El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-03

" HE off" year congressional cam
paign of 1854 is perhaps the
most interesting in the whole
course of our political history, since
it gave birth to the Republican party
which ever since has ruled the nation,
with the exception of two years in the
second Cleveland administration, when
the Democrats controlled president,
senate and house of representatives.
The first Republican victory was
achieved without the aid of a party
name, party platform, a political or
ganizatiOn or a national campaign 1t
had none of the adventurous aids of
machine manipulation. 1t was a great
'ground-swelP' of outraged public
opinion in opposition to certain spe-
cific measure of the administration and
the congressional majority. 1t was the
first time that new political party
won a national election in the first
year of its existence, but it did &C
complish that very thing although the
members chosen were gr0uf ed under
the heading 'Anti-Nebraska" and many
of them for a time declined to De call
ed Republicans"
Clay and Webster effected the corr,
promise Of 1850 by which California
was admitted as a free state, and by
which many great concessions were
ing the right of New Mexico to de-
eide for itself whether it would be
free or slave territory The compro-
mise OF 1850 was originated by
southern slave owning, whig, Clay,
under the aegis of a southern slave
owning wing president. Taylor Tay-
Tor died while the discussion was in
progress. The compromise found it's
cnler defender in Webster, northern
wing, and the fugitive slave bill. PASS
ed under its terms, was signed by Mil
lard Fillmore. another northern WING.
Although the compromise upset the
balance of power between free and
slave states in the senate, California
being free, the conscience Wings
or the north looked upon it as a sur
render to the slave power The south
ern Wings were rapidly deserving 10
the Democratic party.
End of the Wing Party.
The year 1852 marked the end of the
Wing party, and by a strange coinci-
dence both the great Wing leaders
clay and Webster-died in that same
year The Wings nominated general
Winfield Scott for president. not be-
cause they trusted him. but because
ne was hero Of the war of 1872 and
the war with Mexico. The Wings had
never elected president but twice
ana each time it was a war hero who
pulled the party through-Harrison and
Taylor. They tried it once again. Scott
did not appeal to the popular fancy. He
had flirted with "Knownothingism" and
was persona non grata with the for
e1gn-born voters, although on the
stump he attempted to wheedle them by
pralsing their rich Irish brogue" and
their sweet German accent"
Daniel Webster narmittad q bol+;np
faction of Union Wings to nominate
him for president, but he died a few
weeks before the election The DEM
ocrats had named another dark
horse Franklin Pierce of New /
Hampshire. When the votes were
counted it was found that Scott had
only AZ electoral votes to 254 for |
Pierce. The Wing candidate carried !
but four states, Massachusetts and /
Kentucky in the south 1t was the |
end OF whiggery
Democrats In Full Power.
The Pierce administration. began |
with the Democrats in full power. |
They had an overwhelming majority |
or both houses of congress and their |
ancient adversary the Whig party was !
crushed to death There were some /
uncomfortable Free Sellers and some /
vociferous Conscience Wings, IN. Web |
ster and Clay in 1850 had stjlled the
antf-slayery agitation and there APP
peared to be political beace Cenrain- !
y the Democrats did ncS think their
power couli 20 questi )ned for years
to come. The compromise of 1850 had |
settled the slavery question The cleo (
ton of 1852 had killed the Wing party |
The Abolitionists were discredited.
There was a peace
Uncle Toms Cabin Appears.
But the slavery issue was again to
be brought to the fore, but not by
the Abolitionists. Uncle Toms Ca
bin appeared in 1852, and it created
a great wave of anti-slavery senti-
ment at the north. The south cried
1ut in vain against It's untruthfulness
Mrs. Stowe had caught the popular