12 CLAY, LINCOLN'S IDEAL. dling with it, and thereby driven into perpetual contradictions between principles and practice, and to the scheming of endless compromises between the fierce opposing interests on both sides. To the distant observer, this last type of character will generally be the least attractive of the three. Each of the others seems to have a unity of purpose which it wants; it seems unstable, shifty, always occupied with small details. But Clay's unswerving faithfulness to the Union, and his never retracted, never qualified condemnation of slavery, together with the purity of his personal character, and his unquestioned abilities as a statesman and an orator, gave him a singularly high place in the estimation of his countrymen. His "Life" had been one of the first books placed in the hands of his young brother-Kentuckian, and in the course of the contest with Douglas we find him speaking of Henry Clay as "my beau-ideal of a statesmanthe man for whom I fought all my humble life." In this choice of a political hero in one who, though opposed utterly to slavery in principle, THE NOMINATION OF 1860. 13 yet spent his life in the vain effort to effect compromises between it and freedom, will be found, I think, the explanation of much in Abraham Lincoln's Presidential conduct which has been harshly judged by the out-and-out Abolitionist. Till 1860, however, as we have seen, Abrahanı Lincoln is mainly known by his defeats. Yet the man knows his worth. He has sat in the great council of his nation, though only in its really lower house. But he has deemed himself fit for the higher, -for that Senate which has always been the goal of honourable ambition in the United States,-nay, for the Speakership of that Senate itself, which belongs to the VicePresident, the second officer in the State. The day comes when he is put forward for the very highest office, and he does not shrink from the contest. If the people prefer him to the greatest orator of the day, to the very leader of the Republican party hitherto, Mr. Seward, the Illinois lawyer will accept their confidence. But he remains in his own town of Springfield, whilst the Republican Convention of 465 delegates is paper office (May 18, 1860), speaking with some friends, a message comes from the Superintendent of the Telegraph Company:-"Mr. Lincoln, you are nominated on the third ballot." His first words are the simplest, homeliest, that could have fallen from human lips :-"There's a little woman down at our house would like to hear this-I'll go down and tell her." With those sweet words of a husband's holy love, Abraham Lincoln entered upon that career, which in less than five years was to end in a martyr's death. Was ever the highest power received in a gentler spirit? On the next day his nomination was formally announced to him, together with the resolutions adopted by the Convention, forming what was termed the "Chicago Platform," the main feature of which was a pledge against the extension of slavery to the Territories. After four days' consideration, he accepted both (23rd May) by letter, concluding in words chiefly remarkable for the entire freedom from partizan THE ELECTION. 15 spirit which they show in this candidate of a party : "Imploring the assistance of Divine Providence, and with due regard to the views and feelings of all who were represented in the Convention, to the rights of all the States, and Territories, and people of the nation, to the inviolability of the Constitution, and the perpetual union, harmony, and prosperity of all, I am most happy to co-operate for the practical success of the principles declared by the Convention." which The nomination was a successful one. On the 6th November, 1860, Mr. Lincoln was elected President of the United States by the unanimous vote of all the free States, except New Jersey, him four votes out of her seven, gave making 180 votes in the "Electoral College," which names the Presidents; the votes cast for all three opposing candidates summing up only 123. Of the popular vote, however, which names the Electoral College, Mr. Lincoln had not obtained an absolute majority, but 1,857,610, against 2,804,560 given to his opponents; yet out of this latter number all but 847,953 were cast in favour of candidates professedly supporting the Union. In other words, out of 4,662,170 voters, 3,814,217, or more than three-fourths, were in favour of the Union as a paramount principle; 1,857,610, or nearly two-fifths, were in favour of the Union, and of rigidly restricting slavery from further extension; and 547,953, or not a fifth, for slavery as a paramount principle; but these few wielded the whole mass of the slave country, except the border States of Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, and Tennessee, the eastern part of which last has long been practically almost free soil. In these figures lies indeed the whole history of the Secession war. Abraham Lincoln was now President of the United States. By a curious provision of their Constitution, he was not yet to enter upon the functions of his office. His predecessor, Mr. Buchanan, who had not even been nominated as a candidate, had for four months yet to retain the Presidency in his imbecile hands. During |