Lincoln Douglas debate letter

[Wild Bill]

Steve,

I left out one of the more important things about the election of 1860; namely, the election of 1856. The Republicans in their first presidential race put forth John Charles Fremont. Buchanan won, but Fremont showed that a candidate could win betaking exclusively Northern states by taking Fremont's 1856 states plus Pennsylvania and Indiana or Illinois. Buchanan's opponents in Pennsylvania, led by Simon Cameron, saw their opportunity when Buchanan could not run, and went for Lincoln with a little reward promised by Lincoln's mangers, namely a cabinet position for Cameron. And we of course know who was from Illinois in 1860. Hence Lincoln won taking even more than he needed in the Electoral College.

I agree that the Dems probably could not have stopped the Republican juggernaut in 1860, but a united party certainly would have helped, especially in close states.