The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-04-13

k[|&zA- practlce. IN IS2U
ABRAHAM LINCOLN. the method was
severely criti-
cised; in 1924 it broke down entirely, and
four candidates Were in the field; in 1928
the Tennessee legislature nominated Gen.
Jackson and Pennsylvania Endorsed it,
while John Quincy Adams was the oppos-
Ing candidate "by common CONSENT and
the Endorsement of various bodies. In
1889 the Democrats held their first ma.
tional delegate convention, and so great
was the improvement that with slight
changes oil parties have since adopted
that method.
The Republicans, therefore, found the
convention system ready made to their
hand; but followed Wing presidents in
stead of Democratic, requiring but n ma
jority OF oil the votes cast TO nominate.
OF the 1896, $50 men who voted in 1852
for Gen. Winfield Scott, it is certain that
at least five-siXths in the north became
Republicans, and as large proportion in
the south went by way of the "Know
Nothing" organization into the Fillmore
party of 1856 and the Bell-Eyerett, or
Union party of 1860. OF the 155, 625 who
''voted abolition" in 1S52-for John p.
Hale-probably every one became Repub-
iuBeulOuS tTlCkeTy OIL
making part stand for the whole. which
is such a marked feature Of American
politics, this small minority gave the
slang names of abolition" and "black
Republican" to the new party. This form
OF moral quackery, by which part is put
for the whole and tho whole made respon-
sible for part, is peculiar to the United
States; in the politics of other nations
alintpap6a ic 10 fn,.f ,o
real statesmen are not weighted by vica-
rious folly.
The passage OF the Kansas-Nebraska
bill, May 80, 1864, was the signal for a
tremendous moral uprising in the north
The young and middle aged voters had
been educated to believe that the Mis-
souri, Compromise of 1920 was a solemn
covenant, registered in heaven, and more
stable than the Constitution, since the lat
ter could be amended in good faith; and
without word, almost without thought,
of tariff, bank and sub-treasury, the anti,
slavery men Of all parties rushed together
in sort Of moral enthusiasm, and, organ
izing with state and local names only, OBJ
tanned political control of nearly all the
northern states and elected majority Of
the Thirty-fourth congress. The first ses-
sion OF that congress-Dec. 3, 1856, to
Aug. 30, 1S56-was one long and relent-
less war of words In regard to Kansas and
slavery; routine business was attended to,
Of course, but readers living at the time
can. remember nothing but the two SUBJ
jects. In Harper's Magazine for Deem
Der, 1854 page 1000, is the first record we
find Of the name Republican" as applied
to the new party; in the next year 1t came
into general use, and was officially
adopted by those who supported Hon.
Nathaniel =. Banks for speaker of the
house Of representatives.
After preliminary conventions in all the
states and congressional districts of the
north, and informal appointments from n
few places in the so-called "bOrder states, +"
the first national Republican convention
met in Musical Fund hall, Philadelphia,
ON the 18th of June, 1856. Never has the
political feeling at the north been at
greater heat. A dozen incidents COM
bined to heighten the feeling. But few
days before Senator Charles Sumner, Of
Massachusetts,, was brutality assaulted
and beaten to insensibility in the senate
chamber; about the same time the Stree
state" town of Lawrence, Kan, was cap
tured by n Missouri mob and the principal
buildings burned; at the very hour the
convention met John Brown and his
"army" were fighting in eastern Kansas
against southern force, and in other
parts of that distracted territory armed
bands were plundering and numbering
their respective opponents, while the
great city of San francisco was in complete
control of an extra legal body known rs
the vigilance committee" which was
hanging, banishing and imprisoning at
will.