Thereupon, however, the malcontents, unwilling to accept defeat, broached a new scheme.  The Republican nominating convention had been summoned to meet on June 7, 1864; the opponents of Mr. Lincoln now sought to have it postponed until September.  William Cullen Bryant favored this.  Mr. Greeley also artfully said that a nomination made so early would expose the Union party to a dangerous and possibly a successful flank movement.  But deception was impossible; all knew that the postponement itself was a flank movement, and that it was desired for the chance of some advantage turning up for those who now had absolutely nothing to lose.

Mr. Lincoln all the while preserved the same attitude which he had held from the beginning.  He had too much honesty and good sense to commit the vulgar folly of pretending not to want what every one knew perfectly well that he did want very much.  Yet no fair enemy could charge him with doing any objectionable act to advance his own interests.  He declined to give General Schurz leave of absence to make speeches in his behalf.  “Speaking in the North,” he said, “and fighting in the South at the same time are not possible; nor could I be justified to detail any officer to the political campaign during its continuance, and then return him to the army.”  When the renomination came to him, he took it with clean hands and a clear conscience; and it did come surely and promptly.  The postponers were quenched by general disapproval; and promptly on the appointed day, June 7, the Republican Convention met at Baltimore.  As Mr. Forney well said:  the body had not to originate, but simply to republish, a policy; not to choose a candidate, but only to adopt the previous choice of the people.  Very wisely the “Radical-union,” or anti-Lincoln, delegation from Missouri was admitted, as against the contesting pro-Lincoln delegates.  The delegations from Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana were also admitted.  The President had desired this.  Perhaps, as some people charged, he thought that it would be a useful precedent for counting the votes of these States in the election itself, should the Republican party have need to do so.  The platform, besides many other things, declared against compromise with the rebels; advocated a constitutional amendment to abolish slavery; and praised the President and his policy.  The first ballot showed 484 for Lincoln, 22 for Grant.  The Missouri radicals had cast the vote for Grant; they rose and transferred it to Lincoln, and thus upon the first ballot he was nominated unanimously.

There was some conflict over the second place.  A numerous body felt, and very properly, that Mr. Hamlin deserved the approval of renomination.  But others said that policy required the selection of a war Democrat.  The President’s advice was eagerly and persistently sought.  Messrs. Nicolay and Hay allege that he not only ostensibly refused any response, but that he would give no private hint; and they say that therefore it was “with