The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

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THE LIuF, PUBLIC SERVICES, AND

as I believe it would be fatal to the country to indorse a
policy and renew a power which has cost us the lives of
thousands of men and needlessly put the country on the
road to bankruptcy, there will remain no alternative but to
organize against him every element of conscientious opposition, with the view to prevent the misfortune of his
re-election." And he accepted the nomination, and announced that he, had resigned his commission in the
army.
The convention, the nomination, and the letter of acceptance, fell dead upon the popular feeling. The time
had been when Fremont's namle had power, especially
with tihe young men of the country. Many had felt that
lie had received less than he deserved at the hands of
the Administration, and that if the opportunity had been
afforded he would have rendered to the country distinguished and valuable service. But the position which he
had here taken at once separated him from those who had
been his truest friends, whose feelings were accurately
expressed by Governor Morton, of Indiana, in a speech at
Indianapolis on the 12th of June, when lie said: " I carried the standard of General Fremont to the best of my
poor ability through the canvass' of 1856, and I have
since endeavored to sustain him, not only as a politician,
but as a military chieftain, and never until I read this
letter did I have occasion to regret what I have done. It
has been read with joy by his enemies and with pain by
his friends, and, omitting one or two sentences, there is
nothing in it that might not have been written or subscribed without inconsistency by Mr. Vallandigham."
The next form which the effort to prevent Mr. Lincoln' s nomination and election took, was an effort to bring
forward General Grant as a candidate. A meeting had
been called for the 4th of June, in New York, ostensibly
to express the gratitude of the nation to him and the soldiers under his command, for their labors and successes.
As a matter of course the meeting was large and enthusiastic. President Lincoln wrote the following letter in
answer to an invitation to attend: