1860 Political Platforms - Surprise Voters Today

Newspaper depiicting Republicans as Monkey-Like Negros.

1860 Poster- The Democratic Party is often called "the party of Jefferson," while the modern Republican Party is often called "the party of Lincoln."

Democratic Platform of 1840

1840 — This platform generally follows in the radical liberal tradition of Jefferson. One glaring instance in the seventh clause, the Democrat party presents a confused—and, needless to say, disgusting—defense of slavery. 

#7 - Resolved, That Congress has no power under the constitution, to interfere with or control the domestic institutions of the several states; and that such states are the sole and proper judges of everything pertaining to their own affairs, not prohibited by the constitution; that all efforts, by Abolitionists or others, made to induce Congress to interfere with questions of slavery, or to take incipient steps in relation thereto, are calculated to lead to the most alarming and dangerous consequences, and that all such efforts have an inevitable tendency to diminish the happiness of the people, and endanger the stability and permanency of the Union, and ought not to be countenanced by any friend to our political institutions.

During the 1850s, different views about slavery's expansion and its place in America's future fueled suspicion and bitterness between northerners and southerners. Southerners, however, hardly distinguished between the different antislavery and racial views of the Republicans and abolitionists. The Democratic Party managed to remain intact throughout that decade, but slavery acted like a solvent to weaken its bonds. Increasingly, its powerful, predominantly southern wing was at odds with a smaller, northern contingent.

By the election of 1860 profound divisions existed among Americans over the future course of their country, and especially over the South's "peculiar institution," slavery. The Republicans viewed slavery as an aggressive institution, whose leaders, in alliance with sympathetic northerners, were conspiring to spread this cancer throughout the nation.

Republican Platform of 1860  

1860 - At the Republican National Convention, Abraham Lincoln became the Presidential nominee. The Republican platform specifically pledged not to extend slavery.  Many debates have been waged over the decades about tempers in the South being inflamed by Abraham Lincoln’s anti-slavery stance. Others have argued that Abraham Lincoln had never declared any personal intention to end or constrain slavery. When you consider that the Republican Candidate was the person most able to enact the principals of that party’s platform, the anti-slavery direction laid down in this platform was most certainly supported by Abraham Lincoln, the candidate.

#7 - That the new dogma, that the Constitution, of its own force, carries Slavery into any or all of the Territories of the United States, is a dangerous political heresy, at variance with the explicit provisions of that instrument itself, with contemporaneous exposition, and with legislative and judicial precedent; is revolutionary in its tendency, and subversive of the peace and harmony of the country.

#8 - That the normal condition of all the territory of the United States is that of freedom; That as our Republican fathers, when they had abolished Slavery in all our national territory, ordained that "no person should be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law," it becomes our duty, by legislation, whenever such legislation is necessary, to maintain this provision of the Constitution against all attempts to violate it; and we deny the authority of Congress, of a territorial legislature, or of any individuals, to give legal existence to Slavery in any Territory of the United States.

#9 - That we brand the recent re-opening of the African slave - trade, under the cover of our national flag, aided by perversions of judicial power, as a crime against humanity and a burning shame to our country and age; and we call upon Congress to take prompt and efficient measures for the total and final suppression of that execrable traffic.

 The Presidential Election of 1860

The presidential election of 1860 culminated more than a decade of increasing sectional conflict between the North and South, and, simultaneously, precipitated a new crisis that ultimately severed the Union.

The election of the Republican party's candidate, Abraham Lincoln on November 6, 1860, began a chain of events that included the secession of seven deep South states, the establishment of the Confederate States of America at Montgomery, Alabama, and the assumption of authority over federal property, such as customhouses and forts.

The Confederacy's attempt to extend its sovereignty over forts that remained in Union hands, notably Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor and Fort Pickens at Pensacola, Florida, placed the rival governments on a collision course. These events transpired in the approximately 120 days between Lincoln's election in early November and his inauguration on March 4, 1861.  Civil War hostilities began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces fired upon Fort Sumter, a key fort held by Union troops in South Carolina. On January 1, 1863 Lincoln then issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which made ending slavery a war goal.

On March 4, 1865 Lincoln takes oath of office as president for a second term. On April 15, 1865 Lincoln is assassinated ending presidential term.

The Presidential Election of 2016

It is hard to look forward to 2016 without looking back to 1860, one hundred and fifty years ago. The political parties were held in quite different regards by black voters from the inception of our country's beginnings. The Republican Party diligently championed civil rights and freedom for the slaves for decades on through to the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln.   

It wasn't until into the mid-twentieth century, the 1930s, as Franklin D. Roosevelt took office that his progressive political agenda was timely and ripe to turn the poor disenfranchised people in a Depression era towards liberal Federal dependency in order to win over a voting constituency to further the left-wing social agenda.

FDR's oversized Federal programs razzle-dazzled and overwhelmed these struggling masses with largess intruding into all areas of their lives like the FHA housing loans, social security retirement programs, Federal Bank programs - FDIC Insurance & Federal Reserve guarantees, Tennessee Valley Authority hydro electric power dam, WPA - Works Progress Administration public works programs. 

Social welfare programs were then really kicking into high gear as more blacks and minorities signed up as life became less of a chore to work while picking up a welfare check--the new class of voters was born. However, jobs are not just about getting checks, but a way to build self-esteem. Sounds really tired and trite, but to better oneself by graduating with a high school diploma, learning new skills at a trade school, entering an on-the-job training program for advancement or obtaining a college degree are all excellent career builders. Jobs build self-reliance into everyone for them to succeed without government handouts--this must be the conservative politician's message in 2016 or we, as a nation, will fail on liberal policies. 

FDR told those folks that rich people would all have higher taxes to pay it back and little paid by other taxpayers. Since 1930, after nearly ninety years of "kicking the can the road", those bills have finally come home to roost in 2013. FDR's "New Deal" Era set the stage for so much more government spending from both parties going forward that it has now ballooned up into a monstrous national debt of $222 Trillion dollars.

 2016 Poster - Both Parties are "the parties of Ponzi"