The Republican Party Nomination
The Republican Convention took place in Chicago in May of 1860. Senator William H. Seward at first appeared to be the party's obvious choice as candidate for election. When Abraham Lincoln stepped in, unlike Seward who was widely known, Lincoln was relatively unknown. Lincoln hadn't had as much opportunity in the past to offend his fellow republicans. Seward was said to be too outspoken against slavery to win the election. As part of his nomination Lincoln promised to stop the spread of slavery "as with a chain of steel". At the same time however, he reassured the Southerners that he would not "directly, or indirectly, interfere with their slaves, or with them, about their slaves". In the South's eyes, Lincoln would be known as "the greatest evil that has ever befallen this country". In the Republicans eyes, Lincoln was trusted by them because of his old-fashioned common sense. It was from here that Lincoln would run against three major candidates for office in the election of 1860.