Zachariah Chandler: An Outline Sketch of His Life and Public Services
History
Zachariah Chandler: An Outline Sketch of His Life and Public Services
Chandler, Zachariah, 1813-1879; United States -- Politics and government
you will have a more valuable State than you can possibly make out
of Cuba.... You propose to pay $200,000,000 for the island, $10 an
acre for every acre of land on it.... You are selling infinitely
better lands, and have millions upon millions of acres of them, at
$1.25 per acre. You propose to pay $200,000,000--nearly $200 a head
for every man, woman and child, including negroes, on the island.
And for what? For the right to govern one million of the refuse of
the earth.
During this same period Mr. Chandler was very active in helping on the
work of Republican organization throughout the country. In the campaign
of 1858 in Michigan, he spoke repeatedly in the larger towns of that
State, great audiences gathering to hear him, and answering with
growing enthusiasm his vigorous attacks on the administration and its
master, the slave power. The result was that Moses Wisner, Republican,
was elected Governor by a vote of 65,202 to 56,067 for Charles E.
Stuart, Democrat. The Republicans also carried every Congressional
district (William A. Howard obtained his seat after a contest with
George B. Cooper) and had a large majority in both branches of the
Legislature. That body, on meeting in January, 1859, elected Kinsley
S. Bingham to the Senate, and Michigan has always since that year been
represented in the upper branch of Congress by two Republicans. Charles
E. Stuart, whom Mr. Bingham succeeded, was a man of ability who had
manfully refused to support the Lecompton outrage, and with Stephen A.
Douglas and David C. Broderick had been classed as an Anti-Nebraska
Democrat. Mr. Bingham was a thorough Republican, and during his brief
Senatorial term (he died in October, 1861,) stood side by side with his
colleague on all political questions.
In the Presidential campaign of 1860 Mr. Chandler labored with untiring
zeal to secure Mr. Lincoln's election. Early in the fall he spoke with
marked effect in the State of New York. Throughout August, September,
and October he addressed a series of great mass-meetings at different
points in Michigan (at Hillsdale 8,000 people gathered to hear him,
at Cassopolis 10,000, at Paw Paw 5,000, and at Kalamazoo 20,000).
In October he visited Illinois, speaking at Mr. Lincoln's home
(Springfield) on the 17th of that month.[11] His last speech in that
campaign was made in the Republican wigwam at Detroit on November 1,
and was alive with the spirit of victory and the firm purpose to secure
its rewards. On the day of election his State answered his appeals with
an increased Republican majority, giving Lincoln 88,480 votes to 65,057
for Douglas, 805 for Breckenridge, and 405 for Bell.
FOOTNOTES:
[8] Speech of Alexander H. Stephens at Savannah on March 21, 1861,
after his election to the rebel Vice-Presidency.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account