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Show - - Birney's Birneys ' Liberty Party Parfy Pa rfy , Formed in Ri 1840Was 1840 , Was Twice Defeated but It Raisedan Raised anIssue an anIssue anIssue Issue That Triumphed Twenty Years Later . By ELMO SCOTT WATSOK WATSON WATSONReleased WATSONtgoleased WATSOKReleased Released tgoleased ( ( by Western Newspaper Union ) ) / NNE hundred-years hundred years hundred 'Years Years ' - ago agothe agothe ago\ ago agothe \ ONE ) the United Umted States wasengaged wasengaged was s- s sengaged - engaged in its most mostuproarious mostuproarious mostuproarious uproarious Presidential con- con contest contest con contest - - test It has come down in m his history hIS- hIS hIStory history - - tory as theI the I ' ' Log Cabin Hard HardCIder HardCider HardCider CIder " campaign of 1840 , , In InwhIch inwhich inwhich whIch emotion almost com corn completely cornpletely cornpletety pletely replaced reason , , is- is issues is 15 issues . - sues were totally ignored and anda anda a tired bred old man , who was lIt- lIt lIttie little lit little - - tle tie fitted for the office of ofPresident ofPresident PresIdent , was swept into the theWlute theWhite theWhite Wlute White House on a tide of ofslogans ofslogans ofslogans slogans and songs When itended It Itended itended ended , the country learned learnedthat learnedthat learnedthat that the "singing singing "smgIng smgIng " WhIgs Whigs"roaring Whigsroaring " roarmg roaring out to the tune time of of"The of"The of"The ofThe "The The " Little Pig's Pigs ' Tail Tall , " tlus this tlussong thissong thissong thissongWhat song , songWhat What has caused this great com corn commotIon cornmotion cornmotion motIon motion motion motionOur motIonOur motionOur Our country through throughTIt ? It is the ball a rolling onFor onFor on onFor For Tippecanoe and Tyier Tyler too tooAnd tooAnd tooAnd And with them theme well \\e e ue \ 11 ll beat littleVan littleVanVan lIttle lIttleVan littleVan Van VanVan VanVan Van Van ) is s a used up man manwere manwere manwere were true prophets For ForPresIdent ForPresident ForPresident PresIdent Martin Martm Van Burenpeeking Buren , , seekIng re election as theDemocratJ.c theDemocratic the DemocratJ.c DemocratJc Democratic . candIdate , was indeed a "used used " up man " He Hehad Hhad Hehad had captured only 60 elector elector- electoral electoral electoral - al votes to 234 for Gen WII Wil WII11am Wilham Wilham 11am ham Henry Harnson Harrison , Old OldTIppecanoe OldTippecanoe OldTippecanoe TIppecanoe " Almost forgotten in m an the mIdst mIdstof midstof midstof of aU all this huriy hurly burly because he hehad hehad hehad had failed to win WID a single smgle elec electoral electoral electoral toral only7 vote and had musteredonly mustered only 7059 7 059 popular votes ( compared to toHarrISOn toHarrison toHarrison HarrISOn s 1 275 017 and Van Bur Buren Buren Buren en s 1 1128 128 702) 702 ) was another can candidate candidate _ dId didate ate for President Yet he wa was wasa wasa : a significant sIgru.ficant sIgruficant . figure in m AmerIcan AmerIcanhIStory Americanhistory Americahistory ] hIStory because he stood for a aprmCIple aprinciple iprinciple prmCIple principle which would provide the themost theroost themost most important issue lSsue in Amencan Amerl Amen Amerlcan Amencan can politics during durmg the next two twodecades twodecades twodecades decades result eventually in m the thegreatest thegreatest thegreatest greatest civil cavil " , war ar in history and andlie andt lie > e one of the cornerstones cornerctones ; m in thefoundation the thefoundatIon thefoundation foundatIon of a new political par party party party ty tyhICh countryfor which \\hICh hICh \ \ would rule this country countryfor for 56 of the next 72 years HIS HISname Hisname Hisname name was James Gillespie Blr Bar Blrney Barney Birney ney and he was the candidate of ofthe ofthe oithe the Liberty party , , organized on onAprIl onApril onApril AprIl 1 1840BIrney 1840Birney 1840 1840Birney Birney was born at DanVIIle Danville DanVIIleKy DanvilleKy DanvilleKy Ky , on February 4 1792 the theson theson theson son of one of ot the richest men m in mthe inthe inthe the Bluegrass state At the age ageof ageof ageof of 11 he was sent to Transylvarua Transylvama Transylvaruacollege Transylvamacollege Transylvaniacollege college at Lexmgton Lexington and after finishmg fin finlShIng finishing lShIng ishing there studied at the Col College College College lege of New Jersey now Prmce Prince Prmceton Princeton Princeton ton university umverslty where he was wasgraduated wasgraduated wasgraduated graduated in 1810 After studymg studying studyinglap studymglaV studying1ayv laV 1ayv } for three years under Alex Alexander Alexander Alexantler - ander antler J Dallas he was admItted admittedto to the bar and returned to his hishome hishome hishome home in Kentucky to practice IE1814 In 1814 he became a member of the thetown thetown thetown town council and two years later lateralthough lateralthough lateralthough although he was barely the con constItutional constitutional constitutional stItutional age for membershIp membershipwas . was elected to the lower house of ofthe ofthe olthe the Kentucky assembly assemblyBirney assemblyBarney Birney Barney s people were slavehold slaveholders slaveholders slaveholders ers but disapproved of the msti msh into mshtutIon intotution _ tution of slavery slavery slav slavery ery and wen were werewl111ng willing wl111ng to toemancIpate toemancipate t , ' , < * fL l ( yl l " emancipat emancIpate emancIpatetheir ( , their Negroe Negroes Negroeslf Negroey Negroe1f s : y it lf 1f Kentucky Kentuckycould Kentuckycould Kentuckycould could be made madea madi- madi madia mada mad e > ; - a free state stateTherefore stateL l Therefore iwas it itwas i iwas t * was only nat natural natural natural ural that the theyoung th thyoung thiyoung e ' young leglsla legisla leglslator legislator legisiator tor earlyhis early uhis m in mhIs i hIs term m In ol of offlce offace _ _ _ flee flce face should shoul shouldMartm shoulMarten shouliMartin d Martm Marten Martmlead Martenlead ksd lead the move moveVan moveVan movsVanBuren ; Van Buren Inent ment merit to P"vent Pvent pre- pre prevent prevent " - ; . - vent the gover nor entermgmto govelnor governor of Kentucky from entermg enterin enterininto enterminto g mto into correspondence with the gov \ go\emors go emors governors ernors tmake of neighboring nelghbormg states to tomake t tmake o make an arrangement for the cap ) ture caiture capture and return of runaway slave slaves slavesMoves slavesMoves : to Alah Alahaa " . . , , . madehim Evidently Birney s action achon made hIm hImunpopular unpopular with the voters In hIs inhis district distract for he did not run for movedto the forthe legislature again agam butmoved but moved , to andhad Huntsville Ala in m 1818and 1818 and had shapingthe a prominent promment part in shapmg shaping \ the ' Alabama constitution under which Ala bama He"as Hewas came mto Into the Union Umon He nas "as as was " a member of the state s first leglSlature legislature firstleglSlature firstlegislature laa laal.t -l-.t l.t l .t t - - . . o oJ but ' " -J J - wrecked ' ' hIs po polItIcal htical lItIcal career in m 1819 by Opposmg opposing opposingthe the legislature s indorsement mdorsement of f ofAndrew o : Andrew Jackson for PresIdent PresidentHaving PresIdentHavmg BIrneywas Barneywas Havmg Having run into mto debt Birne BIrney Barney ; was forced torced to return to the prac ; bce tice practice pracbce of law and was soon elected elecleiby electedby by the legislature as solicitor of t > ofthe othe the Fifth FIttb Alabama district He Hinext Henext next disposed dlSposed of hia ius his plantatio plantation plantationand ; hwas hewas and slaves to a friend fnend who he , was confident would treat them hitune hlStune histune kIndly thenkindly themkIndly By devotmg devoting all aU aUof allof of hlS his tune and energy to his law prac ; bce praiface pracbce practic tic he was soon prosperous prosperouagain prosperousagam prosperousagain agam again agamWhIle againWhile prosperouagainWhile While serving servmg as fcthe forthe attorney for it the Cherokee Indians who occu u pled pied occipied occupled occupied Alabama the northeastern part of Ala Al a ; Uhumanitarian thehumamtarIan thehumanitarian bama he began the first of the humamtarIan humanitarian whicwere whichwere enterprises which : were to characterize his who whol whole e , r r2 rr ' / r r ate/ ate ated d 'C C ' . . t , , \ Y ' \ s sCVtfW 2L l le /CVtfW CVtfW / v e v ? A 4 4career ut . career He helped the Chero Cherokees Cherokees Cherokees kees adopt a more civilized way wayof wayof wa ; of life We and paid the expenses of ofmany o omany omany f many of the Indian girls who en entered entered entered tered the Huntsville Female sem semmary semmary semmary mary to get an education To ToaId Toaid Taid ( aId the movement to coloniz colonIze colonIzeemancIpated colonizeemancipated colonizemancipated < emancipated slaves in m Africa Birney BIr Bar BIrney Barney ney raised funds for the Amen Amencan Amencan Amencan can Colonization society and he healso healso halso ( also used his IllS influence mfluence to secure securethe securethe secunthe the passage of an act by the Alabama Ala Alabama Alabama bama legislature forbidding the theImportatIon theimportation thimportation ( ImportatIon of sla slat slaves . es into mto that thatstate thatstate tha state I In 1830 Birney Barney organized a colonization col colomzahon colonization omzahon onization society m In Huntsville and andacted andacted ancacted acted as its treasurer for several severalyears severayears severalyears years Meanwhile MeanvvhIle he was busy busywIth busywith busswith wIth plans for uniting unItmg m in one party par party party ty all aU men both Northern and andSouthern andSouthern andSouthern Southern who were m in favor of ofpreventmg ofpreventing ofpreventing preventmg preventing the extension e'CtenslOn eCtenslOn ' of slav slavery slavery ery Finding Fmdmg that there was littie lIt lIttIe littie tIe support for such an idea m in mthe inthe mthe the South he decided to move to toa toa toa I a free state but his has appomtment appointment appointmentas appomtmentas as agent of the theColonization theAmerIcan theAmerican AmerIcan AmerIcanColomzatIon AmericanColonization Colonization ColomzatIon so- so sa- sa sacIety society sojciety - - jciety cIety kept hIm hImm himin himm m in HuntsVIllefor Huntsville lle llefor ( for nearly twoyears twoyears two v jyears years \jThen jThen longerjThen longerThen longer \ . Then he resIgned re , ? . % .signed signed . sIgned andbought and bought a farmadJoInIng farmadjoining farm padjoining adJoInIng nearJt hISfather his / /Jt Jt Jti JtDanville i father s near nearDanvIlle / Danville Ky Kydeclar Kydeclanng r Ij Ij.y .y y . declar declaring ng thatthat th that a t tthat r l lr r that state was wasthe wasthe the Balethe best in wasJohn theUnion the theJohn John P Hale Bale HaleUnion Union Umon for taking tahmg a stand agaInst agaInstslavery againstslavery againstslaveryIn againstslavery slavery slaveryIn In December 1832 he helped helpedpromote helpedpromote helpedpromote promote a convention convenhon in m LexIng LexIngton Lexington Lexington ton to form a society for the thegradual thegradual thegradual gradual emancipation of theslaves the theslaves theslaves slaves But he learned to his lies sor sorrow sorrow sorrow theI I row that his hlS old Kentucky friends friendswere friendswere friendswere were turning turnmg against him and andonly andonly andonly only nine nlIle persons attended his has hISconvention hasconvention convention Undiscouraged by bythIS bythis b-this b this - thIS fact Bimey Birney Barney next organIZed organizedsociety a asociety asociety society to attempt the emanclpa emancipa emanclpatIon emancipation emanclpation tIon of the children of slaves slaveswhen slaveswhen when they reached the age of 21 21He 21He He Becomes an AbolItIorost Abolitionist AbolitionistBarney AbolitionistBirney BIrney Barney s efforts to extend themembershIp the th thmembership e membership of this society resuited re resulted resalted sulted salted in m his has making makmg a thorough thoroug thoroughstudy thorougstudy thoroughstudy h study of the whole problem of ofslavery o oslavery oslavery f slavery and he reached the conelusion conclusaon con conelusion elusion clusaon that its immediate aboil aboll aboli abolltlon abolition tion tlon would be less harmful to theslave th thslave the e slave states than the gradualemancIpahon graduaemancipation gradual gradua I emancipation emancIpahon which he had for formerly formerly merly favored To set an exam exampIe exampie pie he gave free papers tosax to bis hIS hISSIX six sax former slaves who had re remamed remanned remained mamed manned with W1th him hum and worked foi for forwages fo fowages r | wages He also resigned his has connectIon con connection nection with the colonization SOCI mci SOCIety mciety ety and became an out and-ou and ou and-out out and-our our andoutabolItIOnIst andourabolitionist - - - ) abolitionist During the next few years Bir Bar Birney BIrney Barney I ney devoted his has time to the anh anti anhslavery antislavery slavery cause and traveled aboutthe about abou t ' the country making makmg speeches foi tor torIt fo r it In 1835 he made the pnnclpa princlpa prmclpal prmclpaladdress princlpaaddress 1 address at the meeting meetmg of the theAmerican th ( S SAmerican American Anti-Slavery Anti Slavery Antislavery - - socIety socIetyand soci societ ty ; , and laid down the rules for the theabolItIorusts th e ( , abolitionists abolItIorusts to observe in carryIng carrying carry ing on their work Next he an announced a anounced nounced his has intention of retunung returninto retununt returnin g , to retunungto to Danvlll Tlanvlln , "nc1 nc1 nn " , netahleinn . "t"hln thln " " , , } , ? , . . , . , n , abolItIomst abolitionist newspaper the PhI PhIlanthroplst P Planthropist lanthropist lanthroplst But when he arrIved arrIvedm arrive arrivein d m in his native state he found hImself himelf him nisi selfregarded elfregarded s self elf regardedas regarded as a renegade and andthe an anthe d the persecutions persecuhons of his rus has neighbor neIghbors neIghborsand neighborand s ; and andofficIals officials forced him fum hum to mow move mov e moveto movto to Cincinnati CmcmnatI where he promIsedto alto promIsed promise al ! to keep up his agitation agams agaInst agaInstslavery again at atslavery t slavery until it was destroyedThe destroyed destroyedThe CIncInnatIwarned The mayor of CIncInnatI Cincinna Cmcinna Cmcinnawarned ti ) ; warned him fum that the authorties city author ! i ; ties could not promise to protec protect prote ct protechim protecthIm protehum him hum if he mtentIon rotetion persisted in his has mten rote n tion slaverypaper slaverpaper of publishing PUblIshmg an anti slavery slaver y paper m in a city just across the t triver he g Kert Kentucky Ketucky river from the slave state of Ker Ken Ke n tucky Despite this thlS warning warnmg Blr Ba r Biie Blrney Baney ney issued the first number of the ti e thn thePh tiPhilanthropist Ph Philanthropist anthropist and Immediately immediate ] ! y discovered that the mayor s mayorn mayorwarning swarmng warning warmng had not been an ldle id le one For the menstarted pro slavery me men m mstarted en started a campaign of persecu persee u tion taon against agamst him ham until finally a mob amob finallymob formed to destroy his prop pro p : ? property perty erty and tar and feather hIm Instead Istead mm In I n : stead of fleeing Birney bold boldfaced bOldly ly : faced the mob and made such a astIrrmg astirring stirring stIrrmg plea for the prInciple of I principleh offreedom freedom of the press and free Ire e freile freedom Iree , dom dam of ot speech that the mi mob m ob was dissuaded from its purpose In |