The real contest. While it was understood that Pennsylvania would present Cameron; Ohio, Chase; New Jersey, Dayton; and Missouri, Bates, it was well known from the first day that the contest would be between Lincoln and Seward. The night preceding the nomination, Greeley, one of the shrewdest observers in the convention, gave up all hope for Bates and telegraphed the Tribune that Seward would be nominated. An incident which led to an important result was the seating of the auditors. The Seward people were determined to arouse popular favor for their leader, who, it was believed, had the votes of a sufficient number of delegates to insure his nomination. To this end they organized a mammoth street parade prior to entering the Wigwam for the final test. In the meantime the Lincoln managers counteracted the effect of the Seward demonstration by rushing their followers, by the thousands, into the Wigwam to take advantageous positions, in order to outdo the Seward enthusiasm at the proper time. When the Seward element arrived at the Wigwam and found the seating space already occupied, it was too late to rectify the blunder. The final struggle was therefore to take place in what was practically a Lincoln mass meeting.

Candidates' names presented. When the chairman announced that the naming of the candidates for President was in order, William M. Evarts of New York was recognized by the chair. He said, " I take the liberty to name as a candidate for the office of President of the United States, William H. Seward." The chair then recognized Norman B. Judd, of Illinois, who said, "On behalf of the delegation from Illinois, I desire to put in nomination as a candidate for President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln of Illinois." Dudley, of New Jersey, nominated Dayton; Governor Reeder, of Pennsylvania, Cameron; Cartter, of Ohio, Chase; and Blair, of Missouri, Bates. The wildest enthusiasm followed the seconding of the nomination of Lincoln by the Indiana delegation.

When Michigan seconded the nomination of Seward, the New York delegation arose and set the galleries aflame with a frenzy such as had not yet been heard in the convention. Then Ohio, unrestrained by the fact that Chase was that State's candidate, seconded Lincoln's nomination, which was the signal for another demonstration which fairly eclipsed that given to Seward. When it died down the galleries took it up again and fairly made the building tremble.

First ballot. The first ballot was ordered. The whole number of votes cast was 465; 233 were necessary for a choice. On the first ballot twelve candidates were voted for. All interest centered upon the two men, Seward and Lincoln. As the vote proceeded great enthusiasm greeted the announcement of the names of these men by their respective following. The vote stood: Seward, 173; Lincoln, 102; Wade, 3; Cameron, 501; Bates, 48; McLean, 12; Chase, 49; Dayton, 14; Collamer, Io; and Read, Sumner, and Fremont, one each.

Seward's opposition. The most significant fact of the first ballot was that Lincoln received four votes from Cameron's State and eight from Chase's. Amidst the greatest excitement the second ballot was ordered, when Cameron's name was withdrawn.

Second and third. On the second ballot the first wave of enthusiasm that swept the convention was when Ohio gave Lincoln fourteen votes. This was only preliminary to that which enveloped the assembly when forty-four of the Pennsylvania delegates came to the "Rail Splitter from the West." All of Collamer's vote joined the Lincoln vote. At the end of the roll-call the significant fact faced the Seward men, that while they had gained but eleven votes, the Lincoln men had gained seventy-nine. When the third ballot was ordered, the excitement reached that stage of intensity when it shows itself in deep feeling rather than in loud commotion. And as the ballot proceeded the vote of each State was awaited in breathless silence. The drift of the voting could not be

doubted. The convention became almost quiet by the end of the balloting. In the hush of expectation and uncertainty of the close ballot-the full count had to be made before the result could be definitely determined-the convention reached its climax. Before the result of the ballot was announced, Chairman Cartter of the Ohio delegation was on the floor seeking recognition from the chair. He announced that Ohio desired to change four votes from Chase to Lincoln. The ballot had stood: Seward 180, Lincoln 231, which made the requisite number of Lincoln short 1 votes, hence the action of Cartter, insuring the nomination of Lincoln. Amidst wildest excitement delegation after delegation changed to Lincoln until his vote reached 354, which was 121 more than the number required to nominate him. Evarts was given the floor, when he proposed that the nomination be made unanimous. It was seconded by Andrew of Massachusetts and was carried in a storm. Never in the history of American politics, either before or since, has this convention been equaled in its quality and quantity of enthusiasm. It touched the extreme points; from the quietness which held thousands of men and women in that silence, disturbed only by the scratching of the pencils in the hands of hundreds computing the result of the ballot, to the commotion like the sweep of the storm, when men and women seemed for the time to forget that they were mere citizens simply beholding the representatives of a portion of the people selecting from their peers a man to bear their standard in the contest for control of the nation's policies.

Hamlin chosen Vice-President. The Lincoln portion of the convention desired the Seward men to name the Vice-President, but the latter declined to do it. Hannibal Hamlin was then nominated on the second ballot, having received 367 votes, while C. M. Clay received 86 and Hickman 13. Before adjournment the convention appointed a national committee consisting of one member from each State, to take charge of the campaign. It then adjourned with cheers for the ticket.

Lincoln's election. The election which followed was no surprise to the political observer. The unfortunate situation of the National Democracy, which grew worse as the election approached, gave small hope to the historic party of Jefferson. On the other hand, Lincoln's candidacy grew with the months. October elections told with certainty the popularity of the Republican cause in the North. All the doubtful States favored the new organization. In the election thirty-three States took part. The result stood in the electoral college as follows: Lincoln, 180 votes; Breckinridge, 72; Bell, 39; and Douglas, 12. The popular vote stood: Lincoln, 1,866,452; Douglas, 1,375,157; Breckinridge, 847,953; and Bell, 590,631. The disparity between the popular vote, on the one hand, and the electoral vote, on the other, is the result of the electoral system of choosing the President. Lincoln received less than a half-million more votes than Douglas, but his electoral vote was fifteen times that of Douglas. Douglas received over a half-million more votes than Breckinridge, while the latter received just six times the electoral vote. While Douglas received more than double the popular vote given to Bell, the latter received more than three times the former's vote in the electoral college.

Its real significance. By States, Douglas carried Missouri alone, and three of the seven votes of New Jersey. Bell carried three States: Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Breckinridge carried all the remaining States denominated Southern States, eleven in all. Lincoln carried every Northern State except New Jersey, which divided her vote, giving three to Douglas and four to Lincoln. Although the popular vote is conclusive that it was not strictly a sectional struggle, nevertheless, this selection and the events immediately following it produced the "solid South" and almost a "united North." For a half century this party alignment has more or less prevailed. Recent events have done much to relieve sectional bitterness.

CHAPTER XVI

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, THE GREAT WAR PRESIDENT

Early career of Lincoln. The life of Abraham Lincoln will continue to be one of the chief treasures of American history. To the children of the land, it has the interest of the fairy tale; to the ambitious youth, it is a perpetual spring of inspiration, and to the matured mind, it is a source of supreme delight, born of an appreciation of splendid talents. Of all that long line of worthy great in the United States, Lincoln can rightly claim the primacy. The chasm which separated his beginning in the solitary wastes of the forests, and his ending in the White House, seems bottomless. The achievement was not the mere accident of good fortune but it had its basis on a rational foundation. The sterner obstacles of the pioneer splendidly disciplined his body as well as his mind for the realities of life. His tender nature which put him in sympathy with suffering of all kinds was native to him, and this quality received a decided growth in the discipline of hardships, entailed upon the family upon the frontier. This duality of nature throws light upon his attitude toward the institution of slavery. The artificial distinctions which erect barriers between man and man under the law, had no place in his philosophy. In this respect he was supremely democratic.

His Democracy. In the matter of equality of all mankind in the race of life, he was more democratic than Jefferson. He believed that the Declaration of Independence proclaimed a truth universal, comprehending all mankind. That all men