Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-29
Presidential Campaigns
TX The Buchanan -Frcsnon Fillmore
Race Of 1866.
BY Frederic ,. Haskin.

Washington, d. c., Sept. 20,--With
publican party made its first appearance
in the arena of nstiopal politi1 in 1856, wit
Colonel John G. Fremont AZ its candi-
date.
If Franklin Pierce and his followers had
been content 10 rest upon the compro-
mise of 1880 as the final settlement of the
slavery question in politics, the inevitable
clash of the Civil War might have been
postponed for long time. But the Dem
ocrnts had won such n great victory, and
the opposition was so utterly demralized,
that the Pierce administration imagined
it could do anything with impunity. In
dulging in that mistaken belief, Pierce
brought about the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise. Then, with the doctrine
that slavery must be permitted in terri
tories, the believers in the peculiar in
stitution" sought To extend it 10 the terri
tories Of Kansas and Nebraska. Both of
these territories were north N the thirty
six thirty" line Of the Missouri compromise
and its repeal opened up the whole q,ies-
ton.
The Republican party was born big.
1t stirred up one Of the hottest campaigns
the country has ever known before IL was
actually IN existence az national body.
1t owed much Of it's power in it's firrt
campaign to Horace Greeley and the New
York Tribune. The Tribune was the
Republican Bible. II thundered against
abuses which were exciting the whole
country. yet IL could coo az softly as the
dove II political expcdience demanded.
II even went so far as To bid for southern
support for Fremont and talked Of avoid
ing the danger Of solid south" plead
ing the while for the establishment Of
solid north"
SLAVERY THE REAL Issue.
No campaign up TO that time bad had
20 many issues. Of course slavery ws
the only real issue, but as yet not one per
son Of any prominence IN actual polite.
had dared 10 oppose slavery in the States
where 10 existed II was o@ly against the
extension Of slavery that the Free Soilers,
the liberal Wings, the anti-Nebraska
Democrats and the Republicans were
fighting But the southerners realized
that Republican success would mean an
ultimate attack upon the Statcs' Rights of
which they were such ardent defender.
The Republican party held It's first con-
vention at Pittsburg on Washington's
birthday and formed an organization. IL
called a nominating convention 10 meet at
Philadelphia on Bunkers' Hill day. That
convention met and nominated John G.
Fremont for President and William l..
Dayton for Vice-President. The Demo
Gratis held their convention IN Cincinnati,
the first national convention ever beld
west Of the Alleghanies. The race for the
nomination was spirited, the candidates
being James Buchanan, who was chosen
on the seventeenth ballot, Franklin
Pierce, Stephen A. Douglas and Lewis
Cass. John G.. Breckenridge Of Ken
lucky was nominated for Vice-President.
The Wing party was broken up, but it's
remnants went into the Nativlst movement
and worked with the new American" o,
"know-nothiDg' party. The Know
nothings nominated Millard Fillmore for
President and Andrew jackson Donelson
Of Tennessee for Vice-President The
Wings went through the form Of holding
a national convention and endorsed the
Fillmore ticket. Thus ended the tale of
the Wings, created INTO political or
ganization by anti-Masonry, expiring as /
an adjunct OF anfl-CathoiicisIn.
free States Free kansas, Free Speech, 1
Free Men and Fremont That was the /
Republican battle-cry. Buck and |
Breck' was as much Is the Democratic
campaign poets could find for their slo- /
gan. But 1t was not campaign OF lauda- I
ton. The Republicans denounced and 4
defied and damned the doings OF the /
Democrats The Democrats, In turn,
occupied conservative ground and de- i
Tended their actions under the constItu- I
ton. The Fillmore ticket was a refuge 4
for those who didn't want 20 take sides /
In most unpleasant argument
THE KANSAS MASSACRE.
After the Lawrence, Kansas, mas
sacre, Horace Greeley declared that
President Pierce, the captain Of the
Border Ruffians, viii go TO Cincinnati TO
seek denomination stained from head to
foot with the hearts blood of the Free
State men of Kansas When Preston
Brooks, a South Carolina member of
Congress, assaulted Senator Charles sum
ner of Massachusetts, in the Senate cham
Der, the whole north was set on fire. Gree
ley called it deed of blood committed IN
the Chamber of Assassins.
Indignation meetings we're held every
where. In Boston there was a great
meeting at fremont Temple and another
in Faneu1 Hall. Wendell Phillips, Ly-
venerable Josiah Quincy and others of
that generation were there to fan the
flames of popular indignation. At the
same time, IN the south, the wiser heads
could not prevent the young men from
applauding Brooks action In resenting
the insults which Sumner had heaped
upon the head of the aged Senator Butler,
Brooks kinSman.
Good Republicans never called regu-
lar Democrat anything less insulting
than border rufhan." Buchanan had
been the first TO sign the famous Ostend
Manifesto which looked to the annexation
of Cuba. The Pierce administration and
Buchanan had looked with favor upon the
Nicaragua filibuStering expedition of
William Walker, "the gray-eyed man Of
destiny" and the Republicans believed
that it was the beginning of a campaign
of conquest Of which Cuba was to be the
chief prize. Therefore it was not at all
surprising that the Democrats and sup
porter of Buchanan should have found
themselves dubbed "buchcaneers."
FORGOTTEN PAGEANT.
One of the greatest political meetings
or ''rallies" ever held in this country was
the Fremont and Freedom festival at
Dayton, Ohio, on July 30, 1856. There
were more than hundred thousand peo-
pie there, from all over Ohio and from
adjoining States. The rallying cry that
day was; There is northp' One of the
chief features was burlesque Democratic
parade participated in by q company of
young men from Indiana. This parade