Reading Out Loud: Sen. John F. Kennedy (1960)

foreign [Music] foreign I have chosen a chapter to read from a brilliant book by Alan Nevins a great American historian called the emergence of Lincoln the chapter that I'm going to read is the chapter which deals with the nomination of Lincoln at the Chicago convention in 1860. his emergence as a comparatively unknown American political figure into the center of the stage it's a terribly well written and I think even more importantly it's the dramatic interpretation of a great historical event the nomination by a party in this case the new party the new Republican party which at every chance of success the Democrats having split in Charleston several weeks before and therefore I think it's a memorable introduction to Abraham Lincoln the great president the chapter is entitled sunrise in Chicago the delegates and Spectators who poured into Chicago in the third week of May 1860. came with a spirit and to a scene which stood in startling contrast with Charleston the spirit was one of complete confidence when the chairman of the convention lifted the gavel made of oak from Commodore Perry's Flagship at the Battle of Lake Erie he remarked all the augeries are that we shall meet the enemy and they shall be ours the scene was typical of the rough exuberant Progressive Outlook of the West a city of a hundred and ten thousand people of a dozen busy railroads of meat packing plants grain elevators foundries and farm implement factories suddenly swung with literally tens of thousands of visitors full of gaiety energy and enthusiasm they had a western earnestness too what seems a brilliant Festival wrote One journalist is but the rally for battle it is an army with banners across the page of party history follows the light of a great name Illuminating every recoverable detail we know much more about the Republican convention and campaign of 1860 then about any similar area of our history for they brought into Power one of the nation's Immortal leaders but to the gallegations which arrive by special trains and Lake boats to political clubs which paraded with flaring torches to the crashing bands and excited throngs Lincoln's name was only one of a dozen under consideration and not the most important one reason for the sanguine mood of the party lay in its wealth of Chieftains Seward well in front but a group of strong men behind him all of the host which met in Chicago knew it first was that this convention was unlike any thus far known in National History it was greater in size in enthusiasm in noise in wire pulling in self-righteousness in lust for office and in its blend of mass hysteria with idealistic ferva if the choice of Charleston for the Democrats has a meeting place had been the most unfortunate in Democratic animals that of Chicago can always be regarded as one of the happiest in Republican history it was a recognition of the fast growing strength of the prairies and their increasing attachment to Republican principles the city was easily accessible robbed by rail or lake still Charming in its semi-rural aspects with wide door yards and gardens and fascinating in the bustling evidences of incessant activity and rapid growth Chicago had a go-ahead spirit they had raised five thousand dollars put a little army of Carpenters at work on an empty lot in market and Lake Street and thrown up what they call the largest Auditorium in the country The Wigwam was useful in itself and valuable as a symbol Republican leaders hope to fill the country with big and little wigwams housing party headquarters the Chicago building 180 feet by 100 feet enclosed a broad wooden platform a huge rectangular floor facing it and a spacious Gallery running around three sides the whole seating about 10 000 people women of the city called upon to decorate the building had festoon the upright beams with Bunning rosettes and Evergreen a guild Eagle a dozen portrait of American Statesmen and six bus adorned the platform raw and ugly as the hall was its abundant Windows gave plenty of light its large exits permitted free movement and it had well-knai perfect acoustics gaslights were ready to furnish a brilliant illumination Amos tuck of New Hampshire who had named Lincoln for vice president at the convention in 1856 was in Chicago actively laboring among the New England delegates he wrote Lincoln on Monday that he was sanguine David Davis and Jess Dubois were full of confidence we are quiet but moving Heaven and Earth they Telegraph Lincoln the day before the eighth opening nothing will beat us but old fogy politicians the heart of the delegates are with us nevertheless as the eve of the convention Found Chicago bursting at the seams with its crowds 1500 people slept in the Tremont house that Tuesday night Seward maintained his lead he was sure more than 150 votes on the first ballot out of the whole 466. well no other aspirin could count on more than 50. at noon on Wednesday Morgan brought his gavel down before the largest most brilliant and most enthusiastic party Gathering yet seen in the country a galaxy of celebrities was present the venerable Joshua Giddings the battle scar David Wilmot The Dashing Frank P Blair Jr the brilliant cow shirts the crusading Eli Thayer these were but a few of the well-known figures every corner of the building was jammed the open doors showed crowds choking the streets when Morgan moved at Wilmot the first great battler for freedom in the territories he made temporary chairman a tempest of Applause swept the hall I think what's particularly interesting is the fact that all of the candidates who came to the convention all thought they had an excellent chance to win Mr Seward who was the favorite candidate was convinced that he would be successful and other candidates thought that they had an equal chance I suppose perhaps it's an occupational disease for politicians to always believe that they're going to win maybe that's the only way that they can keep going but it is an interesting fact as we look at what happened that all the possible candidates in their private journals wrote with the anticipation of their future success at Chicago who was just behind um what was the name of the man first one well Mr Seward was the sort of favorite behind him well the group from New York and one of his great difficulties was that he was supported by a number of people in New York who were unacceptable to a great many of the uh delegates in fact uh Gideon Wills Wells of Connecticut armed in hostility is sued by letters from Senator Dixon who stated two emphatic reasons for another candidate first he said Seward could not be elected and secondly if by some miracle he was his elevation of the presidency would be a disaster but he was surrounded by corrupt Rascals demanding free access to the treasury so that one of the problems of Seward was that his supporters had a reputation for corruption he himself did not but that did hurt him for decades to come participants were to retell the story of the convention until it became a part of the legendary law of the Republic at the very outset as Morgan Wilmot and the permanent chairman George asman delivered brief speeches a report was established between the Thousand delegates and the ten thousand Spectators which seemed as by an electric current to fuse them into a single body of feeling and action the stirring spectacle presented by the crowd and its animated response to every repeat appeal created an irresistible temptation to oratory while many delegates betrayed their uncertainty as to the nominee The Concourse inevitably began to express its preference with the result that in mid-afternoon of the opening day The Correspondents were writing distant newspapers that although half the members seemed in doubt and though the Blairs were still predicting bates's nomination with a Ben Wade movement also in formation Lincoln was rapidly assuming prominence as the head of the opposition to sue it Lincoln of course was helped by the fact that he came from Illinois the convention was held in Chicago and The Spectators who had a great influence on the delegates by their cheers were of course all for Lincoln there's no doubt that in every case the wary convention is held as a good deal to do with who the crowd will be for and therefore has a good deal to do with the psychological effect upon the delegates yes he had done that when he'd been running for the senate in 1858 and that had helped him get him known more broadly through the country though he was still a relatively new figure because as you know Mr Douglas did beat him for that nomination though it did make Lincoln's reputation some places well Chicago has been used a good deal because it's rather in the center of the country and then of course uh Franklin Roosevelt was nominated in Chicago in 18 in 1932 and uh and they've also used Philadelphia the this year of course as you know at least in 1960 next year the Democrats are going to Los Angeles the Republicans are going back to Chicago it's an interesting fact that the Republicans will be meeting a hundred years later uh than the nomination of Lincoln I'm sure that the speeches by the delegates will recall that historical fact The Marked antagonism arising between the New Yorkers and westerners played into the hands of Lincoln's managers are some of the best men of the Empire State were in Chicago many rowdies braggetts and cross and partisans were also present as Greeley wrote they used bad tactics noisy Ballroom denunciations of anti-suit men from this state as ingrates and traitors claims for governor Seward not only of the extrusive leadership but even of the authorship of the Republican Party of course as you know the Republican Party had just emerged as a successor to the Whig party the public boasts that ever so much money could be raised to carry Seward's election and none at all for anyone else with triumphant queries if you don't nominate Seward where will you get your money these were the weapons only only of the lowest stratum of New York politicians yet they had the most damaging effect Weston has replied that they had been the first to form a republican organization that they did not believe in carrying elections by money and that they could earn what was needed by splitting rails at 50 cents a day as you know the slogan for the Lincoln people was Lincoln the rail splitter what was more effective the Lincoln managers tried to make friends in all delegations enemies in none full event of the second day the adoption of a platform was lifted to high interest by the economic realism of the document and by a dramatic Clash over the incorporation of Jeffersonian Doctrine the platform as a whole was generally regarded as admirable it has been said that its mingled idealism and materialism represented the union of Jefferson and Hamilton of Jefferson and Clay everyone liked its negative features its denunciation of like comptonism popular sovereignty the movement to revive the slave trade and disunion nearly everyone approved in Innovation for which Eli Thayer later claimed credit with a declaration that the normal condition of all territories was freedom and that legislation to maintain it was passed only when necessary even Greeley agreed that Congress could not positively prohibit slavery in a territory where it could not possibly exist this was a conservative feature and the conservatives also dropped the insulting and an accurate phrase of 1856 about twin relics of barbarism from the platform but Joshua Giddings discerned one fall the resolutions failed to reaffirm those truths of the Declaration of Independence which had been quoted four years earlier when he moved to add Jefferson's words upon life liberty and the pursuit of happiness to the preamble conservative members objected that they were inappropriate and the convention voted gettings down in humiliation the venerable free soiler Rose to leave the hall his friends clustered about to dissuade him George William Curtis Rose in the midst of the New York delegation his tall form caught every eye and his Rich musical voice held every year as he moved to amend the second resolution by the words of the Declaration chairman Ashman irritated tried to pass on to other business but Frank Blair supported the young editor and insisted upon a vote will the convention ask Curtis go before the nation as rejecting the Declaration of Independence I Rise simply he said to ask gentlemen to think well before upon the free fairies of the West in the summer of 1860 they dare to wince and quail before the assertions of the men of Philadelphia in 1776. a crash of Cheers shook the rafter the motion was unanimously carried and ten thousand voices loosed a deafening Salva as Giddings his snowy head radiantly elect wrecked came back to his seat third day Friday brought the crisis of the struggle over nominations at dawn Seward's Victory still seemed inevitable to most friends and many foes Greeley use the great editor of course from New York he's the one who said Go West Young man go west really whose antagonism had become increasingly bitter as the excitement in Chicago mounted had telegraphed the Tribune during the night at the failure of the opposing delegations to agree on any one man had made it almost certain the Seward delegates believing any concentration of the Hostile force is impossible breakfasted with triumphant faces they made inquiries in perfect good faith as to the wishes of the supporter of Bates Chase Cameron and Lincoln respecting a vice presidential candidate and the convention was open at 10 by 8 o'clock the street was full of people hastening to The Wigwam by nine that structure was tightly packed for the great Concourse of south side most of the delegates formed in procession with bands playing Lively airs and as they trooped into the Central Area Applause greeted every prominent figure several politicians were making speeches outside and while the opening prayer was being offered the Roar of their audiences came in recurrent gusts and electric excitement seemed almost to make the air Crackle as the chairman announced that the pending business was a nomination for the presidency of the United States in reality more had been done to achieve a last-minute Union of forces against Seward than Greeley or any other observers gassed the astute leaders of the Illinois delegation grasping the situation had been busy all night laying plans and moving from caucus to caucus room they were being aided by the Republican candidates for the governorship in Pennsylvania and Indiana who were convinced that the nomination of Seward would be the death to their hopes for that of Lincoln would mean Victory one of the great problems of course for any candidate must be he must not only be able to convince his party leaders that he can win himself but all the people who are running for the Senate the governor for congress they must be convinced that the presidential candidate will be of assistance to them in their respective States and here in Indiana and Pennsylvania these two candidates for Governor quite obviously felt that Abraham Lincoln would help them more than of Illinois more than Mr Seward of New York at one in the morning Murat Halstead historian of the convention saw the pale Haggard lane racing from room to room in the Tremont house to Rally the doubtful the illinoisians knew that evets shirts and Austin Blair floor leaders of the New York Wisconsin and Michigan delegation hope to plunge through to victory in the first two or three ballots with 233 votes necessary to nominate Seward would come within the 70 of that total on the first roll call could he then be stopped Seward was so close it was quite obviously up to him to win right away he would get they'd be very close in the first ballot he'd have to begin to get more and more on the second or third or quite obviously then he would be defeated and someone else would win yeah during this time of the senators and other people who are running are they usually making speeches well no they're all there to nominate the president and they're all going around trying to get their candidate nominated and not made and then different Party leaders are making the speeches but the nominations don't go in until the call is made and then just those who are nominating the different presidential candidates make speeches during their sleepless night the Lincoln enthusiasts left no measure neglected they knew the importance of overwhelming the Seward gallery Davis who is Lincoln's manager Davis saw to the preparation of a thousand counterfeit tickets which were issued to as many men drilled to cheer for Lincoln and a boners refuted to be able to shout clear across Lake Michigan with a stentor hurriedly brought in from Ottawa which put in charge of their forces this in other words to load the gallery to shout for Lincoln Lincoln had sent a paper to headquarters reading make no contracts that will bind me but as one Lieutenant swore and others protested Davis swept it aside with a Curt Lincoln ain't here and don't know what we have to meet in other words Lincoln didn't want to make any promises about officers he would give to people if he were nominated for the presidency Davis said well Lincoln isn't here and doesn't know what we have to put up with so we're not going to pay attention to that the Illinois leaders that night addressed two main pleas to the men of Indiana Pennsylvania and New Jersey one was based on party expediency the ultra radical Seward could never carry these four crucial States the other plea embraced an offer of post-election rewards necessarily these offers were made orally and under circumstances of partial secrecy the evidence is overwhelming however that David Davis virtually promised a cabinet position to Caleb B Smith reputedly the most influential Indiana delegate Smith was more than receptive indeed he seems to have laid a little trap to obtain the pledge for according to another Indiana he made Davis believe that unless he got the promise of the cabinet placed the delegation would plump pursue it and then the fellow said when the truth was that none of us cared for Smith and after we got to Chicago and looked over the ground all were for Lincoln in any case it looks like Lincoln's manages fastened upon Indiana Pennsylvania and New Jersey is vital and that they made some commitments to the leaders of those States in order to get their support it was David Davis Lincoln's campaign manager he was that's right he was representing Lincoln there the crowd was yes [Music] they were all uh around and trying to get their people and trying to make all these Arrangements which unfortunately is sometimes made at these conventions the crowd was there it had flooded in every nook of the wig wall it had invaded the stage reserved for delegates and newspaper man it milled in a tumultuous throng about the building communicating with its members Inside by men posted on the roof what pan asked one who was present could adequately describe this alert audience of ten thousand Freeman the low wave-like Roar of its ordinary conversation the rolling chairs that greeted a popular favor it was something irresistibly stirring about its United voice A Thrill pervaded The Concourse as it saw ballots being distributed and as William M Abbotts Rose to make his first nomination then a process of unadawned simplicity in the order of business before the convention series said I take the Liberty to name as a candidate to be nominated by this convention for the office of President of the United States William H Seward I had the owner of placing a nomination for the presidency in 1956 in Chicago at the Democratic Convention adley Stevenson but in those in these times we make somewhat longer speeches in those days they just presented the name and they didn't or rate long continued Applause followed then Norman B Judd was on his feet I desire on behalf of the delegation from Illinois he shouted to put in nomination as a candidate for president of the United States Abraham Lincoln of Illinois instantly the assemblage Rose in a deafening response Wildwood excitement men shouting women waving their handkerchiefs and a tremendous Roar echoed from the masses outside it was High Noon as the balloting began nobody expected the first poll to do more than indicate the general trends all the favorite Sons receive their due tribute calmer Dayton and others bates's following was lamentably small for a trail just behind Cameron and Chase fifth in the whole roster the two highest votes showed when the battle showed where the battle was to Center Sue at 173 and one high Lincoln 102. call the roll came from a multitude of throat this time in the second ballot the swing of the tide was unmistakable most of Cameron's delegates came to Lincoln so did column is 10. so did six from Chase and McLean's Seward's followers grew sick at heart as they saw their leader held at a practical standstill while Lincoln Drew fairly abreast the racing pencils quickly footed up the totals through at 184 and one half Lincoln 181 page 35 scattering 42. if Lincoln could be kept in movable there was still a chance that Seward's men might swing over the other leaders reputed to be radical Chase but the crowd wilder than ever and its enthusiasm over Lincoln's gains was shouting jubilantly then without a pause the third ballot began it was preceded only to the fourth state when Massachusetts suddenly changed four votes from Seward to Lincoln and this Herald of the Avalanche Rhode Island gave Lincoln two new votes New Jersey for the first time gave him eight instead of 48 from Pennsylvania he now had 52. instead of none from Maryland he had nine a token that the blaze had given up on Bates and were on Lincoln's side Seward losing one vote in Maryland and another in Kentucky was actually dropping back once more the Swift pencils of the spectators had the result before it was officially tabulated Lincoln 231 and one-half Sue at 180. some of the New Yorkers were in tears if two delegates changed their votes Lincoln was nominated a profound Stillness writes one spectator fell upon the wig wall the men ceased to talk and the ladies to flood of their fans one could distinctly hear the scratching of pencils and the ticking of telegraph instruments on the reporters table an Ohio delegate jumped to his feet and announced four new Lincoln votes taken from the chase column a pause of one moment ensued a telewaved his tally sheet towards the Skylight and shouted a single word the Deep boom of the cannon on the roof through Echoes flying across the city and from the crowd in the streets came a wild pandemonium of Cheers a wave of sound that mingled with a happy uproar inside the building and so Abraham Lincoln was nominated and so history was made I hope that all of you who might be listening in especially parents would take it upon yourselves with families growing up to read to them as much as possible I remember when I was growing up my mother read to me mostly from American history and from that time forward my interest in it grew grape I think if you could read to them and have them read together discuss what you're reading and they will get a greater interest through your personality and through their feeling for you they will get a greater interest in what you're interested in Abraham Lincoln said that if we know want to know where we're going we must know where we've been and I think that any kind of reading is helpful and useful in making happier citizens of your children I think particularly the reading of American history foreign [Music] no no no no no no no no no foreign [Music]