, took occasion in his letter of acceptance to renew his
assurances of devotion to the Union, the Constitution, the laws, and the
flag of his country. After having thus absolutely repudiated the
platform upon which he was nominated, he coolly concluded:

"Believing that the views here expressed are those of the convention and
the people you represent, I accept the nomination."

His only possible chance of success lay, of course, in his war record.
His position as a candidate on a platform of dishonorable peace would
have been no less desperate than ridiculous. But the stars in their
courses fought against the Democratic candidates. Even before the
convention that nominated them, Farragut had won the splendid victory of
Mobile Bay; during the very hours when the streets of Chicago were
blazing with Democratic torches, Hood was preparing to evacuate Atlanta;
and the same newspaper that printed Vallandigham's peace platform
announced Sherman's entrance into the manufacturing metropolis of
Georgia. The darkest hour had passed; dawn was at hand, and amid the
thanksgivings of a grateful people, and the joyful salutes of great
guns, the presidential campaign began.

When the country awoke to the true significance of the Chicago platform,
the successes of Sherman excited the enthusiasm of the people, and the
Unionists, arousing from their midsummer languor, began to show their
confidence in the Republican candidate, the hopelessness of all efforts
to undermine him became evident.

The electoral contest began with the picket firing in Vermont and Maine
in September, was continued in what might be called the grand guard
fighting in October in the great States of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and
Indiana, and the final battle took place all along the line on November
8. To Mr. Lincoln this was one of the most solemn days of his life.
Assured of his personal success, and made devoutly confident by the
military successes of the last few weeks that the day of peace and the
reestablishment of the Union was at hand, he felt no elation, and no
sense of triumph over his opponents. The thoughts that filled his mind
were expressed in the closing sentences of the little speech he made in
response to a group of serenaders that greeted him when, in the early
morning hours, he left the War Department, where he had gone on the
evening of election to receive the returns:

"I am thankful to God for this approval of the people; but, while deeply
gratef