El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-02
By
Frederic
]. Haskin

4 southern principles were known a.
| '-Hunkers". The Van Buren, men, the
| anti-Texas men, the radical Demo
Gratis were Hkened by the regulars tt
| men who would burn their barns tC
| clear them of rats. Thus the Va1
Buren, men came to De known as
"barnburners." The warfare between
Hunkers and Barnburners brought &c
| the front hany young Democrats
! heretofore unknown, and these al
| most without exception were Barn
| burners. Chief among these was Sam
uel J. Tilden. Another leader of the
| Barnburners was Silas Wright, VINO
refused the nomination for vice-pr
dent in 1914 because Van Buren, had
been defeated. his refusal being the
| first private message ever sent by tel
egraph. John 4. Dix and John Van
Buren, were the practical politicians
| OF the Barnburner faction, and were
opposed by William L. Marcy and Dan
| lei S. Dickinson of the bunker forces.
In 1916 the Barnburners carried the
| state elections. In 1916 they elected
some members of congress and defeat
ed others, and the old Democratic sta-e
| organiza tion-the oldest and the
strongest in the 'country-was destroy
ed by the very man who had built it.
In 1913 the Barnburners expanded
intosa national party, took the name Of
Free Sellers and polled nearly $780,
600 votes The important feature of
the movement was, however, that n
1S4S the Free Soil Van Buren, ticket
polled a greater vote in New York
state than the regular Democratic tick
ct headed by Lswis Cass, thus giving
the electoral vote of the state to the
Wing candidate, general Zachary Tay-
lor. Cass had a127 electoral votes, Tay
lor 163. New York cast 36 votes, and.
therefore, in that year was a pivocsl
state, indeed.
C1ay'S Last Compromise.
The Wings again had turned down
their great Header Clay when vic
was from Louisiana and he was a hero
Of the Mexican war. He was a pro-
slavery, southern Wing, and in his
nomination the Wing leaders truckIed
to the Judgment of political trimmers
and trusted TO luck to choke the oppo-
sition OF the Conscience Wings" of
the north. Taylor died after serving
16 months and was succeeded by Mil
lard Fillmore. Under this last Wing
administration the great Wing leader
Henry Clay was to make the last Of
that long line of, compromises which &c:
always conceived in the belief they
would aid his party and advance his
own interests, as well as those of the
nation; but which in fact always arose
to confound and destroy both Clay and
the party he had founded.
A measure was pending in congress
in 1916 to appropriate money to pur-
chase certain territory from Mexico,
a part of the peace proceedings.
David wilmot, Democratic member
Of congress from Pennsylvania, pro-
posed an amendment providing that
slavery should be excluded from terri
tory so purchased Wilmot was a
Democrat of the Van Buren, following
and in New York would have been
known as a Barnburner- Around this
Wilmot proviso surged the storm en-
gendered by the opposition TO the ex-
tension of slavery in the territories.
1t was to be, eight years later, the
rock upon which the Republican party
built its new temple. The Bryant dec
laratfon for anti-Texas congressman
IN 1874, the Van Buren, disaffection
and the war between Hunkers and
Barnburners, the action Of David VIII
mot the Democratic split OF 1875
these things operating within the
Democratic party presaged not only
the great split of 1860, but they afford
ed the opportunity -or establishing
a new party. The compromise of 1850
NAC 4AA7oeoALCQ car Ger Oh the ray
Fillmore administration meant
the breaking up of the old Wing par
ty- The times were ripe for a new
party and a political revolution. The
Wings and free soil Dem
ocrats Of the north demanded a party .
To represent their views, even If they /
had TO build a new one.
Parties Lose Prestige.
Times had changed since the old |
Democratic party had broken up and |
the new democracy had been born |
the new Wing organization. /
In those days the Democrats had been |
the progressive radicals, the Wings /
we're the conservatives. But for many |
years John Quincy Adams, chief Of the /
forces IN 1S24-S, was adj
radicalism in the house of rep-
resentatives. The radical party f
Jackson had become conservative Cal
noun, whom Jackson would have hang |
I'd, now had become the patron saint
Of southern Democrats and Wings
alike The union appeared to be
doomed to disruption.
There was no hope in the Democrat
s party because it was controlled boy
| combination of southern slave hold.
srs and northern manufacturers which
to be all-powerfuL There was
~ HOpe III the w mig party, Tor II had |
proved itself to be the inefficient and
Incapable creature of expediencey. CLAY
and Webster had been radical once
LAY when he brought on the war Of
-S12, Webster when he replied ro
4ayne-but now both were old and
Inclined TO be conservative Both were
ret TO make their final appearance On
he stage of politics-Clay with the
of 1850 and Webster in his
peech sof the seventh OF March. And
hese things were to write the death
of the Wing party
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of the Renuh