Despite his defeat , as a former governor of the largest state of the Union , Seymour emerged as a prominent figure in party politics at the national level . In 1856 he was considered a possible compromise presidential candidate in the event of a deadlock between Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan until he wrote a letter definitively ruling himself out . In 1860 , some considered Seymour a compromise candidate for the Democratic nomination at the reconvening convention in Baltimore . Seymour wrote a letter to the editor of his local newspaper declaring unreservedly that he was not candidate for either president or vice president . Seymour supported the candidacy of Stephen A. Douglas for the presidency in both 1856 and 1860 . In 1861 , he accepted nomination as the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate , which was largely an empty honor as the Republican majorities in the state legislature rendered a Republican victory a foregone conclusion
In 1856
1856 Democratic National Convention
Horatio Seymour