Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-06-14

The slavery question, shelved for
time through the Missouri compro-
mise, was thus again brought to
head Forcing the foes of serfdom to
get together for the impending battle.
When the congress OF 1S50-61 met, the
Republicans had twenty-five senator's,
the Democrats thirty-tive. In the house
the membership stood: Republicans.
113; Democrats, SO; i-Lecompton
Democrats, s; Know Nothings %.
Nomination of Lincoln.
When the national convention of 1860
met in Chicago on the 10Th of May,
the hopes of the party We're high. Its
organization had been perfected and
Its policy for the future determined.
Its several elements had been so weld
ed together that fractional lines had
practically disappeared. but it was de-
cided that so far as these lines remain
ed the former Wings should have the
presidential nomination and write the
platform. while the vice presidency
should go to the former Democrats.
The delegates were all from free states
with the exception of those from Mary
land, Delaware, Virginia and Ken
lucky. The platform adopted did not
differ greatly from that Of 1856. except
that the conjunction Of slavery and po-
lygamy, particularly offensive to the
south, was dropped, homestead law
and protective tariff We're demanded,
and southern threats of secession and
disunion were denounced.
Seward. the leading candidate for the
presidential nomination, was strongly
opposed because Of his extreme anti
slavery position. fractional fights in
his home state (New York; also mill
tated against his success. On the first
ballot he had 173h votes. Abraham
Lincoln had large proportion of the
western delegates behind him, and was
given 102 votes on the first ballot. ST.
mon Cameron had 50Ha votes. Chase 40
and Bates 4S. Forty-two were scatter
1S47. votes to Lincoln's 1S1. On the
third ballot Lincoln's vote rose to 23111a
and Stewards fell to $50. Before an
other ballot could be taken enough
votes were changed to Lincoln to give
him 1854 votes and the nomination.
Hannibal Hamlin was named for vice
president on the second ballot.
! The Civil War.
| At this Juncture the party received a
new accession of forces, the so called
war Democrats. among whom were
Benjamin Butler. z. H. Stanton, John
A. Logan. John A. Dix, Lyman Ire
maine and Andrew Johnson. The cam
patgn of 1860 was of the whirlwind
order. The Democrats had split. and
two Democratic tickets, one headed by
Stephen A. Douglas. the other by John
G. Breckenridge. were in the field. Lin
coin and Hamlin received all the cleo
toral votes Of the free states. except
: three from New Jersey. and were elect
ed. For the next four years the history
Of the Republican party is the history
of the civil war. No political organl-
cation ever endured such trying ex-
perience as the Republican party I'M
derwent during this period. Its ma
jority in congress was due solely to the
absence of representatives from the
southern states, and even with this aid
1t was near being turned into a mi
nority in the congress of 1906.
The leaders of the party proved
themselves equal to every emergency
Lincoln was obnoxious both to the ex.
IRENE radicals and to the ultra con.
servatiyes, who feared the effect Of his
emancipation proclamation. Strenuous
efforts were made to prevent his re
nomination. The conservatives at
tempted to bring about the nomination
mert Of Lincoln's administration by
the Ohio legislature speedily put ar
end to the Chase boom. The radicals
met in convention at Cleveland. May
49, 1864. and nominated Fremont ant
John Cochrane of New York. demand
ing more vigorous prosecution of thu
war. the contiscation of the estates Of
rebels and their division among Unor
soldiers and actual settlers. Their can
didates accepted the nominations, bu
withdrew before the election.
Lincoln Ag0in Elected.
In the mass of the party there wa
no hesitation. When the national con
vention met in Baltimore. June Z, 1864
Lincoln was renominnted by acclama
ton. The vice presidency was to b.
I given to the war Democrats, and tn
choice lay between Daniel S. Dickinson
Of New York and Andrew Johnson 0
Tennessee Johnson was nominated OF
the second ballot. The platform ap
proved the unconditional prosecution
OF the war, the emancipation of tn
slaves, the proposed thirteenth amend
. mcnt to the constitution, the policy o
, President Lincoln. the redemption O
the public debt and the enforcement o
the Monroe doctrine in Mexico. TIL
Democrats nominated General Georg
B. Mcclellan and George II. Pendletor
on the platform The war is failure.
,, Before November the victories of tn
Union ar..s Ind made Lincoln's cleo