When the last State was called it was known that Lincoln was either nominated or very close to it. The vote as recorded was 231¹⁄₂ for Lincoln, being 2¹⁄₂ votes short of a majority, and 180 for Seward, with some 50 scattering. Before the result was announced Chairman Carter, of Ohio, got up on his chair to assure the attention of the President, and said:
“I rise to announce the change of four votes from Ohio from Mr. Chase to Abraham Lincoln.”
It was known then that this gave Lincoln the majority, and I have never before nor since witnessed such a scene as was made by the great mass of the Lincoln people who were in the hall. A large charcoal picture of Lincoln was presented in the gallery at the rear of the hall, and the whole vast audience, with few exceptions outside of the New York delegation, rose to indulge in the wildest enthusiasm for some minutes.
When order was finally restored, Maine, Massachusetts, and Missouri changed a number of votes to Lincoln, giving him a total of 354, being 120 odd votes more than he needed. When the vote was announced by the President cheers broke out afresh, but they soon quieted down to await the action of the New York delegation that was expected to move the unanimous nomination. There was certainly fully five minutes of dead silence in the body, as the New York delegates were mortified beyond expression at their discomfiture; but after a long wait that seemed to be vastly longer than it was, the tall form of William M. Evarts arose, and with reluctance that was unconcealed said:
“Mr. President, I move that the nomination of Abraham Lincoln be made unanimous.”
Governor Andrew, of Massachusetts, rose as soon as he saw Evarts rise, and when Evarts’s motion was made Andrew seconded it, and with the unanimous vote of the convention and the heartiest huzzas from the many thousands who witnessed the proceedings, Abraham Lincoln was declared the Republican candidate for President. The convention adjourned to meet again in the evening to nominate a candidate for Vice-President.
As there will be general interest felt in the proceedings of the Republican National Convention that gave the country the first Republican President in Abraham Lincoln, I give the detailed vote of each State represented in the convention on the three ballots for President, as follows:
| STATES. | 1st Ballot. | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seward. | Lincoln. | Wade. | Cameron. | Bates. | McLean. | Read. | Chase. | Dayton. | Sumner. | Fremont. | Collamer. | |||
| Maine | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| New Hampshire | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | ||
| Vermont | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | ||
| Massachusetts | 21 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Rhode Island | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||
| Connecticut | — | 2 | 1 | — | 7 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | ||
| New York | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| New Jersey | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | ||
| Pennsylvania | 1 | ¹⁄₂ | 4 | — | 47 | ¹⁄₂ | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Maryland | 3 | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Delaware | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Virginia | 8 | 14 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Kentucky | 5 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 8 | — | 1 | — | — | ||
| Ohio | — | 8 | — | — | — | 4 | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | ||
| Indiana | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Missouri | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Michigan | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Illinois | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Texas | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Wisconsin | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Iowa | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | ||
| California | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Minnesota | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Oregon | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Kansas | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Nebraska | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | ||
| District of Columbia | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Totals | 173 | ¹⁄₂ | 102 | 3 | 50 | ¹⁄₂ | 48 | 12 | 1 | 49 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| STATES. | 2d Ballot. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seward. | Lincoln. | Bates. | Cameron. | McLean. | Chase. | Dayton. | C. M. Clay. | ||||
| Maine | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| New Hampshire | 1 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Vermont | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Massachusetts | 22 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Rhode Island | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | |||
| Connecticut | — | 4 | 4 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | |||
| New York | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| New Jersey | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | |||
| Pennsylvania | 2 | ¹⁄₂ | 48 | — | 1 | 2 | ¹⁄₂ | — | — | — | |
| Maryland | 3 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Delaware | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Virginia | 8 | 14 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | |||
| Kentucky | 7 | 9 | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | |||
| Ohio | — | 14 | — | — | 3 | 29 | — | — | |||
| Indiana | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Missouri | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Michigan | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Illinois | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Texas | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Wisconsin | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Iowa | 2 | 5 | — | — | ¹⁄₂ | ¹⁄₂ | — | — | |||
| California | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Minnesota | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Oregon | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Kansas | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Nebraska | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | |||
| Dist. of Columbia | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Totals | 184 | ¹⁄₂ | 181 | 35 | 2 | 8 | 42 | ¹⁄₂ | 10 | 2 | |
| STATES. | 3d Ballot. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seward. | Bates. | Chase. | Lincoln. | McLean. | Dayton. | C. M. Clay. | |||
| Maine | 10 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | ||
| New Hampshire | 1 | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | ||
| Vermont | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | ||
| Massachusetts | 18 | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | ||
| Rhode Island | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | — | ||
| Connecticut | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 1 | ||
| New York | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| New Jersey | 5 | — | — | 8 | — | 1 | — | ||
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — | 52 | 2 | — | — | ||
| Maryland | 2 | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | ||
| Delaware | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | ||
| Virginia | 8 | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | ||
| Kentucky | 6 | — | 4 | 13 | — | — | — | ||
| Ohio | — | — | 15 | 29 | 2 | — | — | ||
| Indiana | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | — | ||
| Missouri | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Michigan | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Illinois | — | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | ||
| Texas | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Wisconsin | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Iowa | 2 | — | ¹⁄₂ | 5 | ¹⁄₂ | — | — | — | |
| California | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Minnesota | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Oregon | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | ||
| Kansas | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Nebraska | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | ||
| Dist. of Columbia | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Totals | 180 | 22 | 24 | ¹⁄₂ | 231 | ¹⁄₂ | 5 | 1 | 1 |