The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-06-23

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325 delegates entitled to 226 votes. ~ The first
motion made was intended by the opponents of
Van Buren, to shut him out from the nomina-
ton. 1t was to adopt the rule requiring two
thirds of the votes cast to make q choice.
There was a long and bitter contest over this
motion. but it was finally carried. Then the
convention, amidst hubbub OF agitation, pro-
ceeced 10 ballot. On the first ballot Mr.. Van
Buren, polled LAG, aiajority of all the votes
cast, but not two-thirds. On the second he
fell to plurality ON the third he dropped
still lower on the fifth Cass passed him, and
received plurality on the seventh Cas- had
majority, but not two-thirds. The conyen-
ton now adjourned t0 the next day. During
the night Calhoun effected stratagem which
was To take all the existing candidates out OF
the Held. Van Burens friends, enrsged at his
defrat, and resolved to kill Osss at all hazards,
agreed with the Tennessee delegates, who were
prompted by Calhoun, TO support James X.
Folk after the next ballot When the conven-
ton met, and a ballot was taken, the vote
stood for Van Buren,, l04 for Cass, ia for
Polk, Al and on the next ballot the whole Van
buren, and large portion Of the Cass party
went over to Polk nominating him by vote
OF 232, to 20 for Cass, for Van Buren,, / for
Calhous and for Marcus Morton. The con-
yention then nominated Silas Wright for Vice
president but he declined, and George NJ
Dallas replaced him OH the ticket. A platform
OF principles much like the former was
adopted.
The Wings met in convention at Baltimore,
and now once more the friends Of Clay had it
all their own way. The great Kentuokian was
nominated by reclamation. short struggle
ensued on the nomination for Vce-president
The candidates were Willard Fillmore John
Davis, OF Massachusetts, and Theodore FREE
linghuysen, the latter finally succeeding. But
Clay, to his intense disappointment and the
despair OF his devoted supporters, lost the
State of New York by an imprudent letter, and
Polk became President after an exciting con-
test.
The war with Mexico ensued, and provided d
number OF military as well as civil candidates
for the parties in 1s4S. Most prominent
among these were Gen. Winfield Scott and
Gen. Zachary TAYLOR, the one an old Wing, the
other innocent of politics"
The Wing convention, called the Slaughter
house convention, from tho deadly havoc it
made with great Wing names, met at Philadel-
phia in June, 1913. Once more, and now for
the last time, the friends Of Henry Clay made
a desperate struggle in his behalf. Webster,
too was avowedly in the field, and, az in 1910,
| the rivalry of these giants was destined to
prove the political ruin of both. The military
candidates, Taylor and Scott, were both de-
nounced as unfit for the Presidency; and fifth
aspirant appeared in the person of Judge Nc
Lean, Of Ohio. But the conflict between Web
ster and Clay was exceedingly factious and Bit
Ter. Inc Irlenub OF the FORMER salu tlht Ciay
had twice had his chance, and that long debt
was now due to the f" Expounder Of the Consti-
| tuition" Clays friends insisted that he should
be the standard-bearer of the Wings just once
| inUre Such was the state of feeling when the
| first ballot was taken. 1t resulted thus Gen.
Taylor, ILL., Henry Clay, 81; Daniel Webster,
81; Gen. Scott, 46; Judge Mclean, 2. A
second ballot being equally intellectual. the
convention adjourned. The next morning a
| ballot was again taken, with similar results.
A second ballot showed these figures: Gen.
Taylor, III; Mr.. Clay, 80; Gen. Scott, g. Mr..
Webster, II. The hero of Buens Vista was
| thus nominated, to the intense chagrin both OF
| Clay and Webster, the latter OF whom declared,
in petulant moment. that it was "a nomina-
| ton not tit to be made" Willard Fillmore was
nominated for vice-president by one OF those
sudden, happily conceived speeches which have
not seldom captured conventions, his name
being presented by John A. Collier, OF New
York.
The other two conventions of that year pre-
sent little interest. A Free-soil convention
held at Utica, late in June, put ex-Presdent
| Martin Van Buren, and Charles Francis Adams
in the field. The Democratic convention had
been held at Baltimore in January, with OK
| Speaker Andrew Stevenson as President. The
| two thirds rule was again adopted. The quar-
rel Of Van Buren, and the Sofa, with Dick
inson and the So Hards. in New York resulted
| in the nomination of Lewis Cass for President
on the fourth ballot he receiving 179 votes,
against 38 for Levi Woodbury., 80 for James
! Buchanan, and for Gen. Worth. Gen. Viii
4 liam O. Butler was named for vice-president
and platform WAS adopted. The detection of
the Van Buren, Free -soilers defeated Cass, and
Taylor and Fillmore were chosen.
Both the conventions Of 1852 were remark
able bodies, the fields Of sharp and uncertain
| contests between eminent Hspirants, the re-
| suits OF both OF which were surprises to the
| ~ 9TH kalA ip thn aA,th ~
June, and both at Baltimore The Demo
Gratis came together first, rallying nearly three
hundred delegates. -Four men of first-class
ability, and each with strong following, were
ranged IA rival candidates. These were Gen.
Cass, whose friends claimed for him renomi-
nation James Buchanan, who had now become
perpetual candidate Stephen A. Douglas,
then rising TO be tho Democratic leader in the
Senate and William l.. Marcy, who had been
| Folks Secretary of War. No less than forty
nine ballots were taken. On the first Cass had
III buchanan, SO; Douglas, 20 and Marcy.
"a. Cass rose for while and then fell and
after several days Of bslloting Virginia sud-
denly cast her vote for franklin Pierce, who
was theroupon nominated in a fit of abrupt en-
! thusiasm. The struggle in the Wing conven-
ton was even more prolonged. Senator Evans
OF Maine presided over 1t. The contest lay
between Fillmore, Scott and Webster. On the
] first ballot Fillmore had 1872 Scott, 131 Web
ster, 20. Fifty-three attempts were then made,
and the fiftv-third.. ballot resulted in the nom-
nation of Winfield Scott by tho following vote
Scott, 159 Fillmore, liz Webster, q. This
was the deeth-blow Of Daniel Webster, who
did not survive it till the end Of the year. The
Free-soilers nominated John p. Hale and
George w. Julian. The Know-Nothings, then
just organizing, put Jacob Brown in the field /;
an abolition" convention named William
Goodell and a Southern Rightsr conven-
ton paid similar compliment to George NJ.
Troupe, of Georgia. Thus there we're six
tickets in the field but Pierce carried the
Union like whirlwind, completely routing
Scott, who only secured the votes OF the four
States Of Vermont, Massachusetts, Kentucky,
and Tennessee. Since Monroe's time there had
not been 80 complete party victory.
The campaign Of 1856 was especially notable
as that in which the Republican party, rising
on the ruins Of the Wings contested the Presi-
dency as snstional organization comparatively
| little interest attached to the Democratic con-
vention, by which il was nearly certain that
James Buchanan would be made the candidate
The convention met It Cincinnati on the 81 OF
June. Buchanans principal rival was Presi-
dent Pierce. The frrt ballot resulted in 135
votes for Buchanan, l22 for Pierce, 80 for
Douglas and for Casa. After several ballots
Pierccs supporters passed over to Douglas
when the vote stoo', Buchanan 16S DoucIa lar.
l2l Csss, 6 Finally, on the seventeenth