o divisions in the Republican Party, which I have indicated,
marshalled their forces for the struggle in the convention
of 1876. The friends of Mr. Blaine were generally those Republicans
who had been dissatisfied with the conduct of the Administration.
They embraced, also, the larger number of the enthusiastic
young Republicans, who were attracted by Blaine's brilliant
qualities, as were those who had come in contact with him
by the marvellous personal charm of his delightful and gracious
manners. Roscoe Conkling was regarded as the leader of the
other party. The House of Representatives, by an almost unanimous
vote, had adopted the resolution declaring that it was contrary
to sound principle to elect a President for a third term.
So General Grant himself was not a candidate.

But as the time for the convention drew near, there had been
an investigation in the House of Representatives into the
affairs of the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad, which
had resulted in some uncomfortable revelations with reference
to Mr. Blaine. He was charged with having acquired stocks
in railroads which were to be affected by National legislation,
either without consideration or for a consideration far below
their true value, and of having eagerly sought to acquire
other similar stocks, the real consideration which he paid,
or expected to pay, being the use of his official influence
in behalf of these corporations. This investigation, ordered
by the Democratic House of Representatives, was conducted
by a majority of the committee charged with it, in a spirit
of bitter hostility. The investigation was still in progress
when the Republican Convention met. The facts, which were
distorted and discolored in public report, impressed many
excellent persons unfavorably to Mr. Blaine, and a few with
a belief of his guilt. They were used dexterously by his
political opponents and by his rivals in his own party, and
by some conspicuous persons who had, or thought they had,
personal grievances against him, to excite the public mind.
On the other hand, as is natural in such cases, the great
body of Mr. Blaine's friends clung all the closer to him
from a belief that he was the object of unjust and malignant
slander.

I did not think it, under the circumstances, wise to nominate
Mr. Blaine, either in 1876 or later. I believed then, and
now believe, that he would have been an admirable President
of the United States. But I did not thin