The Daily Missoulian., 1912-06-10

an uncompromising foe OF Lincoln, was
present and fought to the last to have
the convention repudiate Lincolns
scheme of reconstruction. Stevens at
tempted to induce the convention to
adopt q resolution declaring that the
IL states In rebellion were actually
and legally out Of the Union and that
tho southern territory. held by the
federal military forces, was conquered
foreign territory The Lincoln men
held to the view that had been the
unqucstioned republican doctrine at
the beginning of the war, that the
states did not have the right to Sc
ccde. and that, therefore, they never
were actually out OF the Union. Ste
vens was defeated In every test In the
convention, but here already was ap-
parent the great stru-gle that soon
was to be precipltated between con-
gross and President johnson, but, of
course, no man then. knew how near
was Lincoln's tragic end.
Lincoln was nominated In the con-
vention by vote of 497 to % for
Grant. the Missouri delegation voting
for Grant under instructions. The
votes of Louisiana, Arkansas and Ten
hNsSSt NStG iuCtuueu Ill Inc Lincoln
vote. Johnson was nominated for vice
president on the first ballot.
The democratic convention met in
Chicago on August 20, "a date late In
the year. Long before the convention
met It was apparent that the demo-
Gratis had concentrated upon General
Mcclellan as their candidate. The
campaign opened. in fact. before the
democratic nomination was made, so
certain was the country that Mcclellan
would be named.
On August %. a week before the demo-
cratic convention met, President Lin
coin wrote and signed u paper. which
he sealed and delivered to the secre-
tary of the navy. Gideon Welies. with
instructions not to open 1t until after
the election. This paper read:
This morning, as for some days
past. II seems exceedingly probable
that this administration will not be
reelected. Then II will be my duty
to cooperate with the president elect,
so as To save the Union between the
election and inauguration. as he will
have secured his election on such
grounds that he cannot possibly save
1t afterward.'
The democrats met six days later In
Chicago, and 1t Is certain that they
shared Lincoln's belief that the man
they were to nominate would be elect
ed. II was. perhaps, this confidence,
or. perhaps, that genius for laundering
which. the republicans say. always
the democratic party that
caused them adopt the platform
they did. There were two elements
In the democratic party at the time
war democrats and peace democrats
Most of the war democrats were for
Lincoln. and this left the convention In
control of the peace democrats. Tam
many hall was powerful. but Wall
street was more powerful. and Wall
street was against the war. Thus II
was that the convention adopted
platform calling for an armistice look
ing to an ultimate convention of the
states, and thus it was that the war
was declared failure. General Nc
Clclan was duly nominated for presi-
dent and George II. Pendleton of Ohio
for vice president.
The convention had hardly ad-
journed until It was apparent that the
warts a failure" platform was re-
o'Hith bs tH' WiDis people. 1eDefdl
Mcclellan. the nominee, was quick to
repudiate II. No candidate. chosen by
a national convention ever before or
since has so definitely and positively
repudiated every important feature Of
his party platform as did General Nc
clellan in 1864. The platform declared
for peace first. the Union afterward
the candidate declared for the Union
first. peace afterward. The platform
said the war was failure; the can
didate said the war was success.
But the people believed In Lincoln.
and, although II was IL hard fought
campaign, and although states like
New Jersey and Pennsylvania were
carried for Lincoln only by the mar
rowest of margins. Mcclellan carried
only three states-New Jersey Della
ware and Kentucky-and the nominees
of the Union national convention, held
in Baltimore, were triumphantly
elected.
Tomorrow-National Conventions.
XIV.-ln Reconstruction Times.
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