Others, who seconded the nomination, were equally brief.  Every State gave its undivided vote for Lincoln, with the exception of Missouri, which cast its vote, under positive instructions, as the chairman stated, for Grant.  But before the result was announced, John F. Hume of Missouri moved that Mr. Lincoln’s nomination be declared unanimous.  This could not be done until the result of the balloting was made known—­four hundred and eighty-four for Lincoln, twenty-two for Grant.  Missouri then changed its vote, and the secretary read the grand total of five hundred and six for Lincoln; the announcement being greeted with a storm of cheering which lasted many minutes.

The principal names mentioned for the vice-presidency were Hannibal Hamlin, the actual incumbent; Andrew Johnson of Tennessee; and Daniel S. Dickinson of New York.  Besides these, General L.H.  Rousseau had the vote of his own State—­Kentucky.  The radicals of Missouri favored General B.F.  Butler, who had a few scattered votes also from New England.  Among the principal candidates, however, the voters were equally enough divided to make the contest exceedingly spirited and interesting.

For several days before the convention met Mr. Lincoln had been besieged by inquiries as to his personal wishes in regard to his associate on the ticket.  He had persistently refused to give the slightest intimation of such wish.  His private secretary, Mr. Nicolay, who was at Baltimore in attendance at the convention, was well acquainted with this attitude; but at last, over-borne by the solicitations of the chairman of the Illinois delegation, who had been perplexed at the advocacy of Joseph Holt by Leonard Swett, one of the President’s most intimate friends, Mr. Nicolay wrote to Mr. Hay, who had been left in charge of the executive office in his absence: 

“Cook wants to know, confidentially, whether Swett is all right; whether in urging Holt for Vice-President he reflects the President’s wishes; whether the President has any preference, either personal or on the score of policy; or whether he wishes not even to interfere by a confidential intimation....  Please get this information for me, if possible.”

The letter was shown to the President, who indorsed upon it: 

“Swett is unquestionably all right.  Mr. Holt is a good man, but I had not heard or thought of him for V.P.  Wish not to interfere about V.P.  Cannot interfere about platform.  Convention must judge for itself.”

This positive and final instruction was sent at once to Mr. Nicolay, and by him communicated to the President’s most intimate friends in the convention.  It was therefore with minds absolutely untrammeled by even any knowledge of the President’s wishes that the convention went about its work of selecting his associate on the ticket.  It is altogether probable that the ticket of 1860 would have been nominated without a contest had it not been for the general impression,