Thurlow Weed Signature. PSA/DNAThurlow Weed Thurlow Weed (17971882) was a prominent American political figure and newspaper publisher, best known for his influential role in 19th century politics. Initially a leader of the New York Whig Party, Weed later aligned himself with the Republican Party as it emerged in the 1850s. At the 1860 Republican National Convention, he famously backed William H. Seward over Abraham Lincoln, reflecting his longstanding ties to Seward. Throughout his