Editorials: Prospects of the Democracy; The Congressional Gentleman; The John Brown Inquiry (6/2/1860)

New York Times archives – Times Machine ^ | 6/2/1860

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Presidential campaign will not be fairly opened until the Democratic Party marshals its forces in fully the field. The canvass awaits the proceedings at Richmond and Baltimore. Until the Democratic candidates have been named, nothing can be done. The question of commanding interest in political circles, therefore, is what will the Democrats do?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Editorial: Prospects of the Democracy – 2
Editorial: The Congressional Gentleman – 2-3
Editorial: The John Brown Inquiry – 3
Political News – 3
A Fearful Indian Massacre – 3-4
Threatened Attack of Indians on Denver City – 4
Indian Movements on the Plains – Pursuit of the Kiowa Braves – 4
Police Reports – 4

Supplement to the New York Times

Book Review: “The Origin and Preservation of Species by Means of Natural Selection,” by Charles Darwin – 5-6
Political: The Canvas in Kentucky – 6-7
Where Shall the Seceders Go? Speech of Hon. W.L. Yancey – 7
Another Secessionist Manifesto. Letter from Hon. R. Barnwell Rhett, of South Carolina – 7

[rustbucket]

Perhaps it would be useful to post some articles from newspapers other than the New York Times. The Times, then as now, gave its own slant to the news.

Here is the Richmond enquirer of Richmond, Virginia of June 1, 1860.
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024735/1860-06-01/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=06%2F01%2F1860&index=3&rows=20&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=Democrat+Democratic+Democrats+DEMOCRATS+Douglas+RICHMOND+Richmond&proxdistance=5&date2=06%2F01%2F1860&ortext=democrat+douglas+richmond&proxtext=&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

Here is the June 1, 1860, Weekly Pioneer and Democrat of St. Paul, Minnesota Territory reporting Senator Douglas’s speech to the Senate May 15 & 16, 1860:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83016751/1860-06-01/ed-1/seq-8/#date1=06%2F01%2F1860&index=12&rows=20&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=DEMOCRAT+Democratic+Democrats+Douglas+DOUGLAS&proxdistance=5&date2=06%2F01%2F1860&ortext=democrat+douglas+richmond&proxtext=&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

Here is the Clarksville Chronicle of Clarksville Tennessee which offers another insight into the politics of the day:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88061076/1860-06-01/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=06%2F01%2F1860&sort=relevance&date2=06%2F01%2F1860&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&index=1&words=democratic+democrats+Douglas+Richmond&proxdistance=5&rows=20&ortext=democrat+douglas+richmond&proxtext=&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=2

The Jefferson Democrat of Chardon, Ohio. Here I discover that Lincoln apparently won the popular vote for Senator against Douglas in 1858, but it was the state legislature that officially decided who won (column 6). Never heard that about the 1858 Lincoln vs Douglas contest before:
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028083/1860-06-01/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=06%2F01%2F1860&sort=relevance&date2=06%2F01%2F1860&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&index=4&words=Democrat+Democratic+Democrats+DOUGLAS+Douglas+RICHMOND&proxdistance=5&rows=20&ortext=democrat+douglas+richmond&proxtext=&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=range&page=1

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Excellent. Thank you for sharing these resources. I think the defunct New York Tribune is also available in miniature pdf form somewhere on the internet. I have no plans to expand my posts beyond the Times, Harper’s Weekly and excerpts from various volumes. I have no more spare time. So posts like yours are invaluable.

[rustbucket]

I will be happy to post old newspaper links on your threads occasionally when I have the time.

Years ago I started looking at old newspapers on microfilm in university libraries. That resulted in one of my few FR threads which can be found at the following link:

Link to reactions to Lincoln's first inaugural speech

It is much easier these days to find newspapers online than it was back when I was spending hours in libraries looking at microfilm rolls of Civil War newspapers.