Ohio History Journal

OHIO

Archaeological and Historical

PUBLICATIONS.

 

HISTORY

 

OF THE

DEMOCRATIC PARTY ORAGNIZATION IN THE

NORTHWEST.

 

1824-1840.

 

BY

HOMER J. WEBSTER, PH. D.,

Department of History,

University of Pittsburgh.

 

 

NOTE.

In the preparation of this work the writer has received very

helpful suggestions from Professor Frederic L. Paxson of the

University of Wisconsin; while in every part of the work he

has received invaluable assistance from his wife-Edith Fran-

cisco Webster. To both of these he desires to express here his

hearty appreciation and gratitude.

PITTSBURG, PA., January, 1915.

 

 

 

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BIBLIOGRAPHY.

 

The material for this work has been gathered almost entirely

from the files of contemporary newspapers where alone it was to

be found. These have been used in the following libraries:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison.

Ohio State Library, Columbus.

Young Men's Mercantile Library, Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Public Library.

Indiana State Library, Indianapolis.

Indianapolis Public Library.

Illinois Historical Society, Springfield.

Chicago Historical Society.

Detroit Public Library.

The C. M. Burton Historical Collection, Detroit.

The best national paper on this subject was the United States

Telegraph until the defection of the editor, Duff Green, in favor

of Calhoun about the middle of 1831. Then the Globe was es-

tablished and continued as the orthodox Administration paper.

In Ohio, the best papers were the National Republican and Cin-

cinnati Gazette at Cincinnati, the St. Clairsville Gazette in the east-

ern part of the state, and later the Western Hemisphere, which

continued as the Ohio Statesman, at Columbus. These papers,

too, represented three important centres of Democratic activity.

In Indiana the situation in this respect was very similar to that

in Ohio. There were first two active Democratic centres on op-

posite sides of the state, each of which had a good local paper,

the Indiana Palladium at Lawrenceburgh and the Western Sun

at Vincennes. Then later, August, 1830, came the establishment

at Indianapolis of the Indiana Democrat, one of the leading Dem-

ocratic papers in the Northwest. In Illinois, the best sources

of information were found in the Illinois State Register published

at Vandalia, and later at Springfield, the Sangamo Journal at

Springfield, and the Chicago Democrat, established in 1833. The

best Michigan papers were the Detroit Daily Free Press, the

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4          Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

Niles Gazette and Advertiser, and the Niles Intelligencer. Sev-

eral of the editors of these Michigan papers had previously

edited papers in New York state, the training school for Demo-

cratic organization.

Although most of the material has come from Democratic

papers, the Whig papers have often been found a valuable check

upon these sources. Much of the material used, however, has

been of such a character as not to encourage flagrant misrepresen-

tation and much of it could be found only in papers of the Demo-

cratic party.

The following list contains the papers and miscellaneous

works used. Democratic papers are indicated by a star.

 

NEWSPAPERS.

NATIONAL.

*Globe. Washington, Daily, 1831-33, 1836-37.

National Intelligencer. Washington, passim.

Niles' Register, Baltimore, 1828-40.

*United States Telegraph. Washington, triweekly, 1827-30, 1832; daily,

1827, 1829-32.

 

OHIO.

Cincinnati Daily Gazette. Cincinnati, 1827-28.

Cincinnati Emporium. Cincinnati, 1824-25.

*Columbus Sentinel. Columbus, 1831-34.

*Hamilton Advertiser. Hamilton, 1827.

*National Republican and Ohio Political Register. Cincinnati, 1823-33.

*Ohio Monitor and Patron of Industry. Columbus, 1823-24, 1827-33.

*Ohio State Bulletin. Columbus, 1829-31.

Ohio State Gazette. Delaware, 1830.

Ohio State Journal. Columbus, passim.

*Ohio Statesman (continuing Western Hemisphere). Columbus, 1837-40.

*St. Clairsville Gazette. St. Clairsville, 1826-29.

Western Aegis. Georgetown, 1827.

*Western Hemisphere. Columbus, 1834-37.

*Western Star and Lebanon Gazette. Lebanon, 1828.

Western Times. Portsmouth, 1827-30.

 

INDIANA.

*Indiana Democrat. Indianapolis, 1830-37.

*Indiana Palladium. Lawrenceburgh, 1827-36.

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Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.             5

 

Indianapolis Gazette. Indianapolis, 1827-29.

*Madison Courier. Madison, 1839-40.

St. Joseph's Beacon and Indiana and Michigan Intelligencer. South Bend,

1832-33.

*Western Sun and General Advertiser. Vincennes, 1826-32, 1834-40.

 

ILLINOIS.

Alton Telegraph. Alton, 1838.

*Chicago Democrat. Chicago, 1833-40.

*Illinois Advocate. Edwardsville, 1831-32-continued as

Illinois Advocate. Vandalia, Jan.-Apr., 1833.

Illinois Advocate and State Register. Vandalia, 1833-35.

Illinois Advocate. Vandalia, 1835-Mar., 1836.

Illinois State Register and Illinois Advocate. Vandalia, Mar.-June,

1836.

Illinois State Register and Peoples Advocate. Vandalia, June, 1836-

Aug., 1839.

Illinois State Register. Springfield, Aug., 1839-40.

Peoria Register and Northwestern Gazetteer. Peoria, 1837-38.

Sangamo Journal. Springfield, 1831-36.

 

MICHIGAN.

Detroit Daily Advertiser. Detroit, 1836, 1840.

*Detroit Daily Free Press. Detroit, 1835-40.

*Niles Gazette and Advertiser. Niles, 1835-36.

*Niles Intelligencer. Niles, 1838-40.

 

MISCELLANEOUS.

Whig Almanac. New York, 1838, 1843.

American Annual Register. Vol. III. New York, 1835.

Selections from the papers of Gov. Allen Trimble, Old Northwest Genea-

logical Quarterly. Vol. XI. Columbus, 1908.

Ford, Thomas, History of Illinois. Chicago, 1854.

Reynolds, John, History of Illinois. Chicago, 1879.

Sheahan, James W., The Life of Stephen A. Douglas. New York, 1860.

Johnson, Allen, Stephen A. Douglas: A     Study in American Politics.

New York, 1908.

Laws of Illinois.

Journals of the House of Representatives and of the Senate of Illinois.

Peck, Hon. Edward W., Disputed Questions in the Early History of

Michigan. Michigan Pioneer and Historical Collections. Vol. XI.

Lansing, 1908.

Cooley, T. M., Michigan (American Commonwealths). Boston, 1886.

Farmer, Silas. History of Detroit and Michigan. Detroit, 1889.

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CHAPTER I.

 

BEGINNINGS OF PARTY ORGANIZATION (OHIO AND INDIANA).

The year 1824 was a turning point in the history of Amer-

ican political parties. The all absorbing party, if all the people

may be said to constitute a party, which had unanimously sup-

ported Monroe in 1820, was then dividing into several groups,

each of which supported its favorite candidate for the presidency

on purely personal grounds. The congressional caucus also made

its last appearance that year in nominating William H. Crawford

for president. The next few years formed a transitional period

from the felicitous days of the single, great, harmonious party

of 1820 to the struggle between two rival descendants of that

party. This division was based on personal grounds in 1824

and also in 1828. But as party lines became more clearly drawn,

as in 1832 and 1836, and as the members of the two parties were

called upon to give reasons for the faith or lack of faith that

was in them, the divisions came to be based, or at least were sup-

posed to be based, upon political principles. In order that these

personal preferences and political principles might be effective it

was necessary that the party which held them should be in power.

This meant that it should win the elections and this in turn that it

must be organized. In the old Northwest, Ohio, Indiana, Illi-

nois, and Michigan, the Democratic or Jacksonian party led the

way in this party organization by introducing the delegate and

convention system. In 1824 the supporters of Jackson began to

organize and by 1840 they became a well organized and unified

party. It was largely by means of their organization that they

gained control in 1828 and retained it until 1840. It is the pur-

pose of this work to trace the early stages and the development

of this Democratic party organization in the Northwest during

this period, from its very beginning to the completely developed

convention system, with its network of township, county, district,

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Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    7

 

and state meetings, and its various committees of vigilance and

correspondence.

Ohio and Indiana first developed political party organiza-

tion in the Northwest. Ohio, the older and more populous state,

showed more political organization in local centres and preceded

Indiana in this activity by a few months, yet by 1836 Indiana

had developed a distinctly better centralized system. Illinois

adopted less readily the delegate and convention system and was

later in the development of its party organization, but from 1835

to 1840, it made rapid advancement along these lines, and by the

latter date compared favorably with the older states. Michigan,

although not admitted to statehood until shortly after the election

of 1836, participated in that campaign just as the other states,

and had developed a good party organization at that time.

Early Steps Toward Organization, 1824.

In Ohio, in the winter of 1823-24, there was much uncer-

tainty and confusion concerning the choice of a presidential can-

didate. As a result of this, Jackson's name was presented in

different connections as a candidate for vice-president as well as

for president. Thus at a meeting of the citizens of Jefferson

County, December 2, 1823, resolutions were adopted favoring

De Witt Clinton for president and Andrew Jackson for vice-

president.¹ Two weeks later a meeting of the citizens of Ham-

ilton County adopted these same resolutions.²  This meeting was

divided in opinion, however, as to whether Jackson should not

be its candidate for president instead of Clinton, but upon put-

ting it to a vote, Clinton was supported by 450 to 330. These

same nominations were made by the citizens of Geauga County in

January, 1824.3 By April, news was received which was consid-

ered unfavorable to the candidacy of Clinton and in conse-

quence of this, the movement to promote his election was aban-

doned.⁴ Another combination called the "People's Ticket," pub-

 

1National Republican and Ohio Political Register (Cincinnati), Dec.

16, 1823; Ohio Monitor and Patron of Industry (Columbus), Jan. 3, 1824.

2National Republican, Dec. 19, 1823.

3Ibid, Feb. 13, 1824.

4Ibid, Apr. 1, 1824.

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8         Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

lished in a Cincinnati paper, proposed Adams for president and

Jackson for vice-president.⁵ This ticket was supported as late

as June by a meeting in Washington County.⁶

The first meetings in Ohio which nominated Jackson for

president appear to have been those held in Wayne and Adams

Counties in March, 1824.⁷ That the followers of Adams and

Jackson were at that time just finding themselves is evident from

the proceedings of the Adams County meeting.⁸ Jackson and

Adams were both considered for president but the majority fa-

vored Jackson and he was recommended; also an elector for him

for that congressional district. County meetings were recom-

mended throughout the state to take similar action. There was

some discussion on the resolution to have the proceedings pub-

lished as the voice of the county, but the majority favored it and

prevailed, although the chairman and secretary were in the mi-

nority. The editor of the local paper, a Jackson man, suggested

that the friends of Adams had the liberty to call counter meet-

ings, and that he would cheerfully publish their proceedings.

This plan whereby a county meeting nominated the presi-

dential elector for the congressional district was followed in a

number of instances at this time. Meetings were held in Ham-

ilton County in April⁹ and in Washington County in May,l⁰ both

of which pursued this method; both appointed committees of

correspondence for their respective counties; and both recom-

mended similar meetings throughout the state to nominate elec-

tors for Jackson. The Hamilton and Adams County meetings

adopted in substance the preamble of a recent Philadelphia meet-

ing which showed that they were somewhat in touch with polit-

ical activities east of the Alleghanies.

A decided step toward united action was taken when a meet-

ing of the Jackson committee of correspondence for Hamilton

 

5 Cincinnati Emporium, Apr. 1, 1824.

6Ibid, July 1, 1824.

7National Republican, Apr. 6, 1824.

8Ibid, Apr. 6, 1824.

⁹Ibid, Apr. 20, 1824; Cincinnati Emporium, Apr. 22, 1824.

¹⁰National Republican, May 28, 1824.

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Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.     9

 

County on May 29, adopted the following preamble and resolu-

tions :11

"Whereas, It has been suggested and recommended by sev-

eral of the Jackson committees of correspondence in this state

* * * therefore,

"Resolved, That the friends and supporters of General Jack-

son in the several counties in the state of Ohio be requested to

send delegates to a convention to be held at the town of Colum-

bus, July 14 next, for the purpose of agreeing on two candidates

at large for electors of president and vice-president; to fill all

vacancies which may then exist in the general ticket for the state;

and to adopt such other measures as may be necessary and proper

to promote the election of the Jackson electoral ticket of Ohio.

"Resolved, That the editors and printers of Ohio be requested

to publish the above for the information of the people."

In pursuance of this call, in the next six weeks there was a

series of county meetings which appointed committees of cor-

respondence, recommended electors for their respective congres-

sional districts, and appointed delegates to the state convention.12

This convention met July 14 and agreed upon the sixteen

electors for Jackson.13  The delegates had been instructed in

most cases whom to name for their respective congressional dis-

tricts, so that the work of the convention was merely to confirm

the nominations, supply any vacancy, and nominate the two sena-

torial electors. A committee of correspondence of three was ap-

pointed with power to fill any vacancies which might occur in the

electoral ticket.  This committee was requested to prepare and

publish an address to the people of Ohio on the approaching

election.  There is evidence that this committee solicited and

opened correspondence with similar committees in other states.l⁴

During the summer and fall of 1824, the Jackson committee

of correspondence of Hamilton County was very active. At a

meeting on July 24, it was resolved that their stated meetings

should be held at 3 P. M. on the first and third Saturdays of each

 

11 National Republican, June 1, 1824.

12Ibid, June, July, 1824; Ohio Monitor, July, 1824.

13National Republican, July 27, 1824; Ohio Monitor, July 31, 1824.

14National Republican, Oct. 1, 1824.

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10        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

month until after the election.¹⁵ This committee was repeatedly

increased in number during that time. Beginning with fifteen mem-

bers, it was gradually increased to one hundred and ninety-eight

by the twenty-fourth of September, of which one hundred and

twenty-one were from Cincinnati.¹⁶ That the interests of the

committee were not confined to Hamilton County is evidenced

by their resolution passed on August 21, which read: "that it is

the opinion of this committee that the persons appointed to pub-

lish the address of the convention at Columbus should imme-

diately proceed to the publication thereof."¹⁷ The secretary of

the Hamilton County committee was Elijah Hayward, editor of

the National Republican in Cincinnati, who was also chairman of

the state committee of correspondence appointed at the state

convention. This secured a close connection between the organi-

zations of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and the state. For a few

weeks preceding the fall election the Jackson committees for each

of the four wards of Cincinnati met "every Thursday evening at

early candle-light,"¹⁸ and several of the townships of the county

were active in their support of Jackson, each having its com-

mittee of correspondence.¹⁹

The friends of Jackson in Franklin County were also taking

steps to promote his election and had appointed a committee of

forty-six for that purpose. The chairman called a meeting of

this committee on October 25, just preceding the election, and

recommended the township committees of the county each to ap-

point a delegate to represent them in this meeting and thus co-

operate with the general committee of the county.20 Electoral

tickets favorable to Jackson were provided by the committee.

Viewing the situation generally at this time, while there was

much activity in some local centres, it did not extend widely over

the state. There were county meetings to elect delegates to the

state convention and these also often nominated electors; but ex-

15National Republican, Aug. 6, 1824.

16Ibid, Sept. 24, 1824.

17 Ibid, Aug. 27, 1824.

18 Ibid, Oct. 12, 1824.

19Ibid, June 11, 1824.

20 Ohio Monitor, Oct. 9, 1824.

• 10
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  11

 

cept in preparation for the state convention, the delegate and

nominating convention system had not yet appeared and there

was little development in party organization. The committees of

correspondence and the state convention for forming the elec-

toral ticket were the chief contributions to party organization

for the year 1824 in Ohio.

In Indiana there was also an organized effort to secure the

election of Jackson in 1824. A meeting in Switzerland County

in January, adopted the resolutions supporting Clinton and Jack-

son, passed by the citizens of Jefferson County, Ohio, already

mentioned, and appointed a committee of nine to promote their

election.21 But in Indiana, as in Ohio, Clinton's name for the

presidency was soon superseded by that of Jackson. During the

first half of the year several county meetings were held to pro-

mote the candidacy of the latter, but each followed its own course

and there was no concerted or general movement. A meeting in

Clark County in May nominated a Jackson elector for the second

judicial circuit and requested the friends of Jackson in the other

four circuits of the state to do the same.²²  The citizens of

Orange County held a meeting in July and nominated five Jack-

son electors for the state.²³

By the last of July, however, advanced ground was taken by

the editor of the Vincennes paper and by the Democrats of

Franklin County. The editorial advocated a state convention

for the choice of presidential electors.²⁴ "In Wayne, Dearborn,

and Ripley Counties," wrote the editor, "candidates are continu-

ally coming forward. *   *  *  A general convention, county

committees of correspondence, and township committees of vigi-

lance will secure to us such a ticket as will produce unanimity

* * * and render success certain. I therefore seriously call

on the friends of Andrew Jackson throughout the state to exert

themselves in their respective counties to procure county meet-

ings sometime in the month of August, and at such meetings to

appoint delegates in proportion to their county representation in

 

21 National Republican, March 1-2, 1824.

22 Ibid, June 11, 1824. quoting Indiana Farmer.

23National Republican, Aug. 10, 1824.

24 Western Sun (Vincennes, Indiana), July 31, 1824.

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12        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

the legislature, who shall meet in general convention at Salem

* * * in September, to nominate an electoral ticket in favor

of Andrew Jackson and to make such other arrangements as the

good of the cause may require." He also urged that the county

meetings appoint county committees of correspondence of five,

and township committees of vigilance of three members each.

The previous day a meeting in Franklin County on the opposite

side of the state, had resolved "that for the purpose of fixing upon

a regular electoral ticket, the friends of General Jackson through-

out the state are requested to call meetings, appoint committees

or correspondence, and also delegates in the different counties to

meet in convention at Salem, September 16, for the purpose of

agreeing upon an electoral ticket."²⁵ This meeting appointed a

committee of correspondence of three for the county and a dele-

gate to this state convention, and nominated a state electoral

ticket which it recommended for adoption. Similar meetings fol-

owed in other counties²6, and on September 16, delegates from

fourteen of them met in convention at Salem.²⁷ An electoral

ticket was adopted and a state corresponding committee of three

members appointed with power to fill vacancies in the ticket.

This procedure was similar to that in the Ohio convention two

months before. In both cases the electoral ticket was chosen

chiefly from nominations previously made by county meetings

and the state committees were alike in number and duties. The

Indiana convention further requested the friends of Jackson to

hold meetings and appoint committees of correspondence in those

counties where this had not been done, and it resolved "that five

hundred copies of the address to the people of Indiana, adopted

by this convention, and three thousand of the electoral tickets

be printed for immediate distribution."

The counties represented were well distributed over the

southern, the settled portion of the state. Franklin and Dear-

born Counties, which had both been very active in advocating the

 

25National Republican, Aug. 24, 1824, quoting Brookville (Indiana)

Enquirer.

26 Western Sun, Aug. 21, 28, Sept. 4, nad 11, 1824; National Republi-

can, Aug. 27, 1824.

27 Western Sun, Sept. 25, 1824; National Republican, Oct. 5, 1824.

• 12
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  13

 

state convention and had appointed delegates to it, were not repre-

sented. This might easily have been due to the difficulty of travel

before the days of railroads. The same reason might explain the

fact that the state convention was held at Salem in south central

Indiana, instead of at the state capital, Indianapolis, which was

then on the northern frontier of the settled portion of the state.

While there was less political organizing activity in Indiana

than in Ohio in 1824, this was chiefly because of its smaller pop-

ulation. The main difference in procedure in the beginning seems

to have been that in Indiana the county meetings in some cases

recommended a complete ticket of electors for the state, while

in Ohio these meetings confined their recommendations to the

electors for their own congressional districts. By the end of

the campaign the two states arrived at practically the same po-

sition as to their Democratic party organization and both were

in the initial stages. As to the results of the campaign of 1824,

Ohio gave Jackson eighteen thousand votes,²⁸ Adams twelve thou-

sand, and Clay nineteen thousand, so that its sixteen electoral

votes were given for Clay; Indiana gave Jackson seven thousand,

Adams three thousand, and Clay five thousand, thus giving its

five electoral votes for Jackson. In the house of representatives

the vote of Indiana was still cast for Jackson, but that of Ohio

was turned to Adams.

 

Development from 1825 to 1828.

In the summer and fall of 1825 there were township and

ward meetings in Hamilton County, Ohio, preparatory to a county

convention to nominate a ticket for the fall election. A meeting

in Sycamore township in August recommended that a delegation

of three from each township of the county and each ward of

Cincinnati meet in convention on September 1O. 29 In pursuance

of this recommendation delegates from five townships and one

ward assembled and formed a county ticket. 30 They expressed

approval of the delegate system as the best method to "prevent

 

28Returns given in round numbers in this and succeeding chapters.

²⁹National Republican, Aug. 23, 1825.

³⁰Ibid, Sept. 13, 1825.

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14        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

the few from imposing on the public by holding secret meetings

to get themselves or friends into office." This county convention

differed from the county meetings of the previous year in both

Ohio and Indiana, in that it was composed of delegates chosen by

township and ward meetings, and also in that its purpose was to

nominate state and county officers rather than to prepare for a

presidential election.

Individual nominations continued to appear in the columns

of the press,3¹ and a township meeting in Whitewater township,

September 3, nominated another set of candidates for state and

county offices. 32

The year 1826 witnessed some further development in

political party organization in Ohio. As early as February there

appeared the following editorial on the "Delegate System" in

the St. Clairsville Gazette, 33 which shows the situation in Bel-

mont County at that time: "It is deemed proper to give public

information that a large number of the citizens of most, if not

all the townships have agreed to adopt the delegate system in

nominating candidates for important public places. They have

placed their names to an instrument which sets forth the advan-

tages of that mode over the one generally used in this county, of

individuals assuming the authority of nominating persons under

the influence of private consideration. *  *   It is recom-

mended that the citizens of each township elect at the approaching

spring elections, two delegates with instructions to meet in St.

Clairsville on the first Saturday of September to make nomina-

tions for the ensuing general election, appoint a committee of

vigilance for the following year, etc."

In pursuance of this recommendation, some townships elected

delegates at the spring election, 34 and these met, upon call, May

22, to nominate a ticket for the fall election. 35 As only ten dele-

gates attended, representing five townships, they adjourned and

called a second meeting for June 20, at which six townships were

 

31National Republican, Sept. 20, 1825.

32 Ibid, Sept. 16, 1825.

33St. Clairsville (Ohio), Gazette, Feb. 25, 1826.

34Ibid, May 13, 1826.

³⁵Ibid, June 10, 1826.

• 14
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    15

 

represented. 36 The meeting being duly organized and "giving

all the weight possible to the instructions of the people by whom

they were elected," selected a ticket for state and county officers

to be supported at the October election.

Thus far since 1824, there had been no mention of national

motives in this local political organization although it had been

developing in almost diametrically opposite centres in the state

of Ohio. But in a Cincinnati paper of August 1826, there ap-

peared the following:

"Jackson Notice."³⁷

"Those members of the late Jackson committee of cor-

respondence for the county of Hamilton who reside in Cincin-

nati, and those who may be in town from the country, are re-

quested to meet at Colonel Mac Farland's Hotel near the Court

House on Thursday evening, the twenty-fourth, at 7 o'clock, on

business of importance.

Elijah Hayward,

Cincinnati, August 21, 1826.  Late secretary to said committee.

"P. S. The above notice is given at the request of several

members of said committee."

No record of this meeting appears but there is an account of

a meeting of this committee, on August 31,38 which called a meet-

ing of those citizens of Hamilton County friendly to the election

of Andrew Jackson to the next presidency, for September 12,

for the purpose of adopting such measures as would promote that

object. A committee of five was appointed to prepare and report

to that meeting such resolutions as they might consider proper.

This meeting was held at the appointed time and the resolu-

tions reported were adopted.39 It appointed a committee of

twenty members called the "Jackson Committee of Cincinnati,"

giving them power "to add to their number, to appoint subcom-

mittees, to correspond with other Jackson committees throughout

the Union and to do anything fitting to promote the cause of the

 

36 St. Clairsville Gazette, July 1, 1826.

37 National Republican, Aug. 22, 1826.

38Ibid, Sept. 5, 1826.

39Ibid, Sept. 15, 1826; Hamilton (Ohio) Advertiser, Sept. 22, 1826

• 15
 

16       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

people in choosing their first executive officer. "On September

19, this committee was enlarged to the number of sixty-three,

the members residing in Cincinnati and in the surrounding

vicinity.40 Five of them resided in the adjoining county of Cler-

mont. Meetings of this committee were held every few weeks

at the Marine Coffee House in Cincinnati. The next one was

called for September 27, and at this meeting the committee ex-

pressed regret that more than one Jackson candidate should be

supported for congress in this district and said that all efforts

to unite the friends of Jackson on this subject had been unavail-

ing; and believing that a considerable plurality of votes would

be given to James Findlay for that office, and having full confi-

dence in his abilities and his firm friendship for Andrew Jackson,

they resolved to recommend the friends of Jackson to unite in

support of James Findlay as the Jackson candidate for congress.⁴1

They also resolved that "to support any other Jacksonian as a

congressional candidate for this district is calculated to injure

the Jackson cause." A committee of five was appointed to pre-

pare and publish an address containing the principles which in-

duced this committee to support Mr. Findlay.

Warren County showed some political activity in support

of Jackson in 1826. At a meeting of the citizens of Lebanon and

vicinity, favorable to Jackson on September 16, a "Warren

Jackson Committee" of ten was appointed, whose duty it was

"to correspond with other committees or individuals on the sub-

ject of the presidential election, to draft and cause to be published

an address to the people, and to take any other proper measures

for the advancement of the Hero." 42

In the spring of 1827 the field of political activity again

widened in Ohio and there are records of about ten county meet-

ings, in which steps were taken toward organizing the Jackson

party by appointing correspondence committees for the counties

and, in some cases, vigilance committees for the townships.

These meetings were called together by notices in the local papers,

often published at the request of some of the citizens, and some-

 

40National Republican, Sept. 22, 1826.

41 Ibid, Sept. 29, 1826.

42Ibid, Sept. 29, 1826.

• 16
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  17

 

times supplemented by circulars. It is fair to suppose that sev-

eral of this series of meetings were stimulated by a circular

issued March 29, by a select committee appointed by the Jackson

committee of correspondence for Hamilton County.⁴³ This

circular read as follows :44

"At a meeting of the Jackson Committee of Correspondence

for the county of Hamilton on the twenty-first instant, the un-

dersigned were appointed a select committee to open and con-

tinue a correspondence with similar committees and with friends

of General Jackson in this and other states of the Union with

a view to promote the elevation of that illustrious citizen to the

next presidency. At the same meeting it was resolved to request

the friends of General Jackson in the several counties of this

state to hold meetings in their respective counties and organize

committees of correspondence to promote the same object.

* * * Nothing now appears to be wanting to secure to him

the electoral votes of Ohio but a proper organization of his

friends in the several counties and                        * *  *  active exertions.

With this prospect before us *   *                        * we earnestly request

you to cause a meeting to be held in your county at an early

period for the purpose of appointing a committee of correspond-

ence and adopting such other measures as may promote the cause

of the people. *   *  *  Should a meeting be held in your

county we would recommend that the proceedings be published in

some newspaper in your vicinity, and one copy of the paper con-

taining such proceedings forwarded to the National Republican

and to the Cincinnati Advertiser."

The supporters of Jackson were quite active in Belmont

County at this time, and in pursuance of a call published in the

local paper, about one hundred assembled in St. Clairsville, May

2, 1827.45 After passing resolutions in support of Jackson,

fifteen persons were appointed as a county committee of cor-

respondence, and it was resolved that a copy of the proceedings

of the meeting be forwarded to the friends of Jackson in Guern-

⁴³National Republican, March 20, 1827.

44Cincinnati Daily Gazette, Sept. 24, 1827.

45 United States Telegraph (Washington, D. C.), May 17, 1827; Na-

tional Republican, May 18, 1827.

Vol. XXIV-2.

• 17
 

18        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

sey County with a request that they hold a similar meeting. It

would seem, however, that this suggestion was not very warmly

welcomed by the Jackson men in Guernsey, for at their meeting,

which was held in the town of Washington just ten days later,

it was resolved, "that as this meeting has been called by the

result of a voluntary and deliberate consultation of the citizens

of this county, and that public notice was given previous to

the meeting in Belmont, it has therefore been held * * *

independent of the instructions or solicitations of any man or

set of men, and accordingly we will pursue an independent course,

having no regard for the instructions of friends further than a

mutual correspondence and an exchange of sentiment." 46 This

Guernsey County meeting appointed a committee of correspond-

ence of nine members.

In Montgomery County in the spring of 1827 there was some

political activity and organization among the Jackson men, al-

though unity and concert throughout the county seemed to be

lacking and each meeting seemed to stand alone. Some of the

townships led the way and the county followed. A meeting in

Jefferson Township, April 11, appointed two members as a com-

mittee of correspondence "to cooperate and act in concert with

similar committees in this state and throughout the United

States." 47 Another meeting was held in German Township, May

48 On May 11 , the Jackson men of the county held a meeting

at Dayton and prepared an address and appointed seven persons

as a committee of correspondence.⁴⁹

During the summer of 1827 there were a few meetings of

the Jackson committee of Hamilton County, in Cincinnati, one

of which on July 16, called a meeting of the citizens for the fol-

lowing day to discuss the tariff, which was attended by about one

thousand persons.⁵⁰ In the fall the meetings of the committee

became more frequent and there were meetings of the Jackson

 

46 U. S. Telegraph, June 19, 1827; National Republican, June 5, 1827.

47 U. S. Telegraph, May 5, 1827; National Republican, May 4, 1827.

48 U. S. Telegraph, May 5, 1827; National Republican, May 15, 1827.

49U. S. Telegraph, May 26, 1827.

50 National Republican, July 17 and 20, 1827.

• 18
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  19

 

citizens in the different wards of Cincinnati.51  Some of the

modes of procedure were not as democratic as they might have

been, for the Jackson committee of correspondence for Hamilton

County appointed delegates to meet and form a ticket of con-

didates for the fall election. These delegates met and nominated

a county ticket on September 1.52

At many of the county and township meetings amusing

sentiments were expressed reflecting the partisan spirit of the

time. In a Wayne County meeting which assembled in March

to effect county and township organization, Adams was referred

to as "a man whose political life has been too strongly marked

by a vacillating policy on all subjects but that of an aristocratic

opposition to the Rights of Man."⁵³ A resolution adopted by a

meeting in German township, Montgomery County, in May, read

thus: "Although General Jackson has not been educated at for-

eign courts and reared on sweetmeats from the tables of kings

and princes, we think him nevertheless much better qualified to

fill the dignified station of president of the United States than

Mr. Adams."54

An editorial in the Cincinnati Gazette of that time on the

fall election gives some interesting sidelights on party organiza-

tion and seems on the whole a fair statement of the case.⁵⁵ It

says in substance that, notwithstanding the attempts of the Jack-

sonians to mix up the presidential question with the local elec-

tions, this course has been taken in but a few counties. "In

Wayne, Columbiana, Jefferson, Hamilton, Knox, Ross, and Bel-

mont the presidential election, or Administration and opposition,

forms the line of division. I have observed no other counties in

which an avowed Jackson ticket is openly supported." The four

counties first named - Wayne, Columbiana, Jefferson, and Ham-

ilton - were active Jacksonian centres. The editorial continues:

"I have no doubt that an open Jackson ticket has been made

wherever it was thought prudent to make it;" that is, wherever

 

51 National Republican, Oct. 2, 1827.

52 Ibid, Sept. 4, 1827; Cincinnati Daily Gazette, Sept. 13, 1827.

53 U. S. Telegraph, Apr. 14, 1827, quoting National Republican.

54 U. S. Telegraph, May 5, 1827; National Republican, May 15, 1827.

55 Cincinnati Daily Gazette, Oct. 7, 1827.

• 19
 

20        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

success seemed probable. "In most of the counties there is a

large number of candidates and many will probably be elected

without receiving one-third of the votes actually given. It is

easy in such cases for a small minority of Jacksonians, by acting

in concert and keeping silent to elect their man."

The election in Hamilton County in the fall of 1827 illustrates

this, except that the Jackson men were here in the majority in

any case. The Administration party decided not to make a party

ticket.⁵⁶ Just before the election there were several candidates

for the assembly on the Administration side. "It is true", wrote

the editor of the Gazette, "as is stated in the National Republican,

that the unanimity which prevails among the friends of General

Jackson, secures to the party the utmost fidelity and the strictest

integrity. They have been disciplined into unanimity  *  *  *

and they deserve to reap the benefit of this concert."⁵⁷

As early as April 20, 1827, the citizens of Jefferson County

favorable to the election of Jackson held a meeting which seems

to have made the first suggestion of a state convention for 1828

to appoint electors for president and vice-president of the United

States.⁵⁸ They resolved to "recommend to the friends of Gen-

eral Jackson in this state, in imitation of his early and faithful

friends in Pennsylvania, the propriety of making arrangements

in due season for a delegate meeting at Columbus on the eighth

of January next, to be composed of so many from each county as

such county sends senators and representatives to the general

assembly." Organization was effected by appointing a corre-

sponding committee of eighteen for the county and a committee

not exceeding seven in each township.⁵⁹

Within the two months following, several meetings made

provision for sending delegates to the state convention. On May

10, a Jackson meeting in Columbiana County appointed five per-

sons as a committee of vigilance and correspondence for the

county and these in turn were required to appoint committees

 

56Cincinnati Daily Gazette, Sept. 13, 1827.

57 Ibid, Oct. 17, 1827.

58U. S. Telegraph, May 10, 1827; National Republican, May 11, 1827.

59 St. Clairsville Gazette, Apr. 21, 1827.

• 20
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.   21

 

of three in each township.⁶⁰ All these committees together were

to appoint four delegates to represent the county in the state con-

vention. A Jackson meeting was held in Bath township, Green

County, May 26, which appointed a corresponding committee of

five members.61 The meeting recommended and concurred in

sending delegates from the different counties to the state conven-

tion and appointed Thomas Gillespie, Esq., of Xenia in another

part of the county as a delegate to this convention. The fact that

he had offered himself for this office in 1824 prompted his nom-

ination. A Licking County Jackson meeting was held, June 11,

at Newark.⁶² A committee of vigilance and correspondence was

appointed, consisting of thirty-five members and two delegates

were chosen to the state convention.

During the fall preparatory to the state convention there are

records of at least thirty county conventions. These were as-

sembled by means of calls issued by Jacksonians in the local

papers. In Butler County the convention was called by a pre-

paratory meeting of the friends of Jackson.⁶³  In a few cases

where a county committee existed, as in Belmont⁶⁴ and Hamil-

ton,⁶⁵ this body called the convention. These county conventions

appointed delegates to the state convention and formed county

organizations, where such had not been formed, by appointing

committees of correspondence for the counties. At the same time

committees were often appointed by the county conventions for

the townships, or the latter were requested to appoint such

themselves. The committees both of county and township varied

greatly in number and organization. The county committee was

composed of three, five, seven, or more members, appointed with-

out regard to the townships; or again it was composed of one

or more members from each township of the county. When the

county committee was formed without regard to the townships,

 

60 U. S. Telegraph, June 16, 1827.

61 National Republican, June 15, 1827.

62 U. S. Telegraph, June 28, 1827, quoting Newark Advocate; Na-

tional Republican, July 6, 1827.

⁶³Hamilton Advertiser, Oct. 20, 1827.

64St. Clairsville Gazette, Sept. 29, 1827.

65 National Republican, Oct. 16, 1827.

• 21
 

22        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

committees were often appointed in the townships besides, or the

townships were requested to appoint such themselves.

In Monroe County the members of the county meeting

formed themselves into a society, called the "Monroe Jackson

committee of vigilance."66  In Belmont County the committee

which had been appointed on May 2, called a convention on Sep-

tember 22, and this body increased the committee from fifteen to

sixty and authorized it to appoint two delegates to the state con-

vention.⁶⁷ This committee met November 24, and appointed

three delegates to this convention,⁶⁸ and a central committee of

five from their number as a correspondence committee, which

was authorized and required to appoint township committees,

whose duty it should be to maintain a regular, friendly inter-

course with their fellow citizens, promote the success of Jack-

son, and communicate with the central committee.

Some of the county meetings appointed very large commit-

tees. In Pickaway the committee of vigilance numbered seventy-

five.⁶⁹  The Franklin County convention appointed committees

in each township aggregating one hundred and three members.⁷⁰

The Clinton County convention appointed a committee of corre-

spondence of seventy-two members and a committee of vigilance

of nearly one hundred, residing in different parts of the county.⁷1

The Brown County convention recommended the citizens of each

township to meet and appoint committees of from three to twenty

each.⁷²

At the Franklin County convention it was resolved, "that we

hold the press to be the best avenue through which calumny and

misrepresentation can be refuted and correct information dissem-

inated; that we earnestly recommend to the friends of Andrew

Jackson in each and every township of this state to form a club

 

66 St. Clairsville Gazette, Oct. 6, 1827; National Republican, Nov. 13,

1827.

67St. Clairsville Gazette, Sept. 29, 1827.

68Ibid, Dec. 1, 1827; National Republican, Dec. 14, 1827.

69National Republican, Nov. 30, 1827.

70 U. S. Telegraph, Dec. 8, 1827.

71National Republican, Dec. 25, 1827.

72 Western Aegis (Georgetown, O.), Dec. 4, 1827.

• 22
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.     23

 

and to subscribe to at least three of the leading papers favorable

to his election to the presidency, which shall be deposited with

one or more persons for the benefit of all the inhabitants of the

townships without regard to their political sentiments;" also,

"that five hundred copies of the address and resolutions be pub-

lished and distributed throughout the state under the direction

of a committee of five members.^"73

The number of delegates chosen to the state convention

varied from one, as in the case of Scioto County,⁷⁴ to fifteen, as

in Fairfield.75 In several counties their appointment was left

to a committee with discretionary power as to the number. In

Ross County the township committees, together with the citizens

of the townships, were to appoint as many delegates as they

should deem advisable.⁷⁶ The delegates were regularly appointed

directly by the county convention but in Monroe County a dele-

gate was appointed by the committee of correspondence, as di-

rected by the county convention.⁷⁷  The same method was fol-

lowed in Belmont.⁷⁸  In Scioto County the joint committees of

correspondence for the county and of vigilance for the townships

were authorized to appoint one delegate,⁷9 and in Columbiana

County the four delegates were appointed by a joint meeting of

all the committees of the county and townships, together with the

citizens of the county.⁸⁰

The convention of delegates from the counties of Ohio, who

were friendly to the election of Jackson, assembled at the court

house at Columbus, January 8,81 1828. One hundred and sixty

delegates attended,⁸² representing fifty-four counties.⁸³  After

 

73 U. S. Telegraph, Dec. 8, 1827.

74 Western Times (Portsmouth, O.), Nov. 15, 1827.

75National Republican, Dec. 11, 1827.

76Ibid, Nov. 13, 1827.

77St. Clairsville Gazette, Oct. 6, Nov. 17, and Dec. 15, 1827.

78Ibid, Sept. 29, Nov. 3, and Dec. 1, 1827.

79 Western Times, Nov. 15, 1827.

80 National Republican, Dec. 21, 1827.

81January 8 was chosen as the date for Democratic conventions in

commemoration of Jackson's victory at New Orleans, Jan. 8, 1815.

82 U. S. Telegraph, Jan. 19, 1828.

83Ibid, Feb. 7, 1828.

• 23
 

24        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

organizing, a committee of fourteen, consisting of one member

from each congressional district, was appointed to consult with

delegates from their respective districts, and recommend to the

convention the names of sixteen persons for nomination as elec-

tors of president and vice-president of the United States at the

next election.⁸⁴ Another committee of fourteen members was

appointed to prepare an address to the people of the state, with

suitable resolutions on the subject of the next presidential elec-

tion and report the same to the convention. Pursuant to adjourn-

ment on the eighth, the convention reassembled January 9, and

accepted the reports of these committees. The address filled

nearly six columns of the newspaper and concluded with a col-

umn of a dozen resolutions,⁸⁵ one of which was:

"Resolved, That a committee of thirty-two be appointed by

the chairman of this convention, consisting of two members from

each congressional district and four at large, to act as a commit-

tee of observation and vigilance throughout the state until the

final result of the next presidential election is known; and that

such committee, or a majority of them, have power to appoint

select committees either from among themselves or otherwise;

and if considered expedient, to call a future convention like the

present; and that they be required to present to the people, such

information on the subject of the next presidential election as to

them shall seem advisable; and that said committee have power

to fill any vacancy that may occur in the electoral ticket or in their

own body."

This committee was appointed. It was further resolved

that one thousand copies of the proceedings, address, and resolu-

tions of the convention be published, and that two thousand copies

thereof be published in German. A committee of three was ap-

pointed on publication.

Following the adjournment of this convention, January 9,

another convention was held at Columbus to nominate a gov-

ernor.⁸⁶ This convention consisted of many of the delegates to

the first one, Jackson members of the legislature, and citizens of

 

84 St. Clairsville Gazette, Jan. 26, 1828.

85 Western Star and Lebanon (Ohio) Gazette, Feb. 9, 1828.

86Ibid, Feb. 2, 1828; U. S. Telegraph, Jan. 24, 1828.

• 24
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    25

 

Columbus friendly to Jackson.⁸⁷  There were one hundred and

two present from fifty-two counties.⁸⁸ One of the secretaries of

the convention just held, Thomas R. Ross, was made chairman

of the second convention,⁸⁹ and J. W. Campbell was nominated

for governor. It would seem that this procedure was due to the

fact that the delegates to the regular convention had not been in-

structed to nominate a governor, as may be seen from the pro-

ceedings of the county meetings, and hence they resorted to this

second meeting.

On January 8, 1828, the supporters of Jackson in Indiana also

held a state convention at Indianapolis for forming an electoral

ticket for the state. As early as January 1, 1827, a Jackson meet-

ing was held at Vevay, Switzerland County, which appointed

a committee of correspondence for the county, provided that this

committee should appoint a committee of vigilance in each town-

ship and requested the friends of Jackson in the several counties

of the state to adopt similar measures.⁹⁰  But it was not until

November following that steps were taken toward the state con-

vention. On November 10, at a Clarke County Jackson meeting

it was resolved "that this meeting consider it essential that a con-

vention of the friends of General Jackson assemble at Indian-

apolis, January 8 next, for the purpose of nominating a Jackson.

ian electoral ticket and for other purposes; and that it is recom-

mended that meetings be held in every county in this state as

soon as possible and that delegates be appointed to act in concert.

whereby a perfect understanding may exist and the whole force

of the friends of the People's Favorite stand united and invin-

cible." Whereupon two delegates to the convention and also a

committee of correspondence for the county were chosen.⁹¹ Fol-

lowing this meeting notices were published in different papers,

calling for meetings to be held at the county seats on December

15, for the purpose of appointing committees of correspondence

 

87 U. S. Telegraph, Jan. 24, 1828.

88Lebanon Gazette, Feb. 2, 1828.

89Ibid, Feb. 2 and 9, 1828.

90 National Republican, Jan. 19, 1827.

Indiana Palladium (Lawrenceburgh), Nov. 24, 1827.

• 25
 

26        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

and delegates to the state convention.⁹² In Dearborn County a

preliminary meeting was held on December 3, which called a sec-

ond meeting for the fifteenth⁹³ at which a committee of corre-

spondence of thirty-nine members was appointed for the county

and six delegates were appointed to attend the state convention.⁹⁴

Similar meetings were held in various other counties such as

Orange, Switzerland, Knox, Rush, Hancock, Henry, and

Marion.⁹⁵

The state convention assembled on January 8, and held ses-

sions on the eighth, ninth, and tenth.⁹⁶ Thirty-seven delegates

were present from twenty counties.⁹⁷ It was "resolved that those

members of the legislature who have not been delegated to this

convention but who are friendly to the election of Jackson, be

admitted as members of this convention." Whereupon ten mem-

bers were added, making forty-seven from twenty-five coun-

ties.  A  committee composed of two from      each of the five

judicial circuits of the state was appointed which prepared an

electoral ticket of five members.⁹⁸  An address to the people of

Indiana was prepared by a committee of five.⁹⁹ A committee of

two delegates from each judicial district was appointed to ad-

vance the election of Jackson and to report to the convention the

names of proper persons to constitute a central committee of cor-

respondence and such other committees as might be deemed

necessary throughout the state.¹⁰⁰ In accordance with their re-

port a "committee of general superintendence" was appointed

consisting of fifteen members, any five of whom had authority

to act, whose duty it was to fill any vacancy which might occur

 

92Indiana Palladium, Nov. 17, 1827; Indianapolis Gazette, Nov. 27,

1827.

93 Indiana Palladium, Dec. 8, 1827.

94Ibid, Dec. 22, 1827.

95Western Sun, Dec. 8 and 29, 1827; Jan. 12, 18-28; Indianapolis

Gazette, Dec. 25, 1827; Jan. 1, 1828.

96Indianapolis Gazette, Jan. 9, 1828; National Republican, Jan. 25,

1828.

97Indianapolis Gazette, Jan. 15, 1828.

98Ibid, Jan. 15, 1828; U. S. Telegraph, Jan. 31, 1828.

99 Western Sun, Jan. 26, 1828; U. S. Telegraph, Jan. 31, 1828.

100 Western Sun, Jan. 26, 1828.

• 26
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.     27

 

in the electoral ticket, to insure the circulation of correct in-

telligence among their friends in every county and to provide the

funds necessary to defray such expenses as might be incurred;

and to adopt or recommend such measures as to them appeared

expedient.¹⁰¹ The members of this committee were requested

to hold their first meeting at Salem on February 22. The friends

of Jackson were requested to organize committees of correspond-

ence in their counties and as far as possible, committees of vig-

ilance in their townships and to transmit the names of the mem-

bers of such committees to the state committee at Salem. The

delegations in the state convention were to act in concert with

the committees of correspondence in their respective counties.¹⁰²

A committee of three was appointed on printing and was in-

structed to publish the address of the convention; also to con-

tract for five hundred copies and to raise the means for this

object.l⁰³

In both Ohio and Indiana the county meetings left the selec-

tion of the presidential electors to the state conventions of 1828

and made no recommendations) as in 1824. In both states in

1827 there was some development in township organization and

in a few of the stronger Jackson centres the presidential question

became influential in local politics.¹⁰⁴

The Campaign in 1828.

In considering the development of Democratic party or-

ganization in Ohio in 1828, two features are conspicuous, the

extension and prominence of township meetings and committees

and the congressional district convention. Throughout the year

there were township meetings which made organization in ac-

cordance with the suggestions of county meetings or county

committees. In Belmont County township committees had been

appointed by the central committee by March, 1828.105 During

the summer and fall of 1828 meetings were held in the different

101 U. S. Telegraph, Jan. 31, 1828; National Republican, Jan. 25, 1828.

102 Indiana Palladium, Jan. 26, 1828.

103Ibid, Jan. 26, 1828; Western Sun., Jan. 26, 1828.

104Indiana Palladium, July 21, 1827; Cincinnati Daily Gazette, Oct.

7, 1827.

105St. Clairsville Gazette, March 15, 1828.

• 27
 

28        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

townships and the size of the committees was much increased,

several numbering about two hundred, one nearly four hun-

dred,¹⁰⁶ and the committees of eleven townships aggregating one

thousand nine hundred and ninety-two. In the Smith township

meeting it was resolved that the vigilance committee should in-

clude every Jackson man in the township.¹⁰⁷ In two townships

of Hamilton County the organization extended to the school dis-

tricts, each one being represented in the vigilance committees of

the townships.¹⁰⁸ The plan of meeting at stated intervals was

adopted by the central committee in Hamilton109 and Franklin¹¹⁰

Counties. The former met biweekly with the vigilance commit-

tees of the townships; the latter held monthly meetings with

delegates appointed by the monthly meetings of the township

committees.

The regular county convention, consisting of delegates ap-

pointed by township meetings, occurred in several instances dur-

ing the year 1828. As already observed, Hamilton County had

introduced this method in 1825111 and Belmont had adopted it in

1826,112 but as yet the plan did not generally prevail. One of

these conventions was held in Warren County, August 16, all the

townships being represented by seventy-four delegates.113 An-

other was held in Hamilton County, August 23, attended by sev-

enty-six delegates from the different wards and townships of

the county.1l4 Harrison1l5 and Jefferson¹¹⁶ Counties held similar

conventions. These conventions and several county meetings¹¹⁷

held during this summer formed county tickets.

106 St. Clairsville Gazette, Aug. 2 and 30, Sept. 13 and 27, Oct. 4 and

11, 1828.

107 Ibid, Aug 30, 1828.

108 National Republican, June 27, Aug. 3, 1828.

109Ibid, May 20, 1828.

110Ohio Monitor, May 24, June 28, and Aug. 6, 1828.

111 See p. 13.

112 See p. 14.

113 Lebanon Gazette, Aug. 23, 1828.

114 National Republican, Aug. 26, 1828.

115 St. Clairsville Gazette, June 28, 1828.

116 U. S. Telegraph, July 2, 1828.

117 National Republican, Aug. 8 and 12, 1828; Western Times, Sept.

20, 1828.

• 28
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.          29

 

There are records of congressional district conventions in

most of the fourteen districts of Ohio in 1828.118  In some of the

districts, as in the first,¹¹⁹ second,120 and ninth,121 the delegates

were appointed by townships directly, at the suggestion of the

county committees or county conventions. In other districts, as

the third,¹²² eighth,¹²3 and tenth,¹²⁴  delegates were chosen by

county meetings or committees which were not based on town-

ship meetings. In at least two counties of the eleventh district,

Harrison¹²⁵ and Jefferson,126 the perfected system toward which

all were tending was adopted, by which the delegates were sent by

regular county conventions composed of regularly appointed

delegates from township meetings. These congressional district

conventions varied greatly in size and representation.      In the

ninth district the convention was attended by eighty-four dele-

gates,¹²⁷ in the second by seventy-eight,¹²⁸ while in the third there

were seventeen¹²⁹ and in the tenth only eleven.l30  Yet in the third

district, six of the seven organized counties, and in the tenth dis-

trict, three of the four counties, were represented. In the con-

ventions most largely attended the delegations came directly from

townships. In at least one of these conventions, that of the third

district, there was appointed a Jackson corresponding committee

of six members for the district.

The Democratic young men of St. Clairsville and vicinity

in Belmont County met in August, 1828, and called a convention

 

118National Republican, July 8, Aug. 5, and Sept. 2, 1828; Ohio

Monitor, July 9, 1828; St. Clairsville Gazette, July 19, 1828; U. S. Tele-

graph, July 18 and Aug. 29, 1828.

119National Republican, May 27, June 17, 20, and 27, 1828.

120 Lebanon Gazette, Aug. 23, 1828.

121 Ohio Monitor, July 9, 1828.

¹²²National Republican, Aug. 5, 1828.

123 Ohio Monitor, June 21, July 5, 1828; U. S. Telegraph, June 30,

1828.

124 St. Clairsville Gazette, June 28 and July 12, 1828.

125 Ibid, June 28, 1828.

126 U. S. Telegraph, July 2, 1828.

127 Ohio Monitor, July 9, 1828.

128National Republican, Sept. 2, 1828.

129Ibid, Aug. 5, 1828.

130 St. Clairsville Gazette, July 19, 1828.

• 29
 

30         Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

of the young men of the county and appointed a committee to

prepare an address.¹³l This was one of the first of the move-

ments of this kind which afterward became frequent.

Evidence is not wanting that the newspaper played its part

in the campaign of 1828 in Ohio.l32 Early in March the central

committee of Belmont County called a meeting in St. Clairsville to

form a "Jackson Newspaper Club."¹³³     At the monthly meeting

of the Jackson committee of Franklin County with the delegates

from the townships, resolutions were passed for extending the

means of information by encouraging subscriptions to news-

papers and "a gratuitous circulation of them among the desti-

tute."¹³⁴ In April the committee of Anderson township, Hamil-

ton County, adopted the following preamble and resolutions :135

"Whereas, This meeting has been informed that in many

parts of the state, especially in the northern parts and in the

Western Reserve, the people are destitute of Jackson newspapers,

and are weekly inundated with the filthy stuff that issues from

the Ebony gazettes, in consequence of which they have no certain

authority by which to contradict the base calumnies that daily

issue from those venal presses,

"Resolved, That all those friendly to the cause who take

Jackson papers, after perusal, be requested either to send them

to this committee or enclose them to persons who they are con-

fident will act faithfully, with the request to give them as wide

a circulation as comes within the scope of their power and

convenience.

 

¹³¹ St. Clairsville Gazette, Aug. 30, 1828.

132 The following from an editorial in the National Republican,

quoted in the United States Telegraph, Aug. 29, 1828, gives some idea

of the personalities indulged in by the press at that time: "We learn

with mingled feelings of disgust and indignation that Henry Clay, the

celebrated traveling preacher and political missionary of J. Q. Adams,

is expected in this city tomorrow on his grand electioneering tour

through Ohio. ** * * t was earnestly desired by the real friends of

our political institutions *  * *that this last insult to the state might

be avoided."

133St. Clairsville Gazette, Mar. 8, 1828.

134 Ohio Monitor, Aug. 6, 1828.

135 National Republican, May 2, 1828.

• 30
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    31

"Resolved, That the several committees in the state, if they

have not already adopted the above plan, be requested to take the

hint from this."

That this anxiety for the Western Reserve was not without

cause is shown by the fact that while there were eight adminis-

tration papers in that locality, no Jackson paper was published

there until midsummer, when David B. McLain launched one in

Cleveland.¹³⁶ Early in July, 1828, there were said to be twenty-

three Jackson newspapers in Ohio, while at the last election it

was said that there had been but five out of fifty for him in

the state.¹³⁷

Occasional references are found to financing the campaign.

At a meeting of the Jackson general committee for Hamilton

County in May, it was resolved "that the several ward and town-

ship committees in this county be requested to appoint a fund

committee in their respective wards and townships, for the pur-

pose of receiving such contributions as may be given to promote

the election of General Jackson, and that the same be paid over

to the treasurer of the general committee of the county."¹³⁸ In

Richland township, Belmont County, a Jackson meeting in Sep-

tember resolved, "that Mr. Marshall be appointed to receive the

funds collected to pay for tickets and other incidental expenses

connected with the presidential election, and to pay them out to

the order of the Jackson     central committee for Belmont

County."¹³⁹ It was further "resolved that a committee of four

be appointed to receive contributions from citizens of Richland

township, to be deposited with the treasurer appointed by the

foregoing resolution for the purpose therein specified."

Some insight into the machinery of elections is occasionally

given. At a Franklin County Jackson meeting those in attend-

 

136Ohio Monitor, July 30, 1828.

137 U. S. Telegraph, July 21, 1828. James Heaton, commenting on

the Democratic wave which was then sweeping over Ohio, wrote to

Governor Allen Trimble: "The all devouring spirit of Jacksonism seems

to have seized on all the faculties of the multitude." See Old Northwest

Genealogical Quarterly (Columbus, Ohio), XI, p. 16, Selections from the

Papers of Gov. Allen Trimble.

138 National Republican, May 27, 1828.

139 St. Clairsville Gazette, Sept. 27, 1828.

• 31
 

32        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

ance pledged themselves individually to bring forward every

friend to the cause and to do all in their power to support the

Jackson ticket at the ensuing election for county and state

officers.¹⁴⁰ A notice in a Belmont County paper read :141 "Jack-

son electoral tickets, printed by order of the central committee,

can be had by township committees and others on application at

this office. Neighboring counties can be supplied to any extent."

At a Franklin County Jackson committee meeting it was resolved

"that this committee consider the proposal of Moses Dawson, of

Cincinnati, to furnish the Jackson committees throughout the

state with tickets at fifty cents per thousand, an offer friendly to

the cause of reform; and that this committee procure five thou-

sand Jackson electoral tickets from him for Franklin County."¹⁴²

A Jackson meeting in Columbia township, Hamilton County, ap-

pointed a committee of ten to attend the polls at election and

distribute tickets.l⁴³

In Indiana in 1828, the township meetings and congressional

district conventions which were then so prominent in Ohio, were

almost entirely lacking. On the other hand, the influence of the

state convention and the activity of the state central committee in

Indiana were much more prominent than in Ohio. This com-

mittee held several meetings and there are records of a series of

county meetings which were due directly to the suggestion of the

state convention and which made county and township organiza-

tion as it had directed. Indeed the organizations in Indiana and

Ohio were counterparts to each other, each supplying those ele-

ments which the other lacked. In Indiana the party was organ-

ized more from the centre-from the state conventions; in Ohio,

from the local centres-townships and counties. The perfect

system would be the combination of both.

The state central committee held all its meetings at Salem.

The first was on February 22, as requested by the convention.

The comittee was increased by over a hundred members from all

parts of the state and the chairman was authorized to add more

 

140 Ohio Monitor, Oct. 15, 1828.

141 St. Clairsville Gazette, Oct. 18, 1828.

142Ohio Monitor, Sept. 10, 1828.

143 National Republican, Oct. 7, 1828.

• 32
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.      33

 

members at his discretion.¹⁴⁴  At this meeting the committee

nominated John C. Calhoun for vice-president. On March 22, the

committee held an adjourned meeting, only fourteen members

being present from seven counties.¹⁴⁵ Nineteen new members

were added. The committee appointed for that purpose reported

an address on the presidential election which was adopted and

four thousand copies were ordered to be printed and circulated

among the different counties of the state.¹⁴⁶    Several more

meetings of the committee were held through the spring, summer,

and fall and another address was published by it in October.¹⁴⁷

The records of county and township meetings in Indiana in

1828 are meager, although as stated, a number of counties held

meetings which appointed county and township committees in

pursuance of the recommendation of the state convention.¹⁴⁸ At

successive meetings in Manchester township, Dearborn County,

the desire was expressed to exclude the presidential question from

state politics.¹⁴⁹ Just preceding the fall election committees were

appointed in each township of Dearborn County to see that a

sufficient number of tickets was provided at the polls.¹⁵⁰

In both Ohio and Indiana there are traces of outside influence

bearing upon the campaign of 1828. The Ohio central committee

of correspondence wrote to the editor of the United States

Telegraph: "Your circular has been gladly received. Assure

yourselves of our faithful cooperation."¹⁵¹  This suggests that

campaign literature from Washington was used in Ohio. Like-

 

144 Western Sun, Mar. 15, 1828.

145 Indiana Palladium, May 3, 1828.

146 This address was published in the local papers of the time, such

as the Western Sun, Apr. 26 and the Indiana Palladium, May 10, and

although it filled a page in these papers it contained only the usual cam-

paign material.

147 Western Sun, April 26, July 19, Oct. 4, 1828; Indiana Palladium,

Nov. 1, 1828.

148Indiana Palladium, Mar. 15, May 3, June 28, Oct. 25, 1828; West-

ern Sun, May 31, 1828; National Republican, Apr. 4, May 6, July 18, 1828;

Indianapolis Gazette, Oct. 16, 1828; U. S. Telegraph, July 25, 1828, quot-

ing Cincinnati Republican.

149Indiana Palladium, Mar. 15, May 3, 1828.

150Ibid, Oct. 25, 1828.

151 U. S. Telegraph Extra, No. 28, Aug., 1828.

Vol. XXIV -3.

• 33
 

34         Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

wise there is evidence that Indiana was well supplied with free

Jacksonian literature from other quarters.¹⁵²

The election gave a majority for Jackson in both states. In

Ohio the returns were sixty-seven thousand against sixty-three

thousand;l53 in Indiana they were twenty-two thousand against

seventeen thousand.¹⁵⁴ In the congressional election in Ohio in

1826 only four of the fourteen districts of the state had elected

Jackson men. In 1828 Jackson congressmen were elected in

eight districts.¹⁵⁵  These districts formed the east-central and

southwestern parts of the state and in all but one, if not in all of

these, Jacksonian nominating conventions had been held. In Indi-

ana only one of the three congressmen elected was a Jackson

man.156 This was in the first or western district of the state in

which the congressional elections were always closely contested.

The Adams candidates together received a majority of five thou-

sand five hundred.¹⁵⁷   In the local elections both states supported

administration governors¹⁵⁸ and legislatures.1⁵⁹  In other words

these state elections were not conducted on strictly national party

lines. The legislature of Ohio elected an Administration candidate

to the United States Senate, though the majority was small.l⁶⁰

 

152Lebanon Gazette, June 7, 1828, quoting Indiana Palladium.

153Ohio State Journal (Columbus, Ohio), Nov. 20, 1828.

154Indiana Palladium, Dec. 6, 1828.

155 Ohio State Journal, Oct. 23, 1828; Niles' Register (Baltimore,

Md.), XXXV, p. 148.

156 Niles' Register, XXXV, p. 45.

157 National Intelligencer (Washington, D. C.), Oct. 23, 1828.

158 The regular Jackson candidate for governor of Indiana in 1828,

I. T. Canby, was opposed by James B. Ray, who had been an Administra-

tion man but now claimed to be neutral and was elected. See Lebanon

Gazette, July 26, 1828; also Niles' Register, Nov. 1, 1828, quoting Indian-

apolis Gazette. Ray later became an avowed supporter of Jackson. See

Globe (daily) (Washington, D. C.), Dec. 24, 1831, quoting Indiana Pal-

ladium, Dec. 10, 1831.

159 Ohio Monitor, Dec. 24, 1828; U. S. Telegraph, Sept. 10, 1830.

160 American Annual Register (New York), III, Domestic Occur-

rences, p. 157.

• 34
 

CHAPTER II.

 

SOLIDIFYING THE ORGANIZATION (OHIO AND INDIANA).

The Period from 1829 to 1832.

After the campaign of 1828 political party activity naturally

subsided and until preparations were resumed for another presi-

dential election the Jacksonian Democracy was comparatively

quiet in the Northwest. The organization attained in 1828 was

not brought into active use generally and became somewhat dor-

mant. Certain active centers endeavored to maintain their organi-

zations, but in general there was little in this interval to claim

attention.

Just after the presidential election, editorial cautions to Jack-

sonians appeared in some papers urging them to remain well

organized.¹ In pursuance to a call by the Democratic central com-

mittee of Belmont County, Ohio, a large meeting was convened in

St. Clairsville in March, 1829.2 R. H. Miller addressed the meet-

ing in behalf of the central committee, urged the necessity of unity

of action, recommended a reorganization and tendered the resig-

nation of the committee. It was resolved "that the organization

of the Democratic party, which has proved so beneficial for the

last two years, be continued."   Whereupon a new     central

committee of five was appointed for the ensuing year, which in

turn appointed township committees of two throughout the

county.

While the United States Circuit Court was in session in

Columbus, a Jackson meeting was held there in July, 1829, which

prepared an address recommending conventions of delegates in

the respective counties to be held as early as possible, as the best

mode of uniting the party at the approaching October elections.³

 

1Ohio Monitor, Nov. 28, 1828, quoting the People's Press.

2 St. Clairsville Gazette, Mar. 14, and May 16, 1829.

3 U. S Telegraph, July 31, 1829, quoting Ohio Monitor; Ohio State

Buletin (Columbus), July 29, 1829; Western Times, Aug. 8, 1829.

(35)

• 35
 

36        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

About the same time the Jackson executive committee of Cincin-

nati issued a circular to the Jackson party in the State of Ohio,

urging it to form a legislative ticket for the October election.⁴

"Every county," said the State Bulletin, "is expected to make a

regular convention nomination," and this was done in many

counties.5

During the spring and summer of 1830 more activity was

shown in Ohio, because of the congressional and gubernatorial

elections. In February a Democratic meeting was held at Colum-

bus which recommended the electors throughout the state to meet

at their respective county seats and choose as many delegates as

they were entitled to members in the most numerous branch of the

legislature, to attend a state convention to be held in Columbus,

July 12, to nominate a suitable candidate for governor.⁶  Only

thirty-four counties or about half of those then in the state

responded to this call by holding meetings and sending thirty-

eight delegates to the convention.⁷ Among the resolutions drafted

by the convention was one to the effect that they heartily joined

their "brethren" of Pennsylvania and New York in the hope that

Jackson would again yield himself as a candidate for the presi-

dency. A central committee of correspondence was appointed

consisting of seven members, which published an address to the

people of the state.⁸ During August and September a series of

county meetings was held for the purpose of forming tickets for

the fall elections. Some counties were quite active and showed

good organization, such as Belmont, Fairfield, Franklin, Dela-

ware, Muskingum, and Hamilton. In such counties candidates

were nominated by regular conventions composed of delegates

from the townships, and there were county and township com-

mittees. The Muskingum County convention appointed between

three and four hundred upon the committee of vigilance for the

4 Ohio State Bulletin, Aug. 19, 1829; U. S. Telegraph, Aug. 7, 1829,

quoting National Republican.

5Ohio State Bulletin, Aug. 12 and 26, 1829.

6Western Times, March 4, 1830, quoting Ohio State Bulletin, Feb.

24; Ohio elected a governor every two years.

7Ohio Monitor, July 14, 1830.

8Ohio State Bulletin, Sept. 22, 1830.

• 36
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.     37

 

county.⁹ In Franklin County the committee of vigilance pre-

pared and published an address to the electors of the county and

distributed one hundred copies of it in each township.¹⁰ While

this committee approved the nominations which had been made

by the party for governor and for congressman in that district,

concerning the state legislature the committee expressed them-

selves thus: "We cannot say anything in allusion to a candidate

for representative in the state legislature. The views and inten-

tions of the Republican party are not yet fully settled on this sub-

ject and we have no individual in particular to whom we can

direct attention at this time. At a future period the preferences

of the party may be more particularly defined." This indicates

that in local matters in Franklin County, party lines were not then

clearly drawn. But in Hamilton County, a full Jackson ticket for

state and county offices was prepared by a convention composed

of duly appointed delegates from most of the townships of the

county and wards of Cincinnati, and it was resolved that "no

person will be considered a candidate for any office by this con-

vention who will not pledge himself either in writing or by his

friends present to abide the result, and to agree to support the

entire ticket nominated by the majority."¹¹   It was further

resolved that all the delegates attending the convention should act

as committees of vigilance at the ensuing election in their respec-

tive townships and wards.

The congressional district convention was much less in evi-

dence than in 1828. Perhaps the most interesting was that of the

eighth district which was first appointed for Sunbury, Delaware

County, June 8 ;12 then for Newark, Licking County, August 7 ;13

and finally an adjourned meeting was held at Mt. Vernon, Knox

County, August 21.14 This shifting seems to have been due to

lack of attendance until finally all the counties of the district were

 

9Ohio State Bulletin, Aug. 25, 1830.

¹⁰Ibid, Sept. 22, 1830.

11National Republican, Sept. 3, 1830.

12 Ohio State Bulletin, Apr. 21, 1830; Ohio Monitor, June 2 and 9,

1830.

13 Ohio Monitor, July 14 and 21, 1830.

14 Ohio State Bulletin, Aug. 25, 1830; U. S. Telegraph, Sept. 3, 1830.

• 37
 

38        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

represented at Mt. Vernon. The mode of procedure in calling the

district convention was for a county meeting to take the initiative

and propose it, suggesting a time and place and the other counties

of the district would then hold meetings and fall in line by

appointing delegates. In Fairfield County two delegates were

appointed from each township to attend the convention of the

ninth congressional district,¹⁵ but in the eighth district the coun-

ties had sent from three to four delegates each to the convention.

The Delaware County meeting had suggested three from each

county,¹⁶ while the Coshocton County meeting favored twice the

number to which each county was entitled representatives in the

state legislature.17  At this convention a committee of three was

appointed to draft an address to the electors of the district and a

corresponding committee consisting of three in each county was

appointed for the district.18 The chief work of the convention

was, of course, to nominate a candidate for congress.

As the result of the state election of 1830 in Ohio, while

the Jackson party claimed a very small majority in the state leg-

islature,19 it lost two representatives in congress, the second and

eighth districts having elected opposition men, so that instead of

the districts being eight to six for Jackson, as in 1828, they were

now eight to six against him.²⁰

The year 1831 was a quiet one in Ohio politics. In Jan-

uary, as is well known, fifty-two members of the legislature ad-

dressed a letter to Jackson, soliciting him to be a candidate again

for the presidency. But this is a part of the national story of

the preparation for the second term. A number of county con-

ventions were held during the summer and fall which formed

county tickets. In Fairfield County the preliminary meeting for

calling a convention resolved "that a committee of fourteen per-

sons be appointed to consist of one from each township, whose

duty it shall be to put up four notices at the most public places

 

15 Ohio Monitor, June 9, 1830.

16 Ohio State Bulletin, Apr. 21, 1830.

17 Ohio Monitor, July 14, 1830.

18 Ohio State Bulletin, Aug. 25, 1830; U. S. Telegraph, Sept. 3, 1830.

19 Ohio State Bulletin, Nov. 24, 1830.

²⁰Ohio State Gazette (Delaware), Nov. 4, 1830.

• 38
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.      39

 

in their townships, informing the electors when and where the

township meetings are to be held", for the purpose of electing

delegates to the county convention.²1 It was also resolved that,

"no elector intending to offer himself as a candidate before the

people shall be entitled to a seat as a member in the convention."

The chief political interest of the year was the preparation

through county meetings for the state convention which was to

be held, January 8, 1832,22 for the purpose of nominating a gov-

ernor, choosing presidential electors, and also delegates to the

first national nominating convention of the party which was to

meet at Baltimore the following May. This state convention was

attended by two hundred and forty-nine delegates²³ from fifty-

four counties²⁴ and held its sessions on January 9 and 10. It

was resolved "that when this convention proceeds to nominate a

candidate for governor, any member of the convention shall have

the privilege of rising in his place and naming any individual."

The selection was by ballot, a majority of the whole number

being necessary to a choice. Each congressional district through

its delegates, chose two delegates to the Baltimore convention and

one presidential elector. A committee composed of one mem-

ber from each congressional district of the state, chosen by the

respective delegations, selected four additional delegates at large

to the Baltimore convention, two senatorial electors and five con-

tingent electors. There were thus selected thirty-two delegates

to the national convention, sixteen presidential electors and five

contingent electors. The convention appointed a central corre-

sponding committee of seven for the state; a central correspond-

ing committee of eight for each of the fourteen congressional

districts ;25 and central committees for the counties.²⁶ A spirited

address and set of resolutions were adopted and ten thousand

copies of the proceedings were ordered to be published.

21 Globe, Aug. 29, 1831, quoting Ohio Eagle.

22This date fell on Sunday, so the convention met on the ninth.

23 Globe, Jan. 19, 1832, quoting Ohio Monitor.

24 Columbus (Ohio) Sentinel, Jan. 10 and 17, 1832.

25National Republican, May 1, 1832; Columbus Sentinel, July 19,

and Aug. 10, 1832.

26Columbus Sentinel, Apr. 5, 1832; Globe, Aug. 16, 1833, quoting

St. Clairsville Gazette.

• 39
 

40         Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

In Indiana even more than in Ohio there was a period of in-

activity in political affairs after the campaign of 1828. For two

years following this campaign politics slept and both county and

state organizations fell into disuse.²⁷  In the spring of 1830 can-

didates for state and county offices were announced individually

by the editors in their papers.²⁸  In some papers there appeared

a "Candidates' Department" in which the various candidates'

names were published under the names of the respective offices

to be filled, and these were inserted from week to week until the

election.²⁹  This mode of presenting candidates of course still

obtains with this essential difference, that now such candidates

are sifted before election by nominating conventions while then

it was open for all until the day of election when a choice was

made from the many. The Indiana legislature elected in 1830

was safely for Clay as usual and elected a United States Sen-

ator of the same persuasion.30

In August 1830 there appeared at Indianapolis Volume I,

Number I of the Indiana Democrat, edited and published by A.

F. Morrison who had already been an active Democratic leader

and the editor of the Republican Statesman in Charlestown,

Clark County.31 He wrote stirring editorials for party organiza-

tion and for a state convention and sounded a new note by say-

 

27It was at this time of political inactivity that the following re-

markable forecast of political events appeared as an editorial in a Whig

paper, the Indianapolis Gazette, June 11, 1829: "From every account,

we are more and more constrained to believe that General Jackson will

be a candidate for reelection for president of the United States for the

next four years; and we believe it will not be from any eagerness on

his part to continue in office; but from the impossibility of his friends

uniting on any other individual. The friends of General Jackson who

are advocates of domestic industry, and there are many, particularly in

the West, will not support Mr. Calhoun, the avowed opponent of the

policy; neither will the southern people support an advocate of the tariff.

It is therefore highly probable that the contest will be between Mr. Clay

and General Jackson; and General Jackson's election will depend on his

acts as president."

28 Western Sun, March 20 and 27, 1830.

²⁹Ibid, Apr. 3, 1830, et. seq.

30Niles Register, XXXIX, pp. 55, 302, 334.

31Indiana Palladium, Nov. 24, 1827; Nov. 21, 1829.

• 40
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  41

ing: "Let it be distinctly known that it is only the intention to

elect to the legislature such persons as will render a candid, hon-

est and fair support to the general administration. No man

should have the confidence of Jackson men unless he will un-

equivocally pledge himself thus far."³² But despite these urgent

editorials, Indiana waited a year before calling another regular

state convention.

A meeting of the Democratic members of the general assem-

bly of Indiana and others convened at the governor's house in

December, 1830.33 Five thousand copies of the president's mes-

sage were ordered to be published for distribution throughout the

state. A standing central committee of twenty members was

appointed for the state with intsructions to publish an address

to the people of Indiana. This committee met a few days later

and organized, choosing A. F. Morrison as secretary "for the

term of its necessary existence." A subcommittee was appointed

to prepare and publish the address which appeared the following

May in pamphlet form.³⁴ It was resolved "that this committee

will endeavor to designate a committee of five persons in every

county in the state, as a county corresponding committee, and

that said committees be requested to organize committees of vigi-

lance in the several townships of their counties, and all such

committees are invited to correspond freely with the central

committee through their chairman and secretary at Indianapolis."

Notwithstanding this excellent plan there is little evidence of

activity during the ensuing few months. Dearborn County seems

to have been the most active and best organized in the state in

1831. A county meeting was held in March preparatory to a

county convention in April. At the preparatory meeting it was

resolved to "unite in the support of suitable and well qualified

persons, friendly to the republican principles of the present

administration, for United States, state and county officers at the

approaching election."³⁵  The convention was attended by dele-

gates from the townships and nominated a ticket for the August

 

32Indiana Democrat (Indianapolis), Oct. 2, 1830.

33 Western Sun, Jan. 22, 1831; U. S. Telegraph, Jan. 19, 1831.

34 Western Sun, May 21, 1831; Indiana Democrat, May 7 and 14, 1831.

35Indiana Palladium, April 2, 1831; Western Sun, April 16, 1831.

• 41
 

42        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

election.³⁶ The congressional election for the twenty-second con-

gress and the state election were held in Indiana in August, 1831,

and resulted in the election of a Jackson congressman in each of

the three districts of the state, while as before, the opposition

elected the governor and state legislature.³⁷ Thus while attempts

were then being made to connect local and national politics, they

still remained quite distinct in Indiana.

Since January, 1828, no Democratic state convention had

been held in Indiana.³⁸  In September, 1831, the editor of the

Indiana Democrat heralded one in his columns.³⁹ "From various

sources," he wrote, "we are authorized to say that a state conven-

tion will be held at Indianapolis on the second Monday of Decem-

ber next, to nominate electors for president and vice-president."

It was recommended to the voters of the several counties to hold

public meetings and elect one delegate from each township to the

convention. In preparation, county meetings were held and dele-

gates were appointed from most of the counties of the state.⁴⁰ In

Dearborn County the meeting was composed of delegates ap-

pointed by township meetings,⁴1 but in most of the counties there

were no preliminary township meetings and the county meetings

were merely gatherings of the friends of Jackson assembled "in

pursuance of previous notice." The number of delegates ap-

pointed by the counties varied from one as in the case of Posey⁴²

to forty in the case of Dearborn.⁴³ The Jefferson County meeting

resolved that it was inexpedient to send more than the number

of representatives to which the county was entitled in the state

legislature and recommended the counties throughout the state to

adopt this number.⁴⁴

36Indiana Palladium, April 30, 1831.

37 Globe, Aug. 15 and 30, Sept. 1, 1831; Indiana elected a governor

every three years.

38Indiana Democrat, Sept. 17, 1831.

39 Western Sun, Sept. 17, 1831, quoting Indiana Democrat.

⁴⁰Indiana Palladium, Oct. 22 and 29, Nov. 5 and 12, Dec. 10, 1831;

Indiana Democrat, Oct. 15, Nov. 5 and 26, and Dec. 6, 1831; Western

Sun, Nov. 12 and 26, and Dec. 3, 1831; Globe, Dec. 2 and 5, 1831.

41 Indiana Palladium, Nov. 19, 1831.

42 Western Sun, Dec. 3, 1831.

⁴³Indiana Palladium, Nov. 19, 1831.

⁴⁴Ibid, Oct. 15, 1831.

• 42
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  43

The delegates assembled December 12, and organized by

appointing a president, two vice-presidents, and two secretaries.⁴⁵

Forty counties were represented by one hundred and twenty-one

delegates. It was resolved that the friends of the administration

then at Indianapolis who had not been appointed as delegates,

including A. F. Morrison, editor of the Indiana Democrat, be

invited to take seats and participate in the proceedings of the con-

vention. As a result of this resolution, twenty-one members were

added making a total of one hundred and forty-two from forty-

four counties. Five delegates were appointed to attend the

national convention at Baltimore in May to nominate a vice-

president to be run on the ticket with Jackson; also five electors

for president and vice-president were chosen and four contingent

electors. It was resolved "that the delegates present be requested

to use their best exertions to create committees of vigilance and

correspondence in their several counties for the purpose of corre-

sponding with the state central committee at Indianapolis." A

committee of two was appointed to receive contributions to

defray the expenses of this convention. A state central com-

mittee of twenty-four was also appointed. An address and reso-

lutions were prepared and seven thousand copies were ordered to

be printed and distributed throughout the state.

 

The Campaign in 1832.

After the state convention in January, the year 1832 brought

no very conspicuous advancement in party organization in Ohio.

County and township organizations through the appointment of

committees were effected in many counties. The regular county

convention, attended by delegates duly appointed by the town-

ships, for forming tickets and appointing delegates to district

conventions, became more common throughout the state although

it was not invariably adopted. The district convention had be-

come the usual mode of nominating congressmen, but the Logan

County meeting merely appointed a committee of five to corre-

spond with the committees of the other counties of the congres-

 

45 For account of convention see Western Sun, Jan. 7, 1831; Globe,

Dec. 26, 1831, quoting Indiana Democrat.

• 43
 

44        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

sional district to nominate a suitable candidate for congress.46

The county nominating conventions, too, were sometimes

mixed and irregular. A Shelby County meeting appointed a vigi-

lance and corresponding committee of two in each township, who

with as many friends as might see fit to attend, were requested to

meet to consider forming a ticket to be supported at the annual

election in October.⁴⁷

The "Hickory Clubs" which had been organized in each ward

of Cincinnati by the young men of the city in former campaigns

were reorganized in the spring of 1832.48 Some of the leading

party papers of Ohio showed their zeal in the campaign by issuing

extras during the two or three months preceding the fall elec-

tion.⁴⁹ In one of these papers appeared the names of the "Na-

tional Democratic Committee in Ohio," three in number, who

were appointed by the National convention at Baltimore in May

under a resolution, "that a general corresponding committee from

each state be appointed by the president of this convention." 50

This committee also constituted three of the seven members of

the Ohio central committee,⁵¹ and took the leading part in its

work.

There was noticeable activity on the part of committees espe-

cially in connection with the fall elections. The corresponding

committee of Franklin County appointed seventy-eight men, one

in each school district of the county, "to take special charge of

bringing Jackson voters within their respective school districts to

the polls." 52 In Crosby township, Hamilton County, a committee

of two in each school district was appointed to induce people to

attend the election and to provide them with tickets.53 In Cin-

cinnati sixteen persons were appointed in each ward to act as

committees of vigilance at the polls and one hundred bills contain-

46Columbus Sentinel, Aug. 30, 1832.

47 Ibid, Apr. 5, 1832.

48National Republican, Apr. 20, 1832.

49Columbus Sentinel, July 12, 1832; Ibid, Aug. 23, 1832, quoting Cin-

cinnati Gazette.

50 Globe, May 25, 1832.

51 Columbus Sentinel, July 12, et al., 1832.

52 Ibid, Oct. 4, 1832.

53 National Republican, July 18, 1832.

• 44
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    45

 

ing the names of the Jackson electors were ordered to be printed

and posted in conspicuous places near each ballot box in the

county.54 The state central committee inserted a card in the

Democratic press requesting that a corresponding committeeman

in each county transmit the earliest information possible concern-

ing the vote for president to some member of this central com-

mittee.⁵⁵ Another notice in the press called upon every corre-

sponding committeeman to see that township and school district

committees were supplied with Jackson tickets, and in case there

was no printing office in any county, they were to apply to one of

the Democratic printing offices in Columbus.⁵⁶ Just after the

state election in October the state central committee tendered

acknowledgements for the receipt of about one hundred letters

from the different counties giving the results of the election.57

Finally the state committee formally retired from its duties after

the November election and in doing so returned acknowledge-

ments to the committees appointed in the several congressional

districts of the state "for the prompt and efficient manner" in

which they had "communicated intelligence, from time to time, on

the subject of the late election." 58

Although 1832 was the year of the presidential election, it

was a very quiet one in Indiana and there was no advancement in

party organization. No systematic attempt seems to have been

made to unite the Jackson forces for the state election in Au-

gust,⁵⁹ but preparatory to the fall election a circular was issued to

the friends of Jackson by the central committee of the state for

the purpose of uniting the party.⁶⁰

The election gave Jackson a good majority in both Ohio and

Indiana in 1832 as in 1828. In Ohio Jackson received eighty-one

thousand two hundred votes and Clay, seventy-six thousand five

hundred, making a majority for Jackson of four thousand seven

54National Republican, Oct. 3, 1832.

55 Columbus Sentinel, Oct. 25, 1832.

56 Ohio Monitor, Oct. 17, 1832; Columbus Sentinel, Oct. 18, 1832.

57 Columbus Sentinel, Oct. 18, 1832.

58 Ibid, Nov. 15, 1832.

59 Western Sun, Aug. 25, 1832, quoting Indiana Democrat, Aug. 18,

1832.

60 Western Sun, Oct. 20, 1832.

• 45
 

46                 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

hundred.⁶¹    The vote in Indiana was thirty-one thousand five

hundred for Jackson and twenty-five thousand five hundred for

Clay, giving Jackson a majority of about six thousand.⁶² In the

Ohio congressional election, eleven of the nineteen⁶³ districts of

the state elected Jackson men.⁶⁴

 

Progress from 1833 to 1836.

In 1833 the chief interests of the Democratic party in Ohio

centered about the coming state convention and the beginnings of

the cleavage in the party caused by the championship of Judge

John McLean for president. This faction and disaffection first

showed itself in relation to the tenure and authority of the state

central committee and later in opposing the state convention.

Early in August the state central committee which had retired the

preceding November,⁶⁵ resumed its functions by issuing an ad-

dress to the Democratic party in Ohio.⁶⁶ It recommended each

county corresponding committee "to take immediate measures to

ensure concert of action among their political friends for effecting

a choice of candidates for state and county officers." The address

also favored county conventions as the best method of securing

union and success. It was warmly seconded by a similar ad-

dress issued soon afterward by the corresponding committee of

Clermont County in which it stated: "It may be said that the

powers of the central committee with those of the corresponding

committees, have ceased with the occasion that caused their exist-

ence. *   *  *  We think otherwise ourselves."⁶⁷  On the other

hand, the editor of the Columbus Sentinel, while publishing the

 

61Niles' Register, Nov. 24, 1832.

62 St. Joseph's Beacon and Indiana and Michigan Intelligencer

(South Bend, Ind.), Dec. 15, 1832.

63 By the congressional apportionment Act of 1832, after the fifth

census, the number of representatives from Ohio was increased from

fourteen to nineteen and the legislature redistricted the state accordingly.

64 Niles' Register, Oct. 27, 1832. In Indiana the congressional elec-

tion was held in the odd years.

65 See p. 45.

66 Globe, Aug. 16, 1833, quoting St. Clairsville Gazette. Also pub-

lished in Columbus Sentinel, Aug. 8, 1833.

67 Globe, Aug. 31, 1833.

• 46
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.   47

 

address and claiming to support its recommendations, contended

that the state committee had not existed since the act of dissolu-

tion by the committee itself in the preceding November, and he

questioned the authority of its action.68 The state convention, he

said, did not contemplate the organization of a permanent body

and had not the power to do so. Later when considering the

reorganization of the party, the Ohio Monitor said:69 "A state

convention ought also to be held for an organization of the

Democratic party. The action of the last state convention has

mostly ceased. Some honestly think it has altogether. The state

central committee acted this season more tardily and reservedly

from the consideration that very many considered they were

functi officio, and probably there was a greater laxity with the

county committees for the same reason. A fresh organization is

important to a concerted action of the party." The Sentinel was

probably correct in its contention that the intended term of the

committee had expired, but this mere technicality fails to explain

the editor's real motives. The committee favored Van Buren

while the editor of the Sentinel did not and later came out openly

for McLean.

Meanwhile the question of holding a state convention arose

and here again the Sentinel was opposed to holding it so early.

It wished to give the sentiments for McLean more time to de-

velop.⁷⁰ When it is considered that it was three years until the

next presidential election, it must be admitted that, apart from

partisan motives, the objection of the Sentinel was not without

reason so far as it related to appointing delegates to a national

convention.

By November the movement for a state convention took defi-

nite form. An editorial in the Columbus Monitor gave it the

required stimulus, the substance of which was as follows :71 "It

is now well established that the Democratic party at large have

determined on a National convention. * * * This must be

constituted by primary conventions and these will differ in differ-

68 Columbus Sentinel, Aug. 15 and 22, 1833.

⁶⁹Ibid, Nov. 9, 1833, quoting Ohio Monitor, Nov. 6, 1833.

70 Columbus Sentinel, Nov. 2 and 9, Dec. 7 and 17, 1833.

Globe, Nov. 5, 1833, quoting editorial in Ohio Monitor.

• 47
 

48        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

ent states, though probably each congressional district will be

specially represented. Ohio, we doubt not, will hold a state con-

vention; and we present for the consideration of the people a

plan. We hope to receive an immediate reply from the Demo-

cratic papers in this state, whether the people in their vicinity

favor a state convention and how much of the following plan

they think best suited to that object, viz.:

"That a delegate convention for the State of Ohio be held at

Columbus on the eighth of January next;

"That every county send twice the number of delegates that

it is entitled to senators and representatives in the general assem-

bly, and that there be a delegate from every county that is not

entitled to a full representative;

"That such delegates be appointed by a county meeting

*  *  * consisting of delegates from the townships;

"That the townships send to such county convention a num-

ber of delegates equal to their number of jurors."

The editor of the Lisbon (Ohio) Patriot wrote in similar

vein :72 "The importance of a state convention preparatory to a

national convention must be apparent to every friend of Democ-

racy. * *   *  It is necessary that we should have but one can-

didate for each office, and the sooner we know who they are to be,

the better for the harmony and welfare of the Democratic party.

We go for a state and national convention."

The usual county meetings were held and delegates were

appointed and on January 8, 1834, the convention assembled. Of

the seventy-two counties then in the state, fifty were represented

by two hundred twenty-nine delegates.⁷3  The nomination of

Robert Lucas for a second term as governor was unanimous.

Seats in the convention were offered to those Democrats present

who had not been regularly appointed delegates from county con-

ventions, which added somewhat to the number. The convention

approved the plan for a national convention and suggested the

second Monday in May, 1835, at Pittsburgh, for the time and

 

72Globe, Nov. 29, 1833, quoting Lisbon (Ohio) Patriot.

73Account of convention in Globe, Jan. 24, 1834, taken from Colum-

bus Daily Advertiser; Indiana Democrat, Jan. 25, 1834, quoting Supple-

ment to Cincinnati Republican.

• 48
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.     49

place for holding it. The delegates from each of the nineteen

congressional districts were asked to select a delegate to the

national convention and to these, two senatorial delegates were

added, making the same number for the state as it had repre-

sentatives and senators in congress. It was resolved "that this

convention disapprove of the appointment as delegates to the na-

tional nominating convention, of any member of congress or

other person holding any office under the government." The

delegates to the national convention were instructed to support

Van Buren for president, with power to use their own judgment

as to the vice-president, "so long as the candidate be of that

branch of the Democratic family termed Jeffersonian."⁷⁴                                                    A

state central committee of nine members was appointed.⁷⁵                                               The

delegates from each county were requested to report one person as

a member of the congressional district corresponding committee

and six persons to compose a corresponding committee for the

county. These were appointed and after a three days' session

the convention adjourned.

This convention aroused some opposition among the sup-

porters of McLean⁷⁶ which was expressed in several county

meetings⁷⁷ and by the Sentinel,⁷⁸ but on the whole its influence

prevailed with the party. The year 1834 witnessed the recur-

rence of the congressional and gubernatorial elections in Ohio

and the United States Bank was the question at issue. The usual

county and district conventions were held. Party organization

and methods were being perfected in county, district and state.

The usual method of nomination in county conventions was by

74Globe, Jan. 18, 1834.

75Columbus Sentinel, Jan. 21, and Feb. 15, 1834.

76The reason given by one of the prominent supporters of Judge

McLean in Ohio for presenting him as a candidate for the presidency

was: "We must have a candidate upon whom the opposition [Whigs]

can unite, but in addition to this, we must have one who can take some

strength from the Jackson party." See Western Hemisphere (Columbus,

Ohio), Jan. 27, 1835, taken from Cleveland Whig, Jan. 21, 1835. He did

draw men from the Jackson party for a time but he was later super-

seded by Harrison as the Whig candidate and the McLean movement

was dropped.

77See files of Columbus Sentinel for February.

78Ibid, Jan. 21, and Feb. 15, 1834.

Vol. XXIV-4.

• 49
 

50        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

ballot and a majority of the votes was required for a choice. The

tickets were sometimes prepared by committees composed of one

from each township. The Democrats reelected Lucas for gov-

ernor by a small majority but elected only nine of the nineteen

congressmen and were left in the minority in the state legis-

lature.⁷⁹

One needed reform in organization was for the members of

the state central committee to reside in or near Columbus instead

of being widely scattered over the state, in order that they might

work together more effectively.80  The editor of the Western

Hemisphere had urged this before the election and later he re-

newed his efforts. In December, 1834, he wrote a stirring edito-

rial on party organization^.81 "The first step to be taken," he said,

"is to summon and hold a state convention. On this convention

will devolve the duty of making an efficient organization. An

active state central committee must be reappointed, all of whose

members should reside at the seat of government. * * *

Many and serious were the disadvantages which resulted from

the members of the present committee not residing in town. * * *

County and township committees also should be appointed, the

former to correspond with and report to the state central com-

mittee; the latter to establish and maintain a similar correspond-

ence with the committees of each county." The effects of this

editorial were referred to in a later one on the same subject, in

which the writer said his suggestion had been "poorly received

except in some portions of the state."⁸² He still believed that a

convention should be held during the coming summer, but nothing

further seems to have been done concerning it until June, when

the movement was begun for holding the regular biennial con-

vention.

On June 12, 1835, a meeting in Columbus, held pursuant to

public notice, recommended the Democratic citizens to assemble

in their respective counties and elect delegates to a state conven-

tion to be held January 8, 1836, for the purpose of choosing

 

79 Western Hemisphere, Oct. 22, 1834.

80Ibid, Sept. 17, 1834.

81 Ibid, Dec. 2, 1834.

82Ibid, Jan. 27, 1835.

• 50
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    51

 

electors for president and vice-president and nominating a candi-

date for governor.⁸³  The meeting further recommended the

organization of the party in the several counties of the state pre-

paratory to the next annual elections. These recommendations

were published in the Democratic papers of the state. A sena-

torial district convention at Wapakoneta, August 6, in which the

six counties of the district were represented, recommended hold-

ing a state convention at the usual time, but left it to the counties

to appoint their own delegates.⁸⁴  The state central committee

later took up the matter and recommended holding the conven-

tion.⁸⁵ During August and September a large number of county

meetings were held to nominate candidates for county offices and

they usually appointed delegates to the state convention.⁸⁶

Almost all of these meetings were regular conventions composed

of delegates from the townships. A number of things done in

the conventions indicate an improvement in political methods and

a solidifying of party organization. The delegates to both county

and state conventions were often provided with credentials.⁸⁷

A meeting in Wayne County preparatory to a county convention

resolved "that no delegate of said convention ought to be nomi-

nated as a candidate for any office by said convention."⁸⁸ At a

preliminary meeting in Fairfield County, a committee reported

that "it was of the opinion that it would afford as general satis-

faction to proceed at once to a choice of candidates to be recom-

mended at the ensuing election, as to make that choice through

the medium of a convention."⁸⁹ When this question was put to

the meeting, it was disagreed to by a large majority. At the

meeting of this county convention, it was resolved, as it had been

before in Hamilton County,90 that no one should be considered a

candidate for any office by the convention who would not agree

 

83 Western Hemisphere, June 17, 1835.

84 Ibid, Aug. 26, 1835.

85Ibid, Dec. 2, 1835.

86 See files of Western Hemisphere for these months.

87 Ibid, Sept. 16, 1835, Stark County convention; et al.

88Ibid, Sept, 2. 1835.

89 Ibid, Sept. 2, 1835, quoting Ohio Eagle.

90 See p. 37.

• 51
 

52        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

to abide by its decision.⁹¹ The method of nominating a county

ticket by appointing in the convention a nominating committee

composed of one member from each township had become com-

mon. The convention system was now often applied for nom-

inating representatives and senators for the state legislature.

The counties composing the representative and senatorial districts

sent delegates to a district nominating convention. When such

district conventions were not held, the county conventions in the

district made nominations separately for these offices. Frequently

one county convention took the initiative and others of the dis-

trict seconded its nomination. The fall election of 1835 gave the

Democrats a large majority in the state legislature of Ohio which

during the previous year had been Whig.⁹²

After the election those counties which had not already done

so held conventions and appointed delegates to the state conven-

tion.⁹³ The method of appointing these delegates was sometimes

noteworthy. Usually the county convention appointed a certain

number from each township or directed the delegates from the

respective townships to appoint them. The Belmont County con-

vention resolved that their "Democratic brethren assemble in their

respective counties and elect a number of delegates to said

[state] convention equal to three times the number of senators

and representatives which their county sends to the general

assembly and that the delegates be furnished with a certificate of

the time and manner of their election."⁹⁴ Whereupon nine dele-

gates were appointed from that county. In Highland County, a

committee of four was appointed to fill vacancies in the delega-

tion,⁹⁵ a power usually given directly to the delegates. The

Hamilton County convention recommended each township and

ward to appoint a delegate.⁹⁶ The number appointed in the

 

91 Western Hemisphere, Sept. 16, 1835, quoting Ohio Eagle.

92 Ibid, Oct. 28, 1835.

93 See files of Western Hemisphere for November and December,

1835.

94 Ibid, Sept. 2, 1835.

95 Ibid, Dec. 9, 1835.

96 Ibid, Sept. 9, 1835, quoting National Republican.

• 52
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.        53

 

counties varied greatly. Hardin appointed three, Miami sixty.⁹⁷

Ross appointed one for each one thousand population.⁹⁸

The convention organized January 8, 1836, by electing a

president, one vice-president from each congressional district,

and six secretaries.⁹⁹ The whole number in attendance was said

to be about eight hundred of which over four hundred were duly

appointed delegates. Almost every county was represented.¹⁰⁰

The number of delegates from the different counties varied from

one to thirty-eight. It is interesting to compare the number in

attendance with the number appointed in some of the counties.

Of the sixty appointed by Miami, nine attended. Of the fifty-

seven appointed by Muskingum, eighteen attended. Jefferson

appointed nine and seven attended; while Fairfield appointed

twenty-eight and thirty-eight attended. It was resolved that in

nominating a candidate for governor, the number of votes to be

 

97 Western Hemisphere, Dec. 19, 1835.

98Ibid, Sept. 2, 1835.

99 For account of convention see Western Hemisphere, Jan. 9 and

13, 1836.

100 The difficulties encountered by the delegates in attending this con-

vention from remote parts of the state were revealed in connection with

the convention of Jan. 8, 1838, in a protest by the editor of the Warren

News Letter against holding conventions at that time of the year. See

Ohio Statesman (Columbus), Nov. 7, 1837, quoting editorial in Warren

News Letter. The writer very sensibly urged some time in May or the

fourth of July as a more suitable time. In speaking of attending the

convention of 1836 he said: "The roads were literally impassable. The

stages on many of the routes were taken off and the members were

obliged to tarry at Columbus for weeks or 'go round by the bridge.' The

latter alternative many of them chose. We well remember that on that

occasion the delegates from Cincinnati were obliged, in order to get to

their homes, to go to Wheeling and there take a boat and descend the

river. The delegates from Cuyahoga and Lorain were also compelled to

return by the National Road via Wheeling, and from that city they went

up the river to Beaver, Pa., and from there by stage to Cleveland; and

we shall not soon forget the sufferings we endured going and returning

on that same occasion. Therefore we object to the time." In favor of a

later date he wrote: "It is early enough. The country wants repose, a

little respite from the clamor of political strife. In July the roads will be

good, travelling pleasant and comfortable and a convention at that time

would be fully attended." This wise protest however was unavailing and

the next convention was held at the usual time, January 8, 1838.

• 53
 

54        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

given should be equal to the number of representatives in the

lower house of the state legislature, which votes should be cast

viva voce by the delegates from each representative district by

such person or persons as they might agree upon; a majority of

all the votes being necessary to a choice. The delegates from

each congressional district were directed to select and report to

the convention the name of one elector to represent their district

in the electoral college. A committee consisting of one from

each congressional district was chosen to select the two senatorial

electors. The delegates from each congressional district were

also directed to report to the convention the names of one person

in each county, as a committee of correspondence for the district,

except where the district was composed of but one county, in

which case the committee should consist of three members. The

needed reform in the state central committee perviously men-

tioned was effected by appointing five members who resided in

and near Columbus and whose duty it was "to correspond with

and obtain information from the several Democratic county and

district committees in this state in relation to all matters con-

nected with the proceedings and objects of this convention." The

central committee was given power to fill all vacancies in its

own number and in the electoral ticket formed by this convention,

and to call another convention, by giving public notice thereof in

the Democratic newspapers and such other notices as they might

deem advisable. The president of the convention was directed

to appoint a committee to prepare the usual address to the people

of Ohio and publish the proceedings of the convention.

The chief political events in Indiana in 1833 were the con-

gressional election,101 which then came in odd years in that state,

and a state convention for the nomination of governor and the

appointment of delegates to the next national nominating con-

vention. In Indiana and Ohio, delegates were appointed to the

next national convention within a year after the beginning of the

presidential term and almost three years before the next election.

In this year also in Indiana the congressional district convention

first claims attention in some of the districts.

101By the congressional apportionment Act of 1832, after the fifth

census, the number of representatives from Indiana was increased from

three to seven and the legislature redistricted the state accordingly.

• 54
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.       55

 

The following examples indicate that in the sixth and

seventh districts very representative conventions were planned.

A meeting in Addison township, Shelby County, in April recom-

mended the Democrats of that congressional district to call meet-

ings in each township and elect delegates to county conventions

for the purpose of sending five delegates from each county to a

district convention to be held in Indianapolis in May.¹⁰² This

township meeting appointed five delegates to the county conven-

tion and requested the other townships of the county to do the

same. A congressional district convention was held in Lafayette

in June, and although five counties containing two-thirds of the

population of the district were represented, an adjourned and

more representative session was called for July 4^.103

The movement for the state convention began in August and

seems to have been directed by the press rather than by a state

committee. An editorial in the Indiana Democrat stated that the

necessity of calling the convention had been urged by a great

number, that the Democrats were unanimously in favor of the

measure, and suggested the holding of meetings at an early period

to carry the measure into effect.¹⁰⁴  In a later editorial the writer

said the public feeling in favor of a convention was so general

that he could not hear of any portion of the state where the people

were not "up and doing."1⁰⁵

After the usual series of preparatory county conventions the

state convention assembled, December 9, 1833.106 It was organized

by appointing a president, two vice-presidents and two secretaries

and the delegates presented credentials.    At first forty-one

 

102 Indiana Democrat, Apr. 20, 1833.

103 Ibid, June 29, 1833, quoting Wabash Mercury. Further accounts

of these conventions are wanting. How generally these district conven-

tions were held in Indiana in 1833 does not appear in the contemporary

newspaper files which are somewhat less complete than usual for this

year, but the election returns indicate that the Jackson men in all but

the second district, which they lost, were well united on the one successful

candidate. In the second district the Democratic votes were scattered,

indicating that no convention had been held.

104 Indiana Democrat, Aug. 31, 1833.

105Globe, Nov. 20, 1833, quoting Indiana Democrat.

106 For account of convention see Indiana Democrat, Dec. 11, 1833.

• 55
 

56       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

counties were represented by one hundred forty-eight delegates.

The ratio of the number of delegates attending to the number

appointed by the different counties varied as usual. The three

appointed by Hancock all attended and while Madison appointed

but two, its representation was five. On the other hand, of the

eight delegates appointed by Dearborn, but one attended and

Pike which had appointed four, was unrepresented. It was re-

solved that the Democratic senators and representatives of the

legislature of Indiana, be admitted to take part in all the delibera-

tions of the convention. The Democratic citizens who were

present from unrepresented counties of the state were also invited

to become members of the convention.    Whereupon fifteen

names were added representing eight more counties. The method

adopted for nominating a governor was suggested by a commit-

tee representing all the congressional districts of the state and

was similar to that which was later adopted in the Ohio conven-

tion of 1836 already mentioned.¹⁰⁷ In both cases the number of

votes was to be the same as the number of representatives in the

state legislature. The rules of the house of representatives of

the state were adopted in substance as the rules of the conven-

tion. It was generously resolved that the convention would waive

any nomination or recommendation at that time for the presi-

dency or vice-presidency and that its members would cheerfully

support the leaders of the party. The delegates of each con-

gressional district were directed to confer together and report to

the convention three persons from that district to attend the next

Democratic national convention. The Democratic senators and

representatives of Indiana in congress were also asked to attend.

The delegates to the national convention were requested, in case

of any change of events rendering it necessary, to call primary

meetings for the appointment of delegates to conventions in each

congressional district to instruct said national delegates; and if

in such case, these delegates failed to call for instructions, the

convention advised that the people hold meetings and appoint

delegates for such purpose. The delegates were empowered to

fill vacancies in their number from the districts in which the

 

107 See pp. 53 and 54.

• 56
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  57

 

vacancies should occur. A central corresponding committee of

twenty-one members, three from each congressional district, was

appointed whose duty it was to determine the time and place of

holding the next state convention and also to act as a committee

of vigilance in promoting the election of the candidates nominated

by this convention. All the Democratic journals of the state

were requested to publish the proceedings of the convention. In

the same issue of the Indiana Democrat in which the account of

the convention appeared, the editor wrote: "We shall hear no

more, we presume, of the opposition to conventions in Indiana,

and particularly from those who profess to be our friends.

* * * We consider the system now established upon so firm a

basis, that our opponents can no longer indulge the vain hope of

overturning it."

Although the regular congressional elections occurred in

Indiana in 1835, political party activity was at a low ebb. The

existing files of contemporary newspapers have little to say con-

cerning the congressional campaign, yet the Democratic candi-

dates succeeded in every district.¹⁰⁸ An interesting meeting of

"members of all political parties" was held in Franklin County

in February "for the purpose of devising some scheme to allay

party excitement."¹⁰⁹ It was resolved "that this object could best

be obtained by the selection of a candidate for the presidency in

whom the people of all parties could confide." A resolution

nominating Harrison for president was first offered. It was

then proposed to substitute the nominee of the Democratic

national convention. This failing it was proposed to substitute

Van Buren for president and Harrison for vice-president. This

in turn was abandoned and the original resolution was adopted.

This meeting seems to have been an attempt by the Whigs to

enlist all the citizens of the county in support of Harrison on

non-partisan grounds. The Democrats were not satisfied with

the nomination and within a few weeks they held a meeting and

passed resolutions supporting Van Buren and Johnson, approv-

ing the national convention to be held at Baltimore, appointing

a vigilance committee of over sixty, and recommending a county

108 Indiana Democrat, Sept. 23, 1835, official returns

109 Indiana Palladium, Feb. 21, 1835.

• 57
 

58        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

convention in May, "having in view the sustenance of their

principles."¹¹⁰

Following the congressional elections, the chief political

interest of the year among the Democrats in Indiana was the

preparation for the state convention in January, 1836. Again,

as in 1833, the party newspapers of the state led and directed the

movement. An editorial in the Democrat, early in September,

presented the matter by saying:111 "Within a few weeks it has

been suggested to us by a number of the friends of the admin-

istration in different parts of the state that it would be good

policy to hold a state convention at Indianapolis on the eighth of

January next for the purpose of forming an electoral ticket.

*  *  * As the meeting of the legislature will afford the only

good opportunity of procuring a full attendance of delegates, we

approve the suggestion. * * * Primary meetings in all parts

of the state will, of course, be held if the suggestion is generally

approved and so far as we are informed the friends of the Admin-

istration in this part of the state will unite in the convention."

In a later issue the editor wrote :112 "We are now convinced that

a Democratic state convention will be held during the ensuing

session of the legislature. * * * The eighth of January

appears to be the day most generally fixed on for that purpose."

Again he wrote:113   "The editors of the Indiana Palladium

warmly second the proposal of the Democrat for a convention."

Early in October the editor of the Western Sun wrote that the

time for action had arrived and he proposed that meetings of all

those friendly to the election of Van Buren and Johnson should

be held in the several counties in the state on the second Saturday

of November to elect delegates to the state convention.¹¹⁴ He

asked all the Democratic editors in the state to make similar

appointments in their respective counties. A little later the editor

of the Democrat wrote :115 "Nearly all the Democratic editors in

¹¹⁰Indiana Democrat, Apr. 4, 1835.

111Ibid, Sept. 2, 1835.

¹¹²Ibid, Sept. 30, 1835.

113Ibid, Oct. 7, 1835.

114 Western Sun, Oct. 10, 1835.

115Indiana Democrat, Oct. 21, 1835.

• 58
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  59

 

Indiana have come out in favor of the proposed state conven-

tion." By the end of November meetings appointing delegates

to the convention had been held in most of the counties of the

state.¹¹⁶  A  number of these meetings also effected county

organization.

The convention assembled on January 8, 1836, at Indian-

apolis and two hundred eighty-one delegates representing sixty-

two counties produced their credentials.117 A committee was

appointed, consisting of five members from each of the seven

congressional districts, to nominate officers and recommend rules

for the government of the convention. The officers appointed

were a president, seven vice-presidents, one for each congres-

sional district, and two secretaries, and the rules of the house of

representatives of Indiana were adopted so far as applicable for

the convention. All those in attendance who were friendly to the

election of Van Buren and Johnson, who were then members of

the general assembly, or who had been members of any "Repub-

lican" state convention or of the national convention, or who had

been presidential electors, were invited to take seats as members

of the convention. A committee composed of one from each con-

gressional district was appointed to prepare an address and reso-

lutions. The delegates from each congressional district nom-

inated the presidential electors for their respective districts, and

the two senatorial electors were nominated by a committee com-

posed of five from each congressional district. An equivalent

number of contingent electors were nominated. A majority vote

in the respective districts was required for a choice of an elector

and each county was allowed as many votes as it was entitled to

members in the house of representatives.

The nomination of presidential electors was the primary pur-

pose for which the convention assembled, but perhaps no less

important was its work in party organization. A committee of

three from each congressional district was appointed to prepare

and report to the convention a mode of organizing the party in

the state. The report was adopted. It provided for a state cen-

 

116Western Sun, Nov. 21 and 28, 1835.

117 See Western Sun, Jan. 23 and 26, 1836, for full account of the

convention: account also in Globe, Feb. 19, 1836.

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60        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

tral committee of sixteen persons who should reside in or near

Indianapolis; a committee of five in or near the center of each

congressional district; and a committee of six in or near the

center of each county. Each of these committees was authorized

to fill any vacancy which might arise in its membership until a

reorganization of the party by a subsequent state convention

emanating from the people. A majority of the members of any

of these committees constituted a quorum. The duties of the

state central committee were: to correspond with the county

committees; to collect political information and transmit it to the

people throughout the state; to harmonize conflicting interests

and secure the triumph of Democratic principles; to give notice of

all vacancies which might occur in the departments of the govern-

ment of the state; and to call a state convention whenever in their

opinion, the public interest might demand it. The convention

referred the naming of the members of the congressional district

and county committees to the delegates present from the respec-

tive districts and counties. In counties not represented in the

state convention, the committees of the congressional districts in

which they were located were to appoint their corresponding com-

mittees. The duties of the county corresponding committees

were: to appoint committees of vigilance in the townships with

instructions to organize the townships by adding to their numbers

all the Democratic citizens thereof; to apportion to each township

its number of delegates to the county convention; to ascertain

from the committees of vigilance the strength of the parties

within their several townships and report the same to the state

committee and to the congressional district committee annually

as soon as practicable after the April election. The citizens of

the townships were to appoint and instruct delegates to county

conventions and these were to appoint and instruct delegates to

representative, senatorial, and congressional district conventions.

A committee of three was directed to publish twenty thousand

copies of the proceedings of the convention and to collect the

necessary contributions to defray the expense. It was the duty

of another committee to invite Van Buren, Johnson, and Benton

to visit Indiana during the ensuing season. The convention ad-

journed on January 9.

• 60
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  61

 

Organization in 1836.

Some effects of the work of the state convention may be

traced through the following months. The central committee held

meetings in February and issued a circular to the voters of the

state.1l⁸ The plan of organization suggested by the state con-

vention was not followed strictly by the committee but the end

sought was the same. The circular recommended the Demo-

crats to convene in the several townships early in April and

choose committees of vigilance. These committees were to call

township meetings and it was suggested that they prepare lists

of the voters in each township noting their political affiliations;

also that they obtain assistance for supporting reading rooms in

the more populous towns where the newspapers of the day might

be made free and accessible to all. Those counties in which com-

mittees had not already been appointed were urged to call conven-

tions for that purpose. County and township organization was

regarded as of the utmost importance, without which the work

of the state committee would be in vain. It was urged that candi-

dates for the state legislature be selected with special reference

to their political opinions especially in view of the approaching

election of a United States senator.

An editorial in the Democrat in March observed that in

many parts of the state the friends of the party were organizing

in advance of the recommendation of the state committee in

preparation for county conventions for the formation of Demo-

cratic tickets to be supported at the August election.¹¹⁹ "It is the

duty of the county committees," said the editorial, "to appoint

the township committees. But when the county committees fail

to act with energy, let the Democrats of the township go ahead

themselves." In Hamilton County the plan of organization sug-

gested by the state convention was closely followed. The mem-

bers of the county committee appointed by the state convention,

met and appointed township committees.¹²⁰  These were re-

quested to add to their number every Democratic voter in their

 

118 Indiana Democrat, Feb. 24, and Mar. 2, 1836.

119Indiana Democrat Extra, March 16, 1836.

120Indiana Democrat, May 4, 1836.

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62        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

respective townships and to call a meeting to appoint one delegate

for every thirty-three voters in the township to meet in county

convention and nominate a ticket for the August election. A

district convention, held in connection with the Lagrange County

convention at Bloomfield in June, to nominate a candidate for

representative to the state legislature, showed interest and united

action.121  The district embraced the counties of Lagrange, Noble,

Steuben, and DeKalb and the several townships in the district

were all represented.

As the fall election approached the state central committee

issued another address to the voters of the state, dwelling upon

the importance of the election, and calling upon all citizens to

do their duty.122 A little later this committee recommended that

a convention be held on January 8, 1837, for nominating candi-

dates for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor and

suggested that township meetings be held on the twenty-sixth of

November and county meetings for appointing delegates the week

following.123 An editorial in the same issue stated that meetings

had already been held in several counties recommending a con-

vention and appointing delegates. After the election in which

Indiana gave Harrison forty-one thousand and Van Buren thirty-

two thousand,l²⁴ the central committee withdrew the call for the

convention.¹²⁵ This action was explained by an editorial in the

Democrat which stated that the presidential election had "caused

a lukewarmness and indifference in the Republican [Democratic]

ranks." The people rather than the committee had lost confi-

dence and felt that the Whig candidate would without doubt be

elected.

The congressional as well as the presidential election occur-

red in Ohio in 1836 and the system of both district and county

conventions was almost uniformly adopted. Some advancement

was made in organization. In the district conventions the votes

 

121 Indiana Democrat, June 22, 1836.

122Ibid, Sept. 28, 1836.

123 Ibid. Nov. 9, 1836.

124Official returns in Western Sun, Jan. 7, 1837.

125 Indiana Democrat, Nov. 30, 1836.

• 62
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.       63

 

of the counties were apportioned according to population.l26

In Pickaway County all delegates to district and state conven-

tions were provided with certified lists of their respective dele-

gations.¹²⁷ The names of delegates to the county convention and

of corresponding committees for the townships were sometimes

sent directly to the county committee by the clerks of the town-

ship meetings.l²⁸  In a Muskingum County meeting a committee

of five was appointed to communicate with several congressmen

and invite them to visit Zanesville, and county and township com-

mittees were appointed to serve until others should be duly

appointed to succeed them.¹²⁹ A later meeting in the same county

appointed a "congressional county committee" of five whose duty

it was "to have general superintendence and direction over all

documents and proceedings emanating from the Democratic party

or any member thereof in the approaching electioneering con-

test."¹³⁰ This committee was to cooperate with the central com-

mittee of the county. A Hamilton County meeting recommended

the county convention not to nominate any one for office who

would not pledge himself "to obey any instructions that might be

forwarded to him by a majority of the Democratic party of that

county, after his election by them, or to resign his seat

instantly."131 In Logan County a financial committee of four was

appointed to collect funds for defraying campaign expenses.l³²

While the organization was generally solidifying it disap-

 

126 Western Hemisphere, June 15, 1836, quoting Cleveland Advertiser;

Western Hemisphere, Aug. 31, 1836.

127Ibid, Aug. 17, 1836, quoting Circleville (Ohio) Press.

Western Hemisphere, Apr. 27, 1836, Coshocton County meeting.

129Ibid, May 18, 1836, quoting Zanesville Aurora.

130 Western Hemisphere, July 13, 1836, quoting Zanesville Aurora.

This Muskingum County meeting was a very enthusiastic one and most

of its proceedings were sensible and to the point. One resolution, how-

ever, was: "Resolved, That it is the unanimous and deliberate opinion of

this meeting that Wm. H. Harrison and Francis Granger, the Federal,

Whig, Anti-Masonic, and Abolition candidates for president and vice-

president, ought not to receive, at the election in November next, in any

one of the whole states of the American Union, one, single electoral

vote."

131 Western Hemisphere, July 13, 1836.

^132Ibid, Aug. 31, 1836.

• 63
 

64        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

peared at times in some of the counties. Franklin County in the

centre of the state and the seat of the capital city had no Demo-

cratic party organization early in July, 1836.133 This was doubt-

less partly due to the fact that Franklin was a Whig county,

though at times, as already observed, its Democratic organization

had been well developed. A call for a county convention was at

this time circulating in the townships. Should this plan fail,

wrote the editor of the Monitor, the next advisable course would

be for the congressional committeeman appointed at the last

Democratic state convention for each county, to call a convention

in his county. He called the attention of the congressional com-

mitteemen in the counties of the district to this suggestion and

urged the holding of county and district conventions. "There

is no correct way," he added, "of obtaining a congressional con-

vention but through county conventions." In response to this

agitation there appeared in the columns of the Hemisphere a

call for a county convention on July 30, to nominate delegates

to a congressional district convention and to form a ticket for the

October election.l³⁴ This county convention was duly held.¹³⁵

It revived the county organization, nominated a county ticket and

appointed six delegates to the district convention which occurred

in August.¹³⁶ Thus the organization was speedily restored.

The most enthusiastic organizing activity of the year was

that of the young men and one of the most interesting features

about it was the agency of the press in developing it. The move-

ment for a young men's state convention was begun by an edi-

torial in the Dayton Herald about the first of May.¹³⁷ "Let us

have a young men's state convention," wrote the editor. "Let the

state central committee designate time and place for such con-

vention to assemble and give general and timely notice of the

same. *   *  * The above hints are thrown out for the con-

sideration of our brethren of the Democratic presses in Ohio.

We hope they will give the subject deliberate consideration and

133 Western Hemisphere, July 6, quoting Ohio Monitor.

134 Western Hemisphere, July 13, 1836.

135Ibid, Aug. 3, 1836.

136 Ibid, Aug. 31, 1836.

¹³⁷Ibid, May 4, 1836, quoting Dayton Herald.

• 64
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  65

 

also their views through the medium of their respective papers."

The Ohio Eagle warmly seconded this editorial in the Herald

and suggested to the central committee the fourth of July as

the time for the convention.¹³⁸  The editor of the Hemisphere

wrote: "We should, in common with our Dayton brother, be

pleased to hear an expression of opinion on the subject from the

conductors of Democratic presses in different sections of the

state."¹³⁹ The subject was taken up with enthusiasm by a num-

ber of the Democratic papers such as the Zanesville Aurora, St

Clairsville Gazette, Ohio Sun (Batavia), Elyria Republican,

Steubenville Union, Coshocton Horizon, Washington Genius of

Liberty, and the Cleveland Advertiser.1⁴⁰ The editors of the War-

ren News Letter and the New Lisbon Patriot were not opposed

to the convention but thought efficient county and township

organizations would be preferable. To this the editor of the

Hemisphere rejoined that at a state convention where every

county and section of the state would be represented, much

might be done to facilitate organization, and that he understood

this to be the chief object of the convention.

The state central committee, one of whose members was

the editor of the Western Hemisphere, issued a circular of in-

quiry to the respective county corresponding committees of the

state on the subject of the proposed young men's convention

and the replies were so assuring that on July 20, the committee

issued a formal call for the convention to be held at Columbus

on September 9.141 The Democratic papers throughout the state

were requested to copy this notice. Enthusiastic county meet-

ings were held in all parts of the state and delegates were ap-

pointed in generous numbers. In Delaware County all the Demo-

cratic young men under the age of thirty-one were authorized

and urgently requested to attend.l⁴² The Franklin County con-

vention appointed five hundred delegates,1⁴³ Ross one hundred

 

138 Western Hemisphere, May 4, 1836, quoting Ohio Eagle.

139 Western Hemisphere, May 4, 1836.

140 Ibid, June 1, 1836.

141 Ibid, July 20, 1836.

142Ibid, Aug. 17, 1836, quoting National Republican.

143 Western Hemisphere, Aug. 3, 1836.

Vol. XXIV-5.

• 65
 

66        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

thirty,¹⁴⁴ Clinton and Fayette each seventy-three,¹⁴⁵ Muskingum

fifty,1⁴⁶ Clermont thirty-one,¹⁴⁷ and Hardin three.¹⁴⁸  Several

days before the convention assembled more than twelve hun-

dred delegates had been appointed¹⁴⁹ but only about half this

number attended.¹⁵⁰

The organization and work of this convention was some-

what similar to that of the regular convention in January.151

Governor Lucas and others attended and addressed the conven-

tion by invitation. Besides the address and resolutions adopted

by the convention, an address was to be prepared for the bene-

fit of the German citizens and another for the Welsh citizens

of the state. A committee of three from each county was named

to call a meeting in its county and take such measures as would

insure a complete organization of the Democratic young men

of the state. A "Young Men's Central Committee" of fifteen

was appointed, seven of whom resided in Franklin County in

which Columbus was located. The central committee was directed

to collect the necessary funds to publish the proceedings and ad-

dress and these were to be distributed among the counties in

proportion to their representation in the general assembly.

The activity of the press during this campaign in Ohio de-

serves a further word. Early in June the Democratic central

corresponding committee of Pickaway County had established

at Circleville a paper entitled the Ohio Press which they con-

ducted with much zeal and ability.¹⁵²  Beginning with July 4,

the publishers of the Western Hemisphere issued a supplemen-

tary campaign extra entitled the Magician, which was continued

till after the election.¹⁵³

144 Western Hemisphere, Aug. 31, 1836.

145Ibid, Aug. 31 and Sept. 7, 1836.

146 Ibid, July 27, 1836.

147 It is gratifying to be assured by the Ohio Sun (quoted in Western

Hemisphere, Sept. 7, 1836) that this Clermont County meeting was "no

gormandizing, intemperate, ox-eating humbug."

148 Western Hemisphere, Sept. 7, 1836.

149 Ibid, Sept. 7, 1836.

150 Globe, Sept. 21, 1836, quoting National Republican.

151 See Globe, Sept. 23, 1836, for account of this convention.

152 Western Hemisphere, June 8, 1836.

153Ibid, July 20, 1836.

• 66
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.     67

 

In the congressional election in Ohio the Whigs carried

eleven of the nineteen districts¹⁵⁴ and in the presidential election

Harrison received one hundred and five thousand and Van

Buren ninety-seven thousand votes.¹⁵⁵ The Democrats of the

state however rejoiced in the national victory of their party and

seemed oblivious to the local defeat. A movement was at once

begun to celebrate the national victory and in addition to im-

mediate demonstrations, the ninth of the following January,

(the eighth being Sunday) was set apart for a Democratic Jubi-

lee at Columbus and various other places in the state, which

was duly observed by speeches and feasting.¹⁵⁶

 

154 Ohio State Journal, Oct. 22, 1836.

155Niles' Register, Dec. 3, 1836.

156 Western Hemisphere, Nov. 30, 1836; Ibid, Jan. 11 and 18, 1837.

• 67
 

CHAPTER III.

 

EXTENSION TO ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN.

Beginnings in Illinois.

In Illinois political parties were much slower in developing

their organization than in Ohio and Indiana. Several causes

contributed to this. It was a more sparsely settled frontier

state with a less advanced population. The townships which

were so important a factor in party organization in Ohio and

Indiana, because through their meetings and delegates they

formed the basis for the whole convention system, were en-

tirely lacking in Illinois until after the Jacksonian period. In-

stead of the township there was only the precinct, a mere voting

district without local government or organization as in the town-

ship, in which the only uniting influence was an annual election.¹

The great difficulty was in the primary meetings in the precincts

which were very poorly attended and were a prey to profes-

sional politicians. Moreover, party organization was not ex-

tended to the precincts until 1835 and then only in a few cases

in the northern part of the state. In December, 1835, the Illi-

nois senate expressed opposition to the convention system by

resolving that "every person eligible to the office of president

has a right to come forward as a candidate for it without the

intervention of caucuses and conventions" and that they "dis-

approve of the convention system attempted to be forced upon

the American people by the Van Buren party and believe it to

be destructive of the freedom of the elective franchise, opposed

to republican institutions, and dangerous to the liberties of the

people."² In writing of the convention system in Illinois Gov-

ernor Ford said:3 "The western Democrats looked upon it with

 

1Thomas Ford, History of Illinois (Chicago, 1854), p. 206.

²Niles Register, XLIX, p. 384; Illinois Advocate (Vandalia), Dec.

23, 1835. This resolution was passed by a vote of 13 to 12.

3Ford, History of Illinois, p. 203.

(68)

• 68
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.     69

 

a good deal of suspicion. It was considered a Yankee contri-

vance, intended to abridge the liberties of the people by depriv-

ing individuals on their own mere motion, of the privilege of

becoming candidates, and depriving each man of the right to vote

for a candidate of his own selection and choice." Under such

circumstances it is easy to understand why the development of

political party organization was later in Illinois than in the older

states. However by 1840 the convention system was fairly well

established in Illinois. The party was organized upon the prin-

ciples of national politics only and not upon those of the state.⁴

In this respect Illinois was in marked contrast with Indiana in

which national party lines had little to do with state elections.

This backwardness of Illinois in party organization is par-

ticularly noteworthy in view of the fact that from 1824 to 1840

this state was conspicuously under he control of the Democratic

party which was the party par excellence of organization. From

1824 to 1840 the congressmen from Illinois were uniformly

Democratic, except in the last two years in the northern district,

and the state always supported a Democratic president. The

governor and legislature were also invariably Democratic.

In the election of 1824 a plurality of the popular votes of

the state had been claimed for Jackson and he had received

two of its electoral votes, the third being cast for Adams, for in

Illinois the district plan was then pursued in choosing electors

instead of the general ticket plan.⁵ When the election went to

the house of representatives the one representative of Illinois

cast his vote for Adams claiming that he had received the plu-

rality of the popular votes of the state, but this congressman was

superseded by a Jackson man in 1826.

In February, 1827, the house of representatives of Illinois

resolved by a vote of nineteen to eleven, that although they did

not "consider it the province of the legislature to dictate to the

people in regard to the presidential election," yet they believed

"General Andrew Jackson eminently qualified and justly entitled

to the office from the important services" he had rendered his

4Ford, History of Illinois, p. 207.

5By an Act of the Illinois legislature, Jan. 11, 1827, the general

ticket plan was introduced for use in presidential elections.

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70        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

country.⁶ This resolution was approved by a large meeting of

Republican citizens in Belleville, St. Clair County in March,

which recommended the citizens of the state friendly to the elec-

tion of Jackson to assemble in the different counties and adopt

resolutions and measures to promote his election.⁷ In 1828 the

state was composed of three electoral districts and in the spring

the friends of Jackson in Fayette County held a meeting at Van-

dalia, then the state capital, and recommended the citizens of the

counties of the northern district to hold meetings and appoint

delegates to a convention at Springfield.⁸ The accounts of some

of these county meetings are preserved in the newspapers of

that time. Two were held on March 3, 1828, one in Montgom-

ery County, the other in Greene County, both of which approved

the recommendations of the Vandalia meeting and appointed

delegates to the northern electoral district convention to be held

at Springfield in May.⁹

In harmony with the action taken by members of the legis-

latures of Ohio, Indiana, and several other states, both houses

of the legislature of Illinois in January, 1831, passed by almost

unanimous votes resolutions favoring the election of Jackson

for a second term.¹⁰ A meeting of the citizens of Fayette County

and others from various counties of Illinois attending the su-

preme court of Vandalia in December, 1831, recommended the

support of Jackson for the next presidency in conjunction with

such person for vice-president as the Baltimore convention might

select.11 This meeting further recommended the citizens who

were friendly to the reelection of Jackson to assemble in their

several counties in the three congressional districts of the state¹²

6Journal of the House of Representatives of Illinois, Feb. 19, 1827.

7 U. S. Telegraph, April 7, 1827.

⁸The knowledge of this Vandalia meeting comes from the accounts

of the county meetings next referred to in the text.

⁹National Republican, Mar. 28, 1828; U. S. Telegraph, Apr. 12, 1828.

No record of this district convention seems to be preserved.

10Journals of the House of Representatives, and of the Senate of

Illinois, Jan. 3, 1831.

Globe, Jan. 5, 1832, quoting Illinois Intelligencer.

12The state had been divided into three congressional districts by

an Act of the legislature, Feb. 15, 1831, in anticipation of the congres-

sional apportionment Act of 1832. Previously Illinois had had but one

representative in congress.

• 70
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  71

 

as soon as practicable and to choose three delegates to attend

conventions in their respective districts at Kaskaskia, Vandalia,

and Springfield during the spring terms of the circuit courts

in the counties of Randolph, Fayette, and Sangamon, to agree

upon the selection of suitable persons to be supported as electors

of president and vice-president. A committee of twenty-four

was appointed to prepare and publish an address to the citizens

of Illinois on the objects of the meeting and the next presi-

dential election. Three delegates were appointed to represent

Fayette County at the congressional district convention at Van-

dalia; and although this meeting was in no sense a regular state

convention composed of delegates duly appointed, it chose four

delegates to represent Illinois at the Baltimore convention. Pur-

suant to the recommendation of this Vandalia meeting, county

meetings were held in each of the three congressional districts

which appointed delegates to the district conventions.l3  A

meeting in Adams County besides appointing delegates to the

district convention at Springfield, appointed a committee of cor-

respondence for the county. The four delegates appointed by the

Vandalia meeting to the Baltimore convention were approved

and it took the liberty of appointing an additional delegate in

behalf of the citizens of the fifth judicial circuit. No records

seem to be preserved of any of the district conventions but the

electoral ticket which later appeared for Jackson and Van Buren

would indicate that they were held.

At this time the Democrats of Illinois were divided into two

factions on the subject of the vice-presidency, some favoring Van

Buren, others R. M. Johnson. The movement for Johnson be-

gan in a meeting at Vandalia early in January, 1832, the object

of which was to nominate a candidate for vice-president.¹⁴ Col.

A. P. Field introduced resolutions in support of Johnson and

some friction was aroused, but after the retirement of its op-

ponents this nomination was carried. This was followed by a

call for a Jackson and Johnson state convention.15   Those

13Illinois Advocate (Edwardsville), Mar. 9 and 23, 1832.

14 U. S. Telegraph, Feb. 21, 1832, quoting Illinois Journal (Spring-

field).

15Western Sun, Feb. 25, 1832; Sangamo Journal (Springfield, Ill.),

March 8, 1832.

• 71
 

72        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

friendly to these candidates were requested to appoint delegates

to meet on March 26 at the state house in Vandalia for the pur-

pose of nominating electors. Preparatory to this state convention

a Fayette county meeting was held at Vandalia in February and

appointed twelve delegates.¹⁶ No record appears of any other

preparatory meetings but on March 26 the convention was held.17

Five persons were nominated, one from each of the five judicial

circuits of the state, to be supported as candidates for electors

for Jackson and Johnson, provided the latter should be supported

by the Jackson party in any of the states. But if there should be

no hope of electing Johnson, these electors were to be at liberty

to vote for another candidate. An address to the people of the

United States was prepared; committees of correspondence were

appointed for each of the five judicial districts and a central

committee of twelve for the state. Two thousand copies of the

address adopted in favor of Johnson were to be printed and

distributed among the counties of the state. No delegates were

appointed to the Baltimore convention and it was disregarded.

Of the four delegates appointed to the Baltimore convention

by the Vandalia meeting in December, two attended, and these

divided the vote of Illinois in the nomination of vice-president

between Van Buren and Johnson.¹⁸ In the November election

the five Van Buren electors were chosen and thus he received

all the electoral votes of Illinois for vice-president. In the presi-

dential elections of both 1828 and 1832 in Illinois Jackson re-

ceived more than double the number of votes received by the

opposing candidate.¹⁹

The strife between the Van Buren and Johnson factions

in Illinois did not cease with the election of 1832 but was re-

 

¹⁶Sangamo Journal, March 1, 1832.

17Ibid, Apr. 5, 1832; U. S. Telegraph, Apr. 14, 1832, quoting Van-

dalia (Illinois) Whig.

18 U. S. Telegraph, May 25, 1832.

19Official returns, office of Illinois Secretary of State.

1828                      1832

Jackson               9560                 Jackson               14617

Adams                 4662                 Clay                     6744

In 1828 Jackson received majorities in 37 of the 42 counties. In

1832 he received majorities in 46 of the 53 counties.

• 72
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.     73

 

newed in 1833 and 1834 in connection with the campaign for

governor to be elected in 1834,20 and a Johnson meeting in Van-

dalia in February of that year nominated him for president and

appointed six delegates to attend a Democratic Johnson state

convention.21  No time was then fixed for this convention and

it was probably not held.

John Reynolds who had been governor since 1830 was elec-

ted to congress in 1834 and in speaking of the campaign he said :22

"At that day the convention system was not established and as

many persons offered their services as pleased. * * * There

were in the field three candidates for congress [in the first dis-

trict], all Democrats and Jackson men.    All the candidates

offered without a convention. * * * At the same election

Kinney and Duncan were candidates for governor, also without

a convention." The only organized method for promoting the

cause of a candidate for public office was the county meeting and

a number of these were held for the purpose of nominating fa-

vorite candidates.²³

Development in Illinois, 1835-36.

The year 1835 practically marked the beginning of party

organization on a large scale in Illinois. In that year the Demo-

crats began in earnest to prepare for the coming presidential

campaign along lines which were followed in other states. Two

Democratic state conventions were held at Vandalia, the state

capital, that year; one in April to appoint delegates to the Balti-

more convention in May and one in December to choose presi-

dential electors. The movement for the April convention was

begun in that same month and because of this short time it was

not largely attended. In Fayette County itself, the seat of the

capital, after repeated calls for it, a meeting was held at Van-

dalia April 18, to express opinions upon the national convention.²⁴

20 Globe, Feb. 22, 1833. Illinois elected a governor every four years.

^21Illinois Advocate and State Register (Vandalia), Feb. 22, 1834;

Sangamo Journal, March 1, 1834.

²²John Reynolds, History of Illinois (Chicago, 1879), p. 283.

²³Illinois Advocate, Dec. 7, 1833; Jan. 11 and Feb. 22, 1834; Chicago

Democrat, Jan. 21, 1834.

24Illinois Advocate, Apr. 1, 15, and 22, 1835.

• 73
 

74        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

It was resolved that, as the shortness of the time rendered it im-

practicable to hold a state convention for appointing delegates

to the national convention, county meetings should be held

throughout the state approving the national convention and

agreeing to support its nominations. Precisely the same attitude

had been taken by a meeting in St. Clair County.²⁵ But the

Morgan County meeting, under the leadership of S. S. Brooks,

editor of the Jacksonville News, and Stephen A. Douglas,²9

resolved, "that * * * Illinois should be fully represented in

the proposed convention at Baltimore; and that for the purpose

of appointing delegates thereto, a state convention be held at

Vandalia, April 27, to be composed of delegates from all the

counties in the state equal in number to the representation in the

legislature."²⁷ Six delegates were then chosen to represent Mor-

gan County in such a state convention with instructions to select

delegates who would favor Van Buren and Johnson. On the

same day the Democrats of Greene County held a meeting which

was soon followed by meetings in Sangamon and Edgar Counties,

all of which appointed delegates to the state convention.²⁸

One of the most active Democratic meetings of the year

was held at Chicago about a week after the Morgan County meet-

ing.²⁹ Among its resolutions were the following:

"Whereas, There has not heretofore been such an organiza-

tion of the party in this town, county, or state as would give to

individual members a voice in the selection of candidates to be

supported for office, * * * therefore:

"Resolved, That an immediate and thorough organization

throughout the state in accordance with the principles and usages

of the Democratic party, is not only expedient but absolutely

necessary to its present united and efficient action. * * *

 

25Illinois Advocate, Apr. 1, 1835.

26 For the part taken by Douglas in promoting Democratic party

organization in Illinois, see James W. Sheahan, The Life of Stephen A.

Douglas (New York, 1860); Allen Johnson, Stephen A. Douglas: A

Study in American Politics (New York, 1908).

27Illinois Advocate, June 3, 1835.

28 Ibid, Apr. 22, 29, and June 3, 1835.

29Ibid, June 3, 1835.

• 74
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  75

 

And while we pledge ourselves to use all necessary and proper

means to effect such an organization in this town, we earnestly

recommend a similar course to our political brethren in the

different precincts, villages and settlements in this county and

in the different counties throughout the state." A committee of

correspondence was appointed for Chicago and the Democrats

"throughout the state and especially in the different precincts and

settlements" of that county were earnestly solicited to appoint

similar committees.  It was resolved to cooperate with the

Democrats of the county in holding a county convention to nom-

inate candidates for offices to be filled at the August election, and

to support for all public offices only those candidates who should

be duly nominated by a convention of delegates fairly called

together. Two citizens of Vandalia were requested to represent

the Democrats of Chicago in the state convention, "should such

convention, in accordance with the recommendations of our

political friends of Morgan and other counties, be held." Three

hundred copies of the proceedings were to be printed, some of

which were to be distributed among the Democratic editors

throughout the state for publication. This unique plan of ap-

pointing delegates to the state convention who lived at the seat of

the proposed convention was doubtless because of the great dis-

tance of Vandalia from Chicago and the shortness of the time.

The state convention assembled at Vandalia on the twenty-

seventh and held sessions on the twenty-seventh and twenty-

eighth.³⁰ Because of the short notice and of the "idea having

gone abroad that there would not be sufficient time to hold a con-

vention before the meeting of the convention at Baltimore," the

attendance was small, only a few counties being represented at all

and these only partially so. An active part was taken by the

delegates from Morgan and Sangamon Counties and two from

each of these counties were among the officers chosen by the

convention.3l  Five delegates were appointed to atttend the

Baltimore convention and were instructed to support the nom-

ination of Van Buren and Johnson. The Democrats throughout

 

30 Illinois Advocate, Apr. 29, 1835.

31 Sangamo Journal, May 16, 1835.

• 75
 

76        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

the state were requested to hold county meetings where they had

not already been held and concur in the proceedings of this con-

vention. The proceedings and address were directed to be

printed in a hand bill for distribution.

In accordance with the request of the state convention, its

proceedings were approved by a meeting in Clinton County,³² but

during April and May several meetings were held in counties

remote from Vandalia which had no knowledge of this conven-

tion. For instance, a meeting at Shelbyville two days prior to

the state convention, solicited and recommended fourteen named

delegates from various counties of the state to attend the Balti-

more convention.33   Democratic meetings in Vermillion, Jo

Davies and La Salle Counties made no mention of the Vandalia

convention.³⁴ The meeting in La Salle County adopted resolu-

tions on organization evidently modeled upon those of the Chicago

meeting in April. Committees were appointed for the county

and precinct and the convention system was strongly supported.

During June and July, 1835, the plans for organization sug-

gested by the April meeting in Chicago were carried out by the

Democratic party in that vicinity and apparently for the first

time in Illinois there was a county convention composed of dele-

gates duly appointed by the precincts.³⁵ This convention was

held in Cook County, July 4, in response to a call by the Chicago

committee requesting the precincts to send delegates.³⁶  At the

same time the committee requested the Democrats in the other

counties of the district to send delegates to a senatorial conven-

tion at Ottawa, July 8. The Cook County convention nominated

candidates for county officers, made county organization and

appointed delegates to the senatorial convention.37  This latter

convention nominated a senator and appointed a senatorial dis-

trict corresponding committee of two in each county.³⁸  In the

 

32Illinois Advocate, May 27, 1835, quoting St. Clair Gazette.

33Illinois Advocate, May 6, 1835.

34Ibid, June 3 and 10, 1835.

35Chicago Democrat, July 8, 1835, editorial.

36Ibid, June 24 and July 1, 1835.

37Ibid, July 8, 1835.

³⁸Ibid, July 15, 1835.

• 76
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.   77

 

latter part of July a Democratic primary meeting was held in the

Chicago precinct which nominated officers for the precinct, and

appointed a committee of nine to bring out the entire Democratic

vote at the next election.³⁹ Thus the convention system of nomina-

tions was extended to precinct, county, and district.

The next general organizing activity of the party in Illinois

was the movement for a state convention to be held in December,

1835, for choosing presidential electors. In this movement Mr.

Douglas and Morgan county again took the initiative. At a

Morgan county meeting at Jacksonville in June in which Douglas

was active, a decided stand was taken in support of conventions

and the meeting recommended the friends of Van Buren and

Johnson to hold meetings in their respective counties throughout

the state and send delegates to a state convention to be held at

Vandalia in December, to form a Democratic electoral ticket for

the state.⁴⁰ Each county was requested to send a number of

delegates equal to its number of representatives in both branches

of the legislature and every county was to send at least one

delegate. Delegates were appointed from Morgan and a county

organization of the party was effected.

From July to November a large number of county meetings

were held, all of which appointed delegates to the state conven-

tion and a number of them effected county organizations.⁴1 None

of these meetings seems to have been composed of delegates

regularly appointed by the precincts but the Peoria county meet-

ing appointed a committee of correspondence consisting of three

in each precinct of the county⁴² and the meeting in Cook county

recommended the precincts to appoint committees and to present

their names to the county committees.⁴³  The delegates from

Wabash county were provided with certified copies of the pro-

 

39 Chicago Democrat, July 29, 1835. A series of editorials appeared

in this paper in the summer of 1835 in support of the convention system

of nominations.

40 Ibid, July 15, 1835.

⁴¹Illinois Advocate, July to Nov., 1835.

42Ibid, Dec. 2, 1835.

43Chicago Democrat, Oct. 14, 1835.

• 77
 

78        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

ceedings of the meeting, which served as their credentials to the

state convention.44

The convention held its sessions at Vandalia, December 7

and 8.⁴⁵ At this time there were about sixty counties in the

state and twenty-three of these were represented in the conven-

tion by seventy delegates. The rules for the government of the

house of representatives of Illinois were adopted for the govern-

ment of the convention. A committee appointed by the president,

consisting of one from each county represented, selected the five

candidates for presidential electors who should vote for Van

Buren and Johnson. An address was prepared to the people

of the state. The most interesting feature of the convention was

an exciting debate during the session of the second evening on

the introduction of the convention system into Illinois.46 A Mr.

Peck, of Chicago, offered resolutions the object of which was to

introduce in Illinois the convention system of nominating all

candidates for state and county officers and to prevent the

election of all persons who would not submit to the decision of

these conventions. He opened the discussion by observing that

some of his party had prejudices against the plan. The conven-

tion system, he said, was all that could save the party; it brought

men under proper control; it tested their fidelity to party. The

system had worked well in New York. If southern Illinois was

not ready for it, the third congressional district might adopt it.

The chairman, Mr. Maxwell, thought it too soon to force

the convention system upon the people. They were not prepared

for it. He believed the whole system to be anti-Republican, and

although Wyatt and Douglas said it worked well in Morgan

county, he was "afraid it would not go down with the old-

fashioned Democrats." He stated that inasmuch as the pro-

ceedings of the meeting were taking a turn which he did not

approve and one which he was convinced the people would much

less approve, he would therefore be constrained to leave the chair.

This he did and a momentary confusion ensued which was soon

settled by the mounting of a second chairman, William Weather-

44 Western Sun, Dec. 15, 1835.

45Proceedings given in Illinois Advocate, Dec. 17, 1835.

46 Account given in Sangamo Journal, Feb. 6, 13, and 20, 1836.

• 78
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  79

 

ford, upon the rostrum. Mr. Douglas of Morgan County said

he had lived in New York, was well acquainted with the con-

vention system, and knew that it was the only way to manage

elections with success. "Gentlemen," he said, "were mistaken

when they supposed that the people of the West had too long

enjoyed their own opinions to submit quietly to the regulation

of a convention." He knew better. He claimed the honor of

having introduced it into the county of Morgan; and there it

had "already prostrated one distinguished individual holding high

office." He said the convention system had already been in-

troduced with great success by Mr. Van Buren's friends into

Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, and Indiana.

Mr. Caton, formerly of New York, then of Chicago, spoke

warmly for conventions and said that the ex-chairman, Mr.

Maxwell, also favored state and national conventions, but op-

posed county and district conventions because he said the people

were "not prepared to give up their old ways." The immediate

result of the debate was that the resolutions in favor of the con-

vention system which had precipitated it were not adopted.

The convention question was also discussed in the state

legislature in the session of 1835-36. The senate passed resolu-

tions recommending Hugh L. White for the presidency and at

the same time adopted the resolutions already given opposing

the convention system.⁴⁷ In the house of representatives some

days later, resolutions were adopted recommending the support

of Van Buren and Johnson, favoring the convention system, and

disapproving the "efforts of the opposition party to divide the

Jackson Democratic party and thus bring the election into the

house of representatives."⁴⁸

During the year 1836 there were a number of county and

district conventions in the northern part of the state. In the

spring, through the leadership of Douglas and Brooks, the Dem-

ocrats of Morgan County were induced to hold a convention at

Jacksonville in April for the purpose of forming a county ticket.⁴⁹

 

47 See p. 68; Illinois Advocate, Dec. 23, 1835.

48Ibid, Jan. 6, and Feb. 10, 1836.

49For account of this activity in Morgan County, see Sheahan, Life

of Douglas, p. 25, et seq.

• 79
 

80        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Every precinct was represented by delegates and a ticket was

nominated. This was the first regular convention composed of

delegates duly appointed by the precincts, ever held in that

county, though there had been one in Cook County the previous

year.⁵⁰ Such unity and concentration were necessary if the

Democrats would win, particularly in Morgan County, which

was Whig. Previous to this time a half dozen or more candi-

dates in each of the parties had often run for the same office.

Douglas made a thorough canvass of the county and fought the

first fight there in behalf of regular nominations and all but

one of the Democratic candidates were elected.

At Flag Creek near Chicago a senatorial district convention

was held in July composed of delegates duly appointed from

the several precincts of Will and Cook Counties which nominated

one candidate for the state senate, three for representatives, and

recommended Wm. L. May as representative to congress from

the third district.⁵¹ The delegates from Will County then with-

drew and those of Cook nominated a county ticket and resolved

"that the county corresponding committee be empowered to

specify the number of delegates to be hereafter admitted to

represent each precinct in future conventions." A Peoria County

meeting in March nominated a candidate for the house of repre-

sentatives, chose delegates to meet with delegates from Putnam

County to nominate a candidate for the senate, chose delegates

to attend a congressional district convention at Peoria in May,

and adjourned to a later date to nominate county officers.⁵²

This year there occurred the first congressional district con-

vention in Illinois to nominate a candidate for congress.⁵³ It

met in May at Peoria in the third or northern district of the

state and there are accounts of several county meetings which

appointed delegates to it.⁵⁴ It was poorly attended but nominated

Wm. L. May for congress and he was elected. This district

 

50 See p. 76.

51 Chicago Democrat, July 20, 1836.

52 Ibid, March 30, 1836.

53Ibid, May 11, 1836; Illinois State Register and Illinois Advocate

(Vandalia), May 20, 1836.

Chicago Democrat, Jan. 27 and Feb. 24, 1836.

• 80
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.      81

 

was settled by emigrants from New York and New England,

like Douglas, who adopted the convention system more readily

than did the inhabitants of southern Illinois.⁵⁵ Even in the

northern district it was hard enough to secure its adoption and

much credit for doing so belonged to Douglas. Neither of the

other two congressional districts held conventions and although

there were two Democratic candidates for congress in each,

Democrats were elected in both districts.⁵⁶

Summing up the situation, by the end of 1836 there had been

but one congressional district convention in Illinois to nominate

a candidate for congress; there had not yet been a convention

for the nomination of a governor; the state conventions which

had been held, had made no state organization of the party; and

the organization had been extended to the precincts only in a

few counties in the northern part of the state. On the other

hand, county meetings were becoming quite familiar; the dele-

gate system was gaining recognition; conventions in representa-

tive, senatorial, and congressional districts as well as state con-

ventions had been introduced; and the ground had been broken

for the rapid advancement in party organization which occurred

in the next few years.

 

Organization in Michigan by 1836.

The early history of Democratic party organization in

Michigan is in marked contrast to that in Illinois. For several

years before Michigan territory was admitted as a state its party

organization was well developed. In 1832 and 1833, not to go

farther back, there were township meetings and committees, and

county, district, and territorial party organization and conven-

tions, to which delegates with credentials were duly appointed.⁵⁷

 

55Reynolds, History of Illinois, pp. 304 and 305.

56 Illinois State Register, Sept. 2, 15, and Oct. 7, 1836. The vote of

the state in the congressional election was practically 28,000 Democratic

and 16,000 Whig. In the presidential election it was 18.000 for Van

Buren and 15,000 for Harrison. (Illinois State Register, Dec. 2, 1836.)

57 For account of this see St. Joseph Beacon, Feb. 16, June 1 and 15,

1833.

Vol. XXIV-6.

• 81
 

82        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

The history of Michigan from 1835 to 1837 was unique.⁵⁸ It

had a state government long before its admission as a state by

congress and this admission was brought about by the Demo-

cratic party in Michigan. In January, 1835, just two years be-

fore the state was admitted, the legislative council provided for

the election of delegates to form a state constitution. This con-

stitution was adopted by the people at an election in October,

1835. In June, 1836, congress passed an act admitting Michigan

as a state, provided she would accept boundaries which gave

disputed territory to Ohio. The legislature of the territory in

July provided for the election of delegates to a convention to

consider the subject. This convention met at Ann Arbor Sep-

tember 26 and voted against admission on the terms proposed

by congress. The Whigs opposed admission because the state,

being Democratic, would aid in electing Van Buren to the

presidency but the Democrats did not awaken to the situation

till after the convention had voted against admission. This

action of the convention caused much dissatisfaction among the

Democrats and on November 14, the Democratic committee of

Wayne County issued a circular recommending the holding of

meetings in all the counties to choose delegates to another con-

vention at Ann Arbor on December 14. It was urged that

speedy action was necessary in order to secure to the new

state a share of the surplus revenue that congress was about to

distribute and also the revenue from public land sales in Michi-

gan. The Whigs held aloof but the convention was held as

proposed by the Democrats and resolved to accept the prescribed

conditions of admission and congress by a new act formally

admitted the state in Januuary, 1837. Thus a convention called

by the Democratic party brought about the admission of Mich-

igan and the anomalous government, neither territorial nor state,

gave place to that of the state.

Meanwhile party organization had been well developed.

Niles in the southwestern part of the state, and Detroit were

early active Democratic centers and the party activities in these

vicinities give an idea of the political advancement of the state.

58 T. M. Cooley, Michigan (American Commonwealths), (Boston,

1886); Silas Farmer, History of Detroit and Michigan (Detroit, 1889).

• 82
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  83

 

A meeting of Democratic Republicans at Niles in August, 1835,

approved of the organization of the Democratic party of the

territory, resolved to support the Democratic nominations made

throughout the territory with a view to state organization and

appointed delegates to a Berrien County convention.59 At this

convention, consisting of delegates from the several townships,

a committee of one from each of the townships was appointed

to examine the credentials of the members.⁶⁰ It was resolved:

"That we pledge ourselves to the Democratic party of Michigan

and to each other, that we will support the regularly nominated

candidate of this party as the only efficient means of preserving

and perfecting the powers and influence of the party; that this

convention is convinced that the principles of Democracy require

a strict adherence to conventional nominations." Two delegates

were chosen by ballot to represent the county in the convention

to be held at Ann Arbor in August to nominate state officers and

a representative to congress; two delegates were appointed to

attend a senatorial convention to be held at Schoolcraft in Sep-

tember, and a candidate was nominated to represent Berrien

County in the state legislature. The convention appointed a

central corresponding committee for the county and a committee

of three in each of the townships. The senatorial convention

at Schoolcraft was attended by eighteen delegates from seven

counties.61  It nominated three candidates to represent the

western senatorial district in the state legislature and urged upon

the district the importance of supporting the nominations made

by this and the different county conventions.

The attitude of the party toward the convention system

of nominations was again shown by a resolution of the Oak-

land County convention, that "all differences of opinion as to

candidates for office should terminate whenever a regular

nomination is announced by those authorized by the party to

make it."⁶2

59 Niles (Michigan) Gazette and Advertiser, Vol. 1, No. 1, Sept. 5,

1835.

60Ibid, Sept. 5, 1835.

61 Ibid, Sept. 5, 1835.

⁶²Detroit Daily Free Press, Oct. 1, 1835.

• 83
 

84        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

The Democratic state convention held at Ann Arbor, August

20, was quite representative and well attended. Sixteen of the

nineteen counties then organized were represented by eighty-

nine delegates chosen by county conventions "pursuant to the

recommendation of the general committee."⁶3   Stephens T.

Mason was nominated for governor and Isaac E. Crary for

representative to congress.⁶⁴ It was resolved "that the territorial

corresponding committee act in the state of Michigan until the

next state convention" and that this committee have power to

add to their number one member from each of the new counties

organized. The Democratic young men were alert and were

organizing in Michigan as elsewhere and the object and pro-

ceedings of their late general convention held at Tecumseh were

approved by the state convention.

The Democrats were particularly active in and about Detroit

at the time of the fall election in 1835, when the state constitu-

tion was submitted for ratification and state officers and a

representative to congress were elected. Democratic meetings

were often held and early in October a resolution was passed

by one of them which expressed indignation at "the attempt of

the Detroit Whigs to sow dissension among them" and stated

that they would "give their [Whig] mixed ticket the same fate

as though it partook alone of the Whig leaven."⁶⁵ Four Demo-

crats were commended for declining the Whig nomination. At

a later meeting the loss of a few who had joined the Whigs was

referred to as a great gain to the Democratic party and it was

resolved that every effort to alter the Democratic ticket should

be watched and discouraged and that every exertion be made to

prevent dividing or weakening the ticket.⁶⁶ A vigilance com-

mittee of forty-one was appointed which was directed to arrange

and divide itself into subcommittees so that part of them should

always be present at the polls on election days. The editor of

the Press gave warning to Democratic voters to examine their

 

63Niles Gazette, Sept. 12, 1835.

64 Since Michigan was entitled to but one representative in congress

prior to 1840, her congressmen were nominated by the state conventions.

65Detroit Free Press, Oct. 3, 1835.

66 Ibid, Oct. 5, 1835.

• 84
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    85

 

tickets particularly before voting.⁶⁷  Tickets with the Demo-

cratic candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and member

of congress at the head and the names of the Whig candidates

for senate and house of representatives below, were in circula-

tion.

The year 1836 was a stirring one in Michigan politics.

There were two conventions on the admission of the state, the

latter of which was a Democratic party convention and another

for the selection of Democratic presidential electors. Although

a Democratic state committee already existed, the movement

for a convention for nominating presidential electors began in

the legislature. At a meeting of the Democratic members of

the legislature, held pursuant to public notice at the Capitol in

Detroit, July 25, it was recommended that the Democratic central

corresponding committee of the state, call a convention to meet

at Ann Arbor, September 28, for the purpose of nominating

presidential electors.⁶⁸ In pursuance of this recommendation

the state committee met in Detroit, August 10, and recommended

to the county corresponding committees throughout the state that

meetings be. held in all the townships to appoint delegates to meet

in county convention, August 27, and that these conventions

"elect the same number of delegates to the state convention as

each county is entitled to members in the state house of repre-

sentatives.⁶⁹ The state committee also recommended that dele-

gates be sent to a convention to give assent to the conditions

imposed by congress for the admission of the state. Five hun-

dred copies of the proceedings of the state committee were to be

distributed among the counties of the state.

Thus two state conventions were called at Ann Arbor, one on

September 26 to vote on admission, the other on September 28

to choose presidential electors. There are accounts of a number

of township and county meetings to send delegates to them and

both conventions were duly held.⁷⁰ The convention which voted

67Detroit Free Press, Oct. 6, 1835.

68 Ibid, July 21 and 30, 1836; Niles Gazette, Aug. 10, 1836.

69Detroit Free Press, Aug. 11, 1836.

70 Ibid, Aug. 31, and Sept. 17, 1836; Niles Gazette, Aug. 31, and

Sept. 7, 1836.

• 85
 

86        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

on admission on the terms imposed by congress opposed it by a

vote of 28 to 21.71 This action aroused opposition particularly

among the Democrats and at a Democratic meeting in Detroit

October 17, a protest against it was drafted.⁷² A Wayne County

Democratic convention, October 29, resolved in favor of the

governor's calling a second state convention to assent to the

conditions of admission proposed by congress and appointed

a committee of three to correspond with other counties to promote

the same.⁷³ This was followed by a similar meeting in Washte-

naw County.⁷⁴ The governor for lack of authority declined to

call another convention but intimated that a convention originat-

ing with the people "in their primary capacity" might be suffi-

cient. A circular issued by the Democratic committee of Wayne

County, November 14, recommended the second convention and

the movement resulted in a convention, December 14, in which

practically none but Van Buren Democrats participated and

which voted assent to the conditions of admission imposed by

congress.

In writing of this second convention Judge T. M. Cooley has

rightly said:75 "A movement for another convention was there-

fore soon on foot which assumed to represent the whole people,

though in fact originating in the caucuses of the Jackson party

and representing that party almost exclusively." The delegates

convened and "with no more authority than any party caucus, as-

sumed the sovereign power of accepting the proposition of con-

gress. No pretense could be more baseless than this assump-

tion of authority by the convention. People ridiculed its meeting

and christened it the 'frost-bitten convention.'" Congress ac-

cepted the action of the convention as that of the state and on

January 26, 1837, passed the final act for admission. While this

movement for admission was for the most part a movement of

the Democratic party it caused a division in its ranks and the

71Detroit Daily Advertiser, Oct. 1 and 4, 1836; Michigan Pioneer and

Historical Collections, XI, pp. 157-159.

72Detroit Free Press, Oct. 19, 1836.

73 Ibid, Nov. 1, 1836.

74 Ibid, Nov. 15, 1836.

75 Cooley, Michigan, pp. 223 and 224.

• 86
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  87

 

formation of a State Rights wing opposed to admission on the

terms imposed, though all the Democrats supported Van Buren.⁷⁶

The organization of the Democratic young men of Michi-

gan in 1836 is illustrated by a circular issued by their state

central committee in July. This was addressed to each member

of the corresponding committee, one of whom was located in each

county of the state, and read as follows:77 "At the state con-

vention of the Democratic young men of Michigan held at

Tecumseh, August 12, 1835, you were appointed a corresponding

member of the central committee. You are therefore requested

to call a county convention of the Democratic young men in

your county and appoint one delegate for each one thousand in-

habitants to attend a state convention at such time as may be

thought most expedient. The committee would suggest that

you recommend to the several towns in your county to appoint

corresponding committees; also that a county corresponding

committee be appointed at the county convention. You will

please confer with some person on this subject in the unorganized

counties if any are attached to yours, that they may be repre-

sented in the next convention. Your views are requested with

regard to the time and place of holding the next state con-

vention."

In the presidential election of 1836, in which Michigan par-

ticipated although not yet admitted as a state, her vote was

strongly Democratic. Of the twenty-one counties which gave

returns, all but three supported Van Buren, whose majority in

the state was over three thousand and the ratio of the votes was

almost two to one.⁷⁸

 

76Detroit Daily Advertiser, Oct. 4, 1836; Detroit Free Press, Oct.

20, 1836.

77 Detroit Free Press, Aug. 25, 1836.

78 Ibid, Nov. 26, 1836.

• 87
 

CHAPTER IV.

DEVELOPMENT FROM 1837 TO 1839.

Ohio.

In this chapter it is the purpose to carry the study of the

Democratic party organization in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and

Michigan from the close of the presidential campaign in 1836

to the preparation for that of 1840. In Ohio and Indiana, as

has been shown, the Democratic party had already become well

organized and little that was new was presented in these states

in this later period. The chief thing to be noted is the further

solidifying and perfecting of that organization attained in these

states by 1836. The same is largely true of Michigan, in which

the Democratic party was quite as far advanced in organization

as in the two older states. In Illinois, on the other hand, the

situation was different and a conspicuous advancement was

made during these three years, so that by 1840 the four states

had developed similar organizations and all were well estab-

lished in the use of the delegate and convention system.

The summer of 1837 contributed but little of interest in the

Democratic party organization in Ohio. After the election of

1836 the next interesting and important political event in Ohio

was the state convention of January, 1838, for the nomination of

a governor. There was some objection to having the conven-

tion in the winter because of bad weather and roads and the

difficulties of travel but the patriotic Democratic central com-

mittee could not abandon the memorable eighth of January.1

In response to their call the editor of the Statesman, which was

then the leading Democratic paper of the state, wrote: "Let

Democrats everywhere meet, reorganize, consult, and resolve."²

Much interest was shown in preparing for the convention, but

1Ohio Statesman (Columbus), Nov. 7, 14, and 21, 1837; (See p. 53,

note 100.)

2Ibid, Nov. 21, 1837.

(88)

• 88
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    89

 

few new features appeared. The Fairfield County convention

appointed a central committee for the county "to be reported to

the state convention."³ Washington County, while appointing

delegates to the state convention, appointed a "congressional

corresponding committee for the county" to be presented for the

approval of the state convention.⁴ This reference of such ap-

pointments to the state convention for approval was unusual and

seems to have indicated a deference for that body. In Guernsey

County a meeting at Washington on January 1, 1838, added six

delegates to the number already appointed by a meeting at Cam-

bridge in the same county,⁵ although the number of delegates

from this county who reported in the state convention was only

three.⁶ The first seven resolutions on political principles adopted

by this meeting were identically the same as had been adopted by

the Franklin County meeting, December 16.7 Such copying of

resolutions was quite common in all county meetings. The editor

of the Statesman at Columbus cooperated with the Democrats

in counties which had no Democratic paper of their own by

publishing the proceedings of their meetings promptly.⁸ The

enthusiasm for the state convention is indicated by the fact that

larger numbers of delegates than usual were appointed by the

county conventions. In Franklin County, three hundred were

appointed;9 in Delaware from two hundred to four hundred;10

in Fairfield, one hundred forty-six.¹¹ These delegations were

the largest appointed. In the list of delegates reported at the

convention, there were from Franklin one hundred fifty-six,

from Delaware twenty-nine, and from Fairfield sixty-five.¹²

Seven counties were represented by one each and the total at-

tendance was six hundred fifteen from fifty-two of the seventy-

 

3Ohio Statesman, Dec. 26, 1837.

4Ibid, Jan. 2, 1838.

5Ibid, Jan. 5, 1838.

6 Ibid, Jan. 12, 1838.

7Ibid, Dec. 22, 1837.

Ibid, Jan. 9, 1838, editorial.

Ibid, Dec. 22, 1837.

10Ibid, Jan. 5, 1838.

11Ibid, Dec. 26, 1837.

12 Ibid, Jan. 12, 1838.

• 89
 

90        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

four counties then in the state. The convention nominated a

governor, appointed a state central committee to serve until the

next convention, and resolved that it would be expedient to hold

a state convention of Democratic young men at Newark on the

second Wednesday in September.

The year 1838 brought the congressional election again in

Ohio¹³ and a series of congressional district conventions. At

the same time there are the usual accounts of township, county,

and legislative district meetings but they were more numerous

and better systematized than before. The Democratic papers of

the state were active. An article in the Statesman in January

listed forty-three of them and the editor suggested that they

open a regular exchange until after the fall election.14 The

Ohio Eagle and Muskingusm  Valley at once responded to this

suggestion, sending copies to all the other Democratic papers in

the state, and inviting a general exchange in return. The sub-

scriptions to Democratic papers increased rapidly at this time.¹⁵

Resolutions in some of the county meetings favored the establish-

ment of Democratic papers. The meeting in Guernsey County

in January, already mentioned, resolved that "the establishment

of a Democratic press in this county is a measure of vital im-

portance to every true Republican in the county."¹⁶ A Union

County Democratic meeting in October resolved "that immediate

steps be taken to establish a Democratic press in this legislative

district" and a committee was appointed to confer upon this sub-

ject with the Democratic central committees of Marion and

Crawford Counties.¹⁷

The most enthusiastic event of the year in Ohio was the

meeting of the Democratic young men of the state at Newark.

This had been suggested for September by the state conven-

tion but the Democratic young men's state central committee

later issued a circular and changed the date to the seventeenth

 

13Twelve of the nineteen congressional districts elected Democratic

congressmen.

14Ohio Statesman, Jan. 16 and Feb. 2, 1838.

15Ibid, Feb. 23, 1838.

16 Ibid, Jan. 5, 1838.

17Ibid, Nov. 14, 1838.

• 90
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.   91

 

of August.l⁸ The preparations were conducted on a vast scale.

The Democrats of Pickaway County appointed two hundred

delegates.l⁹ The Franklin County meeting referred the ap-

pointment of delegates to a committee and empowered this com-

mittee to extend the number of delegates to five hundred.²⁰ The

meeting in Delaware County appointed "all the Democratic Re-

publican electors of the county under the age of thirty-eight," as

delegates.²1 A young men's central committee for the county

was appointed and it was requested to appoint in each town-

ship a young men's committee of vigilance. The county meet-

ings in preparation for the convention were either regular county

conventions or young men's meetings. The number who at-

tended the convention was estimated at from four to six thou-

sand.²² A long address and resolutions were adopted. The

Volksblatt of Cincinnati and the Vaterlandsfreund of Canton

were recommended to the German citizens as the only two Ger-

man papers of the state which advocated doctrines of true De-

mocracy. A young men's state central committee of seven was

appointed. It was resolved "that the members of this con-

vention use their endeavors to have Democratic Republican as-

sociations formed in each township, disseminating necessary po-

litical knowledge among the people, to secure unity of action

among the Democracy of the state."

 

Indiana.

In Indiana after the campaign of 1836 the Democratic party

relaxed its efforts and its organization declined. The following

year brought the congressional and gubernatorial elections again

in this state and neither awakened any organizing activity among

the Democrats. The reward of this lethargy was the loss of

every congressional district in the state, except the first, by a

popular vote of almost 2 to 1 in the aggregate in the August

 

18 Ohio Statesman, July 4, 1838.

19Ibid, Aug. 15, 1838.

20Ibid, Aug. 15, 1838.

21Ibid, Aug. 15, 1838.

22Ibid, Aug. 29, 1838, quoting Newark Constitutionalist.

• 91
 

92                 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

elections.²³     For the governorship the Democrats did not even

bring forward a candidate. Moreover there was still a decided

tendency to eliminate national politics from the state election and

the Democrats supported the different Whig candidates for gov-

ernor.²⁴ The Whig party itself was much divided on the gov-

ernorship, having several candidates for it, and it would have

been easy to elect a strong Democratic candidate had one been

presented. There is no account of nominating conventions but

in October, 1837, the Indiana Democrat proposed that county

meetings preparatory to a state convention in December, be held

to discuss and adopt resolutions on political principles.²⁵  Other

Democratic papers seconded the suggestion.²⁶  Although much

apathy was shown, the convention assembled, December 13, and

requested the party throughout the state to hold county meet-

ings for the purpose of expressing their views and of reor-

ganizing the party.²⁷  There was little response to this request.

A meeting in Clark County, January 8, 1838, thoroughly reor-

ganized the party in that county and appointed a committee to

solicit contributions for defraying the expenses of publishing

three thousand copies of its address and proceedings.²8  The

Democratic members of the legislature and others met at In-

dianapolis, February 1, and appointed a committee to report to an

adjourned meeting on the tenth a plan for the organization of the

party in the state, and although this adjourned meeting was held

and adopted a long address, nothing seems to have been done in

the way of party organization,²⁹ and few, if any, county meet-

ings were held preparatory to the August election. Following

this election a significant statement appeared in one of the lead-

ing Democratic papers of the state. Referring to the plan of

party organization recommended by the state convention of Jan-

uary 8, 1836, already presented, the writer said: "Had it been

 

23 Whig Almanac (New York), 1838.

24 Indiana Democrat, April 19, and May 31, 1837.

25 Ibid, Oct. 4, 1837.

²⁶Ibid, Oct. 25, Nov. 8, 15, and 22, 1837.

27 Western Sun, Jan. 13, 1838, quoting Indiana Democrat.

28 Western Sun, Jan. 27, 1838, quoting Indianian.

29 Western Sun, Feb. 17 and 24, 1838, quoting Indiana Democrat.

• 92
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.   93

 

adopted and acted upon by the Democrats, they would not have

been divided in opinion respecting the proper men to receive their

support, as they were at the late election."30

The next year more attention was given to party organiza-

tion. At least some of the congressional districts held regular

nominating conventions composed of delegates from the various

counties of the district, chosen by conventions of delegates ap-

pointed by township meetings.31 It was partly because of this

and partly from a reaction, perhaps, that the Democrats regained

their control of the state in the elections of 1839. Five of the

seven congressional districts elected Democratic congressmen, and

although the legislature had been Whig for several years, both

branches of it then became Democratic.³²

 

Illinois.

In Illinois the year 1837 marked further development in

Democratic party organization. At this time occurred the first

state convention which nominated a governor and for the second

time a congressional district convention was held in the third, or

northern district of the state. A nominating convention was

also recommended for the following spring in another congres-

sional district; the convention system was rapidly gaining favor

and being adopted in the legislative districts and in the counties,

and the party organization was extending to the precincts. Gen-

erally too, the Democratic editors of the state had come to

favor the convention system.³³

The movement for the state convention originated in a meet-

ing of the Democratic members of the legislature and others in

Vandalia in July.³⁴  This meeting which was nothing but a

party caucus, though it "assembled agreeably to public notice,"

effected the first party organization for the state.  It urged that

delegates be chosen from all the counties "in such manner as they

 

30 Western Sun, Oct. 6, 1838.

31 Ibid, Mar. 30, 1839.

32 Ibid, Aug. 31, 1839.

³³ Illinois State Register, June 9, 1837, editorial.

³⁴Ibid, July 21, 1837.

• 93
 

94        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

may adopt," to meet at Vandalia the second Monday of December

to nominate candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.

A central committee of fifteen, five from each congressional dis-

trict, was appointed to correspond with other committees through-

out the state. Another committee of thirty, of which Stephen

A. Douglas was one,35 was appointed to prepare an address in

the interests of the party and the convention. This address was

published later and set forth the advantages of the convention

system.36 In pursuance of this call the Democrats of Sangamon

County met in Springfield early in October and at their request

were addressed by Douglas in support of public meetings and

conventions.³⁷ Resolutions were adopted approving nomina-

tions by conventions and delegates were appointed to the state

convention. A meeting in Fayette County early in November ap-

pointed delegates to the state convention and recommended the

Democrats of the county "to hold meetings in their several

neighborhoods, at the places of electing justices and constables

and there elect delegates to meet in Vandalia with other dele-

gates from Effingham County" to form a Democratic ticket for

the next August election.38  The meeting in Pike County after

appointing delegates to the state convention and a central com-

mittee for the county, requested the Democrats of the several pre-

cincts to hold meetings and choose delegates to act in concert with

the central committee.³⁹ Many counties appointed delegates and

the convention seems to have been quite representative.⁴⁰ J. W.

Stephenson was nominated for governor.

Early in September, 1837, an editorial appeared in the

Springfield Republican⁴¹ reminding the Democrats of the third

congressional district that the time was approaching when it

would be necessary to hold a convention to nominate a candi-

date for congress; that the fall terms of the courts would be a

 

35 Sheahan, Life of Douglas, p. 35.

36 Illinois State Register, Nov. 3, 1837.

37 Ibid, Oct. 27. 1837.

38Ibid, Nov. 10, 1837.

³⁹Ibid, Dec. 8, 1837.

40Ibid, Dec. 22, 1837.

41Quoted in Illinois State Register, Sept. 8, 1837.

• 94
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.   95

good time for the people to hold their primary meetings to ap-

point delegates to it; and the third Monday of November at

Peoria was suggested for the time and place. In pursuance of

this suggestion a series of county meetings appointed delegates

to this convention. Many of these meetings appointed delegates

to both the district and the state conventions and adopted reso-

lutions in support of the convention plan for nominations. On

November 20, the convention assembled at Peoria.⁴²  Sixteen

counties, which were about half of those in the district, were

represented by forty-one delegates. A committee was appointed

to prepare and publish an address to the people of the district.

It was resolved that a corresponding committee be appointed,

consisting of one from each county of the district, with power to

call conventions at its discretion. Upon balloting for a can-

didate for congress, Stephen A. Douglas received a majority of

the votes and was nominated.

That congressional district nominating conventions were be-

coming favorably considered in the southern part of the state, is

shown by the action of county conventions in both the first and

second congressional districts. A Democratic meeting in Clin-

ton County in December, 1837, adopted resolutions approving

conventions and besides appointing delegates to the state con-

vention, recommended the voters in the first congressional dis-

trict to appoint delegates to a convention to be held at Kaskaskia

in March, 1838, to select a candidate for congress.⁴³  Again in

the second congressional district a meeting in Edgar County

in May, 1838, after appointing delegates to attend a second state

convention in Vandalia in June for the nomination of a gov-

ernor, authorized these delegates "if thought expedient," to meet

with the other delegates from that congressional district, and in

the capacity of a congressional convention, to agree upon a can-

didate for congress.44 This second gubernatorial nominating con-

vention in June, 1838, was made necessary, as Mr. Stephenson

was accused of being a public defaulter and declined to run for

 

42Account given in Peoria (Illinois) Register and Northwestern

Gazetteer, Nov. 25, 1837; Globe, Dec. 12, 1837.

⁴³Illinois State Register, Dec. 8, 1837.

44Ibid, May 25, 1838, quoting Illinois Statesman.

• 95
 

96        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

the office of governor.⁴⁵  To meet this emergency a call was

issued by the Democratic press of the state for a second con-

vention. The convention assembled June 4. Twenty counties

were represented by sixty-two delegates, the number varying

from 1 to 8 from each county.⁴⁶ Thomas Carlin was nominated

for governor.

The influence and leadership of the Democratic press was

well illustrated in this case. An editorial in the State Register

read thus:47 "In favor of the reassemblage of the convention

* * * we have now a considerable majority of the Demo-

cratic press." Seven papers were named as having expressed

themselves in favor of it. "The question is thus settled," said

the editor, "and we call upon the delegates *  *  *  to set out

at once for the convention. The first Monday in June is the day

unanimously agreed upon."   The Galena Democrat issued an

extra, May 5, in which it called upon the Democracy of Jo

Daviess County to meet in convention on the twenty-sixth and

choose delegates to the state convention, which was done. Ap-

preciation of the press was indicated by the Edgar County meet-

ing which resolved :48  "That as the success of Republican prin-

ciples depends greatly upon the intelligence of the people, we

would respectfully impress upon the minds of our friends the

importance of a general diffusion of correct political information;

and to to this end, this meeting would exhort the members of the

Democratic party throughout the country, to use their influence

to extend the circulation of Democratic newspapers."

The Democratic party in Illinois in 1838 elected Thomas

Carlin for governor by a small majority. In the first district John

Reynolds was elected to congress by the Democrats; in the second

district, Zodac Casey, who had been a Democrat, was elected by

both parties; in the third, or northern district, an exciting con-

test was waged between Stephen A. Douglas (Democrat) and

John T. Stuart (Whig) and resulted in the election of Stuart

 

45Stephenson's letter of withdrawal, published in the Galena Demo-

crat was quoted in the Alton (Illinois) Telegraph, May 23, 1838.

46 Peoria Register, June 16, 1838.

47Illinois State Register, May 25, 1838.

48Ibid, May 25, 1838, quoting Illinois Statesman.

• 96
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.   97

 

by a majority of only a few votes. It is doubtful whether he

would have been elected if the election had been contested. This

campaign reminds one of the greater campaign between Lincoln

and Douglas just twenty years later. Stuart was the only Whig

elected to congress from Illinois prior to 1840. The fact that

the northern part of the state was being settled rapidly at this

time, may help to explain this breakdown in the uniform Demo-

cratic success in congressional elections in Illinois. This incom-

ing mass overpowered for the time being the machine which

Douglas and the Democrats were building up and perfecting.

After 1840 for a number of years the northern part of the state,

except in a single district, resumed its earlier habit of electing

Democrats to congress. This meant that the Democratic party

organization was succeeding in assimilating a larger portion of

the population, not to mention the principles, personal attach-

ments, traditions, and prejudices involved in party affiliation.

Although the organizing activity of the party in 1839 in

Illinois was largely in connection with the state convention in

December for nominating presidential electors, yet there was a

general expansion and solidifying of the work. Party organiza-

tion was extending to the precincts, legislative district conven-

tions were becoming common, the committee system was en-

larged and perfected, and in general quite advanced ground was

taken beyond that of the previous year. Thus on February 25,

a Democratic meeting in the hall of representatives appointed a

state central corresponding committee of seven, a committee of

correspondence of three or less in each county and a committee

of seven to prepare an address to the people of the state.⁴⁹ Early

in the spring the "Democratic general committee" of the sen-

atorial district about Galena issued a stirring address to the

Democratic citizens of the district, urging the necessity of an

immediate organization :50 "Let the Democratic citizens of each

precinct in the district meet together and appoint corresponding

committees *   *  * and select delegates to attend a Democratic

convention to be held at some central point for the purpose of

 

49 Illinois State Register, May 10, 1839.

50 Ibid, March 22, 1839, quoting Galena Democrat, Extra.

Vol. XXIV--7.

• 97
 

98        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

adopting a perfect system of organization throughout the whole

district." In pursuance of this plan, a county meeting at Galena

in February and a precinct meeting near Galena in March ap-

pointed delegates to a district convention to be held at Dixon in

June.⁵¹ The latter meeting appointed a committee of vigilance

for the precinct.

The district convention however, was more often brought

about by a county meeting than by a senatorial committee, as

these had seldom been appointed at this time. In April, a large

Democratic meeting in Fayette County called a district conven-

tion to be held in Clay County in October, to nominate a senator

to represent Fayette, Effingham, and Clay Counties.⁵² It also re-

solved that the delegates from Fayette and Effingham Counties

at the same time and place should nominate two persons for

representatives from those counties; and after appointing dele-

gates to represent Fayette County, the meeting recommended

that primary meetings be held in the other counties to select dele-

gates to the convention. This recommendation was complied

with by the other counties and the convention was duly held,

the nominations were made, and a committee was appointed to

draft an address to the people of the senatorial district.⁵³

That the precinct was in evidence in party organization in

the spring of 1839 is again illustrated by the fact that a Dem-

ocratic meeting was held in the Ottawa precinct in April, which

was attended by "between two hundred and three hundred" for

the purpose of choosing delegates to represent the precinct in

the county convention to nominate candidates for the August

election.⁵⁴ A meeting in Lee County in May, besides appointing

a corresponding committee for the county, named a local com-

mittee in each of the six precincts of the county.⁵⁵

Michigan.

The Democratic party organization in Michigan in 1837 had

already reached the stage of development toward which it was

51 Chicago Democrat, May 1, 1839, quoting Galena Democrat.

52 Illinois State Register, Apr. 26, 1839.

53Ibid, Nov. 9, 1839.

54Chicago Democrat, May 1, 1839.

55Illinois State Register, Nov. 30, 1839.

• 98
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    99

 

struggling in Illinois. From the townships through the counties

and districts to the state, the system of committees, delegates,

and conventions was well worked out and running smoothly.

Committees of vigilance and correspondence and committees on

credentials had become quite familiar and in preparation for the

fall election, Detroit appointed a vigilance committee of nearly a

hundred.⁵⁶  The senatorial district nominating  conventions

seemed more regular and to occupy a more definite place in the

Democratic party activity in Michigan at this time than in any

other of the northwestern states.

The chief political events of the year were the election of

a governor⁵⁷ and a member of congress. The term     of Mr.

Crary in congress had expired in March and the legislature ap-

pointed a special election for August 21 and 22 to choose a suc-

cessor in time for him to attend the special session of congress

called for September.⁵⁸  The election of governor was held

later. The party was divided by a small State Rights faction

which made a separate nomination for governor but the vote

cast was so small that it need hardly be noticed. Preparatory to

these elections there were two state conventions, one for the

nomination of candidates for governor and for a member of con-

gress, and the other a convention of the Democratic young men.

The calling of the regular state convention was first sug-

gested by a Democratic caucus of the state legislature, which

was held pursuant to public notice in the hall of the house of

representatives on the twentieth of June.59 It requested the state

corresponding committee to call the convention to meet at Ann

Arbor the twentieth of July, to nominate candidates for governor,

lieutenant governor, and member of congress. It also appointed

a committee to prepare resolutions and an address to the Dem-

ocratic electors of the state. This address urged the "importance

of adopting early and efficient measures in every township and

county in the state, to insure a full and satisfactory representa-

56 Detroit Free Press, Nov. 6, 1837.

57 Michigan elected a governor every two years.

58Detroit Free Press, June 27, and Aug. 11, 1837.

59 Ibid, June 22, 1837.

• 99
 

100       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

tion" in the state convention.60 In compliance with this request,

the Democratic state corresponding committee on June 26, issued

the call for the convention.61  Some of the proceedings in one

or two of the county conventions which met to send delegates,

may be noted in passing. The convention in Livingston County,

attended by delegates from all the townships, resolved "that

three delegates from each organized township be entitled to seats

in the county convention for the nomination of county officers."⁶²

Thus equal representation was provided for the townships. In

the Wayne County convention a committee of one from each

township represented was appointed to examine credentials of

members, which was a very usual procedure.63    Besides ap-

pointing a corresponding committee for the county, the several

townships in the county were requested to appoint correspond-

ing committees. These examples illustrate the advanced meth-

ods of organization employed in county conventions in Michigan

at this time. The state convention assembled at the appointed

time and a committee of one from each county was appointed to

examine credentials.⁶⁴ One hundred four delegates were pres-

ent from twenty-four counties. Wayne County sent sixteen

delegates, Washtenaw fourteen, some only one, but the majority

of the counties sent two delegates each. Some counties in the

northern peninsula had delegates from the southern part of the

state represent them. A special committee was appointed to

examine their credentials and reported them satisfactory. After

several ballotings, Stevens T. Mason was nominated for governor

and Isaac E. Crary for congressman. A number of resolutions

were adopted and an address was to be prepared later and pub-

lished in the Democratic papers of the state. A state correspond-

ing committee of five was appointed for the ensuing year and

until their successors should be appointed, "together with an

additional member from each organized county." Twenty-five

such members were added.

⁶⁰Detroit Free Press, Aug. 11, 1837.

61 Ibid, June 27, 1837.

62Ibid, July 18, 1837.

63Ibid, July 17, 1837.

64Ibid, July 24, 1837.

• 100
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest. 101

Early in July the Democratic young men's state central

committee issued a circular calling for a state convention to be

held at Ann Arbor, July 27, and recommending that each county

send the same number of delegates as it was entitled to repre-

sentatives in the state legislature.⁶⁵ The committee also recom-

mended that, for the better organization of the party, township

and county corresponding committees be appointed in such town-

ships and counties as were without them. On July 20, a second

circular was issued postponing the date of the convention to

October 5^.66 On August 5, the committee issued another cir-

cular recommending that the number of delegates be increased

to three times the number of representatives in the legislature.⁶⁷

In preparation for this convention, township meetings appointed

delegates to county conventions which in turn appointed dele-

gates, just as in the case of the regular state convention, and

similar local committees were appointed. The young men's cor-

responding committee of Wayne County issued a circular the

latter part of July, calling upon the township corresponding

committees to forward to the secretary of the county commit-

tee the names of their members, and recommending such town-

ships as had no committees to appoint them as early as pos-

sible.⁶⁸ The Democratic young men of Detroit also organized

and had their corresponding committees.⁶⁹ The convention as-

sembled at the time and place designated.⁷⁰ Eleven counties

were represented by ninety-five delegates, of whom thirty-two

were from Washtenaw, twenty-seven from Wayne, and several

of the counties were represented by only one delegate each. A

committee was appointed to prepare an address to the young

men of Michigan. A committee of five residing in Ann Arbor,

was named as a state corresponding committee, and two from

each county were added as corresponding members. The Dem-

ocratic young men of the state were requested to hold primary

 

65Detroit Free Press, July 10, 1837.

66Ibid, July 25, 1837.

67 Ibid, Sept. 7, 1837.

68Ibid, July 26, 1837.

69Ibid, Sept. 12, 1837.

70Ibid, Oct. 10, 1837.

• 101
 

102       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

meetings in their several townships to make arrangements for

the ensuing election.

The Democratic papers of Michigan were active in combat-

ing those of the Whigs. An editorial in the Detroit Press in

July in speaking of the Whig efforts to flood the state with

papers, said that to meet these efforts it would be the duty of

the Democrats to provide for the circulation of their own pa-

pers sufficiently to counteract them, and suggested to the Dem-

ocratic county committees the propriety of attending to this in

their respective counties.⁷¹ In order to supply this greater de-

mand the editor of the Press proposed to publish a larger edition

from the first of August till after the November election. A

census of the press of Michigan in August, 1837, gave seventeen

Democratic and five Whig papers.72

The election gave majorities to the Democratic candidates

for governor and congressman,⁷³ but a Democratic meeting in

Detroit nobly resolved to use the money which would be ex-

pended in celebrating the victory, for the relief of the poor.74

A collecting committee was appointed, consisting of one from

each ward in the city, which was authorized to appoint a dis-

bursing committee.

In July, 1838, the Democratic state central committee issued

a circular to the county committees throughout the state, calling

attention to the approaching election for a member of congress,

members of the legislature, and county officers on the first Mon-

day and Tuesday of November.⁷⁵   The committee recommended

that a state convention meet at Ann Arbor, September 11, com-

posed  of four times as many       delegates  as there  were

representatives in the legislature; and that each county unor-

ganized send two delegates. One hundred seventy-five delegates

attended the state convention representing twenty-two counties.⁷⁶

71 Detroit Free Press, July 19, 1837.

72Ibid, Aug. 10, 1837.

73Ibid, Sept. 5, and Dec. 13, 1837.

74Ibid, Nov. 28, 1837.

75Niles (Michigan) Intelligencer, July 18, 1838; Detroit Free Press,

July 16, 1838.

76Niles Intelligencer, Sept. 19, 1838; Detroit Free Press, Sept. 17,

1838.

• 102
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    103

 

The ratio of representation in the different counties was about

the same as in the preceding conventions. It was resolved that

when ten members should require it, the ballotings should be by

counties, each county having the same number of votes as the

number of delegates to which it was entitled, which votes were

to be determined by the majority of its delegates present. After

nominating Isaac E. Crary as a candidate for congress, the con-

vention adopted a series of resolutions on political principles

and policy, and appointed a state central corresponding commit-

tee, consisting of one member from each of the seven senatorial

districts of the state.  It was earnestly recommended to the

Democracy of the state to perfect without delay a strong or-

ganization in the respective counties.

The Democratic young men of the state were again active

in 1838, and in the latter part of July their corresponding com-

mittee issued a circular recommending the committee of each

county to call a county convention, for the more thorough or-

ganization of the party and the election of delegates to a state

convention, to be held at Ann Arbor on the eighteenth of Sep-

tember.⁷⁷  It was recommended that the number of delegates

be four times the number of representatives in the legislature and

that each county not having a representative be entitled to three

delegates. The convention drafted an address and resolutions

and appointed a central corresponding committee of three, lo-

cated at Ann Arbor.⁷⁸ The corresponding committees of the

counties for the past year were reappointed.

The apportionment of representation in county and district

conventions, and the division of counties into representative dis-

tricts were often carefully arranged by committees. Thus in

the senatorial convention for the seventh district, a central com-

mittee for this district, consisting of three members, was ap-

pointed which was to apportion the number of delegates.⁷⁹  In

the Berrien County convention, a committee of one from each

township was appointed to apportion the number of delegates to

 

77 Detroit Free Press, Aug. 1, 1838; Niles Intelligencer, Aug. 22, 1838.

78Detroit Free Press, Sept. 25, 1838.

79Niles Intelligencer, Sept. 26, 1838; Detroit Free Press, Sept. 28,

1838.

• 103
 

104       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

represent the different townships in this convention.80  In the

Wayne County convention a committee was appointed to divide

the county into representative districts, from each of which a can-

didate was to be nominated for the legislature.⁸1 In the Lenawee

County convention a committee divided the county into districts

for sending senatorial delegates.⁸²

A few other Democratic organizing activities deserve men-

tion. A state organization called the "Democratic Society of the

State of Michigan" was formed at Detroit in August, to carry

out the principles of the party, and held occasional meetings.⁸³

The German citizens of Detroit met in October and passed reso-

lutions approving the Democratic nominations for state and

county offices.⁸⁴  About the same time French Democratic cit-

izens of Wayne County assembled and adopted a spirited ad-

dress and resolutions, and several speeches in the French language

were made to the meeting.⁸⁵ A meeting of the "adopted cit-

izens" of Detroit also passed resolutions and appointed a vigilance

committee. Democratic meetings were held in each of the wards

of Detroit, after which, by order of the several ward committees,

a meeting was held of all the Democrats in the city.⁸⁶ A vigilance

committee of thirty-two was appointed to attend the polls on the

days of election, and ten were named as challengers to be present

at the canvassing of the votes. At the elections of 1838 in Mich-

igan, as in the previous year, the Democratic ticket prevailed.⁸⁷

The year 1839 was comparatively uneventful in party or-

ganization in Michigan. In March, Detroit was reorganized into

six wards,⁸⁸ and in April, meetings in all of these sent delegates

to a Detroit Democratic convention to nominate candidates for

 

80Niles Intelligencer, Sept. 5, 1838.

81 Detroit Free Press, Sept. 3, 1838.

⁸²Ibid, Sept. 15, 1838.

83 Ibid, Aug. 21, 1838.

84Ibid, Oct. 21, 1838.

85 Ibid, Oct. 25, 1838.

86 Ibid, Oct. 31, and Nov. 5, 1838.

87 Ibid, Dec. 21, 1838.

88Farmer, History of Detroit, p. 147; Act of Michigan Legislature,

March 27, 1839.

• 104
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  105

 

city offices.⁸⁹  Printed notices in blank for calling ward meet-

ings were provided by the office of the Detroit Press.⁹⁰ In July

the chairman of the Democratic state corresponding committee

issued a call for a state convention to be held at Ann Arbor, Sep-

tember 11, for the purpose of nominating candidates to be sup-

ported for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor on

the first Monday and Tuesday of November.⁹¹  The usual series

of township and county meetings preparatory to the state con-

vention was held. One hundred forty-nine delegates attended

and the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor were

nominated by ballot.⁹² A committee of one from each of the

seven senatorial districts drafted resolutions. Three delegates

were appointed to attend the national convention at Baltimore

in May, to nominate a president and vice-president. A state cor-

responding committee was appointed, consisting of six residents

of Detroit and a resident of each of the seven senatorial dis-

tricts, thirteen in all, a majority of whom had power to call the

next state convention. This state committee on September 30,

issued a lengthy address to the Democrats of Michigan.93

From the first Wednesday of September until after the

election in November, a weekly campaign paper, The Democratic

Republican, was advertised to be issued from the office of the

Detroit Free Press by the Democratic Association of Detroit.⁹⁴

Preceding the November election a series of rally meetings was

held in Detroit. Special effort was made to gain the foreign

population and one of the meetings was addressed by several

Irishmen who endeavored to win the Irish vote.⁹⁵      But in

spite of these systematic efforts the tables were turned and the

election brought victory to the Whigs.⁹⁶

 

89Detroit Free Press, Apr. 12, 1839.

90Ibid, Apr. 4, 1839.

91Ibid, July 8, 1839; Niles Intelligencer, July 17, 1839.

92 See Detroit Free Press, Sept. 13, 1839, for account of convention.

93 Published in Detroit Free Press, Oct. 2, 1839.

94Ibid, July 15, 1839.

95 Ibid, Nov. 1, 1839.

96Ibid, Nov. 11, 1839.

• 105
 

CHAPTER V.

 

CAMPAIGN OF 1840.

Ohio.

There remain to be sketched the chief organizing activities

of the Democratic party throughout the Northwest in preparing

for and conducting the campaign of 1840. First in Ohio, In-

diana, and Illinois came the state conventions of December, 1839,

and January, 1840, for the nomination of presidential electors.

This convention was not held in Michigan until June, 1840. In

the Northwest generally the campaign was marked by more

activity than usual in the way of organization, not to mention

the great mass meetings, celebrations, and speeches. There was

not much that was new in the way of organization. The ob-

ject of the party was rather to utilize to the utmost all that

had been developed so that all the machinery previously organized

was then brought into use.

In Ohio the most interesting political organizing activity in

1839 was the preparation for the biennial state convention of

January 8, 1840. Unusual enthusiasm was shown and although

the formal call for the convention was not issued by the state

committee until early in November, a number of the counties

had anticipated it and had already appointed delegates. In the

circular which called the convention the committee said: "The

first great object to be accomplished is an organization of our

strength. To do this effectually we must have a rallying point.

* * * The committee prefer making no suggestions as to the

ratio of delegation. Each county will judge in that point and

send such number as they may prefer."¹ The county meetings

appointed delegates accordingly. The Champaign County con-

vention recommended "that as many attend the state convention

as could."² The Morgan County convention specially appointed

 

1Ohio Statesman, Nov. 6, 1839.

2Ibid, Nov. 20, 1839.

(106)

• 106
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  107

 

seventy-three "and all other Democratic citizens of this county

who may attend."³ One hundred thirty-eight were appointed

in Perry County with power to appoint any others who should

happen to be in Columbus on January 8.⁴ In Delaware County

fifty-four were chosen, "with power to add such others as they

may think proper."⁵ The Seneca County convention appointed

thirty-nine "and all other Van Buren Democrats of Seneca

County who may choose to attend the Columbus convention."6

One hundred twenty-five were appointed in Richland County,⁷

one hundred thirty-seven in Knox,⁸ and one hundred eighty-eight

in Ross County.⁹ Some county conventions appointed delegates

from the townships, others appointed them from the county as a

whole and still others combined these two methods of appoint-

ment. The general committee of arrangements for the conven-

tion met in Columbus, December 26, and appointed a finance

committee of three to collect funds to defray the expenses in-

cident to the convention, and a committee of three to procure

powder and superintend the firing of cannon.¹⁰ Nine hundred

twenty delegates attended from  seventy-two counties.11  The

attendance was so large that the convention adjourned to the

state house yard and held its deliberations in the snow. The

officers chosen for the meeting consisted of a president, twenty-

one vice-presidents, and five secretaries. Committees were ap-

pointed to draft an address and resolutions, and to select twenty-

one presidential electors who were instructed to vote for the

nominees of the coming national convention. Twenty-one dele-

gates, two senatorial and one from each of the nineteen con-

 

3Ohio Statesman, Dec. 13, 1839.

4Ibid, Jan. 8, 1840.

5 Ibid, Dec. 31, 1839.

6 Ibid, Dec. 31, 1839.

7Ibid, Dec. 24, 1839.

8Ibid, Dec. 27, 1839.

9 Ibid, Dec. 27, 1839.

10Ibid, Dec. 27, 1839. The firing of cannon was perhaps rather to

aid in the recurring celebration of the victory of New Orleans, than

to aid the convention.

For account of convention, see Ohio Statesman, Jan. 8, 9, and 10,

1840.

• 107
 

108       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

gressional districts, were selected to attend this convention at

Baltimore in May. Governor Shannon was nominated for a

second term. A state central committee of seven was appointed

to serve for two years with power to fill vacancies in the electoral

ticket. It was recommended that the Democratic young men of

Ohio hold a convention on the third Wednesday in August at

Mt. Vernon.

The organizing activity of the party in Ohio in 1840 ex-

ceeded that of any previous year. The whole population was

astir and there was probably not a township in the state which

did not have its appointed meetings for the election of delegates.

A number of Democratic associations were formed and Hickory

Clubs were reorganized or formed anew. The organization was

frequently extended to the school districts. The Irish, the Ger-

mans, and the young men all were active and contributed their

parts to organization. Political orators, too, with their elaborate

itineraries, infested the state as never before; and great mass

meetings, far overshadowing in number and size anything which

had previously been held, were characteristic of the campaign.

The following examples will illustrate a number of these

facts and show the general tendencies.  A Hamilton County

meeting in February recommended the establishment of Dem-

ocratic associations in the wards and townships which should

hold meetings for free discussion once a week and report their

proceedings to the Democratic association at Cincinnati.12 Early

in February in Butler County, was formed the "Democratic As-

sociation of Hamilton and Rossville", which recommended "the

revival of the Hickory Club [a newspaper] for disseminating

correct political information."13 The officers of the association

and the central Democratic committee of the county were to ap-

point an editorial committee to conduct the paper. The latter

part of February an active Hickory Club was formed by the

citizens of Canton14 and about the same time a similar club was

formed in Columbus which met biweekly.l⁵ The Hickory Club

12Ohio Statesman, Mar. 10, 1840.

13 Ibid, Feb. 25, 1840.

¹⁴bid, Mar. 10, 1840, quoting Stark County Democrat.

15 Ohio Statesman, Mar. 13, 1840.

• 108
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  109

in Madison County in July arranged for a public discussion on

the subject of the next presidency.16 In April the editor of the

Statesman wrote that it was something new to see the township

elections carried by party tests.¹⁷ A Clermont County meeting

in February appointed committees of vigilance in each township

and authorized them to organize the school districts by ap-

pointing subcommittees if they deemed it expedient.¹⁸ A Har-

rison County meeting selected township committees and re-

quested them to appoint a subcommittee of vigilance in each

school district.¹⁹ A committee of vigilance for each school dis-

trict was appointed in Guilford township, Medina County.²⁰ A

Democratic Irish Club was organized by the Irish citizens of

Fairfield County.²1 In May and June the Democratic Germans

of Seneca County held meetings and organized.²² A Democratic

meeting of Germans was held at Columbus, September 1, and

those present agreed to meet once a month to discuss politics.²³

A little later the Germans held a similar meeting in Fairfield

County.²⁴

Late in June the state central committee of the Democratic

young men of Ohio issued a call for the state convention in

August which had been recommended by the convention in

January.²5  The call stated that the most ample preparations

would be made for the accommodation of the thousands who

would be in attendance; that the distinguished men of the De-

mocracy of the Union had been invited and were expected to

be present at the convention; and it recommended to the younger

Democracy of Ohio that, upon this occasion, they so far depart

from an established usage as to come themselves instead of send-

ing delegates. The convention assembled at Mt. Vernon on

 

16 Ohio Statesman, July 8, 1840.

17Ibid, April 15, 1840.

18Ibid, Mar. 10, 1840.

19Ibid, Mar. 10, 1840.

20Ibid, Sept. 30, 1840.

21Ibid, Mar. 10, 1840, quoting Ohio Eagle.

22Ohio Statesman, June 3, 1840.

23Ibid, Sept. 9, 1840.

24Ibid, Sept. 30, 1840.

25 Ibid, July 8, 1840, quoting Mt. Vernon Banner.

• 109
 

110       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

August 19 and held sessions in the grove at 7 A. M., 10 A.

M., and 7 P. M.²⁶    A  committee of three from   each con-

gressional district nominated a president, nineteen vice-presidents,

and six secretaries; other committees drafted resolutions and

an address to the young men of Ohio. Addresses were made by

Col. R. M. Johnson, Governor Shannon, Senator Allen, and

others. A state central committee of nine was appointed to hold

office till their successors should be appointed. The attendance

was estimated at twenty thousand. This was the largest meeting

in the state, though a number of local meetings were notably

large. A mass meeting at Dayton was attended by from ten

thousand to fifteen thousand, and one at Mansfield by ten thou-

sand.   A   Democratic nominating convention in Clermont

County, August 15, was attended by three thousand.²⁷  As al-

ready suggested the stump speaker was in evidence in the North-

west in 1840 as never before. Long itineraries were planned

covering the territory as thoroughly as possible.²⁸  Col. R. M.

Johnson, Governor Shannon, and Senator Allen were the most

prominent Democratic speakers. Colonel Johnson also visited

Michigan and Indiana and addressed a series of Democratic

mass meetings in each of these states.²⁹

 

Indiana.

In Indiana, aside from these numerous mass meetings and

speakers, there was little that was new in the machinery of the

campaign of 1840. Early in September, as usual, the movement

began for the state convention on the eighth of January and

county meetings began to be called for the appointment of

delegates.30 The Washington County meeting at Salem, Septem-

ber 14, 1839, after passing resolutions in support of the conven-

tion system and appointing delegates to the state convention,

 

26 Account given in Ohio Statesman, Aug. 26, 1840.

27Ohio Statesman, Aug. 26, 1840; Niles' Register, Sept. 5, 1840,

quoting Cincinnati Advertiser.

28 Ohio Statesman, Aug. 5 and 19, Sept. 26 and 30, 1840.

29Ibid, Sept. 26 and 30, 1840; Western Sun, Sept. 26, 1840; Detroit

Free Press, Sept. 21, 1840.

30 Western Sun, Sept. 7 and 21, 1839.

• 110
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.      1ll

 

urged every Democrat of the county "to take, read, and circulate

some public newspaper supporting sound Democratic prin-

ciples."³¹ It was further resolved "that every Democratic Re-

publican in this county consider himself a committee of vigilance

in addition to the township committees." The Pike County

meeting resolved that "in order to sustain Democratic principles

in the first congressional district and to regain the ground we

have lost, it is indispensably necessary that we establish and

maintain a good Democratic paper in said district, and that we

patronize such paper to the utmost of our ability."³² In Green

County the method of choosing delegates to the state convention

was unique. The county meeting chose a delegate from each of

the townships and these were to meet and select from their num-

ber at least two to attend the convenion.³³

The convention was said to be attended by at least six or

seven hundred from eighty of the eighty-four counties of the

state³⁴ and was the largest thus far in Indiana.³5 Its chief ob-

ject was to nominate candidates for governor and lieutenant

governor and to select the nine candidates for presidential elec-

tors. The electors, as usual, were chosen by committees from

the respective congressional districts. The candidates for gov-

ernor and lieutenant governor were selected by a committee of

seventy-two from the senatorial districts. A state central com-

mittee of seven was appointed with power to fill vacancies in

the electoral ticket. The convention urged a generous support

of Democratic newspapers; that conventions be held by the

Democrats in every county in the state that year; that delegates

31 Western Sun, Oct. 5, 1839.

32Ibid, Nov. 23, 1839. This was in the southwestern district of the

state and was one of the two districts in Indiana which the Democrats

lost in 1839.

33 Ibid, Nov. 23, 1839.

34Madison (Indiana) Courier, Jan. 18, 1840.

35 A brief account of the convention is given in the Western Sun,

Jan. 25, 1840. See also Globe, Jan. 16 and 30, 1840; Niles Intelligencer,

Jan. 29, 1840. John Buttorf, a delegate from Charlestown, Clark County.

and a soldier of the Revolutior, being unable to attend, sent a note of

regret (published in the Sun), and enclosed a $5.00 bill to aid in defray-

ing the expenses of the convention.

• 111
 

112       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

to these be chosen in primary assemblies, and that the nominees

of these conventions be supported by the party. The nominees

of this state convention were requested to expound these prin-

ciples in every portion of the state. A long address to the

people of Indiana was prepared by a committee, the chairman

of which was Robert Dale Owen, who read the address to the

convention.36   Five thousand copies of it and the proceedings

were ordered to be printed and distributed by a committee of

three from  each congressional district.37  The convention ap-

pointed no delegates to the national nominating convention which

was to meet in Baltimore in May. To supply this omission a

Democratic meeting of "senators, representatives, and other cit-

izens of the state" was held at the capitol, February 17, and

appointed delegates from each congressional district.³⁸

The further organizing activity of the party in Indiana in

1840 needs but a word in conclusion. There are accounts of the

usual county and legislative district nominating conventions.

Knox County, about Vincennes, showed excellent organization.

Democratic associations were formed in most or all of its town-

ships with their formidable array of officers including president,

vice-presidents, recording secretary, corresponding secretary,

treasurer, committee of vigilance and elections, committee of dis-

tribution, and committee of correspondence.³⁹ These associations

held frequent meetings.  In Indiana as in Ohio the political

orator was conspicuous in the fall of 1840. In this work Col.

R. M. Johnson and Robert Dale Owen did efficient service.

Itineraries were mapped out for them by the party committees.

Johnson wrote to Hon. John W. Davis, saying that after he

reached Lafayette it would be his purpose to comply with such

arrangements as might be thought most advisable.⁴⁰ Accord-

ingly the local committees mapped his itinerary in much the

same manner as is done for campaign speakers today.41

36 Niles Intelligencer, Jan. 29, 1840.

37Madison Courier, Feb. 15, 1840.

38 Ibid, Feb. 29, 1840.

39 Accounts of the organization of these associations in Western

Sun, Aug. 29-Oct. 10, 1840.

40 Western Sun, Sept. 26, 1840.

41Ibid, Sept. 26, 1840.

• 112
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  113

 

Illinois.

In none of the other states of the Northwest did the Dem

ocratic party organization develop so rapidly in 1839-40 as in

Illinois. This was because less advancement had been made

there than in the other states, yet enough to prepare the soil

thoroughly for the most rapid growth. In the fall of 1839 the

preparations for the presidential campaign began.  The Dem-

ocratic state central corresponding committee issued a circular,

October 10, calling a state convention at Springfield the second

Monday in December, "for the purpose of adopting a more

efficient system of organization and also to nominate candidates

for presidential electors."⁴² The circular read: "You are re-

quested to immediately consult with your friends and call a

meeting in your county and appoint delegates to the proposed

convention. *  *  *  We would recommend an expression of

opinion in your resolutions upon the subjects that agitate the

country and upon the following particularly."  Six subjects

were then listed, four on national, and two on state politics,

which served as standard texts for resolutions throughout the

state. This explains the striking similarity of the resolutions

adopted by the different county meetings at this time. The cir-

cular further recommended the appointment of corresponding

committees of three for the counties, at or near the county

seats, and committees of vigilance of three in each justice's pre-

cinct, to continue as permanent committees until others should

be appointed. It requested that the proceedings of the meet-

ings be forwarded to the State Register and to local Democratic

papers for publication.

This call met with a generous response from counties

throughout the state.⁴³ Many of the county meetings effected

good county and precinct organization by appointing commit-

tees of correspondence and vigilance. A number of the pre-

paratory meetings, too, were regular county conventions, com-

posed of delegates from meetings in the precincts. The whole

process was entered into much as it had been in the older states.

 

^42Illinois State Register (Springfield), Apr. 3, 1840.

43 See Illinois State Register, Nov. and Dec., 1839.

Vol. XXIV- 8.

• 113
 

114       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

The tendency to become more systematic and regular in proced-

ure was shown in a senatorial district convention at Naperville,

November 15^.44 After fixing a definite ratio of representation

to county and district conventions, it was resolved, "that subse-

quent conventions receive no one as delegates therein, either

original or appointed to supply vacancies, unless they shall pro-

duce authentic certificates of election, or of their appointment

under some authority of the primary meeting; and in no case

shall a vacancy be filled unless by some person from the ward

or precinct vacant." It was voted that it should be the duty of

the senatorial district corresponding committee to notify the

corresponding committee of each county, and of the latter to

notify each precinct of all calls of the district convention in

future. At this time too, large mass meetings addressed by

political orators abounded in Illinois. The fall campaign pre-

paratory to that of 1840 began by a mass meeting in Springfield,

November 19, which was addressed by Lincoln and Douglas in

debate.⁴⁵

The state convention met at Springfield, December 9, and

was the largest thus far held in Illinois.⁴⁶ Two hundred forty-

three delegates attended from fifty-six counties. The number

of delegates from the different counties varied from one in many

cases, to twelve and fifteen from Sangamon and Morgan. It

was resolved, "that all regularly appointed delegates and such

substitutes for absentees as those delegates have appointed, shall

be received and considered as members of this convention."

Resolutions and an address were adopted and five presidential

electors were chosen, one from each of the three congressional

districts and two at large for the state. A state central cor-

responding committee of nine was appointed, of which Stephen

A. Douglas was chairman. A committee of five was to publish

ten thousand copies of the proceedings and address and dis-

tribute them throughout the state. To defray the expense of

this, they were authorized to receive contributions. A resolution

was adopted in favor of a young men's state convention in June.

 

44Chicago Democrat, Apr. 29, 1840.

45Sheahan, Life of Douglas, p. 41.

46 Illinois State Register, Dec. 14, 1839.

• 114
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.  115

The members pledged their influence and means to extend the

circulation of Democratic newspapers. The Democratic editors

of the state as a body were prominent in the convention.⁴⁷

The spring of 1840 brought renewed activity in all parts of

the state. An editorial in one of the leading papers of Illinois

at that time read: "The convention system is becoming popular

throughout the state. Both Democrats and Whigs are resorting

to it as the best means of concentrating party strength and the

best index of public sentiment. Thus far the regular nominees

have been considered as binding upon both parties in the selec-

tion of candidates for August next."⁴⁸  Later the same editor

wrote concerning a district convention to be held at Naperville,

urging those who were not delegates to remember that "a rigid

adherence to regular nominations constitutes the salvation of

Democratic principles."⁴⁹  Precinct meetings now became quite

common, and regular county and district conventions were held

throughout the state. To illustrate the working of the system,

as it was developing, and before committees had been appointed,

a precinct meeting in Sangamon County in February, recom-

mended a county convention in Springfield to nominate candi-

dates for the August election and elected nine delegates to this

convention.⁵⁰ This led to a call for the convention signed by

one hundred ninety-five persons and published in the leading

papers of the county.⁵¹ The call requested all the Democratic

voters of Sangamon County to meet in their respective pre-

cincts and appoint nine delegates from each to the county con-

vention to nominate candidates for county offices and the legis-

lature. The other three counties of the senatorial district were

requested to send delegates from each of their precincts to this

convention, for the purpose of nominating a candidate for the

senate. The convention met at the time appointed and although

but one precinct outside of Sangamon County was represented,

a senator was nominated.⁵²  Sangamon itself was well repre-

47Illinois State Register, Nov. 16, 1839, quoting Quincy Argus.

48 Chicago Democrat, Mar. 30, 1840.

⁴⁹Ibid, May 20, 1840.

⁵⁰Illinois State Register, Mar. 13, 1840.

51 Ibid, Mar. 27, 1840.

52 Ibid, Apr. 17, 1840.

• 115
 

116       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

sented and nominated county officers and representatives. A

senatorial district convention at Dixon, on the other hand, was

attended by delegates from seven of the ten counties of the

district.⁵3

In pursuance of the recommendation of the state conven-

tion a movement for a young men's state convention in June was

begun in the spring. Meetings in Will, LaSalle, and Cook Coun-

ties all appointed large numbers of delegates,⁵⁴ but owing partly

to the fact that June was a busy time for farmers and perhaps

still more on account of apathy, only a few counties responded.

Accordingly the state committee at Springfield issued a circular⁵⁵

on May 13, suggesting that it was inexpedient to hold the young

men's convention in June and the movement was dropped.

A Democratic meeting which casually assembled in Spring-

field early in June, recommended the Democracy throughout the

state to meet at their respective county seats on the fourth of

July for the purpose of organizing and harmonizing the party

in each county.⁵⁶ Although at least one meeting was accord-

ingly held in Sangamon County, this recommendation seems to

have had no important results.⁵⁷ Early in September a "Sang-

amon Democratic Association" was formed at Springfield which

adopted "articles of association" which were signed by one hun-

dred two names.58 One of the articles was: "Every citizen be-

lieving in the Democratic principles adopted by Thomas Jeffer-

son, the apostle of American liberty, and who will attach his

name to these articles, shall become a member of this associa-

tion." An executive committee of nine was appointed which

was requested to transmit a copy of the constitution to the

Democratic citizens in each county of the state with the request

that they organize associations as soon as possible. The associa-

tion held meetings every Saturday night. About the middle of

 

53 Chicago Democrat, Apr. 13, 1840.

54 Ibid, Mar. 23 and Apr. 29, 1840; Illinois State Register, May 8:

1840.

55 Illinois State Register, May 15, 1840.

56 Ibid, June 12, 1840.

57Ibid, June 26 and July 10, 1840.

58Ibid, Sept. 18, 1840.

• 116
 

Democratic Party Organization in the Northwest.    117

 

October, through its executive committee it issued a stirring

address to the voters of Illinois urging them all to attend the

election.59

The usual series of great mass meetings addressed by stump

speakers was held this season in Illinois as elsewhere, but one

of the most important factors in securing the success of the

Democrats at the polls in Illinois in 1840, was that of staying

the suit in the courts for the disfranchisement of aliens and

thus retaining the alien vote till after the fall election. This

result was accomplished largely through the efforts of Stephen

A. Douglas and secured about nine thousand additional votes

for the Democratic cause, and thus saved the day by a small

majority for the Democracy in Illinois.⁶⁰

 

Michigan.

In Michigan before 1840 the Democracy had already shown

perhaps, the best party organization in the Northwest and in the

campaign of this year it maintained its high standard. On the

first of February a call was issued from Detroit, signed by

fifty-four citizens from eighteen counties, for a meeting of the

Democratic citizens of the state at Detroit on February 22, "to

take the necessary measures to insure the success of the Repub-

lican party at the next general election."⁶¹ Democratic editors

of the state were requested to extend the call. This meeting of

the twenty-second urged upon the Democracy throughout the

state the necessity of holding monthly meetings.⁶²  Those pres-

ent resolved to exert themselves to the utmost of their ability,

"to produce and perfect a thorough county, town, village, and

school district political organization" and "to place information

as far as possible in the hands of every voter." A committee of

rive was appointed to promote all these objects.

On the twentieth of April the state central committee is-

sued a call for a state convention to be held at Marshall on the

twenty-fourth of June, to nominate candidates for presidential

59 Illinois State Register, Oct. 23, 1840.

60 For account of this see Sheahan, Life of Douglas, pp. 43-47.

61 Detroit Free Press, Feb. 6, 1840; Niles Intelligencer, Feb. 12, 1840.

⁶²Detroit Free Press, Feb. 24, 1840; Niles Intelligencer, Mar. 4, 1840.

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118       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

electors and a representative in congress, and directed the county

corresponding committees to take proper steps to have delegates

appointed.⁶³ One hundred four delegates from twenty-nine of

the thirty-one counties then in the state attended the conven-

tion.⁶⁴ As the national convention had left the nomination for

the vice-presidency to the states, R. M. Johnson was nominated

for reelection by this state convention and an invitation was

extended to him to visit Michigan that summer. Candidates for

presidential electors were nominated and both they and other

nominees of the party in the state generally were urgently re-

quested to deliver addresses and expound and disseminate Dem-

ocratic principles. After an interesting contest⁶⁵ a candidate for

representative in congress was nominated. A state central com-

mittee of seven residing at Detroit was appointed; also a state

corresponding committee in each of the counties of the state,

composed of three members, residing in one place. The coun-

ties, townships, and school districts which had not already done

so, were urged to effect immediate organizations and their com-

mittees were requested to circulate Kendall's Extra Globe and

other Democratic newspapers, speeches, and documents.    The

address to the people of the state prepared by the committee,

filled nineteen columns of Niles Intelligencer and was published

in four installments in this paper during September.

There were evidences here and there of solidifying and per-

fecting the party organization. The Berrien County Democratic

committee restricted to a definite apportionment the number of

delegates from the townships to the county convention.⁶⁶ The

Democratic committee of Niles township, Berrien County, had a

regular committee room where meetings were held and addresses

given each Saturday evening for many weeks.⁶⁷ A "Democratic

German Society of Michigan" was organized and held meetings

 

63Detroit Free Press, Apr. 21, 1840; Niles Intelligencer, Apr. 29, 1840.

64For account of convention see Detroit Free Press, June 29, 1840;

Niles Intelligencer, July 8, 1840.

65Detroit Daily Advertiser, June 30, 1840; Detroit Free Press, July

1, 1840.

66Niles Intelligencer, Sept. 9. 1840.

67 Ibid, Aug. 26-Oct. 7, 1840.

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Democratic Party Organisation in the Northwest.    119

 

every three months.⁶⁸  The Democratic association of Detroit

met each month and a committee provided for an address at

each meeting.69 The Democratic ward committees of this city

together formed the Democratic general committee which held

meetings semimonthly.⁷⁰

Political oratory was in demand this year in Michigan as

elsewhere. Mr. Felch, the Democratic candidate for congress,

was to address the citizens in seventeen different counties in

October.⁷¹ A political discussion was arranged to take place at

Niles between J. S. Chipman and N. L. Stout, each of whom

was to speak two hours, and another hour was given each for

rejoinder.72  Democratic newspapers too were supported. The

Democratic association of Genesee County included in its bond

of association, the obligation of its members to obtain for it a

press.⁷³  Early in May a Democratic reading room in the city

of Detroit was established by the Democratic committee of the

city, where the leading Democratic papers of the state and

county were provided.⁷⁴  An Ingham County Democratic meet-

ing appointed a committee of three in each township to obtain

subscribers for a paper advocating Democratic principles.⁷⁵ Be-

ginning on August 12, the Detroit Free Press issued an Extra

for three months as it had done for a shorter time the previous

year.⁷⁶ This was particularly for the use of Democratic county

committees for campaign purposes. An Ionia County meeting

circulated a paper for subscriptions to the Extra Free Press

and other Democratic papers for general distribution in that

county.⁷⁷

But notwithstanding all this organizing activity of the

Democracy of the Northwest, it failed to withstand the opposi-

 

68Detroit Free Press, Apr. 15, 1840.

69Ibid, Apr. 23, 1840.

⁷⁰Ibid, May 12 and Sept. 16, 1840.

71Ibid, Oct. 1, 1840, gives itinerary.

72 Niles Intelligencer, Sept. 30, 1840.

73Detroit Free Press, June 13, 1840.

74Ibid, May 14, and June 13, 1840.

75 Ibid, Feb. 22, 1840.

76Ibid, July 24, 1840.

77Ibid, June 8, 1840.

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120        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

tion arising from the Panic of 1837 and the allurements of the

"Log Cabin and hard cider." The Democracy of the Northwest

had not only learned the lesson of organization themselves; they

had unintentionally taught this lesson to their rivals so well that

with its aid and that of the above forces, the pendulum swung

back and brought victory to the Whigs. With the exception

of a small majority saved in Illinois, the Whig reactionary wave

swept everything before it in the Northwest.⁷⁸

 

78 Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan supported Harrison for president by

good majorities. In the congressional election of 1840, Ohio elected

Whigs in twelve of its nineteen districts and Michigan elected a Whig

as her only representative. In Indiana and Illinois the elections to the

twenty-seventh congress did not occur until 1841, when Whigs were

elected in six of the seven districts of Indiana, and in two of the three

districts of Illinois.

• 120