hese influences, as Conkling intended, silenced Fenton
and suppressed Roberts.

[Footnote 1259: New York _Tribune_, August 27, 1870.]

[Footnote 1260: _Ibid._, September 8.]

On the other hand, Greeley's old-time enemies had not disappeared. No
one really liked him,[1261] while party managers, the shadow of whose
ill-will never ceased to obscure his chances, shook their heads.
Reasons given in 1868 were repeated with greater emphasis, and to
prevent his nomination which now seemed imminent, influences that had
suddenly made him strong were as quickly withdrawn. It was intimated
that the President preferred Woodford, and to defeat Fenton's possible
rally to Roberts use was again made of Curtis. The latter did not ask
such preferment, but Conkling, who had made him chairman, promised him
the governorship and Curtis being human acquiesced. In the fierce
encounter, however, this strategy, as questionable as it was sudden,
destroyed Greeley, humiliated Curtis, and nominated Woodford.[1262]
Conkling's tactics neither commended his judgment nor flattered his
leadership. But Conkling did not then possess the nerve openly to make
war upon Greeley. On the contrary, after secretly informing his
lieutenants of his preference for Curtis, he dodged the vote on the
first ballot and supported Greeley on the second, thus throwing his
friends into confusion. To extricate them from disorder he sought an
adjournment, while Fenton, very adroitly preventing such an excursion
to the repair-shop, forced the convention to support Woodford or
accept Greeley. The feeling obtained that Conkling had lost the
prestige of his early victory, but in securing control of the State
Committee he began the dictatorship that was destined to continue for
eleven years.

[Footnote 1261: Edward Cary, _Life of George William Curtis_, p. 230.]

[Footnote 1262: Three ballots were cast as follows:

Woodford 153 170-1/2 258
Greeley 143 139 105-1/2
Curtis 104-1/2 87-1/2 20
------- ------- -------
Total 390-1/2 397 383-1/2

The following ticket was nominated: Governor, Stewart L. Woodford,
Kings; Lieutenant-Governor, Sigmund Kaufman, Kings; Comptroller, Abiah
W. Palmer, Dutchess; Canal Commissioners, Absalom Nelson, Erie;
Alexander Barkley, Washington; Prison Inspector, John Parkhurst,
Clinton.]

The New York _Times_ charged Greeley's defeat upon Fenton, insisti