The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-08-13


mont was defeated by James Buchanan.
The campaign of 1860, with its pro-
cessions and mass meetings, was
picturesque and exciting, and it was en-
tirely one-sided. The Democracy, split
into two nearly equal divisions, was
foredoomed to defeat from the start,
The only possible chance to retain
power lay in the South's acceptance
of Douglas, but the Southern leaders
were determined to oppose Douglas
even to the extent of party disruption
were in the field--the two Democratic,
headed respectively by Douglas and
Breckenridge; the Republican, led by
Lincoln, and the Constitutional Union.
The last-named comprised the rem
nants of the Wing and Know Nothing
parties, which had not yet joined one
or the other of the great organizations,
and was led by John Bell, of Tennessee.
Of all the candidates, Douglas was the
great figure of the campaign. Breckin-
ridge and Bell had little, and Lincoln
almost nothing to say. Douglas, on the
other hand, made speeches in every part
of the country, and was never so force
full, brilliant and audacious as ne was
while stamping the West, the East and
the South in the fall months of 1860.
But he was fighting against fate, and
he knew it. The slavery men fought
him in the South, the Bell men in the
border States, the Republicans in the
free States, and the Buchanan admins
tratlon all over the country.
Attempts were made by few Dem
ocrats and Constitutional Unionists ia
bring about a coalition of these ele-
ments, and Breckenridge and Bell. ac-
cording to Jefferson Davis, offered to
withdraw if Douglas would do the
same, but Douglas declined, on the
ground that his retirement would helm
the Republicans, for most of his North
ern supporters would go to Lincoln
rather than to any other Democrat
Accordingly, the campaign swept on
ward, first to a probability, then to an
assurance of Republican success. In
September the State of Maine elected a
Republican Governor, and in Octobe,
the pivotal States of Pennsylvania, In.
diana and Ohio gave decisive Republi.
can majorities for their State tickets.
Politicians in these States generally
conceded that the vote in these States
clearly foreshadowed Lincoln's election.
The prophecy not only proved correct,
but the tide of popular conviction and
enthusiasm, rising still higher carried
to his support other States which were
yet considered uncertain The voters
who care more to be on the winning
side than they do for principle, always
considerable in a presidential election
rushed over to the Republicans, and
the Republican triumph in November
was complete and decisive. The Re
! publicans carried all the free States
except New Jersey, in which the three
electors allotted to Douglas by flu.
sion were chosen, but the two Breckin-
ridge and the two Bell electors were
abandoned by enough friends of Doug
las to let the four Lincoln electors gel
in Douglas carried Missouri and Bel
Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee
while Breckenridge got the rest of the
slave States OF the electoral votes Lin.
coin had 1870; Breckenridge, 70; Bell, 80
and Douglas, 70. The rupture in the
Democracy was complete, the party
was overthrown and the civil wal
which followed kept it out Of power
in the executive branch Of the Govern
ment for a quarter of a century.
After 1860 no really exciting or sensa
tional canvass took place until 1876
The element of doubt was present t,
some extent in the early part of tn,
campaign of 1864, owing to the failur
\ of the Union arms to gain the successe!
looked for, but the tiumphs of Sher
mans army In the summer and autumn
of that year silenced the advocates o
peace at any price, encouraged tn,
North and rendered McClellan's defea
inevitable. In 1868 Grants election wa
never for moment doubted. For a few
4 weeks after the Endorsement of Gree
ley, the Liberal Republican candidate
by the Democracy in 1872 there seemed
to be a chance for a turnover in tn,
executive branch of the Government
but the Greeley boom collapsed earl,
! and the latter part of the campaign
was fiat and lifeless. In 1876, however
although neither Hayes, the Republi
can candidate, nor Tlden, the Demo
cratic nominee, aroused much persona
enthusiasm; the campaign was vigor
ously prosecuted, and the confiictin,
claims of the parties in three States
on which the result hinged, led to tn
4 creation of body, not contemplate,
either by the Constitution trainers o
by Congress previous to this particula
4 exigency, for the settlement of the dis
puted points. This was the Electora
Commission. There were eight Repnb
leans and seven Democrats on tn
commission and they divided on par
tisan lines on the points in dispute
giving the victory to Hayes, who thu