1860..Which Candidate to Nominate?

[5fish]

At the 1860 Republican convention there where four other men beside Lincoln seeking the Republican nomination of President. The party knew it had a good chance to sweep the north during the election for President.

My question is: Which of the other four candidates who would you have nominated to represent the Republican party in the 1860 presidential election if Lincoln had not been available?

The nominees:

Edward Bates U.S. Rep. from MO.

Simon Cameron U.S. Sen. from PA.

Salmon Chase Gov. Of OH.

William Seward U.S. Sen. NY.

Each man nominated going into the convention had alienated different factions within the republican party. Lincoln won the nomination for he was from the west and came across a moderate on issues of the day.

So please check out the four men and see which one you would have nominated to represent the Republican party in the 1860 Presidential election. Which one could have avoid our civil war or persecute our civil war as well as Lincoln did?

A note: Three of the four men ended up being in Lincoln's cabinet during the Civil War helping our nation to victory over the rebels.