ABSTRACT
The electoral circumstances of the Republican victory in 1860 invited a virulent factionalism. The election statistics lent special authority to the old Federalist-Whig argument for legislative supremacy over the executive, a philosophy that would be successfully implemented by the Radical Republicans. Congressional leaders and most members of the cabinet soon realized that Lincoln would consult little with them. The state and congressional returns of fall 1862 made it evident to Lincoln that he would have to look for support for the war through some combination of War Democrats and conservative Republicans. Senator Morgan moved from the chairmanship of the national committee to chairmanship of the Union Executive Congressional Committee for the period of the campaign. The Radicals put forward their own Congressional Plan, which declared that Confederate readmission was a matter for Congress, not the president, to decide. Senator Doolittle presided at the Johnson convention and Raymond participated actively.
