Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-14
PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGNS
By FREDERIC J. RASKiN
X. THE LINCOLN-DOUG.
Observation-Disclosures
BELL CAMPAIGN
M Much of the practical poll
w tics of the presidential cam

TTASHINGTON. D. c., Sept. 81.
M Much of the practical poll
w tics of the presidential cam
paign Of 1860 has been buried
beneath the glory of the Lincoln ad-
ministration and the horrors of the
| that campaign was the promotion
| of the newly-born Republican party
to power, the second political revo-
luton of American history.
For the first twelve years of gov
eminent under the Constitution the
Federalists were in power. With
the election of Thomas jefferson an
actual revolution was accomplished,
and the power of government was
given to the Democratic party. The
Twice during that time the Wings
! elected a president, but there was no
practical interruption of Democratic
ascendency; With the election of
Lincoln, the Republican party as
sumed the reins of power and held
/ Cleveland administration checked,
but did not stay. the Republican
| march.
The first Lincoln campaign was
marked by practical politics. Mr..
Lincoln did not make any active
campaign. The Republicans content
ed themselves with continued de-
nunciations of border ruffianism."
Many of them were somewhat
ashamed of their candidate, and note
of them, outside of Illinois, brought
CuSSion.
The fight ragged in its greatest
| bitterness between the two Demo-
| cratic candidates, Stephen A. Doug
las and John c. Breckenridge. John
forces as the representative of ex-
IRENE conservatism, but, like Lin
coin, he took no individual part in
the campaign.
A Famous Speaking Tour
Douglas, the little Giant of De-
mocracy," stumped the country from
New England to Louisiana. A won
derful orator, earnest as he was in
his efforts to accomplish the saliva
| tlon of the Union and believing that
the only way to save 1t was his way;
perhaps never will know again such
mastery campaign. But it was
all in vain. He had broken with the
South and with Buchanan, and not
logic nor reason nor oratory had
power to heal wounds so deep
Douglas was indirectly responsible
for the nomination of Lincoln. Two
years before, in 1858, Lincoln had
opposed Douglas for reelection to
the senate. Their. joint debates in
that year still live in the memories
of men, and will live on the pages
was the better speaker, and he won
the election for senator. But Lin
coin had pressed him close and had
had the eyes of the whole country
upon him.
1t was against the advice Of every
friend he had that Lincoln bore
down upon Douglas and asked him
series of questions involving slav-
cry in the territories One question
was: Can a territorial legislature
Douglas had answered that question
in the negative, Lincoln would have
been elected senator in 1858 and
might never have been president
But Douglas said "Yes!" That re-
ply carried him back to the United
States senate, caused Horace Greeley
seriously to propose Douglas for the
Republican nomination for president
in 1860, broke the Democratic party
IN twain and elected Lincoln presi-
Slavery in the territories was the
whole issue, as it had been more
or less for half century. 1t was
Thomas Jefferson, a Virginia slave-
holder, who wrote into the North
YES vest Territory Bill the provision
Rs Oh sneud ee d0reyss
compromised in 1920 and in 1850 by
Henry Clay. The Wilmot Proviso
using the exact language Of Thomas
Jefferson, kept slavery off the Pa
cifie coast. In 1854, by the act. of
ed by Franklin Pierce, the Missouri
Compromise of 1890 was repealed
and the whole Question of slavery
extension reopened.
The south held that the territories
were federal and belonged as much to
the slave states as to the free, and
that until they became states the
fderal constitution was their only
law. The constitution permitted
slavery by it's silence, and this the
Dry would make them slave terri
tory. The north held that congress
could legislate slavery out of a ter
ritory, but could not legislate it in
that the territories must be free.
position which Clay would babe sup
ported, and declared in favor of
Popular sovereignty"-that is, of
permitting the people of territory
to decide the slavery question for
The Democratic National conven-
ton 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 south
the convention. The regular con-
vention then adjourned to meet in
Baltimore. Ihe boilers adjourned to
meet in Richmond. The Richmond
mediately adjourned to another day
to await the action of the Baltimore
meeting.
The regular convention assem-
bled in Baltimore and the old fight
broke out afresh Caleb Cushing, of
Ma ScanhnSa uyhn nCaCidnnt NJ
the convention, finally became so dis
gusted with the Douglas followers
that he resigned his chair, and led
ANOTHER bolt from, the convention.
yention then proceeded to nominate
Stephen A, Douglas for president and
Benjamin Fitzpatrick, of Alabama,
for vice president, Fitszpatrick de-
clined, and the second place was
gxen to TSe Gn Y S 0hnso boe of
in Baltimore nominated John c.
Breckenridge, then vice president of
the United States, for president, and
possRh Lang be of oregon for VICE
at Richmond Immediately ratified
the nominations of Breckenridge and
Lane.
Lincoln was nominated at Chicago
ny a group Of shreWd politicians.
who deliberately overthrew the will
of the majority of the party in the
interests of expediency. William H.
Seward was the great ueader CT Re-
publicanism, and when the delegates
met at Chicago, two-thirds of them
were for Seward But Seward as
governor of 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 S. Laee, Re
publican nominesf for, governor in
lively, put up the scheme to defeat
Seward They knew his Catholic af-
filiations would defeat him in their
states, and would probably defeat
But with all the strenuous oppo-
sition and -scheming, Seward prob
ably would have won if his managers
had not fOoliShlY organized q praa,