The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-04
Frederic Haskin's Lette'
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS,
X.-The Lincoln-McClellan Race Of 1854

~. ~ ~Ae . .auical stand h
coin had already been nom,,'.
in fact, because more tha.
thirds Of the delegates to Hs1,.
had been instructed. Hovev..
leaders might doubt Linco,s
people believed in Honest N.
Assured Of his own renom,.ss
Lincoln set about the tast =
ting q War Democrat and .
erner for his running maj.
drew johnson Of Tennes.s.
nominated because Lincnls
sonally conducted the -.
for his election. He wantsd !.
the support Of the war Dems
and he wanted to have a son,s.
er on the ticket because NJ i.
feet in Europe. Lincoln h.,s
the belief that secession ~.
constitutional and that tho =.
states Of the confederacy vers
legally out of the union, IN
not been for this belief 1t u.
ginning OF the war, the NORTH ~.
have taken Horace Greeleys
vice to "let the wayward sists., b
part in peace"
The Baltimore convention h.u
Lincoln's ideas. Thaddeus ~.
was there fighting against -.
movement to indorse the Lh..a
policy Of reconstruction, c.t,ss
ing that the seeded states -,
actually and legally out d n
union, and that when retakep M
should be treated as conquerd !,
rftory. Stevens was defestM
every turn in the Baltimore con,'
ton. But his opposition to y
coins policy and his hatred OF \
drew johnson was not ended
A Democratic Bgunder.
Nearly three months after hs :
renominated, Lincoln and his
visers reached the conclusion n
Mcclellan, already agreed upon J
the Democratic nominee, would h
the election. On August q
wrote and signed a paper, which
sealed and delivered to the seed
tary Of the navy, Gideon Well(
with instructions not to open Il N
til after the election. This pa,
read: This morning, as for sod
days past. it seems exceeding
probable that this Administered
will not be reelected. Then It Vi
be my duty to cooperate with d
president-elect to save the uniu
between the election and inauu,
ton, as he will have secured ii
election on such grounds thu b
cannot possibly save it afterwrti
Six days later, on Aug. q, v
Democratic national conveltl
met in Chicago, 1t nominrta
General Mcclellan for presids
and George H. Pendleton Of OH
for vice president. Then it mi
the fatal mistake of adopting
platform that declared the war
be a failure. Almost at the "a,
time came the news that Atlia
had fallen and Of union victories
Virginia. General Mcclellan b
tened to repudiate that portion
the platform, but it was in va
The confederacy was crumbling
it's fall and the people turned
Lincoln.
Still the campaign waved b
The October elections in Penns
/ vania showed great Democa
gains and the administrator Y
| alarmed. Lincoln got Gensr
| Meade and Sheridan each to I
!, Tough 5000 Pennsylvania sold
to go home to vote. He carried
state on the home vote by onl!
few over 5000 and including
soldier vote in the field BY Q
10000. New York carried by o
5000. Tammany Hall supper
Mcclellan and gave him $4,000 !
jority in New York city.
Greeley in the New York It'd
heartily supported Lincoln and
nounced Mcclellan as a trail
But at the same time he said I
no one would pretend to think
Lincoln a great man. The \
York Herald thought the enc
between "Old Abe" and la
Mac" was a choice between "
not between excellencies. Fc'
time during the heat OF tho q
paign it appeared that Lincoln
no friends among the leaders
the newspapers. Carping cln
dissected his every act Bm !!
great mass Of the people M
him. When the election wa ~
he had carried 90 Of the 70 ~
which voted, receiving 2ls elecu y.
votes to McClellan's 81. McCle.
carried only New Jersey, ken''A
and Delaware.