Election of 1860 Democrats hold national convention at

Election of 1860 • Democrats hold national convention at Charleston, S. C. – Party is broke, city offered the most money. – City is the heart of the secessionist movement and is experiencing a severe heat wave in April of 1860. – Question is: Should they nominate a candidate 1 st or write the party platform? • Agree to Platform first but can’t decide what it is, finally settle on popular sovereignty.

– Fire-eaters use this issue to strike: William Yancy of Mississippi and Robert Toombs of Georgia led a walkout of delegates from 9 southern states. Why? • Some see it as prelude to secession (cutting ties). • Hope to get Douglas to withdraw by walking out. • Hope to be asked back to force compromise. • Want to destroy the Democratic Party forcing a 3 way election putting it in the hands of the House of Rep.

– After walkout, convention immediately goes into nomination. • Chairman makes ruling that the 2/3 rds rule means all delegates not just those present. • With 9 states missing, 2/3 rds is an impossibility, convention adjourns without a nomination. • Republicans meet in Chicago: Split in Democrats means presidency is within grasp. – Leading contender is William Seward from New York. • Has many enemies. – They need to choose “best available man”.

• Chose Abraham Lincoln of Illinois. Why? – A moderate-few political enemies. – Old line Henry Clay Whig supporting American system and modernization of the economy. – Campaign manager is Judge David Davis, who sold out Lincoln in exchange for jobs. – Republicans believed that Lincoln would be a traditional Whig candidate (figurehead). • Lincoln gets nomination on the 3 rd ballot – ticket balanced by Maine Free. Soiler Hannibal Hamlin.

• Democrats meet again in Baltimore. – Douglas attempted to withdraw, northern supporters do not allow it. – Southern Democratic dissidents then met in Richmond and nominated 39 year old John C. Breckenridge (the Vice-president). • Not in favor of secession and supported by Buchanan. • Constitutional Union Party formed out of remaining Whigs (except Northern Cotton Whigs, who support Lincoln). – Nominate John Bell.

• Two-party system now shattered over extension issue by a four way race. – Fire-eaters make the argument that if the “Black Republican” Lincoln wins, the South must secede.

Election Results Lincoln: 1, 865, 593 (39. 8%); 180 electoral votes. Douglas: 1, 382, 713 (29. 5%); 12 electoral votes. Breckenridge: 848, 713 (18. 1%); 72 electoral votes. Bell: 592, 906 (12. 6%); 39 electoral votes.

Hidden Meaning of Results • Lincoln received 26, 388 votes in the South (not on ballot in 10 Southern states) and came in 3 rd in the border states (Maryland, Missouri, Kentucky and Delaware). • Douglas did well in both sections. • Bell ran well in Upper South (especially Virginia). • Breckenridge (unwilling candidate for secession) did well in South. – Fire-eaters use this as mandate for secession. – In reality it is not a mandate because combining Douglas and Bell it puts him behind by 104, 000 voters.

• Election shows that with all the Fire-eaters have done, they still did not have a mandate. – Really showed hope of compromise among Southern voters – Fire-eaters fear compromise might happen and need to move quickly. – Come up with 3 part plan. • Withdraw as many Southern states as possible. – – – – South Carolina: 12/20/1860. Mississippi: 1/9/1861. Florida: 1/10/1861. Alabama: 1/11/1861. Georgia: 1/19/1861. Louisiana: 1/26/1861. Texas: 2/1/1861.

• Establish a new government: early February 1861. – Drew up Confederate constitution. – Elected temporary president (Jefferson Davis of Mississippi) and vice-president (Alexander Stephens of Georgia). • Keep Southern Congressman in Washington as long as possible to prevent government from reacting.

Was compromise still possible? • Lame Duck president, James Buchanan asked Lincoln what he wished to do, Lincoln gave no response. – Buchanan addressed Congress: • Stated the secession was an impossibility. • But, if a state wants to secede, the federal government could not stop it. • Groups capable of compromise. – Southern Unionists: oppose secession. • Tennessee Senator Andrew Johnson. – Conditional secessionists (Southern Douglas Democrats): hope for compromise based upon Northern concessions. • Also are anti-coercionists who oppose any use of force to maintain Union.

– Moderate Southern Democrats and Cotton Whigs (fence sitters such as Jefferson Davis): fear losing political power and influence to younger generation (Fire-eaters). • Crittenden Compromise. – Congressman John Crittenden of Kentucky lends name to bill forged by the House and Senate (a Congressional plan): December 18, – Had 2 parts. • Binding, unrepealable and unamendable amendments. • Formed as an “omnibus” bill-president must accept entire bill. 1860.

– Proposed amendments. • Guarantee permanence of slavery where it existed. • Prohibit the abolition of slavery in Washington, D. C. unless the voters of Maryland Virginia agree. • Federal government could not abolish slavery in any area it controlled within a state. • No interference in the internal slave trade. • Federal government would compensate slave owners who were prevented by local opposition from recovering escaped slaves. • Extend the Missouri Compromise line (36’ 30”) on territory “now held, or hereafter acquired”, with slavery recognized and protected as property. – Resolutions. • Enforcement of fugitive slave laws. • Condemnation of “personal liberty” laws. • Enforce ban on African slave trade.

– Assumptions about the compromise. • No two-party system to broker compromise. – Politicians, especially Douglas Democrats and Republicans could not back down without looking weak or hypocritical. • The South will try to hold onto the old Calhoun threat of secession and hope for Northern concessions. Which groups could and could not accept? • Could accept. – Constitutional Unionists: intent on saving Union (most are conservative Whigs). – Proslavery elements in the North (old Cotton Whigs and Democrats): good for business, saves the Union and doesn’t upset the status quo. – Southern and Northern Unionists (mainly old Cotton Whigs and Union Whigs): nationalists opposed to secession.

• Who couldn’t accept. – Fire-eaters: threat to secession. – Southern Democratic Moderates: Davis had staked career on slave codes for territories, could not back down. – Douglas Democrats: against the platform of Popular Sovereignty. – Abolitionists: initially accept secession, led by Horace Greeley (editor of the New York Tribune, weekly paper popular across the U. S. , a national paper). • Let the 7 states go, they will come back when they cannot survive without Northern markets. • When they plead to return, then abolish slavery. • Oppose compromise because there is no guarantee that slavery will disappear. – Republicans: threat to containment policy, allows expansion.

Other Attempts at Compromise • “Old Gentleman’s Agreement” (made up of elder statesman): called by John Tyler on Washington’s birthday (2/22/1861), altered version of Crittenden’s Compromise. – Extension of Missouri Compromise line only applied to current territory. – Majority of senators from both free and slave states would have to approve the acquisition of new territory. – Not acceptable to Republicans because it does not guarantee the non-extension of slavery. • William Seward and “Masterly Inactivity”: aimed at conditional unionists in the South. – Do nothing to antagonize Southern conditional unionists and wait for events to develop. – Predicated on the idea that peaceful reunion was possible.

• End of February 1861, a 3 rd compromise appeared based on “Masterly Inactivity”. – Revision of Crittenden’s Compromise dealing with specific issue of slavery. – Congressional leaders, specifically Senator Thomas Corwin of Ohio, proposed (with Lincoln’s approval) a 13 th Amendment. • Would forever prohibit any interference with slavery in the states.