t letter from Wendell Phillips
denouncing Mr. Lincoln's administration and counseling the choice of
Fremont for President, nominated that general by acclamation, with
General John Cochrane of New York for his running-mate, christened
themselves the "Radical Democracy," and adjourned.

The press generally greeted the convention and its work with a chorus of
ridicule, though certain Democratic newspapers, from motives harmlessly
transparent, gave it solemn and unmeasured praise. General Fremont,
taking his candidacy seriously, accepted the nomination, but three
months later, finding no response from the public, withdrew from the
contest.

At this fore-doomed Cleveland meeting a feeble attempt had been made by
the men who considered Mr. Lincoln too radical, to nominate General
Grant for President, instead of Fremont; but he had been denounced as a
Lincoln hireling, and his name unceremoniously swept aside. During the
same week another effort in the same direction was made in New York,
though the committee having the matter in charge made no public avowal
of its intention beforehand, merely calling a meeting to express the
gratitude of the country to the general for his signal services; and
even inviting Mr. Lincoln to take part in the proceedings. This he
declined to do, but wrote:

"I approve, nevertheless, whatever may tend to strengthen and sustain
General Grant and the noble armies now under his direction. My previous
high estimate of General Grant has been maintained and heightened by
what has occurred in the remarkable campaign he is now conducting, while
the magnitude and difficulty of the task before him do not prove less
than I expected. He and his brave soldiers are now in the midst of their
great trial, and I trust that at your meeting you will so shape your
good words that they may turn to men and guns, moving to his and their
support."

With such gracious approval of the movement the meeting naturally fell
into the hands of the Lincoln men. General Grant neither at this time
nor at any other, gave the least countenance to the efforts which were
made to array him in political opposition to the President.

These various attempts to discredit the name of Mr. Lincoln and nominate
some one else in his place caused hardly a ripple on the great current
of public opinion. Death alone could have prevented his choice by the
Union convention. So absolute and universal was the tendency that most
of the politicians m