The campaign of 1848 was waged with Lewis Cass of Michigan and William O. Butler of Kentucky as the Democratic candidates for President and Vice-President. The platform of 1848 reaffirmed that of 1840 and 1844, and added new planks covering new questions. Res olution No. 19 of the platform of 1848 is given below because it reiterates the Democratic con tention in regard to the value of self-govern ment. It reads: Resolved. That in view of the recent development of this grand political truth, of the sovereignty of the people and their capacity and power for self-government, which is prostrating thrones and erecting republics on the ruins of dlespotism in the Old World, we f that sacred duty is devolved, with respon a high and possibility, upon the Democratic party of this country, as the party of the people, to sustain and advance among us constitutional liberty, equality, and fraternity, by continuing to resist all monopolies and exclusive legislation for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many, and by a vigilant and constant adherence to those principles and compromises of the Constitution, which are broad enough and strong enough to embrace and uphold the Union as it was, the Union as it is, and the Union as it shall be. in the full expansion of the energies and capacity of this great and progressive people.
The Whig candidates, however, Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore, were successful that year, having both a popular majority and a majority in the Electoral College. In the cam paign of 1852 Franklin Pierce of New Hamp shire and William R. King of Alabama were the Democratic nominees, and the platform re iterated the leading planks of 1840, 1844 and 1848.
The platform of 1852 also reiterated the prin ciples laid down in the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions and defended the Mexican War °as just and necessary?) The campaign of 1852 resulted in an overwhelming Democratic vic tory, the popular plurality being more than 200,000.
The slavery question was constantly growing in prominence, and at last exerted an influence upon every issue that arose. The position taken by the various parties in regard to the Mexican War was largely determined by the slavery views held by the members of the parties.
The Fugitive Slave laws of the various States also came up for consideration, and each elec tion showed an increase in the anti-slavery senti ment. In 1856 the Democratic platform again reaffirmed the principles set forth in 1840 and reiterated in subsequent campaigns. It quoted resolution 7 of the platform of 1840, and said: That the foregoing proposition covers, and was intended to embrace, the whole subject of slavery agitation in Con gress,• and, therefore, the Democratic party of the Union.
standing on this national platform, will abide by, and adhere to, a faithful execution of the acts known as the compromise measures settled by the Congress of 1850. " the act for reclaiming fugitives from service labor " included; which act, being designed to carry out an expressprovision of the Constitution. cannot, with thereto, be repealed, or so changed as to destroy or impair its efficiency; that the Democratic party will resist all attempts at renewing in Congress, or out of it, the agitation of the slavery question, under whatever shape or color the attempt may be made.
The Republican party took the name by which the Democratic party was originally known, and it held its first national convention in 1856, John C. Fremont and William L. ton being the nominees. James Buchanan and John C. Breckinridge were the Democratic nominees. They received a majority of 60 in the. Electoral College and a popular plurality of about 500,000. The American party, led by Millard Fillmore and Andrew J. Donclson, cured only eight electors but polled 874,000 votes. During the Buchanan administration the Dred Scott decision was rendered, and this, while it was a legal victory for the friends of slavery, resulted in an anti-slavery agitation to the advantage of the Republican party. In 1860 the conflict between the Northern and Southern Democrats became irreconcilablt, and the Charleston convention, which met 23 April, having failed to harmonize the ences, adjourned without a nomination. The Northern Democrats met at Baltimore 18 June and nominated Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois for President and Herschel V. Johnson of Georgia for Vice-President, while the Southern wing of the party met at the same place 10 days later and nominated John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky for President and Joseph Lane of Oregon for Vice-President. As the Douglas platforms adopted at that time represented the positions taken by the two wings of the party they will be found below : 1. Resolved, That we, the Democracy of the Union in convention assembled, hereby declare our affirmance of the resolutions unanimously adopted and declared as a platform of principles by the Democratic convention at Cincinnati, in the year 1856, believing that Democratic principles are unchangeable in their nature when applied to the same subject matters; and we recommend, as the only further resolutions, the following: Inasmuch as differences of opinion exist in the Demo cratic party as to the nature and extent of the powers of a Territorial legislature, and as to the powers and duties of Congress, under the Constitution of the United States, over the institution of slavery within the Territories.