The Irish standard., 1908-02-01

coin ticket. He was known, OF course,
to all the Republicans who supported
him for vice president in 1864 as a
Democrat, and he remained a Demo-
crat to the end. He was placed on a
ticket with Lincoln in that canvass as
a recognition Of the service which the
Democrats in the national armies were
rendering the cause of the Union. No
body at that moment supposed that
Lincoln would die during his second
term. Had this catastrophe been fore
seen somebody else than Johnson
would probably have been placed on
the ticket with Lincoln. If Lincoln
had lived it is doubtful if he would
have retained his popularity to the end
of his second term. Many Republicans
opposed his denomination in 1854, and
they opened fire in his rear by putting
up Fremont in convention held a few
weeks before the Republicans met in
their regular gathering. The Fremont
candidacy, however, attracted very lit
tie attention from the country at large
and he withdrew several weeks before
the voting took place in November.
Some issues came up just after the col
lapse Of the Confederacy in which a
majority of Lincoln's party, as shown
in Johnson's case, when johnson at
tempted to carry out Lincoln's ideas,
would have diverged widely from Lin
coin. His construction policy, which
undoubtedly would have been the wis
est in that extremity, was opposed by
a majority of his party as too lenient
to the ex-Confederate States. This
would have made trouble for Lincoln,
and might have made his latter days
in the White House storn1ier than were
his earlier ones.
Except Van Buren,. none Of the pres
time retained at the close of their terms
any large measure of popularity in
the party which elected them. The
first Harrison died in Office, and Ty-
Ter, his successor, soon came in con-
let with the Whig party which elected
him and dropped out of the public view
quickly after he retired from office.
His Democratic successor. Polk, an
nounced that he would accept only one
term, and it is altogether probable
that he could not have obtained an
other nomination If he had asked for
it. Folks Mexican war, and the large
accessions of territory which came
during his four years in Office, failed
to endear him to his party, although
he was lar larger parsonage, at the
time of his nomination in 1874 than
later writers, Whig, Republican and
Democratic, have pretended that he
was. He made fairly good president,
His Whig successor, Taylor, died in
Office, and Fillmore, the vice president
who succeeded him, failed to obtain
the nomination in 1852, to succeed
himself by election, and the candidacy
went to Scott instead, who was SOL
dier, like Taylor, at his nomination
and had never held any political office
Pierce, who was personally one Of the
most lovable men who ever went to
the White House, was rendered una
vailable for second term by the re-
peal of the Missouri compromise which
Douglas pushed through Congress in
1854, and which Pierce signed. That
caused such a revolt in the free states
that the Democracy wisely took some.
body for the candidacy Of 1855 who had
not been identified with that measure
and who had not taken any part in
the cyclonic politics of the time. This
was Buchanan, who, as minister tc
England at the time, and consequently
out Of the country. had no part in the
feuds of 1886, and thus, as candi-
date, was in position to keep his par
ty united. Pierce received a. large vote
in the convention of 1856, to succeed
himself, but Buchanan easily carried
off the prize. In the Charleston Con-
vention of 1860, to nominate a success
or to Buchanan, he was not mentioned
for a denomination. The passions
which had been aroused throughout the
country by the Kansas civil war. which
he had inherited from Pierce, were sc
fierce that the northern end Of his
party refused to take him up for an.
other term. and put Douglas forward
instead. The Southern section would
have preferred Buchanan to Douglas
but voted for Breckenridge, and in the
split on the geographical line. Brecken.
ridge became the Southern standard.
bearer in the canvass and Douglas the
Northern Democratic nominee. Bu.
chanan had ceased to be an object Of
public interest even before he stepped
down on March 4, 1861, and the bis
events which Immediately followed
that date: u,iicklv drove his name ou