Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-10-01

cult for this generation, acknowl-
edging Abraham Lincoln as one OF the
greatest of men, regardless OF politics, 10
realize tie fact that he won his nomina-
ton and reelection to the Presidency IN
1864 over the greatest obstacles. Pract-
cally every leader in the Repuhllcah
party was opposed TO Lincoins Ienonai-
nation Nearly every prominent hePuo'
lican in the country believed that In
coin could not defeat General McCieilah
II he were renominated. But the people
of the whole North rose up In their
might, ran rough shod over the pohu-
clans and instructed their delegates to
vote for "Old Abe"
Months after the nomination was made
It seemed certain that Mcclellan would
be elected. The Republican campaign
leaders gave up hope and Lincoln MN
self admitted defeat. Two months before
the election the tide turned the Other
way.
The Democratic party had been
wonderful political machine and had
dominated the country for sixty years
1t had been more powerful In the North
than In the South for a goodly portion
OF that six decades. II was too strone
in the North to die in a brief four years
So greatly did the Republican organiza
ton fear IL. Notwithstanding It's broken
condition. that the Republican leaders de'
llberately abjured their party name ana
called a national Union" convention 10
meet at Baltimore early in June. Tue
Union" party Il was that renominateu
Lincoln, not thn Republican.
TWO BRANDS OF DEMO Gratis
AND HOSTILE REPUBLICANS.
The Democrats Of the States remaining
In the Union were divided into two
camps-war Democrats and Peace Dem
ocrats. Both factions were rather free
with their criticism of Lincolns admin
istration, but neither could say the haro
things that the Radical Republicans
were saying. The Peace Democrats werA
those who believed in letting the South
ern States go, or IN anything 10 bring
peace They were ali accused, and many
were guilty. Of being In sympathy with
the Confederates. They were the dough
faces" who had supported Pierce ana
Buchanan and Breckenridge in the past.
They were now the hated and desplsed
"Copperheads
If the Coprerheads were hated. they
were not so dangerous to Lincoln po-
litically as the radicals" of bis own
party. He knew where 70 place the
COpperheads, but II was hard for him TO
fight the radicals like Fremont, Tbad
Stevens, Ben Wade aud others OF that
ilk who were opposed to him because he
would not agree TO the confscatlon OF
all private property In the South. 1t
was even more difficult for Lincoln to
meet the determined OPPOSITION OF men
like Salmon p. Chase, William II.
Seward and Edwin NJ. Stanton who held
him In ill-concealed contempt And IL
was painful to Lincoln TO see men Ike
Horace Greeley and Charles sumner
openly oppose his denomination on the
ground that he could not possibly be
elected.
THE COMMON PEOPLE
BELIEVED IN "HONEST ABE"
The Radical Republicans" held a ma
tional mass convention at Cleveland
week In advance Of the Union conven-
ton at Baltimore. John c. Fremont was
nominated fer President and John Cock
rane for Vice President, and the plat
form declared for the coniscation OF all
property In the Confederate States.
There were comparatively few prominent
leaders in the convention. but IL was the
purpose to influence the Baltimore con-
vention to take a radical stand Lincoln
had already been nominated, in fact. be
cause more than two-thirds OF the dele
gates to Baltimore had been Instructed.
However, the leaders might doubt Lin
coin. the people believed in "Ho"est
Abe"
Assured of his own denomination, Lin
coin set about the task Of getting a war
Democrat and Southerner for his run
ming mate. Andrew Johnson Of Tonnes
see was nominated because Lincoln per-
sonally conducted the campaign for his
selection He wanted to get the support
Of the war Democrats and he wanted to
have a southerner on the ticket because
of its effect in Europe. Lincoln held to
the belief that secession was unconstitu
tional and that the eleven States of the
Confederacy were not igally out of the
Union. If 1t had not been for this belief
at the beginning Of the war, the North
would have taken Horace Greeley's ad-
vice to "let the hayward sisters depart
In peace"
The Baltimore convention held to Lin
coins ideas. Thaddeus Stevens was there
fighting against every movement to In
dorse the Lincoln policy Of reconstruc-
ton, contending that the seeded States
were actually and legally out of the
Union. and that when retaken they should
be treated as conquered territory. Stevens
was defeated at every turn In the Baltt-
more convention. But his opposition to
Lincoln's policy and his hatred of An
drew Johnson was not ended.
A DEMOCRATIC BLUNDER
AND LINCOLN'S VICTORY.
Nearly three months after he was re-
nominated, Lincoln and his advisers
reached the conclusion that Mcclellan,
already agreed upon "a the Democratic