The fact that Lincoln and political rival William H. Seward closed ranks in the 1860 presidential campaign can be credited to the generosity of both men. When Seward campaigned in the West for the Republican ticket in late September and early October, Lincoln was among the crowd of well-wishers at the station in Springfield when Seward reached the Illinois capital. Republican victories in state elections in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana elicited Lincoln’s optimistic view of his party’s chances in the upcoming general election, which was scheduled for November 6, 1860.

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It now really looks as if the government is about to fall into our hands. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana have surpassed all expectation, even the most extravagant.