If you think either party is a carbon-copy of what it was in 1860, you are sorely mistaken.
In 1860, the Democratic party was the party of low taxes, states’ rights and limited, decentralized government. Lincoln imposed the first income tax, gutted the Bill of Rights, stripped the states of their sovereignty, and created the blueprint for ceaselessly enlarging government the demoncrats still use to this day.
Something else I recently learned is he created paper money. Before Lincoln, money was coins.
The paper money Lincoln used to finance his operations were called "greenbacks." The Wiki entry on "greenbacks" has a lot of interesting information.
How much more stable would our currency be if it wasn't paper?