THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTIONS OF 1848. 191 passed the Senate by the strong vote | half the vote to which the State was of 33 Yeas to 22 Nays-all from Free States-but, on its reaching the House, Mr. Alex. H. Stephens, of Georgia, moved that it do lie on the table, which prevailed; Yeas 112 (30 of them Democrats from Free States; 8 Whigs from Slave States; and 74 Whigs from Free States); Nays 97; (21 Democrats from Free States, with all the Democrats, and all but 8, as aforesaid, of the Whigs, from Slave States). As the Court was then constituted, there was little room for doubt that its award would have been favorable to Slavery Extension; hence this vote. Mr. Clayton's Compromise, thus defeated, was never revived. entitled. This the "Barnburners" rejected, leaving the Convention and refusing to be bound by its conclusions. The great body of them heartily united in the Free Soil movement, which culminated in a National Convention at Buffalo,' whereby MARTIN VAN BUREN was nominated for President, with CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, of Massachusetts, for Vice-President. The regular Democratic or Cass and Butler Convention reiterated most of the resolves of its two predecessors, adding two or three in commendation of the War with Mexico; warmly congratulated France on her recent return to a republican form of government, and ambiguously indorsed the new Popular Sovereignty discovery as follows: "Resolved, That in the recent development of this grand political truth, of the sovereignty of the people and their capacity for self-government, which is prostrating thrones and erecting republics on the ruins of despotism in the Old World, we feel that a high and sacred duty is devolved, with increased responsibility, upon the Democratic party of this country, as the party of the People, to sustain and advance and Fraternity, by continuing to resist all among us Constitutional Liberty, Equality monopolies and exclusive legislation for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many, and by a vigilant and consistent adherence to those principles and compro The Democratic National Convention for 1848 assembled at Baltimore on the 22d of May. Gen. LEWIS CASS, of Michigan, received 125 votes for President on the first ballot, to 55 for James Buchanan, 53 for Levi Woodbury, 9 for John C. Calhoun, 6 for Gen. Worth, and 3 for Geo. M. Dallas. On the fourth ballot, Gen. Cass had 179 to 75 for all others, and was declared nominated. Gen. WILLIAM O. BUTLER, of Kentucky, received 114 votes for Vice-President on the first ballot, and was unanimously nominated on the third. Two delegations from New York presenting themselves to this Convention-that of the Free Soilers, Radicals, or "Barnburners,' whose leader was Samuel Young, At this Convention, the Calhoun and that of the Conservatives or or extreme Southern dogma of the "Hunkers," whose chief was Daniel constitutional right of each slaveS. Dickinson-the Convention at holder to remove with his slaves tempted to split the difference by into any Federal Territory, and hold admitting both, and giving each them there in defiance of Congress mises of the Constitution which are broad enough and strong enough to embrace and uphold the Union as it was, as it is, and the Union as it shall be, in the full expansion of the energies and capacity of this great and "progressive people." 'August 9, 1848. or any local authority, was submitted by Mr. William L. Yancey, of Alabama, in the following guise: 66 Resolved, That the doctrine of noninterference with the rights of property of any portion of the people of this confederacy, be it in the States or Territories thereof, by any other than the parties interested in them, is the true Republican doctrine recognized by this body." The party was not yet ready for such strong meat, and this resolve was rejected: Nays 216; Yeas 36— South Carolina 9; Alabama 9; Georgia 9; Arkansas 3; Florida 3; Maryland 1; Kentucky 1; Tennessee 1. The Whig National Convention assembled in Philadelphia, June 7th. Gen. ZACHARY TAYLOR, of Louisiana, had on the first ballot 111 votes for President to 97 for Henry Clay, 43 for General Scott, 22 for Mr. Webster, and 6 scattering. On the fourth ballot (next day), Gen. Taylor had 171 to 107 for all others, and was declared nominated. MILLARD FILLMORE, of New York, had 115 votes for Vice-President, on the first ballot, to 109 for Abbott Lawrence, of Massachusetts, and 50 scattering. On the second ballot, Mr. Fillmore had 173, and was nominated. No resolves affirming distinctive principles were passed; repeated efforts to interpose one to interpose one affirming the principle of the Wilmot Proviso being met by successful motions to lay on the table. The Buffalo or Free Soil Convention was as frank and explicit in its declaration of principles as its more powerful rivals had been ambiguous or reticent. The following are its most material averments: Resolved, That the Proviso of Jefferson, to prohibit the existence of Slavery after 1800, in all the Territories of the United States, Southern and Northern; the votes of six States and sixteen delegates, in the Congress of 1784, for the Proviso, to three States and seven delegates against it; the actual exclusion of Slavery from the Northwestern Territory, by the Ordinance of 1787, unanimously adopted by the States in Congress; and the entire history of that period, clearly show that it was the policy of the Nation not to extend, nationalize, or encourage, but to limit, localize, and discourage Slavery; and to this policy, which should never have been departed from, the Government ought to return. "Resolved, That our fathers ordained the Constitution of the United States, in order, tablish justice, promote the general welfare, among other great National objects, to 'esand secure the blessings of liberty;' but expressly denied to the Federal Government, which they created, all constitutional power to deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due legal process. Convention, Congress has no more power to "Resolved, That, in the judgment of this make a slave than to make a king; no more power to institute or establish Slavery, than to institute or establish monarchy: no such power can be found among those specifically conferred by the Constitution, or derived by just implication from them. "Resolved, That it is the duty of the Federal Government to relieve itself from all responsibility for the existence or continuance of Slavery, wherever the Government possesses constitutional authority to legislate on that subject, and it is thus responsible for its existence. "Resolved, That the true, and, in the judgment of this Convention, the only safe means of preventing the extension of Slavery into territory now Free, is to prohibit its extension in all such territory by an act of Congress." In the event, Gen. Taylor was chosen President, receiving the votes of New York, Pennsylvania, and thirteen other States, choosing 163 Electors. The strong Free Soil vote for Van Buren ensured to Gen. Cass the votes of Ohio, and of every other State North-west of the Ohio, most of them by a plurality only over Taylor. Gen. Cass carried fifteen States, choosing 137 Electors. Mr. Van Buren carried no Electors, but ROOT'S INSTRUCTION-GOTT'S RESOLUTION. received a respectable support in every Free State, Rhode Island and New Jersey excepted. New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont, each gave a larger popular vote to him than to Gen. Cass; Wisconsin gave him nearly as many as Gen. Taylor. The entire popular vote (South Carolina not casting any) stood-Taylor and Fillmore, 1,360,752; Cass and Butler, 1,219,962; Van Buren and Adams, 291,342. Gen. Taylor had a majority of the Electoral and a plurality of the Popular vote, both in the Free and in the Slave States respectively. 193 | voting for Gag-Rules, and against the establishment by law of Freedom in the Territories. Some of them were permanently alienated, though the far greater number were but temporarily estranged, from the councils of their Southern chiefs. But the change was made evident, soon after the assembling of the XXXth Congress for its second session, when, (December 13, 1848), on motion of IIon. Joseph M. Root, of Ohio, the House "Resolved, That the Committee on Territories be instructed to report to this Louse, with as little delay as practicable, a bill or bills providing a territorial government for each of the Territories of New Mexico and The struggle for the organization California, and excluding Slavery there from." This passed by Yeas 108, including every Whig, and all but eight of the Democrats from Free States; Nays 80-all from the Slave States but the eight aforesaid. A further evidence of the altered feeling of the House was afforded, when, a few days thereafter, the following was, during the morning hour, moved by Mr. Daniel Gott, of of the territories was resumed in Congress the ensuing Winter; and, though there had been very few changes of members, there had been a very considerable change of feeling on the part of a great many Democrats from Free States. They indignantly felt that, by the vote cast for Gen. Taylor in the South, the services and sacrifices of their party had been ungratefully requited. That eight of the fifteen Slave States should cast their votes for the Whig candidate for President, leaving Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi to be carried against him by the very leanest majorities, was not the entertainment to which they had been in-gress of republican liberty among the na vited when they risked their ascendency at home, and their seats, by * The members from Free States (all Democrats), who had voted at the last session to lay the Wilmot Proviso on the table, and who now voted for the principle as above, were as follow: MAINE. —Asa W. H. Clapp, James S. Wiley -2. NEW YORK.-Frederick W. Lord-1. OHIO.-Thomas Richey-1. INDIANA.-Charles W. Cathcart, Thomas J. Henley, John L. Robinson, William W. Wick-4. ILLINOIS.-Robert New York: this metropolis of the Republic in human "Whereas, the traffic now prosecuted in beings, as chattels, is contrary to natural justice, and the fundamental principles of our political system, is notoriously a redom, and a serious hindrance to the proproach to our country throughout Christen tions of the earth: Therefore, Resolved, That the Committee on the District of Columbia be instructed to report Smith-1. Messrs. Clark and II. Williams, of Maine, Birdsall and Maclay, of New York, Brodhead and Mann, of Pennsylvania; Pettit, of Indiana; Ficklin and McClernand, of Illinois, who voted with the South at the former session -now failed to vote. Mr. D. S. Jackson, of New York, who then voted with the South, had been succeeded by Mr. H. Greeley, who voted with the North. a bill, as soon as practicable, prohibiting the | States, in the affirmative; while all Slave-Trade in said District." The Previous Question having been required and ordered, this resolution was adopted by Yeas 98 to Nays 88. Hereupon there was a call for the Southern members to leave the Hall, and various demonstrations of the sort, which resulted in a meeting of members from the Slave States; which resulted in an address to their constituents, drafted and reported by Mr. Calhoun; which resulted in nothing. The House Committee on the District, being ProSlavery, of course took good care not to report as instructed above. The Territorial bill for California, foreshadowed and commended by Mr. Root's resolve, was reported by Caleb B. Smith, of Indiana, on the 20th, and that for New Mexico followed on the 3d of January, 1849. An effort (January 15), by Mr. Julius Rockwell, of Massachusetts, to make the former a special order, failed, lacking a two-thirds vote, but received the vote of nearly every member from the Free States-114 to 71. The bill was finally taken out of Committee of the Whole on the 26th of February, and engrossed for a third reading next day; when Mr. R. K. Meade, of Virginia, moved that it do lie on the table, which was decisively negatived; and then the bill passed the House by 126 Yeas to 87 Nays. Mr. Aylett Buckner (Whig of Kentucky), who had made a forcible and thorough-going speech in favor of excluding Slavery from the Territories, voted with his Whig colleague, Green Adams, and all the Whigs and all but four of the Democrats from the Free -9 • Messrs. Samuel A. Bridges of Pennsylvania. and William Kennon, jr., John K. Miller, and the members present from the Slave States but Messrs. Adams and Buckner voted in the negative: so that the House divided very nearly on Mason and Dixon's line. But Mr. Buckner paid for his speech and vote on this occasion with his seat. He had succeeded in 1847, over his Democratic opponent, by 386 majority; he was thrown out in 1849 by 1140 majority. Mr. Adams did not stand for re-election. And the bill thus passed was not even considered in the Senatea motion by Mr. Douglas (February 28), that it be taken up for reference, having been promptly voted down by 28 Nays to 25 Yeas. For the Pro-Slavery majority in that Senate had already resolved on their course, and it did not lie at all in this direction. They believed that their opportunity was at hand; that the more especial friends of the incoming Administration were anxious to have the Slavery question settled that is, the opposition to Slavery Extension defeated or withdrawn, that being the way such questions were usually settled-in order to make matters smooth and pleasant for the powers soon to be; and they knew that the irritation of the Northern Democrats against the South for giving a majority of its votes for Gen. Taylor as against Gen. Cass had been gradually dying out under the pressure of social influences and of party necessities. They believed that, if a proper issue were made, the Northern repugnance to the organization of the Territories in profound silence as to Slavery, might be overcome. They had, therefore, determined to William Sawyer, of Ohio. Messrs. Chas. Brown, Chas. J. Ingersoll, and other such, did not vote. FAILURE TO ORGANIZE THE TERRITORIES. 195 fasten to the Civil and Diplomatic | Illinois, now moved that the House Appropriation bill, a "rider," organ- recede from its non-concurrence in izing the new Territories with no the Senate's amendment, which prerestriction on or impediment to the vailed-Yeas 111; Nays 106; whereintroduction of Slavery, calculating upon Mr. Richard W. Thompson that a sufficient number of the North- (Whig), of Indiana, moved that the ern friends of the Administration House do concur with the Senate would permit this to pass rather than with an amendment, which was, in see the Government crippled and the fact, a substitute for the Senate's proPresident constrained to call an extra ject, and of which the gist was a prosession of Congress-always a portent vision that "until the 4th of July, of evil to the party in power. Ac- 1850, unless Congress shall sooner cordingly, the great Appropriation provide for the government of said bill having passed the House, and Territories, the existing laws thereof been reported to and several days shall be retained and observed"-in debated in the Senate, Mr. Walker, other words, that the laws of Mexiof Wisconsin, moved to add a section co, whereby Slavery was abolished extending the laws of the United throughout her entire area, should States over "the territory west of continue in force in said Territories the Rio del Norte, acquired from of New Mexico and California. The Mexico by the treaty of February Senate's amendment, as amended, was 22, 1848," and authorizing the Presi- then agreed to: Yeas 110; Nays 103. dent to "prescribe and establish all And thus the bill, late at night of what proper and needful regulations for was necessarily the last day of the the enforcement" of the Constitution session, was returned to the Senate. and laws in said Territory; as also "to appoint and commission such officers as may be necessary to administer such laws," etc., etc. This passed the Senate by 29 Yeas" to 27 Nays; but the bill being thus returned to the House, the Senate's amendment was there (March 2) rejected: Yeas 100 (thirteen of them from Free States) to Nays 114 (all from Free States). The bill was then returned in its original shape to the Senate. The Senate insisted on its amendment, and asked a conference, which was granted, but nothing came of it. The Committee reported to either House its inability to agree, and was discharged. Mr. McClernand (Democrat), of 10 Including only Messrs. Dickinson of New York, A. C. Dodge of Iowa, Douglas of Illinois, The majority of that body were fairly caught in their own snare. They had vociferously protested that Congress should not adjourn without providing for the government and quiet of the new territories; and had threatened to defeat the General Appropriation bill and leave the Government penniless if this were not acceded to by the House. And here was the bill proposing to do just what they had insisted must be done, and could not with safety be postponed. It was only objectionable in that it provided (as was done in the case of Louisiana and Florida) that the social conditions which had existed prior to our acquisition should remain unchanged until Congress, or the People more Fitzgerald of Michigan, and Hannegan of Indiana (all Democrats), from Free States. |
