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state convention merged into one； and Seward pronounced a baptismal oration upon the Republican party of New York。
In the House of Representatives which met in December； 1855； the anti…Nebraska men were divided among themselves； and the Know…Nothings held the balance of power。 No candidate for the speakership； however； was able to command a majority； and finally； after it had been agreed that a plurality would be sufficient； the contest closed； on the one hundred and thirty…third ballot； with the election of a Republican； N。 P。 Banks。 Meanwhile in the South； the Whigs were rapidly leaving the party； pausing a moment with the Know…Nothings； only to find that their inevitable resting…place； under stress of sectional feeling； was with the Democrats。
On Washington's birthday； 1856； the Know…Nothing national convention met at Philadelphia。 It promptly split upon the subject of slavery； and a portion of its membership sent word offering support to another convention which was sitting at Pittsburgh； and which had been called to form a national organization for the Republican party。 A third assembly held on this same day was composed of the newspaper editors of Illinois； and may be looked upon as the organization of the Republican party in that state。 At the dinner following this informal convention； Lincoln； who was one of the speakers； was toasted as 〃the next United States Senator。〃
Some four months afterward； in Philadelphia； the Republicans held their first national convention。 Only a few years previous its members had called themselves by various namesDemocrats； Free…Soilers； Know…Nothings； Whigs。 The old hostilities of these different groups had not yet died out。 Consequently； though Seward was far and away the most eminent member of the new party； he was not nominated for President。 That dangerous honor was bestowed upon a dashing soldier and explorer of the Rocky Mountains and the Far West； John C。 Fremont。*
*For an account of Fremont； see Stewart Edward White； 〃The Forty…Niners〃 （in 〃The Chronicles of America〃）； Chapter II。
The key to the political situation in the North； during that momentous year； was to be found in the great number of able Whigs who； seeing that their own party was lost but refusing to be sidetracked by the make…believe issue of the Know…Nothings； were now hesitating what to do。 Though the ordinary politicians among the Republicans doubtless wished to conciliate these unattached Whigs； the astuteness of the leaders was too great to allow them to succumb to that temptation。 They seem to have feared the possible effect of immediately incorporating in their ranks； while their new organization was still so plastic； the bulk of those conservative classes which were； after all； the backbone of this irreducible Whig minimum。
The Republican campaign was conducted with a degree of passion that had scarcely been equaled in America before that day。 To the well…ordered spirit of the conservative classes the tone which the Republicans assumed appeared shocking。 Boldly sectional in their language； sweeping in their denunciation of slavery； the leaders of the campaign made bitter and effective use of a number of recent events。 〃Uncle Tom's Cabin〃； published in 1852； and already immensely popular； was used as a political tract to arouse； by its gruesome picture of slavery； a hatred of slaveholders。 Returned settlers from Kansas went about the North telling horrible stories of guerrilla warfare； so colored as to throw the odium all on one side。 The scandal of the moment was the attack made by Preston Brooks on Sumner； after the latter's furious diatribe in the Senate； which was published as 〃The Crime Against Kansas〃。 With double skill the Republicans made equal capital out of the intellectual violence of the speech and the physical violence of the retort。 In addition to this； there was ready to their hands the evidence of Southern and Democratic sympathy with a filibustering attempt to conquer the republic of Nicaragua； where William Walker； an American adventurer； had recently made himself dictator。 Walker had succeeded in having his minister acknowledged by the Democratic Administration； and in obtaining the endorsement of a great Democratic meeting which was held in New York。 It looked； therefore； as if the party of political evasion had an anchor to windward； and that； in the event of their losing in Kansas； they intended to placate their Southern wing by the annexation of Nicaragua。
Here； indeed； was a stronger political tempest than Douglas； weatherwise though he was； had foreseen。 How was political evasion to brave it？ With a courage quite equal to the boldness of the Republicans； the Democrats took another tack and steered for less troubled waters。 Their convention at Cincinnati was temperate and discreet in all its expressions； and for President it nominated a Northerner； James Buchanan of Pennsylvania； a man who was wholly dissociated in the public mind from the struggle over Kansas。
The Democratic party leaders knew that they already had two strong groups of supporters。 Whatever they did； the South would have to go along with them； in its reaction against the furious sectionalism of the Republicans。 Besides the Southern support； the Democrats counted upon the aid of the professional politiciansthose men who considered politics rather as a fascinating game than as serious and difficult work based upon principle。 Upon these the Democrats could confidently rely； for they already had； in Douglas in the North and Toombs in the South； two master politicians who knew this type and its impulses intimately； because they themselves belonged to it。 But the Democrats needed the support of a third group。 If they could only win over the Northern remnant of the Whigs that was still unattached； their position would be secure。 In their efforts to obtain this additional and very necessary reinforcement； they decided to appear as temperate and restrained as possiblea well bred party which all mild and conservative men could trust。
This attitude they formulated in connection with Kansas； which at that time had two governments： one； a territorial government； set up by emigrants from the South； the other； a state government； under the constitution drawn up at Topeka by emigrants from the North。 One authorized slavery； the other prohibited slavery； and both had appealed to Washington for recognition。 It was with this quite definite issue that Congress was chiefly concerned in the spring of 1856。 During the summer Toombs introduced a bill securing to the settlers of Kansas complete freedom of action and providing for an election of delegates to a convention to draw up a state constitution which would determine whether slavery or freedom was to prevailin other words； whether Kansas was to be annexed to the South or to the North。 This bill was merely the full expression of what Douglas had aimed at in 1854 and of what was nicknamed 〃popular sovereignty〃the right of the locality to choose for itself between slave and free labor。
Two years before； such a measure would have seemed radical。 But in politics time is wonderfully elastic。 Those two years had been packed with turmoil。 Kansas had been the scene of a bloody conflict。 Regardless of which side had a majority on the ground； extremists on each side had demanded recognition for the government set up by their own party。 By contrast； Toombs's offer to let the majority rule appeared temperate。
The Republicans saw instantly that they must discredit the proposal or the ground would be cut from under them。 Though the bill passed the Senate； they were able to set it aside in the House in favor of a bill admitting Kansas as a free state with the Topeka constitution。 The Democrats thereupon accused the Republicans of not wanting peace and of wishing to keep up the war…cry 〃Bleeding Kansas〃 until election time。
That； throughout the country； the two parties continued on the lines of policy they had chosen may be seen from an illustration。 A House committee which had gone to Kansas to investigate submitted two reports； one of which； submitted by a Democratic member； told the true story of the murders committed by John Brown at Pottawatomie。 And yet； while the Republicans spread everywhere their shocking tales of murders of free…state settlers； the Democrats made practically no use of this equally shocking tale of the murder of slaveholders。 Apparently they were resolved to appear temperate and conservative to the bitter end。
And they had their reward。 Or； perhaps the fury of the Republicans had its just deserts。 From either point of view； the result was a choice of evils on the part of the reluctant Whigs； and that choice was expressed in the following words by as typical a New Englander as Rufus Choate： 〃The first duty of Whigs；〃 wrote Choate to the Maine State central committee； 〃is to unite with some organization of our countrymen to defeat and dissolve the new geographical party calling itself Republican。。。。 The question for each and every one of us is。。。by what vote can I do most to prevent the madness of the times from working its maddest act the very ecstasy of its madnessthe permanent formation and the actual triump