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The Election of 1860: The Whig National Convention

Scotts Decision
After months of contemplation, President Winfield Scott decided to run for an unprecedented 3rd term. He feels that the nation needs to stay under a consistent leadership during crisis, and that a change in leadership would result in a change of war strategy, which could harm the effort to bring the south back into the fold. He wants to keep foreign nations out of the conflict, whether they side with the Union or the Confederacy.

William Seward
After serving as the Secretary of State since the Clay administration. He wants to change the war strategy by employing the “Virginia Strategy”, instead of the “Missouri Strategy”. He is not against foreign involvement, as long as it’s one the side of the Union, and no soldiers are placed on American soil. He is also pro-expansionist. He believes that Scott should not run for a third term. He would prefer that the war would be solved diplomatically by making concessions to the southern states in exchange for an end to hostilities and for their return to the Union.

Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln has been serving as Scott’s vice president since 1857. He is opposed to slavery, and is the symbolic leader of the abolitionist faction of the Whig Party. He has promised to run for the presidency, regardless of whether or not he wins the Party nomination. He also wants to change the war strategy, but instead of going for the “Virginia Strategy”, he wants to make the “Missouri” strategy the national strategy. He also promises that he would promote John C. Fremont to the position of Commanding General of the United States Army. He doesn’t want any kind of foreign involvement.
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