ALMOST PRESIDENT: HANNIBAL HAMLIN, PART III


In 1868, Hamlin’s name was placed in contention for the Republican Vice Presidential nomination. The nomination finally went to Schulyer Colfax (who had greeted Hamlin as “Mr. Vice President” in that hotel room in 1860). Grant and Colfax went on to win the election in 1868, and Hamlin later that year was re-elected to the Senate (replacing William Pitt Fessenden who had broken with the party by voting for Johnson in the impeachment proceedings thus ending his political career). Hamlin returned to the Senate in triumph and served two terms as a respected elder statesman.

In 1877, Hamlin collapsed in the Senate cloakroom. This was the first sign of heart disease that eventually claimed his life. He declined to run for re-election in 1880, and retired. That year, Republican James Garfield was elected President, and he in turn appointed Maine’s James G. Blaine as Secretary of State. Blaine appointed Hamlin as Minister to Spain. The position carried few duties, and Hamlin spent most of his time touring Spain at the taxpayer’s expense. He was greeted by the various foreign ministers as a man of great importance because of his tenure as Vice President. In 1882, he returned home and retired from public service.

His last public appearance was made in February 1891 at a celebration of Lincoln’s birthday at Delmonico’s in Boston. He was hailed as “The Surviving Standard-Bearer of 1860.” On July 4, 1891, Hamlin, just short of his 82nd birthday, walked to the Tarratine Club of Bangor. He had founded the club and went there every day (except Sundays) to play cards. While playing cards, he collapsed and died later that night.

Largely forgotten by popular history, Hannibal Hamlin was a highly respected and popular leader. He came very close to becoming President, and later came very close to changing history (had he been elected to the Senate instead of William Pitt Fessenden). He was quietly but largely influential in the drafting and issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, and gave great service in campaigning for Lincoln’s re-election (again possibly influencing history by helping Lincoln gain re-election and preventing Southern victory in the Civil War). But the chance timing of just a few weeks left him in the shadows of popular history

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