurly-burly of intrigue and prejudice in a nom- 

 inating convention. 



The main argument made by those who opposed such a 



