The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-09
A Great Party's Birthplace.

A Great Party's Birthplace.
In Curtis Unconstitutional History Of
the United States" 1t is claimed for
New York that the name republican
was first adopted at a meeting in
Auburn Of an anti-Nebraska bill char
acter, at which resolution was
adopted recommending that a conven-
ton of delegates from the free states
be held on July 4, 1856, to nominate
q national ticket the Auburn meeting
taking place Sept. 81, 1854: A num-
Der of other states have persistently
claimed that they should be credited
with priority as to honor.
Back of all the claims it may with
truth be said that the procuring cause
of the organization Of the republican
party was the repeal Of the Missouri
Compromise and the pushing by
Stephen A. Douglas Of his bill organic
ing the two territories of Kansas and
Nebraska, the people to vote whether
they should be slave territory or free
soil.
The Douglas bill knocked the slav-
cry restriction out and started the free
soil element with the prospect Of pos
sible Introduction of slavery into the
territories. Slavery was no longer
prohibited west of the Mississippi and.
north of SO degrees and 80 minutes.
AS early as January, 1854, after the
Douglas bill had been reported in it's
final shape in the senate, men like
Salmon Chase and Joshua r. Giddings
of Ohio, Sumner of Massachusetts,
Wade of Ohio, Gerrit Smith of New
Y York, issued an appeal to the country
against the gross violation Of the SOL
ernn pledge involved in the Missouri
slavery-restricting compromise.
On May 20, thirty members Of the
house, wings and democrats, pledged
themselves in Washington to fight
slavery extension with all their in
fiuence, and the name republican,
was mentioned as suitable for a new
party which might be organized thru
the newly awakened determination to
resist the slave power
After that, on February %, 1854,
occurred at Ripon, Wis, a small meet
Ing of wings, democrats and free
sellers, who, led by Major Alvan e.
Bovay, took some steps to organize a
party and Bovay suggested the name
republican"
The first state gathering on record,
looking to formal, organized resistance
to slavery extension, was that held on
July 6, 1854, a half century ago, at
jackson, Mich, the result of a meet
Ing on May IS, previously, to arrange
for the gathering. There the repea
of the Missouri compromise was bit.
terly denounced, and the declaration
made that "we will cooperate and be
known as republicans until the con.
test be terminated.' The conven.
ton adopted a ringing platform an6
nominated a full state ticket, and was
the first organized state convention
which took the republican name ant
started the great party on it's marvel
ously illustrious way so full of grea
facts accomplished for the American
nation. .-E
Thereafter, in that year, Wisconsin
Massachusetts,, Vermont and New
York took the name and reiterated thu
principles Of the Michigan platform
and SO, by 1856, the time was ripe fo'
the first national convention Of tn,
young party, which, losing in it's maid
en- effort to grapple with the slav
power, won decisively in the secont
round in 1850. 4l74sa-
The Michigan republicans will, o.
July 6, next, meet at Jackson AM
celebrate the fftieth anniversary o
the important state convention which
was the first to raise the, republical
& nd mo 1rn rofj nf
against the encroachments Of tn
southern slavocracy. The republica
partys work went beyond oppositio
to the extension Of the slave system
ITS utter humiliation was wrougf
thru the folly Of democracy applyin
ing the dogmas of Thomas Jefferso
to the defense Of slavery and attempt
Ing to destroy the union, misconstru
Ing the temper and the loyalty Of tn
northern states to national unity.
1t Is noticeable that the democrat
have chosen Wednesday, July 6, asft til
date Of their national convention. Th
convention will be concurrent with til
memorial gathering Of the Michiga
republicans, at Jackson, to CON
memorate the entrance Of the repul
ucan party INTO the po1Ica1 arer
where it ultimately met the challeng
of democracy to dispute its right |
vote a state out of the union and
defy the federal government. TT
bloody war in behalf of great pril
ciple, the integrity of the union, w;
won, and in the winning, the leadir
Jeffersonian principle Of disintegr
ton was crushed beyond recovery.
A man at Columbus, Ohio, was renti
a property that suited him in every pa
ticular except that the house was r
supplied with a cellar. This he decid
to put in at his own expense. After