The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-09-28
LincOlm's Nomination,

Mr.. James Parton, the biographer of Burr,
Greeley and jackson, is waiting series of ar
ticles for New Jersey magazine on Past Pres
dental Nominations. He has reached
the nomination of Lincoln in the last number
of the periodical. The defeat of Seward at the
Chicago Convention is attributed to the re-
vengeful feelings Of Horace Greeley The his
torian's remarks upon the first and second
nominations of Mr.. Lincoln we give below for
what they are worth:
There is general impression that Abraham
Lincoln was kind of innocent lamb who was
elected and reelected without any agency of his
own. But no man can escape the law ofhis DO
sltlon except by abandoning his position We
say again that SO long as the President of tbe
United States possessed an unlimited power of
removal from Office, the interior politics of
party necessarily consisted of these two
tmngs: flrst, TO redeem the pledges made
during the last presidential campaign: sec
ondly, to form combinations for the next
We have had one President to whom this re-
mark does not apply-George Washington
ana 1t was because he alone, of all our
Presidents, never incurred a political obli
gat on to an individual 1t is not in human
nature, and it is folly to expect it, that a
President, in the distribution of honors and
offices, shall not recognize the claims or men
who have aided his elevation, and whose aid he
Abraham Lincoln was not only a politician
but he was keen, able, and closely ealculat,
Ing politician. Were not the LEADING members
Of his cabinet-Seward, Chase, Cameron,
bates, land Mr. Dayton, his Minister to
France,) the chief competitors in the conven-
ton of 1860? And was it not the timely with
drawai OF some OF them, and the partial with
drawal of Others which secured his own NOM
nation? Does the reader suppose that there
was no connection between those appoint
10 al nfvv .x4o,,
ton? 1T the reader does suppose this, it is
himself who is the innocent lamb
Nor was Mr.. Lincoln passive in the events
Wheh led to his denomination in 1864 Every
indlvidual who was likely to be a formidable
candidate was either shelved or provided for
No one can have forgotten that when the
dominating convention of 1854 assembled at
Baltimore, Abraham Lincoln was not the
GnOIcs OF ane hePu6llcan party. Far from it,
upon disaster in the field had shaken the Dub-
I've coincidence IN the ability of his administra-
ton 10 save the country. The desire for a
ThanSe OF leaders was general and decided.
B INKS had failed in Louisiana. Grant had not
succeeded in Virginia. The Mississipni was
stlii threatened; and to many minds the issue
OF war still appeared doubtful In war
GIIne the strength of an administration in
creases WIN victory and dimnishes with
9e1eat. But, as we have before remarked,
President who can crafty or disappoint the
personal ambition of thousands of his fellow
cltizens, who can appoint and promote militia
~ ana naval officers at his pleasure, who can
aWard contracts that enrich the holders of
hem IL single season, and who is himself a
man OF force and ambition, can control abso-
lutely the proceedings of convention. com
posed almost entirely of men who have receiv-
ca OF expect benefits from him. Mr., Lincoln
used his power without hesitation or reserve
and, as long as man is man, every able man in
aslllilar situation will do the same.
He desired, both for public and personal rea.
sons, to be renominated for the first office
Inc convention complied with this known de-
sire. He wished Andrew johnson. for public
and personal reasons, to be selected for the
second office, and this desire also was gratfied.