Prologue to Conflict by Hamilton Holman;Holt Michael F.;

Author:Hamilton, Holman;Holt, Michael F.; [Holt, F. Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Published: 2021-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

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AN ANALYSIS of the July 31 reckoning shows that only five Whigs joined Clay in opposing Pearce’s critical anti-Dawson move, while sixteen Democrats “followed” Clay’s “lead” in this regard. When the Yulee motion eliminated the Texas sections, Clay and ten other Whigs went down to defeat alongside seventeen Democrats. On the California question, only six Whigs voted with Clay, who drew three-fourths of his support from Democrats and Free Soilers. Eight of the nine men aligned with Clay all three times were Democrats. Thus, individually as well as collectively, Democratic senators at this stage of events were far more consistently procompromise than were Whigs.

Puzzling was Clay’s absence when the 28-25 defeat was meted out to Pearce as he tried to restore the Bradbury measure. Whigs then accounted for 10, and Democrats for 15, of the total Pearce vote. The fact that 13 nay votes were of Whig origin also sheds light on the situation. Here Pearce was making a valiant effort to influence the direction of affairs, not as a sectional extremist but in the spirit of border-state adjustment. Four border-state Whigs rallied to his banner. Yet, even though Clay answered eight later roll calls, for the time being he disappeared. More understandable was his absence when the Utah measure came up. Clay’s vote then was not needed. Only three Democrats, thirteen Whigs, and the two Free Soilers were ranged against the twenty-four Democrats and eight Whigs supporting engrossment. Indeed, the Democrats were so united that they could almost have carried the bill unaided.

For scholars inclined to equate the circumstances exclusively with sectionalism, a study of other statistics should prove illuminating. If Pearce’s motion to eliminate Dawson’s amendment, Yulee’s to do away with all consideration of Texas, and Atchison’s to drop California statehood may be regarded as fair criteria, these figures are relevant: (1) nineteen Northerners and fourteen Southerners were for the 33-22 Pearce Amendment, and eight Northerners and fourteen Southerners were against it; (2) sixteen Northerners and thirteen Southerners favored the Yulee motion, which twelve Northerners and sixteen Southerners opposed; (3) ten Northerners and twenty-four Southerners struck out the California sections, with twenty Northerners and five Southerners desiring retention. Now, breaking down the totals into sectional-partisan categories (the abbreviations “ND,” “NW,” “NFS,” “SD,”and “SW” representing northern Democrats, northern Whigs, northern Free Soilers, southern Democrats, and southern Whigs respectively), we find the following:

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