HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

John C. Fremont and William L. Dayton, Republicans:-Connecticut, 6; Iowa, 4; Maine, 8; Massachusetts, 13; Michigan, 6; New Hampshire, 5; New York, 35; Ohio, 23; Rhode Island, 4; Vermont, 5; Wisconsin, 5. Total, 114.

Millard Fillmore and

party: Maryland, 8.

Popular vote:

Andrew Jackson Donelson, American

Buchanan, 1,838,169; Fremont, 1,335,264; Fillmore, 874,534.

H

PART III

PARTIES FROM 1860 TO 1920

AVING reviewed the political history of the country from the foundation of the government

until the final reconstruction of parties in the years 1854-56, we may now terminate both the explanatory narration and the accessory discussion. For the treatment of the historical facts from 1856 to the present time the reader is referred to the formal sketches of the Democratic and Republican parties in Volume V of this work. The pages that follow will be devoted without comment to the records of the parties as shown by their successive national conventions and platforms and by the election results.

1860

Democratic Party1

1. Regular Convention at Charleston

The national convention assembled in Charleston, South Carolina, April 23, 1860; temporary chairman, Francis B. Flournoy, of Arkansas; permanent chairman, Caleb Cushing, of Massachusetts. Complete

1For the transactions of the Democratic conventions numbered in our text 1, 3, and 4, we are indebted to Proceedings of the Conventions at Charleston and Baltimore; Published by order of the National Democratic Convention

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delegations were present from all the States, and double delegations from Illinois and New York. Seats were awarded to the delegates from Illinois and New York who favored the nomination of Stephen A. Douglas for President and therefore were in agreement with the general views of the northern Democracy concerning slavery. The convention voted that no ballot for President or Vice-President should be taken until after adoption of the platform.

In the committee on resolutions the members from California and Oregon supported the position of the southern wing of the party; and consequently, as the committee was organized by States, the majority report on platform represented the southern attitude on the slavery question. A minority report was brought in by the northern opposition, and a motion was made to substitute it for the majority report. The convention, voting by numbers, of course had a considerable northern majority. After prolonged debate, during which efforts for harmony were made without success, the minority report (as amended) was adopted, April 30the vote of the convention being 165 yeas to 138 nays.

After the adoption of the minority report on platform, about fifty of the southern members withdrew (Maryland Institute, Baltimore), and under the supervision of the National Democratic [Breckinridge] Executive Committee. Washington, 1860.

Another official publication-restricted, however, to the conventions numbered in our text 1 and 3—is Official Proceedings of the Democratic National Conventions, Held in 1860, at Charleston and Baltimore. Prepared and published under the direction of John G. Parkhurst, Recording Secretary [Douglas auspices]. Cleveland, Nevins' Print, Plain Dealer Job Office, 1860. An excellent authority for all the five conventions is Greeley and Cleveland's Political Text-Book for 1860, pp. 29-48.

from the convention pursuant to formal protests filed by their State delegations.

Notwithstanding the diminished membership of the body it was decided not only to abide by the two-thirds rule for nominations, but to base the calculation of the two-thirds upon the total number of votes-303-in the original full convention. Fifty-seven ballots for President were taken without a choice being made; Douglas had a majority on every ballot. First ballot:Douglas, 1452; R. M. T. Hunter, of Virginia, 42; James Guthrie, of Kentucky, 352; Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee, 12; Daniel S. Dickinson, of New York, 7; Joseph Lane, of Oregon, 6; Isaac Toucey, of Connecticut, 22; Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, 12; Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire, 1. Fifty-seventh ballot:-Douglas, 1512; Guthrie, 65%; Hunter, 16; Lane, 14; Dickinson, 4; Davis, 1.

On May 3 the convention adjourned to meet again. in Baltimore June 18.

2. Charleston Bolters, First Convention

The bolters from the regular convention at Charleston held a separate convention forthwith in the same city, James A. Bayard, of Delaware, presiding. Their proceedings were marked by complete harmony.

Platform of the southern Democracy:

"Resolved, That the platform adopted by the Democratic party at Cincinnati [in 1856] be affirmed, with the following explanatory resolutions:

"First. That the government of a Territory organized by an act of Congress is provisional and temporary; and, during its existence,

HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

all citizens of the United States have an equal right to settle with their property in the Territory without their rights, either of person or property, being destroyed or impaired by Congressional or Territorial legislation.

"Second. That it is the duty of the Federal government, in all its departments, to protect when necessary the rights of persons and property in the Territories, and wherever else its constitutional authority extends.

"Third. That when settlers in a Territory having an adequate population form a State Constitution the right of sovereignty commences, and, being consummated by an admission into the Union, they stand on an equal footing with the people of other States; and the State thus organized ought to be admitted into the Federal Union whether its Constitution prohibits or recognizes the institution of slavery.

"Fourth. That the Democratic party are in favor of the acquisition of the island of Cuba, on such terms as shall be honorable to ourselves and just to Spain, at the earliest practicable moment.

"Fifth. That the enactments of the State Legislatures to defeat the faithful execution of the Fugitive Slave law are hostile in character, subversive of the Constitution, and revolutionary in their effect.

"Sixth. That the Democracy of the United States recognize it as the imperative duty of this government to protect the naturalized citizens in all their rights, whether at home or in foreign lands, to the same extent as its native-born citizens.

"Whereas, One of the greatest necessities of the age, in a political, commercial, postal, and military point of view, is a speedy communication between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts; therefore, be it

"Resolved, That the Democratic party do hereby pledge themselves to use every means in their power to secure the passage of some bill, to the extent of the constitutional authority of Congress, for the construction of a Pacific Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean at the earliest practicable moment."

No nominations were made by this convention,