August 1864 Quotes

[Simeon Salus]

1. Lincoln did not run for re-election as a Republican in November 1964

He was afraid the Republican party was too emancipationist, too fanatical, too liberal, too narrow a flag for most border state voters. For perspective, New York had the largest state population and NYC was firmly Democratic.

Lincoln's opponent was a famous US Army major general George McClellan who wanted to seek peace with the South. Abraham Lincoln ran as a National Unionist, embracing a new Tennessee-born Vice President Andrew Johnson, the War Democrats, and a less punishing tone towards southern states willing to rejoin the Union (and vote National Unionist), like Louisiana.