Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-06-16
THE CAMPAIGN OF 1854.


by reas son OF their sweeping victory
lin the nation and marked inroads
upon the State supremacy OF the Whig
party in 1852. iook~i for even more
| encouraging victory four years later.
| they met with a decided setback at
the intermediate election OF 1864. The
Native American, or "knownofhing,"
movement was then convnlsing the
country, and Delaware yielded To the
| popular clamor and prejudice against
| foreigners. WhiE leaders. even Mr.
Clayton, took up the American party
cause. An American party was form
ed here. and II nominated a ticket
composed Of Peter r. Cnusey Of MIL
ford for governor and Elisha ID. cul-
len of Dover for Representative IN
| Congress.
/ Many leaders and followers of the
| whig party refused TO go over to
"Knownothingism," and the Delaware
Gazette printed a very interesting ae-
count of "A whig county meeting at
| Delaware City. which Mr.. Clayton
attended and demanded whig indorse-
ment OF the American party nofnina-
tions. Among the wings that protest.
ed was Benjamin +. Bigns--later
| elected governor OF Delaware by the
| Domocratx--and the Gazette's report
/ or wrote that MIR. Clayton said 10
MIR Biggs. II wps a whig when you
were riding cornssalks." You may
be an older man" was the response.
| hut not a better one Mir. Clayton
charged that the meeting had been
arranged by friends Of George Read
| Riddle in the whiw party" Even
| tually, Mr.. Clayton had his way. and
| at a state meeting OF the Whis party
/ held at Dover on Wednesday, Octo-
Der 4. Causey and Cullen were indors-
/ cd by the adoption OF resolution TO
that effect presented by Joseph II.
| Conegys--afterwards our Chief JUS
tice Comegys who was an ardent adj
mirer and loyal follower of Clayton.
The ensuing campaign was Of de-
cidedly mixed character. The Know
nothing" fever caused many defec-
tions from the Democrats party, as
well as drawing Wings into It's fold.
/ There was vigorous campaign by
temperance advocates. having for Its
object the election cf Legislature
that would pass prohibitory liquor
law, and tais movement drew heavily
upon the Democratic forces. The
| Democratic State Convention nomi-
mated William Burton of Sussex coun-
| ~ for governor and George Read Rid
die OF Wilmington FOR Congress. a
| foremost national issue at that time
was the Kansas Nebras ska bill for the
settlement Of slavery boundary lines.
and the Gazette supported IL earnest
/ ly. declaring that its passage will be
looked back 20 as one Of the great and
glorious eras OF our history Ii lis
now known how sadly this prediction
| failed.
! The election resulted in disas-
/ trous Democratic defeat. The Whig-
"Knownothing" and temperance COM
! bination carried the State. electina
/ Causey and Cullen and n Legislature
IN which there were enly three Demo-
cratic Senators and two Democratic
/ Representatives. That Legislature
subsequently enacted Maine Liquor
law" but ii proved 80 unsatisfactory
and so demoralizing that the next
| Legislature, largely Democratic, re-
peaied il Internationally.
Better Outlook Later.
But the situation. was different when
/ the campaign OF 1856 came to hand
"hnownothingism" had spent its force
| in Delaware. although it was still
rampant in the rest of the country,
and figured extensively in the Presi-
Dental campaign. The Democratic Ma
tional Convention nominated James
Buchanan of Pennsylvania for Presi-
dent, and John c. Breckinridge of Ken
tucky for e-President. The Republ!
can party, started as national organ
| ization two years before, met in con-
vcntion in Philadelphia and nominated
General John c. Fremont for President
and William r. Dayton of New Jersey
/ for Vice President. The American party
nominated ex-President Millard Fill
more, with Andrew j. Donelson, Of
Tennessee, a nephew of Andrew Jack
| son, for Xice-President The choice
of Fremont was not pleasing to- many
new Republicans and old line Wings.
especially here in Delaware.
Delaware Democrats entered upon
their campaign with enthusiasm and
surprising degree of confidence in
view of the set-back of 1854. The party
management was vigorous throughout
/ the State, especially in Wilmington,
NIitEt were
meetings. many of them featured by,
the erection of hickory poles and the
raising of the national flag to the Top.
with the accompaniments of music.
cheering and singing OF campaign
songs. My earliest recollection of mat
tcrs political-and it is vivid TO this
days of a meeting and pole-raising
at the old Black Horse Hotel Front
! and Justison streets. / can still see
the crowd, the bands. the pole and the
| flag as it was raised to the breeze.
and hear the ringing notes of the
songs, in one of which l Joined q;
Justify as ms ''ttIe lungs would per-
init. 1t was popular ditty until.
election day in Wilmington, shouted
OUT by joyous Democrats upon the
slightest proyocation, and ran
"Hurrah Hurrah
Buchapan's ahead.
Freemont's dead
Fillmore's kickin'
Like an old dead chicken!"
1T that time / was not quite FIVE
years OF age. but / remember these
and other things. especially the re-
ioicings of Democrats that followed
The election, with guns and music.
;inners and marching.
Wings Were DemoraIizad.
Delaware Democrats joyously ac-
ceptfd Buchanan and Breckenridge