The sun., 1873-05-08

| the political organization which. III the
face of great pcrils laid down Tor its plat
| form precisely the same principles con
Ccriing slavery wherein the Republican
| party planted Itself iftccn years after
| ward.
| In the memorial IT, contest uf 1919 the
! BarnburnciS of New York, with free Sod
! Democrats ~ many other Northern States,
| cNoitcd at tho dicta'ion OF the Baltimore
| Convention, and resolved 10 defeat Gen.
| CAss IT. Presidential nominee. The rally
ing cry of the Democratic malcontcnts was
| the wILNor rroviso. large body OF
Wings just at that juncture were disap-
pointed at the defeat of Mr.. CLAY Mt the
Phladelphia Convention, and the nomina-
ton of Gen. TAYLOR Then there were
the Anti-Slavcry Wings of New England,
led by CHARLES FRANCIS ADAus. who were
opposed to CLAY, TAYLOR or any OF the
old pro-slavcry school of politicians. Be
hind these stood the Liberty party and the
AbOlitionists proper Alter holding sew
oral ,al conventions ana subordinate
meetings in valiOus states, the representa-
tiNcs of these five factions assembled in
national convention at Buffalo in August,
1913. The central idea around which they
rallied was hostility TO the extension of
slavery into free territory, and especially
the territory idst then acquired from
Mexico.
This was celebrated aud influential as
somblage. The Barnburners were there in
full force. led by BENJAMIN f. BUTLER of
New York. CHrRcurLL e. CANBRELING,
pREsION KISG, and JAMES :. WADswoRTn.
burning TO redress the wrongs done TO
MARrus VAN BuREN and SILAs WRIGHT.
The ALli Slavery Wings found their fore
inosn champions III CHARLES FRANCIS
, NDATs aud GsARLEs SUMNER. The CLAY
as "'igers were aeard through the fiery
cloqucnce of JosrPH l.. WHITE, then of
New York but recently distinguished
, lhcmD,r Of Congress from Indiana. SAL
MON p. CHASE stood conspicuous in i,.,,.
hittle-scarred ranks of the Liberf" marty.
l'REpERcK DOUGLASS was ,,,vely type of
the Ga'risonian ,bolitionl2ts aud the col
ored race.
over ,nis strange gathering Mr. ADAMS
, presided, while the resolutions were re-
ported by Mr. Butler The selection OF
nominees for President and Vicc-President
was entrusted 10 u great committee,
/ numbering two or three hundred, whT
we're locked up in "A Closet ops -nunion
Bap'ist church until thu had COM
plctcd their labor. which occupied
, the create! "'.rt of n day, the vast out-idc
} fr.Gwd being entertained in the mean time
by speeches from ADAMS, JAMES w. NYE,
| MARTIN GROVER, JOSEPH l.. WHITE, FRED
HRIcK DouGLAss and other orators of all
sorts OF political autecedents and aflnitics
Mr.. CHASE presided over the grand COM
mittce, which, indeed. for all practical
purposes. was the Convention. The Barn
burners deemed il vital, in order TO sus-
tain their insurrec.!onary movement. that
Mr. VAN B. Rr.S should be nominated Tor
the Presidency; and the very hard task OF
moking him acceptable to the strong
array of Anti-Slavery delegates devolved
upon his confidential friend Mr. BUTLER.
rhe result of the contest was that VAN
BuREN beat JoHN r. HALE, the candidate
of the more pronounced anti-slavery men ;
and then Mr.. ADAMS was nominated for
Vicc-Prcsidpnt Mr.. CHASE himself was
very drsirou4 of being placed on the ticket
for Vicc-Prcsidcnt, and he felt that some
Injustice was done TO him ia this matter
hy ia" supporters 90 NtN BrREN, VINO
wn- largely indebted To hin for his triumph
over HALE.
The Buffalo Convention defeated Gen
CAss; and we have dwclt upon its proceed
ingS for the twofold reason that Mr.. CHASE
bore leading part in them, and because
in after years he often said that the blow
struck nj the slave power through MARTIN
VAN BCnEN in lsis contributed most essen
tally to its final overthrow.
In February. 1870 Mr.. CHASE was 81, rted
to the United states senate by the Legi
laturc Of Ohio. In the then condition OF
parties this was n most extraordinary pro
ceed!ng Parties IN the Legislature wcr,
evenly cast between the Whigs and thu
Democrats. But there were two Free Sol
members, and they held the balance ol
power. The Wing candidate was THOMAS
EwtSG, one Of the most eminent statesmen
in the party. The two Free Soilers de
clarcd themselves for CHASE, and deter
mined TO support no one else. MI CHAsI
/, repaired to Columbus in the heat Of th'
canvass, and by his tact and management
u. brought every Democratic member to hi
D.. support as the only means Of def'atin
p Mr. EwING The combined forces of tn
! Whol" Democracy ana tlt TWO free Noll'I
, furnished exactly votes enough, and CHAs
. Wa elected.
D Mr. CHASE entered the Senate At an In
. portant stage Of the anti-slavery struggl
e. lIr had made no pledges 10 the ohio Den
, oriHts inconsistent with his woll-know
1 position on that subject They voted fC
him To brdt EwING, and took HIM n he wa
= lie came To Washington just as we weI
/ about 10 commence the great cOntrovers
>, over the territory acquired in the Mcxica
z war SEWARD and CHASE took their sea
q at The same time. HALE had been then
c couple of years, and WADE and SuMNE
'c came two years later. CHASE and SUMNE
I pronounced abolitionists. were elected q
most exclusively by Democratic vote
q SEWARD and WADE, hardly less pronounce
Il had been chosen ~ Wings; while HAl
a was political guerilla. The fact tn
- these five men, though holding substa
X tally the same opinions on the gre 4 que
II ton of the times were elected
/ the Senate by such different and host