Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-17
,EAF OF POLITICAL HISTORY
First Nominating Convention the
Result of Party Insurgency.
HELD IN NEW YORK IN 1912
second War with Britnin Starts
Political Trouble, Stimulates
Intrigue and Party Fac
tions Multiply.

Insurgency was rampant in the DOM
inant party Of century ago. and out Of
the opportunity thus presented to the
federalists came the first national NOM
mating convention of an American po-
litIcal party.
The men of the north and the east be-
lieved that Madison was coerced into urg-
ing on the war with England by threats
upon the part OF western and southern
republicans to prevent his denomination
in lsle and antagonize him with some
popular man Of the war party. Luckily
for Madison he had conciliated Monroe.
disappointed because he had been forced
to walt in 1ss by making him secretary
Of state when the war Of the Maryland
Smiths on Gallatin at length resulted In
the forcing OF Robert Smith out Of the
cabinet. After Monroe's nomination by
the republican caucus of congress In May,
1872. Josiah Quincy openly charged in
congress that Madison had bought his
nomination by agreeing 20 the war pro-
gram Of Clay. Calhoun and others Of the
south and southwest. but nobody has
brought direct proof Of II.
1 III Juuc N6Ahc tue 0CStdldAtOH VI wal
and then followed a long summer Of in
trigue against Madison. A republican
caucus Of the New York legislature NOM
mated as an independent peace candi-
date for president Dewitt Clinton, who
had resigned the United States senator
ship at "a to become mayor Of New York
City. and had he been elected president In
/ 1872 he would have been by far the young
est man up to that time to occupy the
yelt have held the office younger.
East Against south and West.
The republicans of New York and New
England professed to believe that the
politicians of the south and west were
forcing war upon the country for their
own selfish purposes. with utter indif-
ference as to the ruin that Ii must
while the federalists shared that belief
and ardently wished to get out Of the
situation whatever partisan advantage
they might snatch. Rufus King. the
leading federalst OF New York. was In
correspondence with leaders in his own
and other states with reference to the
situation. and finally an intimation came
to him through friend up In West Ches-
ter county that Clinton would be glad V
confer with the leading federalists. Gin
ton, King and Gouverneur Morris were
finally brought together In the library
OF Morris house at Morrissania, where
Jay and King had been having ]
O'Clock dinner after the manner Of the
time, Clinton had been asked to dinner.
but he got In only In time for dessert.
and Jay. who was In a hurry. left the
party about O'Clock, and apparently,
according TO Kings letters Of this time.
did not take part In the actual confer
ence. The talk went on in the library
pretty late and Clinton outlined a policy
that was In the main satisfactory TO the
federalists. though he did not succeed
| In quieting the distrust Of King.
Out Of this conference between the In
surgent republican Clinton and the fed
eralist leaders, and out OF correspondence
and conferences between the federaiists
of New York and New England and those
| OF the south came the first national NOM
mating convention. held In New York
City in September. isla. --se-.--s-
Most OF the historians dismiss this
convention with only a few words. and
the contemporary newspapers tell little
or nothing as TO Its composition and do
ings. The meager story of the conven-
tion Is to be found In the correspondence
Of some who took part. especially in that
Of King and Morris. and above all In
the Familiar Letters Of William sulli-