Lincoln on Democracy

"SOLE HOPE OF THE FUTURE"

148 LINCOLN ON DEMOCRACY majority of the electoral vote, and so he won the election. But his party failed to win a majority of the seats in either house of Congress. Thus the Republicans could expect to control only one of the three branches of the federal government-the executive, but not the legislative or the judicial branch. They would not yet be in a position to carry out any part of their program. Nevertheless, the Southern secessionists determined to make good their recent threats of disunion. South Carolina led offby promptly scheduling a popular convention to arrange for the secession of that state. No sooner was Lincoln elected than he had to face the worrisome prospect of presiding over a country in the throes of dissolution. "SOLE HOPE OF THE FUTURE" From a Lecture on Discoveries and Inventions, Jacksonville, Decatur, and Springfield [FEBRUARY II, 1859] "/ am not a professional lecturer," Lincoln maintained after delivering this talk. He thought it "a rather poor one," though it brought forth "hearty bursts of applause, l' according to a newspaper report. Cleverly politicizing his topic, Lincoln began the lecture by pretending to praise "Young America." This was a slogan of Stephen A. Douglas and other jingoistic Democrats who advocated territorial expansion for the United States and the overthrow of monarchy in Europe. They contended that anyone opposing them must be an "Old Fogy" who objected to allprogress. Lincoln was actually making sly fun of some of the "Young America" notions. He proceeded to argue that real progress depended on "useful discoveries and inventions." Lincoln and the Race for President, 1859-1860 149 We have all heard of Young America. He is the most current youth of the age. Some think him conceited, and arrogrant; but has he not reason to entertain a rather extensive opinion of himself? Is he not the inventor and owner of the present, and sole hope of the future? Men, and things, everywhere, are ministering unto him. Look at his apparel, and you shall see cotten fabrics from Manchester and Lowell; flax-linen from Ireland; wood-cloth from [Spain;] silk from France; furs from the Arctic regions, with a buffalo-robe from the Rocky Mountains, as a general out-sider. At his table, besides plain bread and meat made at home, are sugar from Louisiana; coffee and fruits from the tropics; salt from Turk's Island; fish from New-foundland; tea from China, and spices from the Indies. The whale of the Pacific furnishes his candlelight ; he has a diamond-ring from Brazil; a gold-watch from California, and a spanish cigar from Havanna. He not only has a present supply of all these, and much more; but thousands of hands are engaged in producing fresh supplies, and other thousands, in bringing them to him. The iron horse is panting, and impatient, to carry him everywhere, in no time; and the lightening stands ready harnessed to take and bring his tidings in a trifle less than no time. He owns a large part ofthe world, by right of possessing it; and all the rest by right of wanting it, and intending to have it. As Plato had for the immortality of the soul, so Young America has "a pleasing hope-a fond desire-a longing after" teritory. He has a great passion-a perfect rage-for the "new"; particularly new men for office, and the new earth mentioned in the revelations , in which, being no more sea, there must be about three times as much land as in the present. He is a great friend of humanity; and his desire for land is not selfish, but merely an impulse to extend the area of freedom. He is very anxious to fight for the liberation of enslaved nations and colonies, provided, always, they have land, and have not any liking for his interference. As to those who have no land, and would be glad of help from any quarter, he considers, they can afford to wait a few hundred years longer. In knowledge he is particularly rich. He knows all that can possibly be known; inclines to believe in spiritual rappings, and is the unquestioned inventor of "Manifest Destiny. " His horror is for all that is old, particularly "Old Fogy"; and ifthere be any thing old which he can endure, it is only old whiskey and old tobacco. If the said Young America really is, as he claims to be, the owner of all present, it must be admitted that...