John McKeon, General John A. Dix, George Law, Thomas F. Bayard, John T. Hoffman, Samuel S. Cox, Charles O'Conor, William Butler Duncan, Gulian C. Verplanck, August Belmont, Augustus Schell, Sidney Webster, George H. Pendleton, William C. Prime, Francis Kernan, and Commodore Garrison. There were giants in those days. "In 1866 we elected Andrew Johnson. We expected that if he would come to a Democratic meeting we would make a Democrat of him. I think he was about four-fifths one at that time. Only two black balls were necessary out of twentyfive to reject, because, as Manton Marble used to say, it was necessary to keep it a high-toned club, and he exerted his great influence to have only gentlemen admitted." Fortunately, Mr. Taylor, whose death occurred three years ago, preserved a copy of the original notice sent out to possible members. It reads: New York, April 18, 1865. Dear Sir: You are earnestly requested to meet a few of the Commissioner of on Thursday afternoon to confer in reference to our proposed Democratic City Club. Yours respectfully Douglas Taylor. George W. McLean. Edward L. Corliss. Besides the committee, Democrats who responded were Messrs. W. D. French, C. P. Daly, Daniel E. Delavan, Mayor C. Godfrey Gunther, John T. Hoffman, George W. McLean, Edward L. Corliss, Joseph W. Corliss, James T. Brady, Nathaniel Jarvis, Udolpho Wolfe, M. B. Spaulding. Among Mr. Douglas Taylor's papers, kindly placed at the disposition of the compiler of this history by his daughter, Miss Clara Taylor, of New York, are the signatures of all the original members. In addition to these facts given by Mr. Taylor himself, Mr. Henry M. Steven, in an article on the Club in the "House and Country" magazine of some fifteen or more years ago, has added the information that following Mr. Taylor's proposal to found a Democratic club, events were delayed by Democratic defeats, but that when Mr. Gulian C. Verplanck, one of the founders of the Century Club, was defeated for its presidency merely because of his Democracy, active steps were at once taken, with the Manhattan Club as the result. |