at "would put him in his grave
in less than a year."[1174] In the whole convention there was not a man
who could truthfully say that the Governor, by look, or gesture, or
inflection of voice, had encouraged the hope of a change of mind.
Within forty-eight hours every Democrat of influence had sounded him
and gone away sorrowful. Now, when order was restored, he declined
again. His expressions of gratitude seemed only to make the
declaration stronger. "I do not stand here," he said, "as a man proud
of his opinion or obstinate in his purposes, but upon a question of
duty and of honour I must stand upon my own convictions against the
world. When I said here, at an early day, that honour forbade my
accepting a nomination, I meant it. When I said to my friends I could
not be a candidate, I meant it. And now, after all that has taken
place here, I could not receive the nomination without placing myself
in a false position. Gentlemen, I thank you for your kindness, but
your candidate I cannot be."[1175]

[Footnote 1174: New York _Times_, Sept. 4.]

[Footnote 1175: New York _World_, July 10.]

Vallandigham replied that in times of great public exigency personal
consideration should yield to the public good, and Francis Kernan,
disclaiming any lot or part in Ohio's motion, declared that others
than the New York delegation must overcome the sensitiveness of the
chairman. Still, he said, Horatio Seymour ought to abide the action of
the convention. These speeches over, the roll-call monotonously
continued, each State voting as before until Wisconsin changed from
Doolittle to Seymour. In an instant the chairman of each State
delegation, jumping to his feet, changed its vote to the New Yorker.
The pandemonium was greater than before, in the midst of which
Seymour, apparently overwhelmed by the outcome, retired to a committee
room, where Church, Joseph Warren of the Buffalo _Courier_, and other
friends urged him to yield to the demands of the Democracy of the
country. He was deeply affected. Tears filled his eyes, and he
piteously sought the sympathy of friends.[1176] Soon after he left the
building. Meanwhile Tilden rose to change the vote of the Empire State
from Hendricks to Seymour. "It is fit on this occasion," he said,
"that New York should wait for the voice of all her sister States.
Last evening I did not believe this event possible. There was one
obstacle--Horatio Seymour's earnest, sincere, deep-felt repugnance to
accept