Abraham Lincoln Quotes
This is essentially a people’s contest.
While there had been American wars (the War of 1812 and the Mexican War) where there were many Americans against the war and/or had little idea why they were fighting, the American Civil War was very different. The number of volunteers was very great, and even civilians knew what they and their kinsmen were fighting for. Except, the South was fighting for disunion so that they could maintain slavery while the people of the North were fighting for Union. But almost everyone was involved and most passionately so. It was not until WWII that so many Americans backed a war effort and those were the only two wars that could be called “peoples wars” as opposed to politicians wars. However, even in those two wars, there were a few pacifists.
Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865, 16th President of the United States (Republican, IL), Observation about the then new Civil War, July 4, 1861
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
At the time, the convention delegates picked the party Presidential nominee without any direct role of the voters. The so called “smoke-filled room” of party bosses. When TR decided to run again for the Presidency there was an incumbent Republican President, Taft. However most Republicans in the country preferred Roosevelt who had served two very successful terms as President. But there were no primary elections in those days and there was no way for the party voters preferences to heavily influence the process. The Party bosses, who never liked TR because of his independence, nominated Taft. Roosevelt ran as a 3rd party candidate and actually out polled Taft. However, the Democrat, Woodrow Wilson got more votes than Roosevelt, who would have easily won if the republicans had nominated TR as the majority of the party wanted.
The State Constitutional ratification convention for Constitutional amendments is
Madison was right on most things, but got this one wrong. Of course he did not anticipate the era of mass communication which makes demagoguery in large areas possible.
In the Watergate crisis H. R. Haldeman had asked for a Presidential pardon. A discussion of the request was held by some White House staff members:
Abraham Lincoln was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.
