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216. Newspaper Clipping.

[undated]

Johnson and Hamlin.

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The great crime and blunder of putting Johnson in Hamlin's place, has sometimes been supposed to be chargeable to Massachusetts men. If the following extract from the Washington telegraphic dispatch to the New York Tribune (July 28) be trustworthy, we may add this to the other blunders of Abraham Lincoln.

Noticing the appointment of Gen. Steedman as Superintendent of Public Printing, in place of Mr. Defrees, the dispatch goes on to say:

"Early in 1864 Mr. Defrees, who was a warm friend of Mr. Lincoln, was sent to Indianapolis with an autograph letter from Mr. Lincoln, appealing to his friends in the State Convention to inaugurate the movement to make Gov. Johnson Vice

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President. Mr. Defrees succeeded admirably. The Convention led off in placing him in nomination, and backed it up at Baltimore.

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2601; Huntington Library: LN2408, 2:459 (letter); Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2601A (clipping)