Posted on 10/30/2018 5:01:29 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts
First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed. To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.
Continued from October 29 (reply #14).
Allen C. Guelzo, Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates that Defined America
Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, Vol. II
Abraham Lincoln: Speeches and Writings 1832-1858, edited by Don E. Fehrenbacher
Paez was a leading general during the Venezuelan Wars of Independence. He lead the llanos who were horsemen from the Venezuelan interior plains. He ended up in exile living in NYC.
Paez was a leading general during the Venezuelan Wars of Independence. He lead the llanos who were horsemen from the Venezuelan interior plains. He ended up in exile living in NYC.
Bump..
Allen C. Guelzo, Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates that Defined America
Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, Vol. II
MONEKA, Kansas, Nov. 1, 1858.
DEAR FRIENDS, — Your letter of the 10th October from Hudson was received in good time, but I was not then in a condition to reply at once. Things at this moment look rather threatening in this immediate neighborhood; but what will come up I cannot say. I am obliged to you for your efforts to prevent Watson from going to California, and will try to express my gratitude by hinting to you that a business and copartnership, such as you allude to, would be very likely to require a good deal of the capital (real or fictitious) of others, where by you would be likely to run into debt, and into some other entanglements. Could you not do moderately well by taking a dairy again? That business has for the last half century been subject to as few fluctuations in Ohio as any other (I think). Beside that, I suppose you already understand it, tolerably well at least. I may take wholly a wrong view of the subject. My health is some improved, but I am still weak. Shall write to you where to direct when I know where to do so.
May God bless you all!
Your friend.
[JOHN BROWN.]
SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 479-80
MONEKA, KANSAS, Nov. 1, 1858.
DEAR WIFE AND CHILDREN, ALL, — I have just written to John H. Painter, of Springdale, Cedar County, Iowa, to send you a New York draft, payable to Oliver. I have strong hopes of your getting one to the amount of his note. At any rate, it is all the means I now have of giving you a little further help. Should you get it, you need not send him the note, as my letter is good against the note. I would be glad to have you pay the taxes, if you can so manage as to do it and be comfortable. I shall do all I can to help you, and as fast as I can. How soon I shall be able to see you again, I cannot tell, but I still live in hopes. I cannot now tell you how to direct to me, but will advise you further as soon as I can. Things at this moment look quite threatening along the line. I am much better in health than I was when I wrote last, but not very strong yet. May God bless you all!
Your affectionate husband and father.
[JOHN BROWN.]
SOURCE: Franklin B. Sanborn, The Life and Letters of John Brown, p. 479
November 1. . . . Went tonight to the Historical Society building at the corner of Second Avenue and Eleventh Street, where we committed our [Columbia] first post-graduate Overt Act. Dwight delivered his introductory lecture on law, successful beyond my hopes. Dwight looks a little uncouth, but his lecture or address was scholar-like, vigorous, sound, and genial. I think he will prove a great acquisition. The audience was respectable and many names were put down for the course at $75. Noyes was delighted; so were Davies, Pierrepont, Bosworth, Daly and others of our judicial lights. I can see that Lieber is jealous of Dwight already.
Prospects of the Lecompton-Democracy for tomorrow don’t improve.
The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas
Allen C. Guelzo, Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates that Defined America
Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, Vol. II
November 2. Our new law professor Dwight dined here with Mr. Ruggles and Jem [Ruggles] and Bully Betts (!). Favorable impression of Dwight confirmed. Prospects of the Law School brightening. Betts made himself solemnly agreeable and was warmed into a dignified approach to urbane jocosity by his Romanee. I was politic, for the first time in my dinner-giving career, when I asked Betts to come today. He has fallen out with his brother-fogies in the Columbia College Board, and I wanted to smooth his way to other and wiser alliances; to bring him nearer, in his bereavement, to active progressive men like Mr. Ruggles and our jurist.
The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas
So, the Republicans took the popular vote but the Dems kept the Legislature, so they could re-elect Douglas. I guess that was OK with Democrats back then.
Southern Democrats might have been a little grumpy with the outcome.
Big historical “what if”, Lincoln defeated Douglas in 1858?
No Douglas to split Democrats in 1860, do Dems nominate Breckenridge and does he win?
Who then secedes?
Then Lincoln becomes the front-runner for the nomination and presidency.
Unless he falters or stumbles under all the public scrutiny.
with Douglas out of the picture, the remaining Democratic possibilities would be more favorable to the Deep South.
So unless the extremists really wanted to break the party in half, the Democrats would probably be united.
The electoral mathematics could still favor Lincoln over the Democrat, though.
Likely, and some have argued that here.
But elections are as much about contagious enthusiasm as anything else, and Democrats in 1860 had none, Republicans plenty.
Had Democrats in 1860 remained united behind, say, a Southern senator, that may have gone a long way to improving their voters' enthusiasm.
28 electoral votes flipped would put the 1860 election into the House of Representatives, and there were nearly 100 electoral votes won by Lincoln with single digit margins.
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