Tag Archives: abolition

for what it’s worth

Posted on December 18, 2015 by SUMPTER

As has been well-documented, William H. Seward did not think the United States Constitution was the most important law in the country. Especially in the context of determining whether slavery should be eradicated, he believed there was “a higher law … Continue reading →

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“We must accept our own ideas”

Posted on September 26, 2015 by SUMPTER

No man is fit to be an American statesman who is afraid of American ideas. Liberty is the boon of every man, and it carries with it civil rights and citizenship…. We must accept our own ideas. I believe in … Continue reading →

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“Is this Democratic?”

Posted on September 25, 2015 by SUMPTER

150 years ago today Daniel Sickles wrote a letter to Hugh Judson Kilpatrick criticizing the New Jersey Democrat 1865 platform (see last section of the linked post). Moreover, New Jersey Democrats were even lagging behind South Carolina: The party in … Continue reading →

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the right executive’s in the mansion

Posted on May 5, 2015 by SUMPTER

The Democrat Reveille found some kind words to write about Abraham Lincoln after his death. It seems that Southerners and Northern Democrats appreciated President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and the lenient terms of surrender offered Southern armies. Here a presumably … Continue reading →

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certain drafts and taxes

Posted on September 15, 2014 by SUMPTER

Some Democratic campaign rhetoric painted a picture of endless drafts and high taxes if President Lincoln was re-elected. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in September 1864: Not The Last Draft. It may not be uninteresting as a subject … Continue reading →

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attracting a crowd

Posted on September 11, 2014 by SUMPTER

fireworks by the bay 150 years ago this week politics was a major topic out in the Far West. The September 9, 1864 issue of San Francisco’s Daily Alta California featured side by side coverage of a couple political rallies … Continue reading →

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armistice

Posted on July 29, 2014 by SUMPTER

A Democrat editorial thought the war was too costly to continue it just for the purpose of abolishing slavery and believed peace negotiations should be the main issue in the 1864 elections. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in … Continue reading →

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