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
The course of events which disabled Mr. Polk as a candidate proved
equally decisive against all the members of his cabinet; and by
the process of exclusion rather than by an enthusiastic desire
among the people, and still less among the leaders, General Cass
was selected by the Democratic Convention as candidate for the
Presidency, and William O. Butler of Kentucky for the Vice-Presidency.
The Democracy of New York, in consequence of the divisions arising
under the governorship of Mr. Wright, sent two full delegations to
the convention, bearing credentials from separate organizations.
The friends of Mr. Marcy bore the name of Hunkers; the followers
of Mr. Wright ranged themselves under the title of Barnburners,--
distinctions which had prevailed for some years in New York. It
was in fact the old division on the annexation of Texas, and now
represented the pro-slavery and the anti-slavery wing of the
Democratic party. The National Convention sought in vain to bridge
the difficulty by admitting both delegations, giving to them united
the right to cast the vote of the State. But the Barnburners
declined thus to compromise a principle. On a question of bread,
the half-loaf is preferable to starvation, but when political honor
and deep personal feeling are involved, so material an adjustment
is not practicable. The Barnburners retired from the convention,
disclaimed all responsibility for its conclusions, and proceeded
in due time to organize against the ticket of Cass and Butler.
The Hunkers, left in the convention as the sole representatives of
the New-York Democracy, were startled at the situation and declined
to vote. They were anxious that the nomination of Cass should not
appear to be forced on the Barnburners by the rival faction. It
thus happened that New York, which for twenty years under the
skillful leadership of Mr. Van Buren had dictated the course of
the Democracy, was now so shorn of influence through the factions
engendered by his defeat, that a Presidential nomination was made,
not only without her lead, but without her aid or participation.
CASS BOLTED BY VAN BUREN'S FRIENDS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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