Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1: From Lincoln to Garfield, with a Review of the Events Which Led to the Political Revolution of 1860Blaine, James Gillespie
History
Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1: From Lincoln to Garfield, with a Review of the Events Which Led to the Political Revolution of 1860
Blaine, James Gillespie
United States -- History; United States -- History -- 1865-1898
From this attrition and conflict the natural result was Scott's
triumph. It was not reached, however, until the fifty-third ballot
and until the fifth day of the convention. It was brought about
by the votes of some Fillmore delegates, both in the North and the
South, who felt that the long contest should be ended. The gossip
of the day--with perhaps a shadow of foundation--was, that in the
councils of an inner and governing circle of delegates it was
finally agreed that the North might have the candidate, and the
South should have the platform, and that thus a bold fight could
be made in both sections. William A. Graham of North Carolina,
formerly a senator in Congress from that State, subsequently its
governor, and at the time secretary of the Navy in Mr. Fillmore's
cabinet, was nominated for Vice-President, as a wise concession to
the defeated party. The platform adopted was strongly Southern,
and this fact served to confirm in the minds of many the existence
of the suspected agreement for the division of honors between North
and South. The convention resolved that the Compromise measures,
including the fugitive-slave law (specially designated after the
example of the Democratic convention), "are received and acquiesced
in by the Whig party of the United States as a settlement in
principle and in substance of the dangerous and exciting questions
which they embrace." They further declared that this position was
"essential to the nationality of the Whig party and the integrity
of the Union." Alexander H. Stephens has stated that this resolution
was shown to him by Mr. Webster before the convention assembled,
and while Mr. Choate was his guest. The inference apparently
intended was that Mr. Choate carried it to the convention as the
expression of the Northern Whigs, who believed in the Compromise
measures. The agreement--if one existed--that this resolution
should be adopted, did not involve all the Northern Whigs. Sturdy
resistance was made by many, and the final vote disclosed a powerful
minority opposed to the resolution.
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