Some Things Never Change.....1864 or 2004?

I just finished reading a biography on Lincoln. If you look to the left on my blog, you can see a direct link to the book I am quoting from. Here are just a few nuggets.



Republican platform:
"Full Protection of the laws for soldiers of war."
"Economy and rigid responsibility in public expenditure."
"Monarchical Governments to beware of threatening republican governments."

Their main "moral values" issue (slavery) had been attacked by activist judges (Dred Scott.)

In August of the election year the Republicans were in despair and convinced they would lose the election, George Strong put it this way, "Our progess (in the war) is slow, wretched finances,.....but if the national backbone become diseased and degenerate into cartilage or gelatin we are a lost people."

Political leaders in the party, afraid of losing the election urged the President to contact the enemy and discuss ending the war.

At the Democratic convention they adopted the following platform:

the platform expressed gratitude to soldiers and sailors for their sacrifices, promised them protection and care, but they wanted out of the war.

Their Candidate (McClellan) was a former war hero, that some considered a traitor.

When things turned for the better in the war during the campaign, the Democrats started acting tougher. In fact McClellan took opposing views to the party platform, and the party faithful, and after we started winning again, he was determined to crush the enemy.

High turnout at the polls ended up being good for the Republicans....New York City went overwhelmingly for the "Party of Peace -- the Democrats (68%)" while the rest of the North went to the Republicans (55%). There were also threats of riots when they lost.