The effect of this raid was most intense. In the North, Brown was regarded as a martyr; in the South, as only the tool of a large body of zealots, ready to kindle again the fires of San Domingo in the sacred name of liberty. It was no longer necessary for any Calhoun to "force the issue" on the North, the North had forced the issue on the South.

CHAPTER III.

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY-1860 To 1876.

Disruption of the National Convention at Charleston, S. C.-Presidential Election, 1860-Four Tickets in the Field-Election of Mr. LincolnPopular Vote Against Him-Folly of Secessionists—Patriotism of Northern Democrats-Re-election of President Lincoln-Personal Liberty Bills-Republican Radicalism—Assassination of Mr. LincolnEmancipation and Reconstruction-General Grant's AdministrationThe "Perfection of Knavery and the Synonym of Rascality”—Tilden and Hayes-The Electoral Commission Fraud.

IN In this state of excitement, the Presidential election of 1860 came on. The Democratic convention was held at Charleston, S. C., April 23, 1860. After five days' contention, a resolution affirming the right of the people of a State or territory to decide for or against slavery, as contained in the Cincinnati platform of 1856, was adopted; whereupon the delegates from nearly all the Southern States, acting upon instructions contingent upon the adoption of such a resolution, withdrew from the convention. A member from Mississippi said: "In such a contingency of things, it is right we should part. You go your way, and we will go ours. The South leaves you. But I tell the North that in less than sixty days you will find a united South standing side by side." To which among others Mr. Pugh, of Ohio, answered: "The Democracy of the North are willing to stand by the old

landmarks,' to reaffirm the old faith. They will deeply regret to part with their Southern brethren. But if the gentlemen of the South will abide with us only on the terms they now propose, they must go." And the Southern party went out of the Democratic party then, and out of the Union soon thereafter.

After a number of ineffectual attempts to make a nomination under the two-thirds rule, the convention adjourned to meet at Baltimore June 18, 1860. Thus was fulfilled the threat of Calhoun in 1812: "When any obstacle in that (the Democratic party), shall tend to throw us out of its control, we shall then resort to a dissolution of the Union." For it was known that the disruption of the party would result on the suc cess of the Republicans, an event ardently desired by the secessionists, as affording them the pretext they were seeking.

The regular Democratic Convention reassembled at Baltimore, pursuant to adjournment, with 200 delegates in attendance, and Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, was nominated for President, and Benjamin Fitzpatrick, of Alabama, for VicePresident, who declining, was substituted by Herschel V. Johnson, of Georgia.

The scceders, or Southern faction, also met at Baltimore June 28, 1860, and nominated John C. Breckenridge, of Kentucky, for President, and Joseph Lane, of Oregon, for Vice-President.

Another party, the remnant of the old native

Americans, calling itself "Constitutional Union,' also assembled at Baltimore, and put in nomination John Bell, of Tennessee, for President, and Edward Everett, of Massachusetts, for VicePresident.

The Republican Convention met at Chicago May 16, 1860, and Abraham Lincoln secured the Presidential nomination on the third ballot, Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine, being nominated for Vice-President. The platform consisted of seventeen resolutions, of which the 4th, as affirming non-interference with slavery where it.cxisted, is interesting. It reads:

4th. "That the maintenance inviolate of the rights of the States, and especially of the right of each State, to order and control its own domestic institutions according to its own judgment exclusively, is essential to that balance of powers on which the perfection and endurance of our political fabric depend; and we denounce the lawless invasion, by armed force, of the soil of any State or territory, no matter under what pretext, as amongst the gravest of crimes."

Thus were the preliminaries for this great contest arranged, with four contestants entered. The result was the defeat of Mr. Douglas and the election of Mr. Lincoln, as foreseen and desired by the Southern party. That it would have not so resulted but for the division of the Democratic party the return of votes indicates very plainly. The result of this quadrangular

race for the Presidency in 1860, on the popular vote of the country, was as follows:

By the above figures it will be seen, that though the Republican party, through the dissensions of its opponents, had been able to elect Mr. Lincoln, yet the conservative opposition were in a large majority, and at the same time actually had control of the United States Senate by a majority of four, and of the House by twentytwo votes. Yet, as though urged by some evil genius to tempt fate, the Southern leaders, shutting their eyes to all consequences, proceeded, as soon as the clection of Mr. Lincoln was ascertained, to carry out their programme of secession.

We have already seen that there was but little difference in the positions of the different parties on the slavery question at this time, affecting only its existence in the territories, viz.: The Democratic position-the inhabitants to determine yes or no; the Southern position-the Constitution allows it; the Republican position-the Mis