150 years ago today the delegates to the Democratic National Convention meeting in Chicago selected General George B. McClellan as their candidate for U.S. president. There was a “scattering” of support for other men, but “Little Mac” won overwhelmingly. Leading Copperhead Clement Vallandigham moved that the general’s nomination be the unanimous sense of the convention. The party balanced its ticket by selecting Peace Democrat George Hunt Pendleton as its nominee for Vice President.
NY Times 9-1-1864
war and peace horses
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On August 20, 1914 The New-York Times reported the death of Pope Pius X earlier that morning. It got my attention when the headline said that his end was “hastened by the European War”. He understood the horrors of the young war by the time he was on his deathbed, but even earlier, on August 2nd, his last official message was to urge Catholics throughout the world to pray for peace.
The war started hot, and novel ways to wage it were introduced early on. Not quite eleven years after the Wright Brothers’ success, a military pilot dropped bombs and propaganda on civilians.
aeroplane attack
