Chapter 608 Republican Winner

Chapter 601 Republican Winner

Following the Simon Cameron corruption scandal, William Seward made extreme remarks that were inconsistent with his status.

The Republican Party, which was originally full of talents, had few candidates left to represent the Republican Party in the election for the 16th president. Only two people were left, Ohio Governor Salmon Chase and Illinois Governor Abraham Lincoln.

Salmon Chase and Abraham Lincoln had similar life experiences and were both examples of poor people's counterattacks in the United States. In addition, their status in the Republican Party was also on par.

But outside the party, Lincoln's influence and appeal were much greater than Salmon Chase.

Northern people outside Ohio may not have heard of Salmon Chase, and don't know who Salmon Chase is, but they must have heard of Abraham Lincoln.

Over the years, Lincoln's footprints have almost spread across cities of all sizes in the northern states, leaving his voice in the squares and taverns of these cities. Lincoln's years of hard work and step-by-step operations within the party, secretly consolidating his own strength, finally paid off today.

Therefore, Lincoln had an advantage in the competition with Salmon Chase, the last rival in the Republican Party.

Shortly after winning the Republican presidential nomination, Lincoln came to the Federal Building in Manhattan, New York to give a speech in September 1860.

The Federal Building in Manhattan was packed with people, and the audience in New York was looking forward to the speech of this Republican rookie.

But when Lincoln actually appeared on the podium, the audience in New York who had never seen Lincoln were all disappointed.

Lincoln was very tall, so tall that he looked like a giant in a circus.

He wore a loose and rough suit, looked a little weird, had a very vulgar appearance, had a long and desolate head, and the hair on his face was not shaved very cleanly.

Lincoln's image was very different from the perfect politician in the minds of New Yorkers. Rather than saying that Lincoln was like an outstanding politician of the Republican Party, it would be better to say that he was more like a vulgar pioneer in the West.

But soon, Lincoln used his sharp and piercing voice to make the New York audience ignore his poor appearance.

"When I first went to work in Washington, Washington still allowed the slave trade. It was also the first time my young children saw slaves.

My child pointed to the slaves in shackles and covered with whip marks and asked me: Dad, who are they?

I was stunned, and then told him that these people were black slaves in the South.

My child was incredible and asked me again: Are they Americans?

I answered yes, and my child was even more confused. He asked me, America is a free country, why does a free country have slaves?

Faced with this question, I was speechless and have not given my children an answer so far.

Children are often simple and kind. I don’t know if your children ask you such questions in the future, what will you answer?"

Yes, America is a free country, why does a free country have slaves?

The answer is obvious, that is, when the Constitution was first formulated, the definition of people by the founding fathers of America did not include black people.

The world trend is unstoppable. If you follow it, you will prosper; if you go against it, you will perish.

Lincoln clenched his fists on the podium. In the 19th century, when human society was gradually moving towards civilization, abolishing the slave trade and slavery was already a general trend.

"Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807.

The Netherlands abolished the slave trade by decree in 1814.

France abolished the slave trade by decree in 1815.

Spain abolished the slave trade by decree in 1820.

Portugal abolished the slave trade in 1836.

Even Brazil, which is in the same America as us, announced the abolition of the slave trade ten years ago, in 1850!

We claim to be the world's first democratic republic and are proud of our superior system. However, what have we done to abolish slavery?

Since the implementation of the "African Slave Trade Prohibition Act" on January 1, 1808, we have done nothing except legally prohibiting the import of slaves from Africa."

Lincoln discussed with the audience the feasible future path of the crumbling country of America with the momentum of a mature politician.

Although the above-mentioned countries still have private slave trade after the abolition of the slave trade, and it has been repeatedly banned, but there is no country like America that allows slavery to exist in half of its territory.

Lincoln believed that if the cancer of slavery continued to exist, it would be cut off from the civilized world and shake the foundation of the United States.

The foundation of the United States is the Declaration of Independence. The principle of natural rights in the Declaration of Independence includes the right of all people to be born equal, to enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Now the existence of the evil slavery has shaken the Declaration of Independence and the values ​​believed by many Americans.

Freedom and equality are the cornerstones of the founding of the United States. Lincoln knew very well that the young country of the United States has been able to exist for 84 years, and people of different ethnicities can gather under the Stars and Stripes, precisely because the residents of these new continents believe that all people are born equal, enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and believe in the American dream.

Once the citizens of America no longer believe in these ideas, wake up from their dreams, and find that they have been deprived of the opportunity to dream, the problem America will face is not just a simple division, but the entire country will cease to exist.

Lincoln believes that America's current situation is more dangerous than during the War of Independence, because this time they are not facing any powerful enemies from abroad, but themselves.

If America's values ​​are not reshaped and it takes the right path, within ten years, America will disappear from the map.

There are only two paths left for America. One is to reverse history and become a completely slave country. The other is to abolish slavery and become a truly free country. There is no possibility that two contradictory systems can continue to exist in the same country.

"Mr. Lincoln, the Southerners suspected that the Republicans had instigated John Brown's Gilead allies to launch a surprise attack on the Harpers Ferry Ferry and launch a rebellion. As far as I know, after this incident, the South investigated all Republican members of the Senate and House of Representatives, trying to prove that the Republicans were linked to the rebellion. What do you think of this incident?"

The reporter from the New York Evening Post, who was sitting in the front row, asked Lincoln. He wanted to know what Lincoln's attitude was towards John Brown, and he wanted to know whether John Brown's rebellion was really an armed rebellion instigated by the Republicans as the South said.

All the audience's eyes were focused on Lincoln on the podium, and the audience was full of expectations for Lincoln's next answer.

Lincoln calmly faced thousands of eyes staring at him, straightened the collar of his suit, and spoke righteously.

"First of all, I need to correct the question you raised. The raid launched by our hero John Brown on Virginia was not a rebellion, but an uprising of local slaves instigated by white people. This was a just act, not a rebellion.

As for who supported John Brown behind the scenes, whether the person who supported John Brown was a Republican or a non-Republican, I just want to say one thing to this person: Well done!"

Lincoln's brief and powerful answer won him a long round of applause.

John Brown was born into a poor Puritan family. His followers were either the working class who were as poor as him or the black slaves he freed, all of whom were a group of extremely poor people.

The Gilead League suddenly obtained enough weapons and ammunition, as well as gold to hire other armed men to launch an uprising deep into Virginia. Lincoln would naturally not believe that no one secretly supported John Brown.

After the incident of John Brown, the Republican Party also conducted an investigation. The results of the investigation showed that the financial supporter of John Brown was indeed not a Republican.

Since it was not the Republicans who supported the Gilead Confederacy, an extreme abolitionist armed force, to go to the South to cause trouble and launch an uprising, then who was the financial backer behind the Gilead Confederacy?

Although Lincoln had no evidence, he already had the answer in his mind.

The biggest beneficiary of John Brown's uprising was not the Republican Party, nor the South, nor their mortal enemy, the Democratic Party.

It was his old friend in the West. After this incident, the federal government had to shift its attention to the East and could do nothing about the unauthorized military expansion in the West.