d the Euxine and discovered the
Golden Horn. But for the red hair of his mistress, Leander would not
have swum the Hellespont. But for his red hair, Narcissus would not
have fallen in love with himself, and thereby become immortal in song.
But for his red hair we should find nothing in Van Buren to praise.
But for red hair, we should not have written this article. And, but
for his red hair, William H. Seward might not have become governor of
the State of New York! Stand aside, then, ye Tories, and 'Let go of
his hair.'"[279]

[Footnote 279: F.W. Seward, _Life of W.H. Seward_, Vol. 1, p. 238.]

The mottoes of this campaign illustrate the principles involved in it.
"Seward and Free Soil, or Marcy with his Mortgage" was a favourite
with the Whigs. "The Monster Bank Party" became the popular cry of
Democrats, to which the Whigs retorted with "The Party of Little
Monsters." "Marcy's Pantaloons," "No Nullification," and "Union and
Liberty" also did service. Copper medals bearing the heads of
candidates were freely distributed, and humourous campaign songs, set
to popular music, began to be heard.

It was a lively campaign, and reports of elections in other States,
showing gratifying gains, kept up the hopes of Whigs. But, at the end,
the withering majorities in Democratic strongholds remained unbroken,
re-electing Marcy and Tracy by thirteen thousand majority,[280] and
carrying every senatorial district save the eighth, and ninety-one of
the one hundred and twenty-two assemblymen. The Whigs had put forward
their ablest men for the Legislature and for Congress, but, outside of
those chosen in the infected district, few appeared in the halls of
legislation, either at Albany or at Washington. Francis Granger went
to Congress. "He has had a fortunate escape from his dilemma, and I
rejoice at it," wrote Seward to Thurlow Weed. "He is a noble fellow,
and I am glad that, if we could not make him what we wished, we have
been able to put him into a career of honour and usefulness."[281]

[Footnote 280: William L. Marcy, 181,905; William H. Seward,
168,969.--_Civil List, State of New York_ (1887), p. 166.]

[Footnote 281: _Autobiography of William H. Seward_, p. 241.]

Seward was not broken-hearted over his defeat. The majority against
him was not so large as Granger encountered in 1832; but it was
sufficiently pronounced to send him back to his profession with the
feeling that his principles and opinions were not yet wanted. "If