This party becomes historic, not through what it accomplished,
but by reason of what a portion of it failed to perform.
Within one year from these pledges to the Constitution,
the Union, and the enforcement of the laws, Mr. Bell
and most of his Southern adherents in the seceding
States were banded with others in open rebellion.
On the other hand, Mr. Everett and most of the Northern
members, together with many noble exceptions in the
border slave-States, like Mr. Crittenden, of Kentucky,
kept the faith announced in their platform, and with
patriotic devotion supported the Government in the
war to maintain the Union.
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[1] The first ballot stood: Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, 145-1/2;
James Guthrie, of Kentucky, 35-1/2; Daniel S. Dickinson, of New York,
7; R.M.T. Hunter, of Virginia, 42; Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, 12;
Joseph Lane, of Oregon, 6; Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, 1-1/2;
Isaac Toncey, of Connecticut; 2-1/2; Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire,
1.
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION
[Sidenote] 1860.
In recognition of the growing power and importance
of the great West, the Republican National Convention
was called to meet in Chicago on the 16th of May.
The former Presidential canvass, though resulting in
the defeat of Fremont, had nevertheless shown the remarkable
popular strength of the Republican party in the country
at large; since then, its double victory in Congress
against Lecompton, and at the Congressional elections
over the Representatives who supported Lecompton,
gave it confidence and aggressive activity. But
now it received a new inspiration and impetus from
the Charleston disruption. Former possibility
was suddenly changed to strong probability of success
in the coming Presidential election. Delegates
were not only quickened with a new zeal for their
principles; the growing chances spurred them to fresh
efforts in behalf of their favorite candidates.
Those who had been prominently named were diverse in
antecedents and varied in locality, each however presenting
some strong point of popular interest. Seward,
of New York, a Whig of preeminent fame; Chase, of
Ohio, a talented and zealous anti-slavery Democrat,
an original founder of the new party; Dayton, of New
Jersey, an old Whig high in personal worth and political
service; Cameron, of Pennsylvania, a former Democrat,
now the undisputed leader of an influential tariff
State; Bates, of Missouri, an able and popular anti-slavery
Whig from a slave-State; and last, but by no means
least in popular estimation, Lincoln, of Illinois.
[Sidenote] Pickett to Lincoln, April 13,
1859. MS.
