Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-12
PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGNS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN
TX. THE BUCHANAN-FRE-
MONT-FILLMORE RACE
OF 1856
WItS Dissdin R; f Ean ssnt as as
w the issue. the Republican

vY1AsHINGTON. D. c.. Sept rs.
M With bleeding Kansas" as
w the issue. the Republican
party made it's first appear
ance in the arena of national politics
in 1856. with Colonel John G. FIRE.
mont as it's candidate.
If Franklin Pierce and his follow
ers had been content to rest upon
the Compromise of 1850 as the final
settlement of the slavery question
in politics, the inevitable. clash of
poned for a long time, But the
Democrats had won such a great
victory, and the opposition was so
utterly demoralized that the Pierce
administration imagined it could do
anything, with umpunity; Indulg-
brought about the repeal of the Mis-
souri, compromise. Then, with the
doctrine that slavery must be per-
mitted in territories, the believers in
extend it to the territories of Kan
sas and Nebraska. Both of these
territories were north of the "thir.-
ty-six thirty" line of the Missouri
up the whole question.
big. 1t stirred up one of the hottest
known before it was actually in ex-
istence as national body, 1t owed
much of its power in it's first cam
paign to Horace Greeley and the
was the Republican Bible. 1t thun-
dered against abuses which were eX
citing the whole country, yet it could
COO as softly as the dove if political
so far. as to bid for southern sup
port for Fremont and talked of
avoiding the danger of a solid
south" pleading the while for the es-
tablishment of a ''solid north"
No campaign up to that time had
had so many issues. Of course slav-
cry was the only real issue, but as
yet not one person of any promi-
hence in actual politics had dared to
oppose slavery in ithe states where
1t existed. 1t was only against the
extension Of slavery that the Free
Nebraska Democrats and the Repub-
ltcans were fighting. But the
southerners realized that Republican
success would mean an ultimate at
tack upon the states rights of which
they were such ardent defenders.
The Republican party held it's
first convention at Pittsburg on
WashingtCn's birthday and formed
an organization. 1t called a nomi-
mating convention to meet at Phila-
delphia on Bunker's Hill day. That
convention met and nominated John
c. Fremont for president and VIII
liam L. Dayton for vice president.
The Democrats held their conven-
ton in Cincinnati, the first national
convention ever held west of the AL
ieghanies. The race for the nominal
ton was spirited, the candidates
being James Buchanan, who was
chosen on the seventeenth ballot,
FRANKLIN Pierce, Stephen A. Douglas
and Lewis Case. John c. Breckin-
fflagei OF Kentucky, was nominated
The Wing party was broken up,
but its remnants went into the
Nativist movement and worked with
the new American" or "Know-noth-
nominated Willard Fillmore for
president and Andrew Jackson DON
elson. Of Tennessee. for vice presi-
dent. The Wings went through the
form Of holding national conven-
ct. Thus ended the tale of the wings.
created into political organization
| by asonry, expiring as an adj
5unet of anti-Catholicism.
sne frse states Stat ME- Free Kansas; Free
That was the Republican battie-cry.
| "Buck and Brock" was as much as
the Democratic campaign poets
could find for their slogan. But it
was not campaign of laudation.
fed and damned the doings of the
Democrats. The Democrats, in turn,
! occupied conservative ground and
defended their actions under the
col The Fillmore ticket
was a refuge for those who didn't
want to take sides in a most nm
pleasant argument.
After the Lawrence, Kan, massa-
ere, Horace Greeley declared that
p president Pierce, the captain Of the
Border Ruffians, will go to Cincin-
natl to seek denomination stained
from head to foot with the hearts
blood OF the free-state men of Kan.
sas." When Preston Brooks, a South
carolina member of congress, assault.
ed senator Charles Sumner, of Mas
sachusetts, In the senate chamber
the whole north was set on fire
| Greeley called it a deed of blood
committed in the chamber of assas.
Indignation meetings were held
great meeting at fremont temple
and another in Faneui1 hall. Wendell
Phillips, Lyman Beecher, Theodore
Parker, the venerable Josiah Quincy
4 and others Of that generation were
there to fan the flames of popular
the south, the wiser heads could not
prevent the young men from applaud.
ing Brooks action in resentfng the
insults which Sumner had sheaped
upon the head of the aged Senator
Butler. Brooks kinsman.
Good Republicans never called g
regular Democrat anything less in
sulting than Border Ruffian." Buch.
anan had been the first to sign the
famous a1lro ostend manifesto, which
The Pierce administration and Buch.
anan had looked with favor upon
the Nicaragua filibustering expedi.
ton Of William Walker, the gray.
eyed man Of destiny" and the Re
beginning Of campaign Of conquest
Of which Cuba was to be the chief
prize. Therefore, it was not at all
surprising that the Democrats and
supporters Of Buchanan should have
found themselves dubbed 'buch-
| aneers."
One of the greatest political meet
ings or rallies ever held in this
country was the Fremont and Free
dom Tegstivai," at Dayton, Q: on July
100000 people there. from all over
Ohio and from adjoining states. The
rallying cry that day was: There Is
a North!" One of the chief features
was burlesque. Democratic parade
young men from Indiana. This pa
rade was headed by no less a per-
sonage than his santanic majesty
who was being attended by com
pany of menfals who were easily
recognized as President Pierce. and
his cabinet. Then there were floats
representing "Buch and Breck," the
Walker filibusters, Border Ruffians
beating women to death, southerners
applying tar-and-feather coats to
Free-state men, Simon Legree
beating an Uncle Tom, a Brooks
breaking his cane over Sumner
head, Brigham Young and his wives
| (Mormonism was then Democratic
asset, and all winding up with. q
| representation of the gigantic
| Douglas attacking the Missouri COM
promise. That day it was declared
these we're only two parties in Ohio
THE Peoples and the Postmas-
Housing the sentiment of the Free
| states to thus support the Repub-