EARLY MANHOOD-1851-1857 75 



known by every other person present; and such was my 

 disgust that it is not at all unlikely that if one of Gard- 

 ner's tickets had been in my pocket, it would have gone 

 into the ballot-box. But persons standing by, Demo- 

 crats as well as Republicans, having quieted this per- 

 fervid patriot, and saved me from the ignominy of swear- 

 ing in my vote, I carried out my original intention, and 

 cast my first vote for the Republican candidate. 



Certainly Providence was kind to the United States 

 in that contest. For Fremont was not elected. Looking 

 back over the history of the United States I see, thus far, 

 no instant when everything we hold dear was so much in 

 peril as on that election day. 



We of the Republican party were fearfully mistaken, 

 and among many evidences in history that there is "a 

 Power in the universe, not ourselves, which makes for 

 righteousness," I think that the non-election of Fremont 

 is one of the most convincing. His election would have 

 precipitated the contest brought on four years later by 

 the election of Lincoln. But the Northern States had in 

 1856 no such preponderance as they had four years later. 

 No series of events had then occurred to arouse and con- 

 solidate anti-slavery feeling like those between 1856 and 

 1860. Moreover, of all candidates for the Presidency ever 

 formally nominated by either of the great parties up to 

 that time, Fremont was probably the most unfit. He had , 

 gained credit for his expedition across the plains to Cali- 

 fornia, and deservedly ; his popular name of " Pathfinder " 

 might have been of some little use in a political campaign, 

 and some romantic interest attached to him on account of 

 his marriage with Jessie Benton, daughter of the burly, 

 doughty, honest-purposed, headstrong senator from Mis- 

 souri. But his earlier career, when closely examined, and, 

 even more than that, his later career, during the Civil 

 War, showed doubtful fitness for any duties demanding 

 clear purpose, consecutive thought, adhesion to a broad 

 policy, wisdom in counsel, or steadiness in action. Had 

 he been elected in 1856 one of two things would un- 



