Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-30
Presidential Campaigns
X. The Lincoln Douglas Breckin ridge
Bell Campaign

BY FreierIc j. UAskin

promotion Of the newIy-born Republican
| party to power, the second political revoa
luton Of American history.
For the first IL years Of government
under the Constitution, the Federalists
were in power. With the election Of
Thomas jefferson an actual revolution
was accomplished, and the power ofgovern-
ment was given to the Democratic party.
The Democrnts ruled for 90 years. Twice
during that time the Whigs elected a
President, but there was no practical
interruption Of Democratic ascendency.
With the election Of Lincoln, the Republi-
can party assumed the reins Of power and
held them 4S years. The two Cleveland
administrations checked, but did not stay
the Republican march.
The first Lincoln campaign was marked
by practical politics. Mr.. Lincoln did not
make an active campaign. The Re-
publieans contented themselves with con
tinued denunciations Of border ruffian-
ism." Many Of them were somewhat
ashsmed Of their candidate, and none Of
them, outside Of Illinois, brought the
personal equation into the discussion.
The fight ragged in It's grestest bitterness
between the two Democratic candidates,
Stephen A. Douglas and John &. Breckin-
ridge. John Bell led the Constitutional
Union forces 8s the representative Of ex-
treme conservatism, but, like Lincoln, he
took no individual part in the campaign.
FAMOUS SPEAKING TOUR.
Douglas, the little Giant Of Dsnoc-
racy'' stunped the country from New Eng
land 10 louisiana. a wonderful orator
earnest az he WAS in his efforts 70 accom-
plish the salvation Of the Union and bo-
iieving that the only way 20 save IL was his
way; the country never knew before and
perhaps never will know again such a
masterly campaign But il wss all IN vain
He had broken with the South and with
Buchanan, and not logic nor reason nor
oratOry had power 20 heal wounds - deep.
Douglas was indirectly responsible for
the nomination of Lincoln. Two years be-
fore, in 1858, Lincoln had oppo~ed Doug
las for reelection 70 the Senate. Their joint
debates in that year still live in the
memories of men, and will live On'the
pages Of history for all time Douglas was
the better speaker, and he won the eiec-
ton for senator But Lincoln had pressed
him close and had mad the eyes of the
whole country upon him.
II was against the advice If every friend
he had that Lincoln bore down upon Doug
u
voiving slavery in the territories. One
question was ''Can a territorial legislature
exclude slavery If il secs ftp II Douglas
had answered that question in the mega
tive. Lincoln would have been elected
Senator in 1853 and might never hsv- been
President. But Douglas said "Yesf
That reply carried him back 20 the United
States Senate. caused Horace Greeley
seriously 20 propose Douglas for the Re-
publican nomination for President IN 1880
broke the Democratic party m twain and
elected Lincoln President
THE STATUS or sLAvyEY.
Slavery in the territories WAS the whole
isstIe az il had been more or less for half
century. IL was Thomas jefferson, q
Virginia stakeholder, who wrote into the
Northwest Territory bill, the provision
that that territory should be forever free Of
slavery. The question was compromised
in 1870 and 1850 by Henry Clay. The
Wilmot Proviso, using the exact language
OF Thomas jefferson, ept slavery OF the
Pacific coast. In S54, by the act Of
Stephen A. Douglas himself. assisted by
Franklin Pierce, the Missouri Compronrse
of 1920 was repealed and the whole ques-
ton of slavery extension reOpened-
The South held that the territories were
Federal and belonged as much 70 the
slave States as 70 the free. and that until
they became States the Federal COnstItu-
ton was their only law. The Constitution
permitted slavery by its silence. and this
theory would make them slave territory.
The North held that Congress could legis-
late slavery out OF a territory, but could not
legislate it in-that.the territories must be
free. Douglas took the middle ground,
position which Clay would hsve support
ed, and declared in favor Of popular
sovereignty that is, of permitting the
people of a territory to decide the slavery
question for themselves
The Democratic National Convention
met at Charleston that year. The fight on
the platform was long and bitter, and
when it was seen that Douglas controlled
the convention and the Douglas platform
would be adopted, the majority of the
Southern State delegations withdrew from
the convention. The regular convention
then adjourned to meet IN Baltimore. The
bolters adjourned TO meet IN Richmond.
The Richmond convention met on time,
but Immediately adjourned 70 another day
to await the action Of the Baltimore
meeting.
Baltimore and the old fight broke out
afresh. Caleb Gushing OF Massachusetts,
who was president Of the convention,
finally became SO disgustsd wIththe Doug
las followers that ne resigned his chair.
and led another bolt from the convention.
The remnant of the regular convention
then proceeded to nominate Stephen 4.
Douglas for President and Benjamin Fitz-
patrick of Alabama for Nice-President.
Fitzpatrick declined. and the second place
was given to Herschel V. Johnson Of
Georgia. The Caleb Gushing boilers IN
Baltimore nominated John c. Breckenridge
then Vice President of the United States
for President, and Joseph Lane Of Oegon
for President The aiting "seced-
ers" at Richmond Immediately ratified the
nominations Vi Breckenridge and Lane.
LINCOLN A MACHINE CANDIDATE.
Lincoln was ominated at Chicago by a
group of shrewd politicians who deliberate
ly over threw the will Of the majority Of the
party in the interests Of expediency. VIII
liam IT, Seward was the great leader Of
Repubhcanism. and when the delegates
met at Chicago, two-thirds Of them were
New York had been too closely associated
with the Roman Catholics in politics.
The know-nothing vote was still large and
had to be reckoned with, especially in
PENNSYLVANIA and Indiana. Andrew G..
Curtin and Henry ;. Lane. Republican
nominees for governor in Pennsylvania
and Indiana, respectively, put up the
scheme to defeat Seward They knew his