Nominating conventions, National
Previous to 1816 the custom was to hold a congressional caucus, canvass the subject, and name the candidates; then the several State legislatures selected the electors, who voted for whomsoever they pleased for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency.
In May, 1812, when the congressional caucus was called, the members assembled “in their individual character,” which clearly indicates the drift of the opinion of the day. It is true, that
Madison was unanimously nominated, but the “caucus” went further, and appointed “a committee on correspondence and arrangements of one from each State, to see that the nominations were duly respected.”
In the congressional caucus of 1816,
Mr. Taylor, of New York, offered a resolution to the effect that “congressional caucus nominations for the Presidency were inexpedient and ought to be discontinued.”
This was a new move, and although the motion did not prevail, the subject once started in that manner in the caucus itself was not to be talked down.
Up to 1824 the electors were usually chosen by the several State legislatures, as has been the custom in
South Carolina, even down to a very recent date.
In the year named the Federalists had ceased to be of political importance as a party, and the Republicans were not held together by any outside pressure.
Local preferences entered into the canvass, and candidates multiplied.
Nominations were made by legislatures and by mass-meetings throughout the country.
The power of King Caucus was broken.
It is a fact that
William H. Crawford, of
Georgia, was nominated in the old style by the caucus and backed by home conventions, but
John C. Calhoun,
Andrew Jackson,
Henry Clay, and
John Quincy Adams also had home support, and entered the field, leaving
Crawford away out of sight in the race.
In 1828 local conventions multiplied, and the spirit of the movement manifested itself when (Sept. 16, 1831) the
United States Anti-masonic Convention met at
Baltimore and nominated
William Wirt for the Presidency (see
Anti-Masonic party). That was the time of the excitement in relation to the abduction of
William Morgan, and the anti-masons made the first great move.
Then the National Republican (
Adams's and
Clay's) party met as such for the first and last time at
Baltimore, Dec. 12, 1831, and
Henry Clay was nominated.
In the same city, in the spring of 1832, the Democrats held their first national convention, and nominated
Jackson and
Van Buren.
From that campaign date the national political conventions in the
United States, which have become such an important factor in our politics.
See
United States.
