IJulltotin or The Lincoln Natkmal Llf~ fo~J.nd a 1 S<tn • • • Or. R. C~.ra l d Mc~t u.r 1 ry, Edl10t" Publbh~ f!ac:h mon1h by Thr lin~ln National l;i(~ Jn.. -uran~~ Comp.~~l'lf, t•ort W•yn~. Number 1617 Fort Wayne, lndlana November, 1972 Hannibal Hamlin-Lincoln's Vice President ( First Term) Murat Halstead, a correspondent HannibtJl Hamlin of Hampden, De~ four years in 1848 and re .. eJ~ted in for the Cincinnati Commercial, made ccmber 3, 1934.) 1851. He resigned in 1857 to be in­ a eireuit of aJJ the national political A candidate for the presidential augurated governor, having been conventions in 1860, and, after report­ nomination, Edward Bates, of St. elected as a Republican. He resigned ing in detail from Chicago the char­ Louis, Missouri, who later beeame the governorship Jess than one month acteristic scenes and memorable events Lincoln's Attorney General, was criti· afterward. as he bad again been se­ of Abraham Lincoln's nomination for lected for a six year tenn in the the presidency on the Republican United States Senate. He resigned his ticket, he made the statement that, Se:nate seat in January, 1861, having "The nomination of (the) Vice.. Presi­ been elected viee·president on the dent was not particularly exciting/' Republican ticket with Abraham Lin· Hannibal Hamlin of Maine had only coin. one competitor who made any show Hamlin, while decidedly anti.slav­ in the race. and that was Cassius ery, regarded tht' institution beyond M. Clay of Kentucky. The other can· the legislative authority of the national didate-s were Nathaniel P. Banks, A. government. His views on the political H. Reeder, John Hickman, John M. issues or 1860 made him a logical ReadJ Henry Winter Davis, WiJJiam running-mate for Lincoln. As Vice­ L. Dayton and Sam Houston. President during the Civil 'Var1 Ham­ If the multitude in the convention lin presided over the Senate with dig· hall could have had their way, Clay nity and ability and was always on would have been nominated by accJa. cordial terms with the Sixteenth Pres~ mation; however, Hamlin possossed ident. the attributes to strengthen the ticket; Like Lincoln, he was vigorously op· namely, he was a good friend of Wil~ posed to the extension of slavery into Jiam H. Seward ("The fact of the con­ new territories. In fact, Hamlin gave vention, was the defe..'lt o! Seward as his reasons for changing his party rather than the nomination of Lin­ allegiance, the Democratic party's coln"), he was geographically distant platform in 1856, which incorporated from Lincoln and was once a Demo­ the dC)Ctrjne "that the flag of the crat. On the second ballot, Hamlin Federal Union, under the constitution won the nomination by 367 votes to of the United States, carries slavery 86 for Clay and 13 for Hickman. wherever it ftoats." He stated that: Clay congratulated Hamlin on his "If this baletuJ principle be true, then vice--presidential nomination in a let­ f"rom the Lin:ofn NlltlouJ Lire F'oundadon that national ode, which inspires us ter dated May 22nd and Hamlin re­ Irannibal Hamlin always as on a battle·field, should be plied as follows on May 26th: Republicno candidnte (or re-written by Drake, and should read: Vice-President o f the United S tates rForever float that standard sheet! ''Your very gene·rous note of con .. A Hthograph publi• b<-d by E. B. & E. Where breathes the foe bu~ gratulations of the 22nd came duly faJis before us, to hand. I thank you truly. sincere­ C. KeUO#I, Hnrtford, Conn. The nam cl5 1 ly for the confidence you so kindly of Ha mlin a nd Lincoln were often With slavery S soil beneath our feet. express, and am profoundly grate­ eu.riously nuoeiated in the anacram And slavery's banner streaming ful to all my friends. Still I say to Ahra / Elamlin/ coln . o'er us!" you in truth, that the position as­ Lincoln, after receiving the presi­ dential nomination, could not recall signed by the Chicago Convention ca1 o! the viee.presidential nominee. is one which I did not desire. I ever having met Hamlin, and, on J uly He recorded the iollowing statement 18, 1860, from Springfield, Illinois, he really would have p'Te(erred to have in his diary: seen it conferred upon yourself. wrote him as follows: But as a true man, and a friend to ..Mr. Hamlin is not the right per~ "It appears to me that you and the cause, J must not now shrink son. He has no general popularity, 1 ought to be acquainted, and ac· from it. I hope yet to live to do the hardly a general reputation, and cordingJy I write this as a sort of Cause $Orne effective good. At a11 his geography is wrong. Hi$ nomi­ introduction of myself to you. You events, I !eel confident it shall re­ nation can add no strength to the first ent.!red the Senate during the ceive no injury at my hands." ticket . .." single term I was a member of the Hamlin's nominat.ion fol' the vice- Hamlin was born on August 27, House of Representatives, but I presidency was a surprise for him as 1809, the son of Cyrus and Anna have no recollection that we were he had pledged his lieutenants to keep (Livermore) Hamlin at Paris Hill, introduced. I shall be pleased to his name entirely out of the conven­ Maine. By profession, a lawyer, he receive a line from you." tion. The nomination came about served in the Maine legislature, was While Hamlin could definitely re­ largely through the efforts or his elected as a Democrat to Congress in call havinj!C heard Lincoln deliver his political associates at \Vashingt.on. 1842 and re-elected in 1844. He was famous 1 coat-tail" speech in the (See Lincoln Lor#S No. 2951 Honorable next chosen to the U. S. Senate for House of Representatives, and he 2 LINCOLN LORE could nmem~r him to be .. t.he most ber 19th that S~ come to Chicago. strikina- looking man in Congress/' He wrou h1a friend as follows: he wrote his runnintt-mate on JuJy "I ohall be at Chicago Thursday 23rd that, "althoul'h he '"'-.s not sure. the- 22nd. ln!lt. and on~ or two sue· his TffOIIKtion Wh that they had cteding days. Could you not meet been formally int.rodu«d/' me thtrt! Mary thinks of going On Novtmber 8, 1860 (two day• with me: and the~fore 1 suggest after the tlection). Lincoln again that Mrs. S. nttompany you. Please wrote Hamlin a.s foHows: let this be private, o.s l prefer a 1 very great rrowd ehould not. gather ' 1 nm anxious !or a personal ut Chica«o." interview with you nt. as early a Lincoln met Spe-ed in Chicago at day As posaiblc. Can you. without much inconvenience, meet me at Speed's hotel, nnd he was offered a Chlensco? J t you can, please name place in tho enbinctt which the Ken· as early n day a& you conveniently tuekian declined. Lmcoln did make can, and telegraph me: unless there inquiries of Speed concerning James be autficient. lime, before the day Gut.hric of Louisville, who had served as Secretary of the Treasury under named, t.o communicate by mail." Franklin Pierec, as a possible s.elee· The flnal arrangements for t.he tion as Secret.ary of \Var. Needless to meeting were mad~. and the two can­ sLate, Mary Lincoln and Fanny Speed didates fixod the date of November visited in the Lincoln's presidential 22nd to diacuu, among other things, suite. the formation of Lincoln's cabinet. The President-elect's party resided Hamlin ltfL Bangor by train for Chi. at the Tt-fmont. House, and~ when u.ll­ cago on Novem~r 19th. He arrived ing upon his runnin«-mate, Hamlin at his destination on the morning of found Lincoln alone in a room. ".llr. N'ovembtr 22nd. His ·wife did not ac.. Lincoln aros~. and, coming toward his FI"'ft* tlM Ul'lc.il'l Nat <>ft-.1 Uf• Fou.nda.tiQn company him. 1 guest, said abruptly: Have we ever lbnnib111l llamlin The PresidenHiect's party traveled been introduced to each other. Mr. from Springfteld to Ch1cago b)· train HamHn !' •No sir, I think not,' was The Chrilliuu lnquirrr. or l''~w York on November 21st. Included in the the reply. •That. also is my impres. City, in r('J~in,r lbmlin·s denlh on group were Mrs. Lincoln, Senator and sion,' continued Mr. Lincoln; 'but I July 4 , 1891, lantf'nlcd the fuel that Mrs. Lyman Trumbull and Judge and remember distinctly while 1 was in ht W«& ttric.•lc:e•n n1 a dub hou.sc c:ard M ns. Donn PiaU ot Ohio. Enroute to congress to have heard you make a ruble wllh n a>tttk of JJioyln• et•rds in Chicago, t.hrec: ehort spe-eches wer e speech in the senot.c. 1 wns very much hi$ hand. Thf." <•dhurt or I he New York delivered by the President-elect at struck with that. l!peech, senator - Metropoli1, In rt.'J>Ir to such nbsurd Lincoln, Bloomin~J,lon ond Lexington. particularly atn1ck with it - and eomnwnt!l, re•mlnih•d Itt r~adC'rl!l that, Judge Piatt doKr~bed the spee<:hes as for the reason t..hat it was filled, cho-ck "nil thNtlr~·aoln• 18 nol dl8811,alion ·•brief nnd a11 different." ' up, with the vtry best.