120 POLITICAL LIFE-IV 



efforts, and Mr. Raymond s motion was carried, to all 

 appearance unanimously. 



Never was anything of the kind more effectual. 

 Though most, if not all, the proceedings thus stated by 

 Mr. Raymond were fictions of his own imagination, 

 they served the purpose; his own resolution started the 

 whole machinery and set the convention prosperously on 

 its way. 



The general opinion of the delegates clearly favored 

 the renomination of Mr. Lincoln. It was an exhibition 

 not only of American common sense, but of sentiment. 

 The American people and the public bodies which repre 

 sent them are indeed practical and materialistic to the 

 last degree, but those gravely err who ignore a very dif 

 ferent side of their character. No people and no public 

 bodies are more capable of yielding to deep feeling. So 

 it was now proven. It was felt that not to renominate 

 Mr. Lincoln would be a sort of concession to the enemy. 

 He had gained the confidence and indeed the love of 

 the entire Republican party. There was a strong con 

 viction that, having suffered so much during the ter 

 rible stress and strain of the war, he ought to be retained 

 as President after the glorious triumph of the Nation 

 which was felt to be approaching. 



But in regard to the second place there was a different 

 feeling. The Vice-President who had served with Mr. 

 Lincoln during his first term, Mr. Hamlin of Maine, was 

 a steadfast, staunch, and most worthy man, but it was 

 felt that the loyal element in the border States ought 

 to be recognized, and, therefore it was that, for the Vice- 

 Presidency was named a man who had begun life in the 

 lowest station, who had hardly learned to read until he 

 had become of age, who had always shown in Congress 

 the most bitter hatred of the slave barons of the South, 

 whom he considered as a caste above his own, but who 

 had distinguished himself, as a man, by high civic courage, 

 and as a senator by his determined speeches in behalf of 

 the Union. This was Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, a 



