El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-03
Formation OF Republican Party
X-CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS

, chord at the north As is nearly al
ways the case professional politicians
could not read the signs OF the times.
The great Democratic victory of 1S52
was interpreted to mean that all eff
fective opposition to slavery extension
was dead. Senator Douglas of Illincis
introduced in the senate the famous
Kansas-Nebraska bill, providing for
the organization of the territory Of
Nebraska and leaving the question CT
slavery to be determined by the pec-
pie Of the new territory. This, of
course, nullified the Missouri Com
promise of 1920 which provided that
after Missouri was admitted no new
slave state should exist north of the
boundary of Missouri But the Kansas
Nebraska bill was not enough Doug
las accepted an amendment specifically
repeating the Missouri Compromise.
The bill passed both houses after FIR
ious debates and was signed by presi-
dent Pierce in May, 1854. The bill WIS
a distinct pro-slavery measure yet it
was introduced ~ northern sena-
tor, passed by a congress in both
houses Of which there was a majority
Of northern men, and was signed by a
northern president.
Forming a New Party.
meeting of anti-sIavery Wings
and Free Soil Democrats at Ripon, Wis
consin in March, 1854, was the first
organized effort to form a new party
New party movements and political
revolutions generally have come out
of the west, and this was no exception.
The Ripon meeting resulted in the
formal dissolution of the local COM
mittees of the Wings and Free Sellers.
and the substitution of a new COM
mIttee composed OF three Wings, one
Free Soil Democrat, and one Demo-
crat- The name Republican" was then
suggested, but not adopted few
months later, at Jackson, Mich. the new
party was formally launched 1t did
not insist upon the name, but invited
the cooperation of all anti-slavery
Wings, all Free Soil Democrats, and
all Democrats opposed to the Douglas
measures. The Democrats were in the
majority, SO the campaign as it prog
resSed grew into a battle between the
administration Democrats on one side
and the anti-NebraSka coalition on the
other The result was that the new
house of Representatives chosen in 1854
was made up Of IS Democrats. 40
Know-Nothings, los anti-Nebraska men
and about 20 who were undecided what
party to join. When the same con-
gress came to an end the party align
ment was 10S Republicans SO Demo-
Gratis and 43 Americans, or Know
Nothings.
1t was evident that no party could
reconcile its northern and southern
members They might be brought to
vote for a presidential candidate. bur
their action in congress would be ruI-
ed largely by sectional feeling. The
northerners in both old parties had
compromised with the southern wing.
Now the great outburst OF public in
dignation against the repeal Of the Mis-
souri, Compromise made possible the
formation of purely sectional party
a party which had no southern wing
to treat with, which expected no south
ern votes and which could therefore
ignore the south.
First Republican Convention.
Two years later, in 1856. the new
Republican party held it's first nation
al convention and nominated for the
presidency general John c. Fremont.
The Know-Nothings held their only ma
uonal convention and named Willard
Fillmore, who was afterwards endors-
ed by a sad gathering Of the remnant
Of the Wings. The Democrats nominat-
ed James Buchanan, who was elected !
The Democrats carried five free states
California, Illinois, Indiana. New
Jersey and Pennsylvania For the |
first time sectional party had made
a great campaign, Fremont getting II4f
ELECTORAL votes to ia for Buchanan. |
and eight, those of Maryland, for Fill |
more. 3 The Republican party had no !
ticket in IL states, the same which /
afterward seeded, with the exception |
that Missouri had no ticket while vir- |
ginia cast only 291 Republican votes. |
In Delaware, Kentucky and Maryland /
the Republican vote was less than AGO. |
There was a reaction throughout the /
country and the thirty-fifth congress /
was largely Democratic and the Bucha- I
nan administration began with a IA
vorable majority in both houses of con-
gress- 1t was declared that the Sec
tional party had failed
But Abraham Lincoln had said that |
this nation could not exist half slave !
singer If +hfs tarrihIo +r,,+h r-a-a