Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-03-17
From Mr.. Blaine's Forthcoming
Book.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF lS60.-BEGIN-
MING OF SECESSION.

The winter following the election of Mr..
Lincoln was filled with d.plorable events.
In the whole history of the American people.
there Is no epoch which recall, 80 much that
is worthy of regret and so little that gratifies
pride. The result of the election was I'M
fortunate in the wide divergence betw cen the
vote which Mr. Lincoln received in the cleo
toral colleges and the vote which he received
at the pells. In thu electoral coll, yes he had
an aggregate of $50. His opponents. united
had but 1873. OF the popular vote. Lincoln
received I.s66,452; Douglas. 1921. 574 /;
Breckinridge, S50.0S2; Bell, 6i6.l24. Mr.
Lincoln's vote was wholly from the free
States, except some 26.0O0 cast for him in
the five border slave States In the other
slave States his name was not presented az a
candidate. Mr.. Douglas received in the
South about 1850 votes. In the
North the votes cast distinctively
for the Breckenridge electoral ticket
we're lees than 100000, and distinctive
~ for the Bell electoral ticket about so. o0O
1t vas thus manifest that the two Northern
Presidential candidates, Lincoln and Douglas
had absorbed almost the entire vote in the
free States, and the two Southern Presiden-
tial candidates. Breckenridge and Bell, had
absorbed almost the entire vote in the slave
States The Northern candidates receive red
popular support in the South in about the
came degree that the Southern candidates
received popular support in the North In
truth as well as in appearance it was a Sec
tional contest in which the North supported
Northern candidates, and the South supported
Southern candidates. 1t was the first time
in the history Of the government in which the
President was chosen without electoral votes
from both the free and the slave States. This
result was undoubtedly a source of weakness
to Mr.. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. made more ap-
parent by his signal failure to obtain popu-
lar majority. He had large plurality. but
the combined vote of his opponents was near
" q million greater than the vote which he
received
The time had now come when the Southern
Disunionists ~ere to be put TO the test. The
event had happened which they had declared
in advance IL be cause of separation. Ii was
perhaps the belief that their courage and de-
termination were challenged. which forced
them to action. Having so often pledged
themselves not to endure the election of an
anti.slavery President. they were now per.
susded that. if they quietly submitted. they
would thereby accept an inferior position 10
the government. This assumed obligation
of consistency stimulated them to rash &C
ton; for upon every consideration of pru-
dence and wise forecast, they would have
quietly accepted result which they acknowl-
edged to be in strict accordance with the Con-
stitution. The South was ENJOYING except
ional prosperity. The advance of the slaves
States in wealth was more rapid than at any
other period of their history. Their staple
products commanded high prices and were
continually growing in amount to meet the
demands of market which represented the
wants Of the civilized world. In the decade
between 1850 and 1860 the wealth of the
South had increased three thousand millions
of dollars, and this not from an overv aluation
of slaves, but from increased cultivation of
land. the extension of railways. and all the
aids and appliances of vast agricultural enter
prises. Georgia alone had increased in
wealth over three hundred millions of
dollars, no small proportion of which
was from commercial and manufacturing
ventures that had proved extremely profts-
BILE. There never was q community on the
face Of the globe whose condition so little
justified revolution IS that of the slave States
in the year 1860. Indeed, il was . sense of
strength born of exceptional prosperity which
led them to their rash adventure Of war.
1t would however be an injustice to the
people of the South to say that in November,