The nomination of Fremont was engineered by some of the shrewdest of the old Democratic leaders, most conspicuous of whom was the elder Francis P. Blair, who had been one of the most sagacious of the Democratic politicians during the administrations of Jackson, Van Buren, and Polk. They believed it best to take a candidate for the Presidency who had no political record whatever to antagonize the conflicting political views which must be united to give the party success; and Fremont was young, had served in the army with credit, had made what then were regarded as wonderful explorations in the Rocky Mountains, and had the distinction of having been forced to retire from the army for what was claimed to have been conspicuously heroic and patriotic action on his part. He had never said anything or done anything to offend any political prejudice. It turned out that he was strongest where he was least known. The old California Forty-niners, who were back in Pennsylvania, and some of them prominent in politics, did not enthuse over Fremont’s nomination. I distinctly recollect the trite summing up of Fremont’s qualities by one who had been with him in California by saying: “Fremont is a millionaire without a dollar, a soldier who never fought a battle, and a statesman who never made a speech;” but that his nomination was altogether the strongest that could have been made in the Philadelphia convention cannot be doubted by any who study the history of that contest and the marvellous political revolution it wrought. Henry S. Lane, of Indiana, presided over the convention, and a single ballot was had for President, as follows: ══════════════╤══════════╤════════ STATES. │ Fremont. │ McLean. ──────────────┼──────────┼──────── Maine │ 13 │ 11 New Hampshire │ 15 │ ―― Vermont │ 15 │ ―― Massachusetts │ 39 │ ―― Rhode Island │ 12 │ ―― Connecticut │ 18 │ ―― New York │ 93 │ 3 New Jersey │ 7 │ 14 Pennsylvania │ 10 │ 71 Delaware │ ―― │ 9 Maryland │ 4 │ 3 Ohio │ 30 │ 39 Indiana │ 18 │ 21 Illinois │ 14 │ 19 Michigan │ 18 │ ―― Wisconsin │ 15 │ ―― Iowa │ 12 │ ―― Minnesota │ ―― │ 3 Kansas │ 9 │ ―― Nebraska │ ―― │ 3 Kentucky │ 5 │ ―― California │ 12 │ ―― ├──────────┼──────── Totals │ 359 │ 196 ══════════════╧══════════╧════════ The nomination of Fremont was made unanimous with great enthusiasm, and there was only one ballot for Vice-President, resulting as follows: