Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-29
THE CHICAGO CONVENTIONS.


The National Republican Convention which
meets In this city on Wednesday next, is the
fourth Presidential convention which has been
held In Chicago. For many years in the early
political history Of the country Baltimore was
known as the "City Of Conventions" the first
having been held there In 1881, and the last,
which nominated Horace Greeley, in 1872; but
la.terly the geographical question has entered
almost as much into the location OF national
conventions as the questions OF politics and can
didates, and they have usually alternated every
eight years between the east and the west
For more than thirty years candidates for the
Presidency were nominated by a caucus COM
posed OF Z. S. Senators and members OF the
House of Representatives, which continued till
1924, when the memorable caucus insisted upon
by Martin Van Buren and other friends Of VIM.
Fl. Crawford, of Georgia. defeated the latter as
candidate and ef1ectually killed the caucus sys-
tenn, which had become almost tyrannical In its
rule. This famous caucus was attended by most
OF tie Senators, but by only eight members OF
the House OF Representatives out OF twenty OF
the twenty-four states of the Union. Most OF
your readers are aware Of the rest Of this polit-
1cal history, which sent the election into the
House, where the friends of Clay voted for
Adams to defeat Jackson, which killed the
republican party Of that day as well as the
kingdom OF the caucus.
THE EARLY CONVENTIONS.
The first convention for the nomination OF a
President and Vice President, which came about
as the result OF the death OF the caucus system,
was the anti-Masonic convention neld in Balti-
more in september, 1881, and which was fol-
lowed in De cember OF the same year by the
first national republican convention OF the Old
party of that name. which nominated Henry
Clay for President and John Sergeant for Vice
President. These were followed in Baltimore
by the democratic convention of 1882, which
nominal ed Jackson and Van Buren,; the demo-
cratic one of 1885, which nominated Van Buren,
and Johnson; that OF 1910, which again nomi-
mated Van Buren; the whig convention Of 1874,
which nominated Clay and FrelinghuySen; the
democratic OF 1874, Which nominated Polk and
Dalles; also OF 1915, which named CasS aud
Butler (Who were defeated by Gen. Taylor; the
Whig convention OF 1852, which presented Scott
and Graham, who were defeated by Pierce and
King, who were also nominated the same year
In Baltimore; the whfg convention OF 1856,
which nominated Fillmore and Doneison, and
Which was buried with the whig party; the
constitutional union party OF 1860, which named
Bel and Everett, and the seceder5 OF the demo;
cratic party, who put forward Breckenridge and
Lane: the republican OF 1854, which renomi-
mated Mr.. Lincoln and put Andrew Johnson
second Oh the ticket; and the last one in 1872,
which, as already stated, ratified the nomna-
tion OF Mr.. Greeley. During this time three
national conventions were held in Harrisburg,
five in Philadelphia. one in New York. one In
Buffalo, ore In Utica, three In Cincinnati, three
in Chicago one In st. Louis and one Ia Charles
ton. Duling the past twenty years tAe east
and the west have div ided the honors.
THE CHICAGO CONVENTION OF 1860
The republican convention of 1860, aud the
democratic convention OF 1864. which met In
this city, were held at critical periods in the
history of the country. Happily, the one
Which meets on the shores OF Lake Michigan
next Wednesday finds the city of its location in
the full foOdtide of peaceful prosperity that
Is typical OF the whole country. The cOnven-
tiOn Of 1850, which assembled here on May 16th.
I. i.l orty nf
this day. Delegates were in attendance from
all parts OF the moi thern states and also from
Delaware, Mary land, Virginia, Kentucky and
Missouri. A delegation represented Texas but
lt proved afterwards to have been gotten up in
Michigan, and was fraudulent. The District o.
columbia sent one delegate. Joseph Gernardt.
George Ashnun. of Massachusetts,, was made
president. A mammoth structure, known as
the "W1gWam," had been erected not far from
the Site OF next weeks convention, which held
ar least ten thousand people The nomination
OF MI Lincoln. Which was made on the second
day. was almost as great surprise to the con-
vention and the country as that of Mr. Hayes
at Cincinnati, and confirmed "a most ingenious
paradox in the action OF national Conventions
that the strongest candidates are the weakest
ones!-though Mr.. Lincoln was second on the
first ballot, and remained so until he was nom
mated On the third ballot. But before the con-
yention met he was not regarded strong as
candidate when compared with Seward, Chase,
or Bates. The present Secretary of State, Mr.
Evarts, IMad put ,is MT Seward in nomination Mr..
II.
Cartier, OF Ohio, the present Chief Justice
OF the Supreme Court of the District.
nominated MIR. Chase, and Mr.. CorWln, OF
ohio ono presented Judge Mclean. The Indiana
delegation and Mr.. Delauo, OF Ohio, seconded
the nomination OF Mr.. Lincoln; eX-Gov Blair of
Michigan, seconded that OF Mr.. Seward, as did
Mr.. Schulz, the present Secretary of the Inte-
rior. Other candidates were voted for. includ-
Ing wade Cameron. Bates, Read, Dayton, sum
ner Fremont and Collamer. Mr.. SeWard's can
VaSs was In the hands OF ThurlOw Weed, the
aDlesl political manager OF his day, whose deyO.
ton TO Mr. Seward amounted almost to idolatry
Who that was there can fail to remember the
scene when the first ballot was read: Seward
r.S4; r.S LII Lincoln, 1921; Cameron. 5ok; and the
rest scattering; or When 1t rose With the excite
ment OF the second ballot, When Cameron was
withdrawn and Pennsylvania divided its vote,
ana the result stood: Seward, 1S4H; Lincoln.
lslH; and Chase. 42H. The third ballot was
began at once, amid shouts which followed the
GREATNESS expectancy as each vote was an
nOunced, though as the contest narrowed and
the Ousy pencils put down the vote the vast
throng.tDere were at least II, 0,O90were silent till
the roll call OF states was finished, when 1t
stood: Seward, $50; Lincoln, 231 4; Chase, "a:
Bates, ~: This gave Mr.. Lincoln within two
ana one,half votes of nomination. and before
the result was officially announced Mr. Carttef.as
chairman OF the Ohio delegation, aroae and said:
II rise, Nlr. Chairman, to announce the change OF
tour votes from Ohio from Mr.. Chase to Abra-
nam Lincoln" That was enough. Mr.. Lincoln
was nominated and for fully five minutes the
Wigwam literally resounded with thunderS Of
applause. Maine followed Ohio's change, Mas
SachuSettS was next, with Missouri, Minnesota.
Iowa and Kentucky In close order, when the
third ballot was announced: "WhOle num-
Der OF VoteS cast 466; necessary to choice 234n
Mr. Lincoln received 354 and was declared NOM
mated. On motion or Mr.. EVartS, the nomtna-
ton was made unanimous. When ThurloW
Weed realized the result he thrust his hands to
his eyes to drive back the flood OF tears that
came from his humiliation. In the evening of
the same day two ballots were taken for the
vice President and Mr.. Hamlin was nominated
Al the very outset an important question was
raised In a proposition to the convention to
require vote equal to a majority OF full dele
cations from all the states to nominate candi.
dates for President and Vice President This.
with the delegates actually in attendance
would have been equivalent to a two thirds
rule, which has been In force in the National
Democratic conventions. But 1t was voted
down by 33l TO 130, so that majority of those
present and voting should only be required to
nominate candidates Mr.. Judd of Illinois.
who nominated Mr.. Lincoln, was the first an,
pointment which was made under the new ad-
minfstratiOn alter the Cabinet nad been Sc
lected. Of the national committee of that con.
ventton. Gov. Morgan, Of New York. Ejward
MCPHERSON, OF Pennsylvania; VIM. A. Phiiiins
OF Kansas; Austin Blair, Of Michigan. Cari
SchurZ, o. Fl. Irish, OF Nebraska. and Josanh
Gerhardt, OF the District OF Columbia. are sill
living. wv ''ni
TIE CHICAGO CONVENTION OF 1854
The national democratic convention met on
the 3oth OF August, and was largely attended
Political excitement was more intense than at
any period OF the war, and there were two
factions In the democratic party a peaca f,c
t1on ana war faction. The contest thereroS