CHAPTER VIII.

The Bloomington Convention-Organization of the Republican partyPlatform of the Convention-Delegate to the Philadelphia Convention-Freemont and Dayton-Platform adopted-Affair with Major Harris.

As I have before stated, the Kansas-Nebraska bill, which passed congress in May, 1854, declared the Missouri Compromise of 1850, by which slavery was restricted on the north of the line of 36° 30" inoperative and void, by reason of its alleged inconsistency with the compromise measures of 1850, and established instead the principle of popular sovereignty; that is, "that congress should not legislate slavery into any territory or state, or exclude it therefrom, but leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the constitution of the United States."

This came upon the country like a "clap of thunder from a clear sky." The Democratic party still maintained its organization. Mr. Douglas was aware of the effect which such a measure might be expected to produce upon the country.

Under such circumstances, the general assembly convened on the first Monday in January, 1855, and the election of senator was fixed for the 8th of February following.

Mr. Lincoln was the choice of a large majority of the anti-Nebraska members for senator, while General James Shields received the caucas nomination of the Nebraska Democrats. Ten ballots were had in the joint session, and Lincoln received, on the first ballot, 45 votes; Shields, 41; Lyman Trumbull, 5. In the six following ballots, Lincoln fell off 36 votes; Trumbull increased to 10, and Shields received 42 votes. It now becoming ap

parent that the choice must fall upon either Trumbull or Matteson (who had taken the place of Shields on the balloting, and received the whole Nebraska vote), Lincoln came into the hall of representatives, where the balloting was held, and urged his Whig friends to vote for Trumbull, and on the final ballot Trumbull received 51 votes, and Matteson 47, and 1 for Archibald Williams, cast by Louis H. Waters, who afterwards commanded the 84th Illinois Regiment. The five anti-Nebraska Democrats were Messrs. Cook, of La Salle, Judd, of Cook, and Palmer, of the senate; Allen and Baker, both of Madison county, of the house.

"In order to reconcile seemingly conflicting but actually congenial elements in the election of 1856, a convention was called to meet at Decatur, February 22, 1856. This convention was composed of Paul Selby, of the Jacksonville Journal; Wm. J. Storey, Decatur Chronicle; V. Y. Ralston, Quincy Whig; Charles H. Ray, Chicago Tribune; O. P. Wharton, Rock Island Advertiser; E. C. Dougherty, Rockford Register; Thos. J. Prickett, Peoria Republican; Geo. Schneider, Staats Zeitung, Chicago; Charles Faxton, Princeton Post; A. U. Ford, Lacon Gazette; and B. F. Shaw, Dixon Telegraph."

This committee appointed a central committee, consisting of James C. Conkling, Springfield; Asahel Gridley, Bloomington; Burton C. Cook, Ottowa; Charles H. Ray and N. B. Judd, of Chicago, which was authorized to call a convention, which was held at Bloomington, May 29, 1856, called the Anti-Slavery Extension Convention.

I was made permanent president of the convention, assisted by a number of vice-presidents. The platform adopted embraced the following planks: "1. Opposition to the Democratic administration of Mr. Buchanan. 2. That congress possessed the power to abolish slavery in the territories, and should exercise that power to prevent the extension of slavery into territories heretofore

free. 3. Opposition to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and in favor of making Kansas and Nebraska free states. 4. In favor of the Union and the constitution. 5. In favor of the immediate admission of Kansas as a free state under the constitution adopted by her people. 6. In favor of liberty of conscience as well as political freedom, proscribing no one on account of religious opinions or in consequence of place of birth."

Moses says, Illinois, Vol. 2, p. 599: "It was a famous gathering, and marked the commencement of a new era in the politics of the state. All those who subsequently became leaders of the Republican party were thereWhigs, Democrats, Know-Nothings and Abolitionists. Those who had all their lives been opposing and fighting each other found themselves harmoniously sitting side by side, consulting and shouting their enthusiastic and unanimous accord. Among these were Lincoln, Palmer, Browning, Wentworth, Yates, Lovejoy, Oglesby and Koerner.

The nominees of the convention were William H. Bissell, for governor; Francis A. Hoffman, lieutenant-governor, both of whom were Democrats; Ozias M. Hatch, secretary of state, and Jesse K. DuBois, auditor, and James Miller, for treasurer (all Whigs), and Wm. H. Powell, superintendent of public instruction, a Democrat. Again quoting from Moses, p. 600:

"It was a body in which ideas predominated, to the exclusion of personal prejudices, and the absorbing interest of the convention centered upon the discussion of the political principles embraced in the platform. Eloquent speeches were made by all the prominent delegatesPalmer, from a Democratic standpoint; Browning, from the outlook of an old Whig; and Lovejoy, from a pinnacle which others had not been able hitherto to climb. These were all able, earnest efforts, aroused by wild enthusiasm, but it was left for Abraham Lincoln, in the final address, in what was the greatest forensic effort of