John L. Marye, of Fredericksburg, one of the members of the Committee of Nine, suggested that Stuart invite Gilbert C. Walker, a northerner and who had been "defeated for a seat in the Underwood convention", to help the committee gain support in Washington. As predicted, Walker, a northern Republican, helped the committee receive sympathy in the north. Horace Greeley's Republican newspaper, New York Tribune, joined the campaign. The Committee of Nine spent approximately two weeks in Washington. They met with congressmen and appeared before both the House and Senate committees.