We thought
that General Sherman was the person that we wanted. It was
known that he had written a letter to Mr. Blaine declining
to have his name used, and that a telegram had been received
from him by a delegate during the session of the convention
to the same effect. But it was thought that if he were once
nominated he would find it impossible to decline, and that
his previous refusal would be an element of strength and not
of weakness in the country. After the adjournment, which
was at 11:45 A. M., on Friday, June 6, the day before the
balloting, I made an arrangement to meet Mr. George William
Curtis, the Chairman of the New York delegation, and one or
two other gentlemen of the same way of thinking, from one
or two other States, and we agreed that when the convention
came in again we would cast the votes of our delegates who
agreed with us for General Sherman. I had been authorized
by a large majority of the Massachusetts delegation to have
this interview, and I knew that I represented their opinions,
although they had not, all of them, spoken to me about General
Sherman.
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