broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

The Inaugural was well received by the people of the North quite generally and also by those of the Border States; but the "Southern heart" had been "fired," and the people of that section were coerced by their hot-headed leaders into most cruel and unjustifiable rebellion. Meantime, President Lincoln proceeded to administer the government with patience and wisdom. He selected a cabinet of eminent men in the party, a majority of whom had been his competitors for the nomination at Chicago, namely: William H. Seward, of New York, Secretary of State; Salmon P. Chase, of Ohio, Secretary of the Treasury; Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania, Secretary of War; Gideon Welles, of Connecticut, Secretary of the Navy; Caleb B. Smith, of Indiana, Secretary of the Interior; Edward Bates, of Missouri, Attorney General; Montgomery Blair, of Maryland, Postmaster General.

CHAPTER III.

HISTORY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

(CONTINUED.)

General History of the Party During the War — Emancipation — The Amendments to the Constitution-The Campaign of 1846-The Baltimore Platform-The Cleveland Convention-The Democratic Convention -The Democratic Convention and Platform-The Canvass-The Death of President Lincoln-Andrew Johnson-His Treachery and Impeachment-Reconstruction Commenced.

From this time forth until the close of the war of the rebellion, the history of the Republican party is so interwoven with the history of the Union itself that it would be impossible to separate the two. Called by the people to the conduct of affairs during this momentous era in the history of the country, the policy of the party was necessarily engrafted into the conduct of the war and the material, financial, and legislative measures of the stirring and exceptional times. That the administration of affairs during this national crisis was in the main highly successful, the event of the war is ample demonstration. For not only was the Union saved, but the credit of the nation was also constantly maintained, so that notwithstanding the war, the people continued to be prosperous, and remain highly prosperous to this day. The soldiers and sailors were promptly paid. There never was any

discontent either in the army or navy. The people cheerfully paid heavy taxes because they perceived that they were wisely levied, honestly collected, and faithfully disbursed to the patriotic saviours of the Republic. It were useless to relate the details of legislation and administration during these exciting years, the result so amply vindicating the statesmanship and patriotism of the party in in power, but it may be well to recur to a few facts which are especially illustrative of Republican policy.

SLAVERY THE CORNER-STONE OF REBELLION.

The success of the Republican party was not the cause, but only the pretext of the war. It cannot be pretended that the election of Abraham Lincoln was not in every particular lawful. Nor can it be claimed that after election and before inauguration, he or his party had violated any law whatever, or in any way manifested any disposition to do so. Nevertheless, before his inauguration, the pretended "Confederate" Government was set up, and a provisional President and Vice-President were elected. The corner-stone of this new government, as claimed by its chief architects, was Slavery. They proposed to overthrow the Constitution and the principle of freedom at the same time; by the same blow to destroy both. Both were in the keeping of the Republican party.

The party maintained both not only, but strictly in accordance with law, gave new triumphs to freedom, and added new provisions of beneficent political effect to the Constitution.