The Irish standard., 1908-03-21
rexas annexation was the leading Issue

union Of the states would extend the
slavery area here and give the slavery
element reinforcement in congress.
: Many Northern anti-slavery men cp-
posed annexation on that account, and
others opposed it because annexation
would bring war with Mexico over
the disputed boundary between Mexico
and the Texas republic. 1t was the
anti-s!avsry opposition, however,
which counted most in the election.
Clay liz several letters written during
the canvass, had made concessions to
slavery in the hope Of winning or hold
ing Southern votes. This caused a
revolt among a large clement Of the
antf-slevGry Wings, who went over to
Birney and made his aggregate vote
over 6',ojG. Birney drew enough votes
away f,am Clay in the decisive state
OF New York to give that state and the
election to Polk, the Democrat.
Four years later a ''third" party also
decided she result Of the election. This
was TIL. Free Soil party The Free
Soilers were composed of Democrats
and Wings who resented the surrend-
ers made by their parties to the s,av-
cry sentiment. They met in Buffalo
in 1stS and put up a ticket headed by
exPresislent Van Buren,. Van Buren,
belonged to the Barnburncr section Of
the New York Democracy, which on
posed their party's concessions to
slavery. and this clement dominated
the Buffalo convention. The Free Soil
the Liberty party's creed had been.
They aimed to shut slavery out Of the
territories, but would not Interfere with
II in tic states i'll which it existed. In
the canvass OF 1913 the Wings nomi-
mattel Zachary Taylor. the hero Of
Ruena. VISTA while the Democrats rut
up Lewis Cass. Van Rurcn received
291,co0 votes. In the state of New
Work, where his following was par
ticu'ar'y large. he split the Democratic
party I'm two and gave the Wings that
state and the presidency. Several Free
Soil.r.s were elected to congress. That
party put up Il ticket in 1852, headed
by John T. Hale, but it's vote fell to
156.6oo Aside from the fact that the
Free Soilers turned the scale in 1S4S,
they Il All another important influence,
Thev furnished the creed-frcedom for
all tie territores-which the Reput.li-
can patty adopted at it's creation in
1884 And they became one of TIL. ele-
mcnts OF that party, although not the
largesl element. The slavery
Wings. on the death OF their own par
tty III The Kansas Nebraska cyclone in
1854. joined with the Free Soilers, the
anti slAv'r% Democrats and the anti
slavery Know Nothings and formed
the new party which adopted the Re-
SpubHcan name. The Northern Wings
$compossd the new party's largest sim
gle Ingredient
~ Although the Republicans were
r1'ever a third" party, an organization
OF tat order appeared in the cnmpuicn
Of 1886. the year in which the Repub-
,licar party put up it's first presidential
ticket. The Democrats nominated Blu
char.an. ;f.e Republicans selected Fre-
mont. nni tho Know Nothlngs, chief
~ old Wings who resisted amalgama-
,tion with either of the big parties, had
ex- President Fillmore as their candi
date. Fillmore was Buchanans only
opponent In the South. The Republi-
cans had no standing in that region.
Their entire vote in the slave states
was only 1000. Fillmore carrie Mary
land.
This campaign Of 1860 saw more par
ties Win electoral votes than any can
vass before or since. Against Lincoln,
the Republican nominee in that year,
there were two Democratic candidates.
Douglas was nominated by the North
ern section of the Democracy after the
splis took place in the Charleston
Convention. and Breckinridge was put
up by the Southern element of the par
ty. Me cid Wings who supported Fill
more in 1856 under the name Of the
Know-Nething. or American party, rut
up pell in 1880, and called themselves
the Constitutional Union party. Thus.
there we1c four distinct organizations
in the field. each Of which expected to
receive electoral votes, and each OF
which lid get them. AS in 1856 the
chief strength OF the third party was
in tie slave states. Douglas support
was mostly in the North, but as the
Republicans carried nearly all the free
states tint Douglas poll in the electcr-
al college was small. He received 3
out OF New Jerseys electoral votes
tLincola getting the other 4, and he
carried Missouri. Thus his entire noll
5 in the electoral college was -, al