HORATIO SEYMOUR TO TILDEN "UTICA, _March 4, 1868_. "MY DEAR SIR,--I think Hendricks will be as good a candidate for the Presidency as we can get. I have thought the thing over and looked through the country, and I do not now see we can do better. "I will try to meet you in Albany. "Truly yours, &c., "HORATIO SEYMOUR." FRANCIS KERNAN TO TILDEN "UTICA, _March 7, 1868_. "MY DEAR SIR,--Yours of the 5th is rec'd. 'Mayor Spriggs and the younger Kernans' all pleased with your congratulations and commendations; and think they at the next election can do better even than at the last. "Gov. Seymour is all right as to health. If he is the next Presidential candidate there need be no fear, in my judgment, in reference to his health. "The Governor is not in our district, and I have not seen him for several weeks, as I have been mostly from home at court; but I do not think he should or will be a delegate at the approaching State convention. Nor should he, in my opinion, be a delegate in the national convention. We should not allow him to be a delegate to the national convention. This would be regarded as evidence that he was not to be our Presidential candidate in any contingency. "Mr. D. C. Grove, editor of the _Observer_, is the delegate to the State convention from this district. He will be disposed to do whatever our friends shall deem best. Mr. Spriggs and I mean to be in Albany Tuesday night to aid, if we can, in consultation. "In my judgment we should not in the State convention lay down anything like a platform of principles; leave this to the national convention. "We might very properly in brief and well-considered resolutions denounce the revolutionary schemes and measures of the Radicals; declare our convictions that our institutions and the peace and prosperity of the country are in danger; and call upon the people at the coming election to elect men and declare in favor of principles who and which will restore the country to peace and prosperity and preserve American constitutional liberty. "I do not think that as a party we should take any part in the struggle now going on between President Johnson and the men who elected him. "In reference to the candidate for President. I think we should select as delegates our wisest and most patriotic men--men whose character will give them weight in the national convention, and who will not be influenced in their action by the views of any clique of interested politicians. "Believing myself that Gov. Seymour is our best man for the times and our strongest man for the canvass, I hope the delegation will be composed of men friendly to his nomination. "It seems to me also that the State convention should, in proper terms, in reference to other States and other candidates, give expression to the confidence in and preference for Governor Seymour as the Presidential nominee.