New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-23
THE NAME REPUBLICAN.
Wken 1t Vas First Used TO De@S-
nate the Party.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.

Kfchfgnr and AeW-h0rk. are efli-tl9NA 10 '-'
honor Of the first state Organization Of the hep1"
lean party.
what are the facts7 First. az 70 Malae-lt is
claimed that convention was called in Portland
June Z. ls5s which most n che counties OF lhe
Gtato were represented" This convention seems 10
hsve been the Maine law Auti-Nehraska Demo
cratic morrill, convention. which nominaiea
Arson p Morrill, f1r Governor and was called tie
NORTH" Democracy. (See DAILY Eastern Argus
Portland June g. 1s-BD Governor morrill, was sup
rorted fly the anti-savery element in both parties
Both WING ana regular Democratic conventions
were held az Portland the Democratic on august
q and tho WING convention ABOUT August = -S'a.
The convention held ar Strong Village. August ..
1864 which was called Boy union Of the Free SOL
Whlc and morrill," Democratic parties and set
example OF union of all snu-Nehraska parties.
md which made county nominations and adopted
the name o; Republican party. was however. Only
local county convention
James g Blaine the nhle statesman and true
patriot fvho probably really elected President
81 q speech made az Lrchheld Ne. june ~ ~.
said. .'Tre Republican party is new political or
RauzatIon. IL is nos yet two years Ole its nrsi
small meetings were held late En- the summer or
1g4. when THE name WAS adopted and the party
organize the one great principle Of resisting
the sprea1 ~ slavery into the Territories of the
United States"
air Blaine made no claim 10 any priority Of
sucn rnee.i- iu his own state and his language
can be ntv applied the various meetings held ir
-lew-y5rk c..tc. as IN any other State The names
OF EcuU1lllen ana lDtiilO'itilIl
early used in American politicS. ana the eTilh'iS
OF "Jacohin." '.2ed Republican ana British Tory.
freeE used
Il Is said that after the passage % the Nebraska
act several members OF Congress suggested the
nam. cf Eeputlicaa 10 designate the opponents OF
she Nebraska bill
Az 90 the sta-e OF Michigan. The convention AT
jackson. July e. ls5s under the oaks, was called
as q mass meeting and not delegate convention
u was a crcdlrable meeting and nominated a stake
a. M 81 and persuaded the
Free Soil tczet nominated February %. 1854. 20
withdraw. and the Vhig state convention. held at
Marshall October q. ->sf TO decline making a
nomination and o. rarfy the previous nominations
81 jackson. The Free Soil whiE elemer; was the
most numerous OF the Guti-Nearssba torces In
Michigan. and the action OF The Wing convention
81 October IN approving OF the Jackson nomination
secured the success of that ticket
or course ali mass meetings represent the
vicinaee mainly and are not representative dele
gate conventions OF the public sentiment Of an
entire State.
Mr.. Curtis says OF the Saratoga convention. 1t
was simply known as the fusion or anti Nebraska /
ticket and though Governor Clark afterWa.1 bt- /
came Republican. ne was not known RepUbl- .
can In 1864 when he elected" NJ Curtis Is in !
error 10 the name OF the Saratoga convention; /
at its adjourned meeting at Auburn September IS !
1874 q expressly adopted the name or 'ttelGolcan
party with acclamat0n as stated IN my former /
article. Governor Clark also wrote a letter ~ adj
hes0u 10 the Saratoga convention platform, and
the strength OF his letter resolved the Republi-
nomination ar Auburn. and was voted for and
elected BY Republican party votes. Governor clark
received 15sTo votes; Seymour E6.i55 votes. ana
Uuman lZ2-54
The FIRST local convention Of the Republican party
under that undoubtedly held at Friend /
shin. In AllegBHy County =. Y, on or before /
May 20. l654 Horace Greeley gave The name 10 the
friends OF the convention and this undoubtedly
the FIRST time the name OF Republican party had
been given 10 organization OF the combined Op- /
poueuts or slavery extension
Ny old friend. a \. Cole. Editor Of The Genesee
valley Free Press" Wells,llle. Auegany County
X T.. ia letter 20 ". r. T.. Fog. OF Strong. Ne.
dated August T. 1SSi. gives the facts follows:
ID aas IN April lS54 that. addressing letter 20 F.
rs .rrr - ,---za ~ 49, sy-iei-,I A - ~ ,,s-tS
you give llt' Ibis answer came quickly. call Z 4
Repubiican-no prefix. uo suflx. bat plain Repuhl-
cal. u-tIsled Ai-. Greeey's letter. and II moth
rs else comes o. your celebration th-n de Tah.ns
huo"n te ile Nolo me tact tnat 10 Horace Greeley
is Dob Le accorded The honor Of having given tbs .
o--rvf6 81 r5-f fs ,,r Ky - 20 rr,z,t{o
aIawinE up a San Tor convention 20 be held at
uniting with me. The call was Tor a convention
- take preliminary steps Tor ths o'eaniz1ti7t =
the convention YVES held cannot dz fa day. and
yet q vas about May % ~. The non was
three or four hundred persons being u attendance.
A few parties were present from adjacent counties
in Pennsylvania dauphlet W Fres r FoeE on
History o. Formation Of Republican Parry in
DR.. Cole gives further facts relating TO the pro-
ceedings OF that convention. and OF nominating
convention held 3D. October. lE4
Mr. Joseph Warren editor. Of Detroit, says.
The honor Of having named and cnristened the
party The writer has always claimed, and now in
sists, belongs Jointly C. Ja-ob N howard Horace
c,sS,sS ori. 3 ~. Iva 800 ~, 4, ,,
DULY @ 1881. Mr.. Grec-ey suggested 10 him the
name OF 'I}epubICau'' According TO his recollec-
ton, Mr. Howard co-tended -TsepuI d.
can was an appropriate name % The proposed new
party CLite u ZachaTlah Chandler pp. lo6 1919
The dates OF the early Republican conventions in
the States which ] have been able 10 collect seem
70 have been follows:
lS5t-Nay % mass convention at Friendship. ALE
Eany County, y. Y. OF that ana adjoining
counties and OF wilmors district in PennsyI-
wanna
Is54-July g. mass convention At Jackson. Mica
lS54-Auellst T. a delegate county convention held .
at Strong village. Ne
The nrst Republican mass meeting held IN Wis
consin was az Madison July e. 1874 A mass meet
ing held IN Vermont the same date. July
Is 1854. mass meeting was held at Columbus.
Ohio. On July "a. 1854. meeting IN Massachu-
Eetts- mass meeting was also said 10 have been \
held a. NorristoWn. Montgomery County. Penn.
date unknown.
The Saratoga convention was a meeting support
"a by all but three counties OF the ffty-niue IN +
the great State Of New-Vork The Tribune stated /
that u attended by four i've hundred +
delegates CTTIbune. August y. lS4D Il had the
approval Of such men Horace Greeley and I
The New-Xork Tribune and OF Henry J. RAYMOND \
and THE New-York Tines and william Cullen \
Bryant and The Evening Post" metropolitan
journals OF large circulation and powerful inau- .
ence). OF John A. King. Reuben r. Fentoa and
Myson H. Clark. all subsequently Governors OF the f.
State or New-Eorz; Preston King. afterward
United States Senator: John Jay. Joseph Blunt .
W Mccain. Ell Perry. and many others Of high +.
character and standing
well understood that the movement ]