The story of the Sun, New York, 1833-1918 / by Frank M. O'Brien.

178

THE STORY OF "THE SUN"

President, the Sun saw him in a somewhat different
light:
Mr. Lincoln is an active State politician and a good
stump orator. As to the chances of his election, that is a
matter upon which we need not at present speculate.
But the time for the Sun to speculate came only three
days later (May 22, 1860), when it frankly stated:
It is now admitted that Mr. Lincoln's nomination is
a strong one.... He is, emphatically, a man of the
people.... That he would, if elected, make a good
President, we do not entertain a doubt. His chances
of election are certainly good. The people are tired of
being ruled by professional politicians.
That was written before the Democratic national convention. The Sun wanted the Democrats to nominate
Sam Houston. It saw that Douglas had estranged the
anti-slavery Democrats of the North. When Douglas
was nominated, the Sun remarked:
Of the six candidates in the field-Lincoln, Bell,
Houston, Douglas, Breckinridge, and Gerrit SmithLincoln has unquestionably the best chance of an election by the people.
The Sun had no illusions as to the candidacy of John
C. Breckinridge, the Vice-President under Buchanan,
when he was nominated for President by the Democrats
of the South, who refused to flock to the colours of
Douglas:
The secessionists do not expect that Breckinridge will
be elected. Should Lincoln and Hamlin be elected by
the votes of the free States, then the design of the conspirators is to come out openly for a disruption of the
Union and the erection of a Southern confederacy.