Our Presidents and how we make them

by Alexander K. McClure

JAMES BUCHANAN

The Democratic National Convention met in Cincinnati on the 2d of June, with full delegations from every State, and two contesting delegations from New York and Missouri. The quarrel between the factions in both States was intensely bitter. The opposing factions of New York were known as the “Hards,” who were a spawn of the old Hunkers, and the “Softs,” who took the place of the Barnburners. The Missouri delegations were known as the Bentonites and the Regulars, the Bentonites having lost the control of the party organization in the State. The convention solved the problem by admitting both delegations from each State, and giving each delegate only half a vote. John E. Ward, of Georgia, was made the permanent president, and the two-thirds rule was reaffirmed without a contest.

It was at this convention that Stephen A. Douglas first developed as an aggressive candidate for President, and as he had led the battle for the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, he was in harmony with the Pierce administration. As will be seen by the ballots, his strength was almost wholly given to Pierce until Pierce’s unavailability was clearly established, when the Pierce vote was mostly transferred to Douglas. The following table presents the 17 ballots in detail, resulting in the nomination of Buchanan:

BALLOTS.	Buchanan.		Pierce.		Douglas.		Cass.
1	135		122		33		5
2	139		119	¹⁄₂	3	¹⁄₂	6
3	139	¹⁄₂	119		32		5	¹⁄₂
4	141	¹⁄₂	119		30		5	¹⁄₂
5	140		119	¹⁄₂	31		5	¹⁄₂
6	155		117	¹⁄₂	28		5	¹⁄₂
7	143	¹⁄₂	89		58		5	¹⁄₂
8	147	¹⁄₂	87		56		5	¹⁄₂
9	146		87		56		7
10	150	¹⁄₂	80	¹⁄₂	59	¹⁄₂	5	¹⁄₂
11	147	¹⁄₂	80		63		5	¹⁄₂
12	148		79		63	¹⁄₂	5	¹⁄₂
13	150		77	¹⁄₂	63		5	¹⁄₂
14	152	¹⁄₂	75		63		5	¹⁄₂
15	168	¹⁄₂	3	¹⁄₂	118	¹⁄₂	4	¹⁄₂
16	168		—		121		6
17	296		—		—		—

As Buchanan was from the North, the Vice-Presidency was conceded to the South, and 10 candidates were placed in nomination. The 1st ballot resulted as follows:

J. A. Quitman, Miss.	59
Linn Boyd, Ky.	33
A. V. Brown, Tenn.	29
J. A. Bayard, Del.	31
T. J. Rusk, Texas	2
J. C. Breckenridge, Ky.	55
B. Fitzpatrick, Ala.	11
H. V. Johnson, Ga.	31
Trusten Polk, Mo.	5
J. C. Dobbin, N. C.	13

When the 2d ballot was called, a number of the candidates had their names withdrawn, and Mr. Breckenridge was given a unanimous nomination. He was the idol of the young Democracy of the South, having won his spurs by two of the most remarkable Congressional campaigns in the history of Kentucky, in which he had defeated Governor Letcher and Leslie Combs, two of the ablest of the old Clay leaders in the Ashland district. His success was due entirely to his own personal popularity. He was not only one of the ablest of all the Breckenridges, but he was a most accomplished, genial, and delightful companion, and his nomination greatly strengthened the Democratic ticket in all sections of the country.

The platform was finally adopted without a contest. It recited first the preamble adopted in 1844, followed by ten resolutions from other previous platforms, embracing the first five of 1840, and others embracing the Democratic views on the proceeds of the public land; in opposition to a national bank; in favor of the subtreasury system; in support of the veto power, and opposing any new limitations upon naturalization. To these the following new resolutions were added:

And whereas, Since the foregoing declaration was uniformly adopted by our predecessors in national convention, an adverse political and religious test has been secretly organized by a party claiming to be exclusively American, and it is proper that the American Democracy should clearly define its relations thereto, and declare its determined opposition to all secret political societies, by whatever name they may be called—