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[669] by attempting to stem the torrent. In fact, the extreme “Peace” men, who were hostile to McClellan, had from the first been intent on making a platform whereon a Major-General of the Union army could not creditably stand; and they would seem to have succeeded.

The Convention proceeding to designate by ballot a candidate for President, Gen. McClellan received 162 votes to 64 for others; but several delegations now changed to McClellan; so that the vote, as finally declared, stood 202 1/2 for McClellan to 23 1/2 for Thomas H. Seymour, of Connecticut. Gov. H. Seymour had voted in his delegation for Justice Nelson, of the Supreme Court; but his vote was swamped by a decided majority in that delegation for McClellan, which gave him the full vote of the State. McClellan's nomination was now made unanimous.

The first vote for Vice-President showed 65-for James Guthrie, 54 1/2 for Geo. H. Pendleton, of Ohio, 32 1/2 for Gov. Powell, of Ky., 26 for Geo. W. Cass, of Pa., and 47 1/2 scattering. As Mr. Pendleton had in Congress been an unswerving opponent of the War, and, as the “Peace” men evinced anxiety for his nomination, Mr. Guthrie's name was withdrawn, and Mr. Pendleton unanimously nominated. The Convention soon dissolved, after providing that it might be reconvened if necessary.

When the platform was read next morning by the cooler millions throughout the land, whose blood had not been fevered by the harangues of the “ Sons of Liberty,” it was very widely felt by Democrats that the Convention had made an enormous and probably fatal mistake; while those supporters of Mr. Lincoln, who, a few weeks earlier, had scarcely hoped for success, and, even the day before, had regarded the issue as exceedingly doubtful, laid down their morning papers in joyful confidence that their triumph was secure. So stupendous, so amazing a political blunder, had not been committed for the last twenty years.

Directly on the back of this, the tidings were flashed over the country, “Sherman has taken Atlanta!” “Farragut has carried the defenses of Mobile!” emphasized by a Proclamation1 from President Lincoln for thanksgiving in all the churches on the following Sabbath, with “the National thanks” to Sherman, Farragut, Canby, and their associates, and salutes of 100 guns from every Navy Yard and naval arsenal2 for Mobile, followed by like salutes3 from each military headquarters and military arsenal for Atlanta. It was in vain that Gen. McClellan attempted to stem the swelling tide, so suddenly evoked, by a letter of acceptance which was in effect a repudiation of the platform whereon he had just been placed. He said:

The Union was originally formed by the exercise of a spirit of conciliation and compromise. To restore and preserve it, the same spirit must prevail in our councils and in the hearts of the people. The reestablishment of the Union, in all its integrity, is and must continue to be the indispensable condition in any settlement. So son as it is clear, or even probable, that our present adversaries are ready for peace upon the basis of the Union, we should exhaust all the resources of statesmanship practiced by civilized nations and taught by the traditions of the American people, consistent with the honor and interests of the country, to secure such peace, reestablish

1 Sept. 3.

2 Sept. 5.

3 Sept. 7.

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