The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-15
The First Lincoln Convention

.OlIl AOIlVCllIlOll
lonly from discouraged delegates.
Every mention of Lincoln was checrcc
to the echo The claqueurs served their
ana 9e nj yell rhe
stripe convinced the convention that
Seward was unavailable. The rooters
in the galleries convinced 1T that Linz
coin was the man. The political man
attention to the galleries, and he packs
them for his candidate If possible. He
has a distinguished precedent.
The nominating speech had not Mt
itained It's modern Importance at that
| time. Seward was placed in nomina-
ton by speech thirty-thre words In
length. and 1t required but twenty-five
! words to place Lincoln before the con
Irention. On the first ballot Seward
Ihad 1iS l-2 votes and Lincoln l02. The
tothers were cast for Bates, Cameron,
Chase and others. On the second bal
lot Seward gained eleven votes. and
third ballot Lincoln went ahead. hav-
ling 231- IL to seward's 1870. Then
ionic changed four votes from Chase to
Lincoln and gave him the necessary
led and cheered until they were cx-
lhausted. Joseph Medill, the Chicaga
editor and leader OF the Lincoln forces.
Irrejoiced with his compatriots and with
Lane and Curtin.
But Thurlow Weed was Disguised
land heart-sick. He refused to suggest
a man for President when a ten
der OF that privilege was made to tile
Seward forces. Hannibal Hamlin was
nominated on the second ballot over
Cassius NJ Clay. of Kentucky. The Sc
ward men We're not only sore in de-
feat but they were ashamed OF their
lparty's newly selected leader. They
measured him by the mud on his bro
sans, and 1T was as IL they had es-
4 sayed to measure the walls OF space
with foot-rule.
The convention Itself was very like
the convention which will meet in
Chicago this week Its organization
was not so perfect, ADMISSION to the
nan was easier to gain and the con-
ventloh did not have such sense OF
lself-importance as IL has to-day. The
first business 1t transacted was to ac-
sept an Invitation TO take an excursion
on the lake, which acceptance was ar
iterward reconsidered The convention
Thought II necessary TO adjourn one
teyening because the hall had been pre-
lYiously engaged for an exhibition drill
by zouave company,
1t WAS lively. fun-loving body.
Horace Greeley was present as a dele
ISntr from the then almost inaccessible.
state OF Oregon, and the delegates
t:.i;ted him as the gentleman from
iOtegon." All tue free States were rep
Presented, and there We're delegations
/,
lucky, Missouri. Delaware. Texas an,
Virginia. Only those States presene
ere read out on the first roll call. ).
luslegatc asked for a full roll call aud
ne rames OF Tennessee, Arkansas, Mis-
lsissippi Georgia, South and North Car
loiina and Florida were called while
thl delegates laughed. groaned jeerei
and l.issed There was a great figat
. on the report OF the committee on Gre
, identials. the question being whether
the slave states present were entitled
|, to fun vote In the convention. Then
; began the wrangle over the Southern
] through every Republican convention
, from that day until this The reason
: Tor the wransling is seldom the same.
but the Wrangle Is regular quadren-
The convention had {. fight over ths
platform. once actually voted down a
! proposition to reassert the truths pro-
claimed by the Declaration of Independ-
! tence and was never unanimous on
: tany question: The platform declared
i iagainst the extension of slave territory,
e specifically declared that 1t was tho
: trlght OF states to control their own
D local institutions without interference.
: and denounced the armed invasion of
: Ia State upon any protest whatever as
n the sravcst of crimes This was a
1 Preference to John Browns raid. The
1 Republican party of 1860 knew full
4 well that 1t could not countenance tho
: latitude of the extreme abolitlonists.
: II was not its purpose to free the
E lslaves In the South; 1t looked only to
S the issue of the moment, the preven-
r ,tion OF the extension OF slavery to
r the Territories and TO new States.
e Yet to-day 1t is easy to see that the
o latitude of the neople of the North
II which made the organization of the
4 Republican party possible was essen
q italy an anti-saYery attitude. 1t was
Il not SO apparent at that time. as the
n careful utterances OF the early Repub-
/. lican leaders give testimony. How.
i lever. when the Republican convention
a lin the Chicago wlgwam chose Abraham
i Lincoln as their nominee for Presi-
!. ldent they knew they had selected a
. man who had said:
"a house divided against Itself can
4 mot stand ! believe this government
i. cannot endure permanently half slave
It land half free
t Later, lie wrote to Horace Grecley
that If he could save the Union by
II If he could save the Union by not free
- ing the slaves. he would not free them
a that 1t was his purpose to save tho
= Union. He did, and for that service
le not only the Republican party, which
II he led, but every man, woman and chilli
lef who owns to the name of American
IS calls him blessed. !.
y tcopyright, 1908, by Frederic ]
r Haskn)
e, To-morrow-The Great Third Tern
ls flight.
H. proper use Of the Congressional re
4 i NJ