The Writings of Carl Schurz/To Samuel Bowles, January 4th, 1876
TO SAMUEL BOWLES
| 40 West 32nd St., New York, | |
| Jan. 4, 1876. |
My dear Bowles: A happy New Year to you and yours! Is it not about time you should set out on your Southern tour? You will have to look up there men fit to coöperate with us. I have written letters to my friends in the West and think we shall have from that quarter what we desire. But in the South my acquaintance is limited and it will be for you to make the necessary discoveries. Here in New York we can have what we want. Strong efforts are made here for Blaine and Bristow. Our friend Phelps has again succumbed under the “personal magnetism” of the former, and Nordhoff also. It seems they have so far engaged themselves that the chances of recovery are slim. I do my very best, but with little hope. I fear we must make up our minds to get along without them. The Bristow movement is so right in principle that it deserves encouragement, and I think a large number of the men engaged in it will finally act with us, and we have this with them in common, that Bristow is our second choice anyhow, and right heartily too. I should like to see you very much to have a full exchange of opinions on the present condition of things. If you go to the South soon you might stop over here long enough for that purpose. I shall be here all of this week and until Wednesday of next, and then two or three days of every week until the time for action comes. Lodge wrote me some time ago that you wanted a demonstration in Boston for Adams now. They are afraid there that it might fail, and any such failure at the present moment would be fatal. My impression is that no such risk should be taken at present. I suggested to Lodge that it would be well to have a committee of Republicans organized there, consisting of such men as W. Gray, Allen etc., to work “inside the party” to secure a Republican delegation for Adams. Would not such a movement in the interior of the State also do good? It could be carried on openly and “demonstrate” in its way. There are undoubtedly good men enough to take part in it.
A rumor comes here from Boston, apparently from circles in which Mr. Adams moves, that he is failing in his mental faculties etc. Can this be so? I have seen him several times of late and found him uncommonly bright and mentally active, in fact, more so than I had expected, or than I had ever seen him.