John G. Nicolay, A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln, condensed from Nicolay and Hayes' Abraham Lincoln: A History

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Chapter 31.

Shaping of the presidential campaign

-- criticisms of Mr. Lincoln -- Chase's presidential 4ambitions -- the Pomeroy circular -- Cleveland convention- -- attempt to nominate Grant -- meeting of Baltimore convention -- Lincoln's letter to Schurz -- platform of Republican convention -- Lincoln Renominated -- Refuses to Indicate preference for Vice -- President -- Johnson nominated for Vice -- President -- Lincoln's speech to Committee of notification -- reference to Mexico in his letter of acceptance -- the French in Mexico

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The final shaping of the campaign, the definition of the issues,. the wording of the platforms, and selection of the candidates, had grown much more out of national politics than out of mere party combination or personal intrigues. The success of the war, and fate of the Union, of course dominated every other consideration; and next to this the treatment of the slavery question became in a hundred forms almost a direct personal interest. Mere party feeling, which had utterly vanished for a few months in the first grand uprising of the North, had been once more awakened by the first Bull Run defeat, and from that time onward was heard in loud and constant criticism of Mr. Lincoln and the acts of his supporters wherever they touched the institution of slavery. The Democratic party, which had been allied with the Southern politicians in the interests of that institution through so many decades, quite naturally took up its habitual