Michigan fulfilled the pledge made in her behalf at Philadelphia by Mr. Chandler, and gave to the Fremont electors 71,762 votes, while the Buchanan ticket received but 52,136 and the Fillmore strength was only 1,660. The Republicans thus more than trebled their majority of 1854, and in this year carried all of the four Congressional districts of the State. Their victory in the legislative districts was overwhelming, and they elected twenty-nine of the thirty-one Senators, and sixty-three of the eighty Representatives. The term of Lewis Cass as Senator of the United States expired on the 4th of the following March, and his State had thus decided that he should give place to a representative of its earnest and aggressive Republican sentiment. Mr. Chandler was at once recognized as the leading candidate for the position by reason of his positive qualities, his personal strength with the business classes of the State and the masses of the people, and his prominence as a representative of the strong Whig element in the Republican ranks. The senatorial canvass was an earnest one, but it was from the outset clear that Mr. Chandler was the first choice of decidedly the largest number of legislators, and that no other man possessed his popular following. Some unavailing efforts were made to combine against him the friends of all other candidates, but the fact that he was also "the second choice" of many members defeated this plan, and the Republican caucus met at Lansing on January 8, 1857, with his marked lead in the contest still unimpaired. Three ballots were taken at its first session, the third giving Mr. Chandler a clear majority of all the votes cast. The caucus then adjourned until the following day, when he received a still stronger support on the fourth ballot and was formally nominated on the fifth. The following is the record of the balloting:
| FIRST SESSION. | SECOND SESSION. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Informal Ballot. | Second Informal Ballot. | Third Informal Ballot. | Fourth Informal Ballot. | First Formal Ballot. | |
| Zachariah Chandler, | 37 | 45 | 49 | 54 | 80 |
| Isaac P. Christiancy, | 17 | 21 | 22 | 33 | — |
| Austin Blair, | 18 | 7 | 6 | — | — |
| Moses Wisner, | 12 | 9 | 10 | — | — |
| Jacob M. Howard, | — | 6 | 6 | 3 | — |
| Kinsley S. Bingham, | 3 | 7 | 2 | — | — |
| George A. Coe, | 4 | — | — | — | — |
| James V. Campbell, | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| Halmer H. Emmons, | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Blank, | — | — | 1 | — | — |
| Scattering, | — | — | — | — | 8 |
| Total, | 92 | 95 | 96 | 91 | 88 |
This result was received with the heartiest enthusiasm by the Republicans, and the caucus greeted its nominee, when he came before it to return his thanks, with prolonged cheering. The scene which followed has been thus described by an eyewitness: "This was the only time in an acquaintance of nearly thirty years that I ever saw Mr. Chandler abashed. When brought before the caucus he trembled with emotion, and it was several minutes before he could compose himself to even briefly return his thanks. He has often said that it was the only time that his courage and nerve absolutely failed him and that he completely broke down. The rejoicing was so hearty and unselfish that it overcame him, and he trembled like a child." On the 10th of January the two branches of the Legislature voted for Senator, the Democrats complimenting General Cass with their ineffectual votes. The record of the balloting was as follows:
| SENATE. | HOUSE. | TOTAL. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zachariah Chandler, | 27 | 62 | 89 |
| Lewis Cass, | 2 | 14 | 16 |
| Blank, | — | 1 | 1 |
In the following joint convention of the two Houses the resolution, reciting the action taken separately and finally recording Mr. Chandler's election, was adopted without any dissent. Among the members of the Legislature whose votes made him the first Republican Senator from Michigan were Thomas W. Ferry, in later years his colleague in the Senate, Omar D. Conger, who became afterward a Republican leader in the lower branch of Congress, and George Jerome, a most intimate political and personal friend throughout life.
The Senate of the Thirty-fifth Congress met in special session at Washington, on March 4, 1857, Franklin Pierce having convened it at the request of his successor, who was inaugurated on that day. The names upon its rolls were these:
- Clement C. Clay, Jr., and Benj. Fitzpatrick, of Alabama;
- Robert W. Johnson and Wm. K. Sebastian, of Arkansas;
- David C. Broderick and Wm. M. Gwin, of California;
- James Dixon and Lafayette S. Foster, of Connecticut;
- Martin W. Bates and James A. Bayard, of Delaware;
- Stephen R. Mallory and David L. Yulee, of Florida;
- Alfred Iverson and Robert Toombs, of Georgia;
- Stephen A. Douglas and Lyman Trumbull, of Illinois;
- Jesse D. Bright and Graham N. Fitch, of Indiana;
- James Harlan and Geo. W. Jones, of Iowa;
- John J. Crittenden and John B. Thompson, of Kentucky;
- Judah P. Benjamin and John Slidell, of Louisiana;
- W. P. Fessenden and Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine;
- Anthony Kennedy and James A. Pearce, of Maryland;
- Charles Sumner and Henry Wilson, of Massachusetts;
- Zachariah Chandler and Chas. E. Stuart, of Michigan;
- Albert G. Brown and Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi;
- James S. Green and Trusten Polk, of Missouri;
- James Bell and John P. Hale, of New Hampshire;
- John R. Thomson and William Wright, of New Jersey;
- Preston King and William H. Seward, of New York;
- Asa Biggs and David S. Reid, of North Carolina;
- Geo. E. Pugh and Benj. F. Wade, of Ohio;
- William Bigler and Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania;
- Philip Allen and James F. Simmons, of Rhode Island;
- Josiah J. Evans and Andrew P. Butler, of South Carolina;
- John Bell and Andrew Johnson, of Tennessee;
- Samuel Houston and Thos. J. Rusk, of Texas;
- Jacob Collamer and Solomon Foot, of Vermont;
- R. M. T. Hunter and James M. Mason, of Virginia;
- James R. Doolittle and Charles Durkee, of Wisconsin.
THE NATIONAL CAPITOL AT WASHINGTON.