Lincoln on the 1864 Presidential Election

[Ms. Clio]

Lincoln on the 1864 Presidential Election
Response to a Serenade

November 10, 1864

It has long been a grave question whether any government, not too strong for the liberties of its people, can be strong enough to maintain its own existence in great emergencies.

On this point the present rebellion brought our republic to a severe test; and a presidential election occurring in regular course during the rebellion added not a little to the strain. If the loyal people, united, were put to the utmost of their strength by the rebellion, must they not fail when divided, and partially paralized (sic), by a political war among themselves?

But the election was a necessity.

We can not have free government without elections; and if the rebellion could force us to forego, or postpone a national election it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us. The strife of the election is but human-nature practically applied to the facts of the case. What has occurred in this case, must ever recur in similar cases. Human-nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak, and as strong; as silly and as wise; as bad and good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this, as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged.

But the election, along with its incidental, and undesirable strife, has done good too. It has demonstrated that a people's government can sustain a national election, in the midst of a great civil war. Until now it has not been known to the world that this was a possibility. It shows that, even among candidates of the same party, he who is most devoted to the Union, and most opposed to treason, can receive most of the people's votes. It shows also, to the extent yet known, that we have more men now, than we had when the war began. Gold is good in its place; but living, brave, patriotic men, are better than gold.


http://www.nps.gov/liho/writer/1864.htm

[jeff30997]

1. If only the Chimp could read...

[Ms. Clio]

2. Even if he could read, he could never understand Lincoln n/t

[Crunchy Frog]

9. He can read...

books about pet goats and hungry caterpillars. I don't think his capacities extend much beyond that though, and this material would probably look like gibberish to him.

[enough]

3. One for the bookmarks.

Thanks.

[Ms. Clio]

6. you're very welcome n/t

[wryter2000]

4. Thank you!

I'm going to ram this one down the throat of any rw'er who wants to talk about patriotism in regard to rescheduling an election.

:yourock:

[Ms. Clio]

7. It's eminently quotable, isn't it?

Especially bits like:

"We can not have free government without elections; and if the rebellion could force us to forego, or postpone a national election it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us."

[Zomby Woof]

5. of all the presidents

Lincoln was the best writer. I have a 2-volume collection of his complete speeches and writings, and he is the best writer and thinker of all of them, bar none.

[Ms. Clio]

8. I envy you that collection, and agree that he was truly remarkable

[Zomby Woof]

10. it's easy to get!

http://www.loa.org

[Ms. Clio]

13. thanks for the link! n/t

[stevedeshazer]

11. Great post

Thanks.

[Ms. Clio]

14. grazie--I was looking for something else, and came across it

It seemed to be the perfect example of "rational thought" about postponing elections.

[indypaul]

12. In the late summer and early fall

of 1864, the threat of terrorist activities by a group of
Confederates led by Capt. Thomas Hines and operating in
and around Chicago had plans to release Confederate POW's
from Camp Douglas and Rock Island prison camps. These
numbered around 12,000 troops and coupled with southern
sympathizers "Sons of Liberty." Were going to disrupt,
among other things, the presidential election. At no
time in this nation's history was there
a greater threat to our republic. This did not
prevent an election from being held timely then and there is
certainly no threat today that would or should even allow
one to entertain such thoughts. Indeed Lincoln himself
expressed doubts about his re-election at a Cabinet meeting
August 23, 1864. He did NOT however express any intention
or desire to postpone or delay the election. Instead he
expressed his intention "to so co-operate with the President-
elect to save the Union between the election and the
inauguration."

[Ms. Clio]

15. Yes, Lincoln believed he would lose the election

Your information about Confederate terrorists planning to disrupt the elections is really intriguing.

At no time in this nation's history was there
a greater threat to our republic. This did not
prevent an election from being held timely then and there is
certainly no threat today that would or should even allow
one to entertain such thoughts.

I completely agree.

[indypaul]

16. "A Stillness At Appomattox"

Bruce Catton, p.292. "The Copperheads talked and at times acted
as if they had both the means and the will to revolt against the
Lincoln government, and they had grandiose plans for detaching
from the Union various northwestern states and setting up a new
confederacy actively friendly to the South. Their action arm
was a mildly secret organization known as the Sons of Liberty,
and their prophet was the famous Clement Laird Vallandigham, the
former Ohio Congressman."
Vallandigham and Hines met in Windsor across from
Detroit and while they planned events were never able to bring
them to fruition even though they claimed as many as 85,000
members of the Sons of Liberty in Illinois, Ohio and Indiana.

[Ms. Clio]

18. Thanks for the cite

I've heard about Vallandigham, but I don't know much about the Copperheads. I've read much more about Unionists in the South, especially in north Texas, where they were also accused of secretly plotting "terrorist" attacks against the Confederacy, and dozens of men were hanged by a "People's Court" in Gainesville.

[LoverOfLiberty]

17. Given this

How dare they call themselves the Party of Lincoln?