Political Recollections

Political Recollections, by George
W. Julian

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Title: Political Recollections 1840 to 1872
Author: George W. Julian
Release Date: October 11, 2007 [EBook #22959]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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POLITICAL RECOLLECTIONS ***

Produced by Ed Ferris

Transcriber's notes:
Names have been corrected. "Indianians" changed to "Indianans".
LoC call number: E415.7.J9 1969

POLITICAL RECOLLECTIONS
1840 to 1872.
BY GEORGE W. JULIAN.
MNEMOSYNE PUBLISHING CO., INC. MIAMI, FLORIDA 1969
Originally Published in Chicago 1884
COPYRIGHT By JANSEN, McCLURG & CO., A. D. 1883.
First Mnemosyne reprinting 1969 Reprinted from a copy in the Fisk
University Library Negro Collection Copyright ©1969 Mnemosyne
Publishing Co., Inc. Miami, Florida Library of Congress Catalog Card
Number: 78-83885
PREFACE.
The following chapters are devoted mainly to facts and incidents
connected with the development of anti-slavery politics from the year
1840 to the close of the work of Reconstruction which followed the late
civil war. Other topics, however, are occasionally noticed, while I have
deemed it proper to state my own attitude and course of action
respecting various public questions, and to refer more particularly to
the political strifes of my own State. In doing this, I have spoken freely
of conspicuous personalities in connection with their public action, or
their peculiar relations to myself; but my aim has been to deal fairly
and state only the truth, while striving to weave into my story some
reminiscences of the men and events of by-gone times, which may
interest the reader. In the endeavor to elucidate the orderly progress of
anti-slavery opinions and their translation into organized action, I have
summarized and re-stated many of the familiar facts of current
American politics during the period embraced; but I hope I have also
made a slight contribution to the sources of history bearing upon a
world-famous movement, touching which we should "gather up the
fragments that nothing be lost."

G. W. J.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
THE HARRISON CAMPAIGN--THE BEGINNING OF
ANTI-SLAVERY POLITICS. The "Hard-cider" Frolic of 1840--The
Issues--Swartwout and Political Corruption--The Demand for a
Change--Character of Gen. Harrison-- Personal
Defamation--Mass-meetings and Songs--Crushing Defeat of the
Democrats--First Appearance of the Slavery Issue in Politics--
Pro-slavery Attitude of Harrison and Van Buren--Events favoring the
Growth of Anti-slavery Opinion--Clay and Mendenhall--Texas'
Annexation and John Tyler.
CHAPTER II.
CAMPAIGN OF 1844--ANNEXATION AND SLAVERY. The
Nomination of Clay--His Position on the Slavery Question and
Annexation--Van Buren's Letter to Hammett, and its Effect upon the
South--His Repudiation, and the Nomination of Polk--The Surprise of
the Country--Unbounded Confidence of the Whigs--The Course of the
New York Democrats--The "Kane Letter"--Trouble among the Whigs
on the Annexation Question--Fierceness of the Contest, and singular
Ability of the Leaders--The Effect of Clay's Defeat upon the Whigs
--Causes of the Defeat--The Abolitionists, and the Abuse heaped upon
them--Cassius M. Clay--Mr. Hoar's Mission to South Carolina--
Election of John P. Hale--Annexation, and War with Mexico--Polk's
Message, and the Wilmot Proviso--The Oregon Question, and Alex. H.
Stephens.
CHAPTER III.
CAMPAIGN OF 1848--ITS INCIDENTS AND RESULTS. Approach
of another Presidential Campaign--Party Divisions threatened by the
Wilmot Proviso--Nomination of Gen. Cass--The "Nicholson

Letter"--Democratic Division in New York--Nomination of Gen.
Taylor --Whig Divisions--Birth of the Free Soil Party--Buffalo
Convention --Nomination of Van Buren and Adams--Difficulty of
uniting on Van Buren--Incidents--Rev. Joshua Leavitt--Work of the
Campaign--Webster and Free Soil--Greeley and Seward--Abuse of
Whig Bolters--Remarkable Results of the Canvass.
CHAPTER IV.
REMINISCENCES OF THE THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS. Novel
Political Complications--Compromise Measures--First Election to
Congress--Sketch of the "Immortal Nine"--The Speakership and Wm. J.
Brown--Gen. Taylor and the Wilmot Proviso--Slaveholding
Bluster--Compromise Resolutions of Clay and Retreat of Northern
Whigs--Visit to Gen. Taylor--To Mr. Clay--His Speeches--Webster's
Seventh of March Speech--Calhoun--Speech on the Slavery Question.
CHAPTER V.
THE THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS (CONTINUED). Fracas between
Col. Benton and Senator Foster--Character of Benton --Death of Gen.
Taylor--The Funeral--Defeat of the "Omnibus Bill" --Its Triumph in
Detail--Celebration of the Victory--"Lower Law" Sermons and
"Union-Saving" Meetings--Slaveholding Literature-- Mischievous
Legislation--Visit to Philadelphia and Boston--Futile Efforts to
suppress Agitation--Andrew Johnson and the Homestead Law--Effort
to censure Mr. Webster--Political Morality in this
Congress--Temperance--Jefferson Davis--John P. Hale--Thaddeus
Stevens--Extracts from Speeches--Famous Men in both Houses--Free
Soilers and their Vindication.
CHAPTER VI.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. Pro-slavery
Reaction--Indiana and Ohio--Race for Congress--Free Soil Gains in
other States--National Convention at Cleveland-- National Canvass of
1852--Nomination of Pierce and Scott, and the "finality"

Platforms--Free Soil National Convention--Nomination of
Hale--Samuel Lewis--The Whig Canvass--Webster--Canvass of the
Democrats--Return of New York "Barnburners" to the Party--The Free
Soil Campaign--Stumping Kentucky with Clay--Rev. John G. Fee--
Incidents--Mob Law in