Political text-book for 1860 : comprising a brief view of presidential nominations and elections, including all the national platforms ever yet adopted ... with the most notable speeches and letters of Messrs. Lincoln, Douglas, Bell, Cass, Seward, Everett, Breckinridge, H.V. Johnson, etc., etc., touching the questions of the day : and returns of all presidential elections since 1836

Page 6

• • E.Ynnao according to Act of Oonv~s, In the year 1860, by TllE TRIDUNI ASSOCIATIO~, In th.e Cl~rk's Otlict! or the District Court of the l" •llted States for the Southern Di;>trict or Nc x York. \V. 1L TI'KSON, Stereotyper, ADVERTISEMENT. Tu:E. single end of this book is the presentation, in a compact and convenient form, of the more important facts, votes, resolves, letters, speeches, reports and other documents, which elucidate the political contest now agitating this country. It has been our aim to let every candidate and other important per­sonag~ speak for himself, make his own platform, and vindicate (ifhe may) his own consistency and the soundness of his Yiews on the great questions w bich underlie our current politics . Of course, such a work can have but a comparative merit. ~fake it eYer so large, and still many things must he omitted that the compiler would wi~h to , insert; and every critic will plausibly ask, "Why insert this and omit that? Why give so much of A. and so little of B.?" Beside, it is not always possi­ble to remember, or, if remembered, to find, all that would be valued in a work like this. Wo can only say tha• we have done our best : let him do better who can. Inaccuracy of citation is one of the chief vices of our political discussions. You can hardly listen to a set speech, even from a well-informed anu truthful canvasser, which is not marred by some misapprehension or unconscious mis­statement of the position and views of this or that prominent statesman. Documents, heedlessly read and long since lost or mislaid, are quoted from with fluency and confidence, as though with indubitable accuracy, when the citations so made do gross injustice to their author, and tend to misleau the hearer. Wo believe the documents collected in this work arc so pr1nted that their general nccuracy may be safely relied on. By canvassers of all parties, we trust ®r Text-Book will be found conve­nient, not to say indispensable. But those who only listen, and read, and reflect, will also find it a manifest help to a clear understanding of the issues and contentions of the day. They will be interested in comparing the actual posi­tions taken by Mr. Lincoln, or Mr. Douglas, or Gen. Cass, or Mr. Everett, as faithfully set forth in this work, with those confidently attributed to that statesman in the flr.cnt harangue of some political opponent, who is intent on blazoning his in(()ll.Jibt.ency or proving his insincerity. To verify auu correct U1