Northwest Indiana Discussion

Every year the Lake County Republicans have a Lincoln Day Fundraiser, largest event of the year for them as far as I can tell.

Up until 1856, the republican party didn't even exist, the democrats and the whigs were the big players in American politics. John Brown, an abolitionist was doing a fair job of slaughtering people who supported slavery out on the frontier. A plot was formed (Harper's Ferry) that only became plausible with financial support from Northern sympathizers.

Harper's Ferry, the uprising was a dismal failure, Harper's Ferry, the concept, changed the course of American history. But who were these northern financiers? William Seward (of Seward's folly fame, the purchaser of Alaska) is mentioned in history as a backer of John Brown. Seward, is also credited by many historians as giving birth to the republican party and was Lincoln's Secretary of State.

Why did the republican party come into existence? Don't you believe that somewhere along the line some whig or democrat asked Lincoln why he was wasting his time forming something new? Have any of you ever been to the Lincoln Library? He was vilified from ALL sides and editorials North and South openly pondered if his assination wouldn't be a positive for the nation.

I find it ironic that a (local) faction of a political party that itself was formed from a minority of citizens, has morphed into an institution that seeks to alienate voices of opposition.

So to answer a question, four years from now if there are two elected republicans north of the expressway, using your parameters, then it would be more republican than it is now. But by my standards, your parameters are feeble.

And instead of a Lincoln Day dinner, maybe they should have a William Seward Day dinner.

As a side note, John Wilkes Boothe was at Harper's Ferry. He wasn't actually a member of the Virginia Grey's, but bought a pair of trousers and jacket from a member and boarded the train with the troops. He helped guard the courthouse where Brown was being held and had several opportunities to converse with the man.

Boothe actually admired John Brown (but not in the way you might think) and used many of Brown's tactics in his plot against the Lincoln administration.

When Lincoln was killed, a larger conspiracy was in the works.

Seward was attacked in his home by a man named George Atzelrod. He was stabbed in the face several times and only survived because a week prior he had been involved in a carriage accident and had broken his jaw. A metal device covered his face and neck, protecting him from the worst of the attack. His son and nurse did not fare so well, his son had his skull caved in by the butt of Atzelrods revolver and the nurse was stabbed several times.

The Vice-President was at home, unguarded, his assailant was outside his residence and for some unexplained reason left and went to a saloon and got drunk. The true extent of the conspiracy and those involved has been lost to history.

Mary Surratt, an inn-keeper and alleged co-conspirator, was the first woman executed by the Federal Government in the history of the United States. Her son John was most certainly in on it. The conspirators met at the inn on a regular basis and a cache of weapons was found there in a search after the murder of the President.

It was published in the papers that day that General Grant and his wife would accompany the Lincoln's to the theater that night, but Grant wasn't even in Washington. Major Rathbone and his date for the evening took their place. Major Rathbone was stabbed by Boothe and almost died from the injury. Due to lack of care (everyone was attending the president).

A single shot entered the center of the back of Lincoln's head, and lodged above and behind his right eye. He lived for almost eleven hours after being shot.