The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-06-12
THE NOMINATION
OF ABE LINCOLN
(By Frederick ]. Haskin.)
xI-THE FIRST LINCOLN NoMI-
NATION.

The most momentous political gath
ering in american history was the re-
publican convention which met in
Chicago on May Is, 1860, and which
nominated Abraham Lincoln for pres
ident of the United States. AS long
as this republic endures, its citizens
will praise that convention for its
wisdom in selecting Lincoln as its
standard-bearer Yet the convention
which nominated Lincoln did so
against its will, preferring another
man, but bowling to a consideration of
expediency. Many of the leaders OF
the then young party were not only
opposed to Lincoln but absolutely dis
gusted when he was nominated. More.
over, the convention probably could
not have been induced to accept Lin
coin at all if it had not been for the
packing Of the galleries with Lincoln
claqueurs who made so much noise
that ii seemed that the very heavens
were crying out for Lincoln.
The admirable discipline of the re-
publican party was thus early brought
into play. The disgusted partisans of
Seward, the angry partisans of Bates,
the aristocrats to whom Lincoln was
most bitter pill-all these left the
Chicago Wigwam to meet again in
harmony at the polling places.
The majority, perhaps two-thirds, of
the delegates to the Chicago conven-
tion of 1860 favored the nomination
of William H. Seward of New York,
for president This performance was
shared by two-thirds of the republi-
cans of the country. Seward was
their4istoer in the senate, he was
their champion and pride, their great
instructor" But Seward had been
long In politics, he had declared that
there was higher law" than the
constitution, hi, had spoken of the
sirrepressibie conflict Worse even
than these, from the standpoint OF
political expediency, he had been allied
with Roman Catholic Influences in
politics.
In the convention were Andrew G.
Curtin, of Pennsylvania, and Henry S.
Lane, of Indiana. They were politi-
clans and good ones, and they accom-
plished Stewards defeat and Lincoln's
nomination. At that time the Amer
ican party, the Know-Nothings still
had great strength in parts of the
east and in Indiana Without their
votes the republicans could not hope
to win In Pennsylvania the republi-
cans were so timid and so sagacious
that they had dropped the name re
publican and Curtin was running for
governor as the nominee of the .rPeo-
pies Party"
Away back in 1898, Seward had
been elected governor of New York
1t was charged that Archbishop
Hughes, an able Roman Catholic pre-
late, had materially assisted in Sc
wards election. 1t was known that
Seward had sent a message to the leg
islature approving the plan for di-
vision of the public school funds be-
tween Catholics and Protestants. In
the eyes of a Know-Nothing, this at
! titude on the school question was the
one scarlet, objectionable sin The
state elections in Indiana and Penn
sylvania in 1860 were held in October,
Curtin and Lane wanted to be elected
and they wanted to elect a republican
president. They knew that if they
were beaten in October all hope OF
republican success in November
would be gone They had to have
that Know-Nothing vote and they
knew the nomination of Seward would
ALLEVIATE it.
Stewards political manager was
Thurlow Weed, the Albany editor. one
of the ablest political manipulators
this country has known, He fought