Lincoln, Conservatism, and Liberalism

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I went to his wikipedia page, and to my surprise I saw the only political experience he had before President was one term in the US House of Representatives. I had always assumed he was a Senator.

He ran for the Senate but lost.  He also served in the Illinois legislature for several years. 

Yes. At one point, in order to stop a bill from passing, he and several other Whig members jumped out a window to deprive the Democrats of a quorum.

I went to his wikipedia page, and to my surprise I saw the only political experience he had before President was one term in the US House of Representatives. I had always assumed he was a Senator.

That is because he did so well debating Douglas. He actually won the popular vote, which post 17th amendment, would have made him Senator. The State legislative districts were gerrymandered enough to preserve a Dem majority in the state legislature and thus reelect Douglas.

Lincoln was most certainly a Liberal within the context of nineteenth century politics, much like every American politician of his day that didn't own slaves/sympathise with those that did.

Compared to other countries, almost every American politician was liberal. Of course the term liberal had a slightly different meaning back then as well.

Lincoln was most certainly a Liberal within the context of nineteenth century politics, much like every American politician of his day that didn't own slaves/sympathise with those that did.

Hamilton didn't own slaves, and I think today he is consistently considered a conservative.

This is where ideological labels become difficult. Lincoln's economic policies were essentially the same ones put forth by Hamilton and then repackaged by Clay as "The American System".

Not to mention his suspension of Habeas Corpus, and invading the south.

Oh my, "The Cause".

Also, how were the Democrats different? Were they the more Conservative party?

At different points, yes. Especially in preserving Slavery and instituting segregation. Though it should be noted that the Populist movement arised from within that very same Democratic coalition, and so did sometimes Progressive Woodrow Wilson, a southerner and racist.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Well, from what I could gather...

For awhile Lincoln was part of the Illinois delegation to Congress. He opposed Polk and the war with Mexico, and the latter cost him his support for renomination by the Whigs. The Whigs were in decline at the time that favored modernity, tariffs, and national integration - whereas the Democrats favored laissez-faire economics, free trade, small government, and states' rights. Lincoln left politics for awhile and as a lawyer developed a deep-seated loathing of injustices and oppression. It is also noteworthy that he refused to demand more pay from his clients than he felt his services were worth or they could reasonably afford. At the time Lincoln felt slavery should be left to the individual states and that abolitionists were doing more harm than good, but with time a fellow by the name of William H. Herdon talked him into a more rigorous position on the matter.

When the Republican Party formed Lincoln liked its abolitionist-friendly platform, helped organize it in Illinois, and despite his relative obscurity got floated as a possible pick for VP by the party's first national convention. Debates in Illinois between Lincoln and Douglas about the slavery issue during a race for the U.S. Senate got a lot of attention; others running for office used their support of one man or the other as a campaign pitch. Later, on his way to Washington after winning the Presidency, he assured people that war was unnecessary and that the North-South crisis was mostly an artificial one. Given the constituencies parties had back then it was not always obvious who was "liberal" or "conservative" all-around but it seems the GOP was progressive in that era.

The Lincoln administration offered federal land-grants to colleges and land to homesteaders. It established a national banking system, paper currency, National Academy of Sciences, excise taxes, income taxes, and a Freedmen's Bureau to provide freed Southern slaves with food, clothing, land, and health care. A Constitutional amendment was passed to abolish slavery, Lincoln declared amnesty for most rebels willing to take an oath of loyalty to the Union, and leaned toward reconciliation in his plan for Reconstruction but never lived to see through its implementation.

I do beleive its Herndon not Herdon.

... Though it should be noted that the Populist movement arised from within that very same Democratic coalition, and so did sometimes Progressive Woodrow Wilson, a southerner and racist.

As was well said earlier ...

I didn't see it in this thread.

This is where ideological labels become difficult.

Is Populism liberal?

[/quote]

Its not exactly conservative in nature either especially when you look at the policies proposed to deal with railroads etc. Hence why I said ideological labels are "difficult".

Another thing to consider.    When the European revolutions of 1848 failed, radicals immigrated to the US to escape persecution in Europe.  These radicals became part of the Republican party in the 1850s.

For examples:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Willich
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Weydemeyer

The Republican Party included such diverse characters at the time. Whigs, Democrats, Free-soilers, Know-Nothings. So the inclusion of a few radicals and Communists wouldn't surprise me. 

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Not to mention his suspension of Habeas Corpus, and invading the south.

Oh my, "The Cause".

Is it an upgrade from "The Lost Cause"?

It's important to remember that in the context of "Labor" in the south wasn't like in the North. So advertising something akin to socialism in the South was different, because they were horribly treated. So a revolt of the "Labor class" in the south was seen as better than in the North. At least to the damnyankees.

Its actually a shameless steal of a line from the movie Gettysburg. Which takes place just around the time it became "The Lost Cause". Though really in hindsight, it was a lost cause from the moment Fort Sumter was fired upon.

Support of whiggish business-friendly governmental implements of the American System (infrastructure, protective tariff, central bank) would not be considered "liberal" in a 19th century context.

On the other hand, Abraham Lincoln did possess some genuinely liberal inclinations, and that explains his ability to maintain a viable political coalition throughout the Civil War.

Indeed, in fact Lincoln depended on maintaining support of the laboring class and not just in America. In Britain, after the initial impact of the lost availability of cotton drove working classes to be sympathetic of the south, the Lincoln administration and its representatives came to rely on the them push Palmerston more towards real neutrality and away from the South.