the senate, as Lincoln predicted that it would. But it angered the
southern leaders beyond all reason--as Lincoln knew it would.

When, therefore, the democratic convention met in Charleston, the first
purpose of the southern leaders was to defeat Douglas. In their
judgment he was not orthodox on slavery. He was far the strongest
candidate before the convention, but he was not strong enough to secure
the two-thirds vote which under the rules of that party were necessary
to a choice. After fifty-seven ballots, and a corresponding amount of
debating, the feeling of antagonism rising, continually higher, the
crisis came. The southern delegates withdrew from the convention and
appointed a convention of their own to be held in Richmond. This was
done with the full knowledge that, if it accomplished anything, it
would accomplish the defeat of the party. It was probably done for this
very purpose,--to defeat the party,--so as to give an excuse, more or
less plausible, for carrying out the matured plan of secession,
claiming to be injured or alarmed at the ascendancy of the republican
party.

Up to this point, at least, Lincoln had no aspirations for the
presidency. But he did aspire to the United States senate. He accepted
his defeat by Douglas in 1858 as only temporary. He knew there would be
another senatorial election in four years. When asked how he felt about
this defeat, he turned it into a joke, and said that he felt "like the
boy who had stubbed his toe, too badly to laugh, and he was too big to
cry."

He had thought of being nominated as vice-president with Seward as
President, which would have given him, if elected, a place in the
senate. He was glad of any possible prominence in the Chicago