never forgets his friends; but you must not understand me
that he possesses as confiding and true a heart as Berdan had, or as
you think I have, or as we both know Weed has. There is yet one
quality of Granger's character which you do not dream of--he loves
money almost as well as power."--Frederick W. Seward, _Life of W.H.
Seward_, Vol. 1, p. 171.]

Eastern delegates wanted Smith Thompson. Thompson was a man of great
learning and an honoured member of the Republican party. But he was
sixty years old. With the exception of five years as secretary of the
navy, under Monroe, he had been continuously upon the bench for over a
quarter of a century, first as justice and chief justice of the
Supreme Court of the State, latterly as associate justice of the
United States Supreme Court. It was suggested, with some pertinency as
it afterward appeared, that the people of the State having declared in
the recently adopted Constitution, that a judge, holding office during
good behaviour, ought not to be a candidate for an elective office,
would resent such a nomination. It was further suggested, with even
greater force, that Thompson's nomination would offend the ultra
Anti-Masons and bring an independent ticket into the field, thus
dividing the Adams vote and giving the election to the Jackson
candidate. On the other hand, it was maintained with equal spirit
that the nomination of Granger, avowedly to secure the anti-masonic
vote, would offend the National Republicans and jeopardise the state
as well as the electoral ticket. It took a ballot to decide the
question, and Thompson won by a close vote. Francis Granger was then
nominated for lieutenant-governor by acclamation.

As predicted, several ultra anti-masonic editors in Genesee and
Ontario counties immediately denounced the nomination of Thompson. The
Adams people knew it portended danger; but Thompson would not withdraw
and the ultras would not relent. Thereupon, the anti-masonic
convention, already called to meet at Utica, added to the difficulty
of the situation by nominating Francis Granger and John Crary. Granger
had not solicited nomination, and now he was burdened with two. But
Thompson refused to relieve the embarrassment, and Crary proved
wickedly false to his agreement. The latter admitted that the union of
the Adams and anti-masonic forces would probably elect Granger for
lieutenant-governor, and he promised to withdraw as soon as Granger
should do so. Upon this Gra