Читать книгу American Civil War For Dummies - Keith D. Dickson - Страница 62

Almost a year after Brown’s death, Americans voted in a presidential election. Abraham Lincoln, whose voice over the past three years had become the voice of the Republican Party, was nominated for president. Lincoln had made speeches in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas, and New York, proclaiming as eloquently as anyone of his century that slavery was a moral wrong, “founded on both injustice and bad policy” as he put it. Quoting the Bible, the source of his most inspired speeches, Lincoln told his audiences that the country was “a house divided against itself.” “I believe,” he said, “this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.” He dissected the Southern defense of slavery, exposing it in a way that the average man could understand.

Although the party had several stronger and more politically powerful candidates, Lincoln emerged as the compromise nominee at the Republican convention because he had the approval of both the very fractious right wing (former Whigs) and left wing (abolitionists) of the party. The Republicans adopted a strong sectional platform, supporting the Wilmot Proviso, internal improvements, a transcontinental railroad, and immigration. The astute reader will note that slavery is missing from this platform. High moral ideals often take a back seat when the political stakes (like the presidency) are so high. Even though clearly a sectional party, the Republicans hedged their bets a bit to try and capture votes outside the North.