Taylor’s and Fillmore’s Administration.
Taylor’s policy.—The President decided to conduct his administration free from the influence of pro-slavery advocates, and appealed for support to certain statesmen who accorded with his views on the extension of slavery. Senator Seward responded, and became the executive’s confidential counselor.
Government for the Mexican cession.—In December, 1849, Congress began legislation for the establishment of government over the territory acquired from Mexico. The subject of slavery rendered the task a difficult one. When several plans had been submitted without success, Mr. Clay (Jan. 10, 1850,) introduced eight resolutions as compromises for adjusting the entire controversy on slavery. They met with opposition from pro-slavery members, on the ground that they did not secure sufficient advantage to the south.
Omnibus bill.—The debate on the resolutions continued four months, when (April 17th) a select committee of the Senate, headed by Mr. Clay, reported a bill, consisting of thirty-nine sections, and reproducing most of the resolutions which had been discussed. This was a consolidation of all past “compromises on the question of slavery,” and, owing to the variety of topics embraced, was called the Omnibus bill. This was debated and amended in the Senate till the last day of July, when it passed, having been pruned till it provided only for the territorial government of Utah. In this condition it was sent to the House. The Omnibus bill, as a whole, was rejected, but its main heads were passed in August, as separate bills, and were designated the
Compromise measures of 1850.—These consisted of bills providing (1) for the organization of Utah and New Mexico into territories without reference to slavery; (2) for the admission of California as a free state; (3) for the payment to Texas of $10,000,000 for her claim to New Mexico; (4) for the return of persons escaping from the service of their masters; and (5) for abolishing the slave trade in the District of Columbia. The compromises were received by the leaders of the two great parties as a final settlement of the vexed questions which troubled Congress and agitated the country, but the storm was only temporarily allayed.
Fillmore’s accession and secession.—Mr. Fillmore was inaugurated on the 10th of July, 1850. He departed from the policy of his deceased predecessor, organized a new cabinet, used his influence in favor of the compromise measures, did not comply with the Whig platform of his state, acted in opposition to his own political antecedents, and wished, it is thought, to form a compromise party, of which he should be the head. Though not harmonizing with the Whig party, he did not go so far as to enter the Democratic ranks.
Silver Gray party.—In September, 1850, the Whig state convention of New York met at Syracuse, with Francis Granger as chairman. When resolutions were under consideration, Mr. Cornwell moved that the convention adopt a series of resolutions prepared by himself, instead of those reported by the committee. One of his resolutions declared that W. H. Seward deserved the thanks of the convention for the fidelity with which he had sustained, in the Senate, the liberal and long cherished principles of the Whig party. Upon this, Mr. Duer, a member of Congress, and a follower of the President, declared that if the resolutions of Mr. Cornwell were adopted, the Whig party of New York, from that moment, would be broken up, and that the future would determine where he and his friends would go. Mr. Cornwell’s resolutions were adopted. The delegates who opposed them, among whom was the chairman, then withdrew and convened in another building, where they called a convention of the President’s friends, to meet at Utica on the 17th of October. The delegates met pursuant to the call, separated from the Whigs, organized a party, and adopted for it the title of “Silver Gray.” The party approved the compromise measures and the policy of the President, and assumed the responsibility of preserving the Union. This is the party, it is thought, which Mr. Fillmore wished to form when he ceased to act with the Whigs.
The American party was organized in 1852, with the professed object of purifying the ballot box, excluding from office those of foreign birth, and opposing the efforts to reject the Bible from the public schools. It operated secretly and with astonishing success. Its members were sworn to support the candidates put in nomination by the order. At first it selected candidates from all political parties. The organization was generally called the Know-Nothing party, because, when questioned concerning their order, the members answered that they knew nothing.
Election of 1852.—The Democratic national convention, at Baltimore, June 1, 1852, nominated Franklin Pierce (N. H.) and Wm. R. King (Ala.). These candidates were pledged to support the compromises of 1850. The platform contained twenty resolutions.
In the same city, on the 16th of June, the national convention of Whigs nominated General Winfield Scott (Va.) and Wm. A. Graham (N. C.) The platform adopted consisted of eight resolutions. The two leading conventions took the same position on the subject of slavery.
The Free Soil party, at Pittsburg, August 11th, 1852, in national convention, nominated John P. Hale (N. H.) and George W. Julian (Ind.). This party did not expect to secure any electoral votes, but acted in the hope that its principles, in time, might enter the other parties, and sever the connection between the government and slavery. The platform contained twenty-two resolutions. [See D. and Pl.]
The Democrats were a unit upon their platform; most of them who had supported Van Buren in 1848, returned to the old party, and voted for Mr. Pierce.
The Whigs could not conduct a vigorous canvass, owing to the indifference with which their platform was supported. At the election they were completely routed. Mr. Pierce received 254 electoral votes out of the 296 cast in the college of that year.
Dissolution of the Whig party.—Before the canvass of 1852, the Whigs avoided making the question of slavery a political issue. The compromises contained the Fugitive Slave bill, and other features which were offensive to the mass of northern Whigs, and when their platform sanctioned the measures, the party divided against itself, and, without power for good or evil, became as dead “for all the purposes of a political campaign.” After the election, the members of the party began to look elsewhere for political affiliation, and, in time, entered such organizations as met their approval.
