The Washington critic., 1888-04-25
WAsHINGTON CRTTIC
For The wAsHrNeroN Cuiric.
GENESIS OF THE G. or.
origin and First State Organization
the RepubIfcan Party.


origin and First State Organization OF
the Republican Party.
From time to time during the last score
of years, have been a good deal sur
priscd TO sec the claim made that the first
Republican State organization of our noble
party was in some other state than Michi-
gan. Mr.. Martin l.. Higgins, now of
your city, as it seems, but formerly of
Flint, Mich, has very justly punctured,
through the columns of your able paper,
that ill-grounded claim, as was due TO
the pioneer Republicans of Michigan,
and to a historical fact, that will down at
no mans bidding. well know, as does
Mr.. Higgins also, whereof I affirm
because, like him, /, too, was at Jackson,
Mich. July 6, 1861, when and where,
through the instrumentality Of mass
meeting, duly called, the Republican
party of this generation and day first put
on the habiliments of State organiza-
tion and received, so to express il, its
baptismal e-"Republican
Indeed, the full time had then come,
when new political party was needed
to have now name and to stand on q
new platform, which should be hostile to
the spread of slavery and defeat the pur-
poses of the repeal of the Missouri COM
promise and the doctrines of squatter
sovereignty.
Accordingly, pursuant to a call made
therefor, O mass-meeting was held as
stated, at Jackson, Mich, July 6, 1851,
when and where our party was first 50
organized, there being in attendance as
then variously estimated, from 5000 to
1900 Michigan electors, representing
nearly, if not quite,
EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE.
No public hall in Jackson being sufli-
ciently large to accommodate them, they
adjourned to, and transacted their busi-
ness "under the green oaks at Jackson,
which were thereby made memorable
through all coming time, witnessing as
they did, the marshaling of great funda-
mental political principles that can never
die, and have been the chief ones of all
Republican platforms sihce made.
In organizing the meeting, Hon. Levi
Baxter of Hillsdale was elected temporary
chairman, and Hon. David s. Walbridge
OF Kalamazoo, permanent chairman.
Hon. Jacob NJ. Howard of Detroit was
chairman of the committee on platform
and name of the party, which committee
consisted of sixteen, being four from each
of Michigans then four Congressional
districts. Also, q committee, consisting
of three from each of the thirty-two Sem
atorial districts of Michigan, was appoint
ed as nominating committee of q State
ticket, every such district, but the thirty
second, being represented thereon.
Other committees, looking to the fur
ther organization of the meeting and of
the party in the State, were also chosen.
A PLATFORM OF RESOLUTIONS
and name for theparty were agreed upon
and reported by the committee, through
their chairman, to the meeting, and al.
most unanimously adopted.
SO satisfactory were the platform and
name to the Free Democratic party of the
State that that party then and there at
once, through its authorized committee,
duly withdrew its State organization and
ticket, which had been put in the political
field ut Jackson, February %, 1851. A
State ticket or candidates for the State
officers to be elected at the November
election of that year, was, by the com.
mittee chosen therefor, likewise agreed
upon and reported to the meeting and
Klnsley S. Bingham of Livingston
County was thus put in nomination for
Governor (as he had been by the Free
Democratic party at Jackson, February
%, 1850, and at the November election
was elected over Ex-Governor John s.
Barry, the Democratic candidate, by a
plurality of 4,977, the balance of the Re
three of the four candidates for Congress,
q majority of both branches of the Legis.
lature and very much the greater part OF
the county officers in the State-Hons
William A. Howard, Henry Waldron
and David G: Walbridge (Republicans),
and George w. Peck (Dcmocrat) being
the gentlemen elected to Congress.
II may be well to mention in this con.
nection that the Wing State Convention,
held at Marshall, October 4, 1854, on mo.
ton to that end, after q spirited debate,
adjourned without making any nomina-
ton, after adopting strong so-called anti
Nebraska resolutions, this being think,
the last Whig State Convention ever held
in Michigan.
There were presented to the Committee
on Platform some three or four drafts, but
the one framed by Hon. j. NJ. Howard
with very few, if any, alterations as tc
national matters, was finally adopted
with the result stated, two other resolu
tons, touching State concerns, offered by
Hon. Austin Blair of Jackson being
added by the meeting, he being a member
of the committee and offering them as 0
minority report, as now remember it.
AS to the name to be given to the party
Mr.. Howard said, in substance, that cor.
respondence had been had with goodly
number of prominent gentlemen in sew
eral other States, naming Horace Gree
ley as one OF them, ana tnat 10 them, as
it was believed the party would
grow into national one, "Republican
would be as generally acceptable as any
one that could be named, and though
Others were proposed, that of "Repub
lican' was finally adopted, with the re
suit indicated.
Mr.. Higgins was member of the com
mittee on platform and name of The
party, and OF that on nominations, aboyt
named, as was myself, also.
The proceedings of that mass-meetinl
were quite extensively published by thl
press of the State, and more or less noticed
by the press of the country. And tn,
Detroit Post and Tribune of July and Z
1870, republished them in full, with sew
eral letters from gentlemen who wer,
members of that meeting giving the
recollection of the leading events of th,
day, which gave rise to it and to it
action. In fact, the data herein men
toned is too well authenticated to admi
of intelligent question. Nor can great
honored political party that has played
so important q part in the theatre o
nations as has the Republican party af
ford to have either the time, place o.
causes of its birth lost in oblivion or in
volved in doubt. Hence / venture th,
injunction: "Please ye all, render unit
the pioneer Republicans of Michigan th,
things that are theirs"
Aruupr NEfrrr,Nfp