1868 Democratic National Convention

The 1868 Democratic National Convention was held at Tammany Hall in New York City between July 4, and July 9, 1868. The first Democratic convention after the conclusion of the American Civil War, the convention was notable for the return of Democratic Party politicians from the southern states.

1868 Democratic National Convention

1868 presidential election
Nominees Seymour and Blair
Convention
Date(s)	July 4–9, 1868
City	New York, New York
Venue	Tammany Hall
Candidates
Presidential nominee	Horatio Seymour of New York
Vice-presidential nominee	Francis P. Blair, Jr. of Missouri
Results (president)	Seymour (NY): 317 (100%)
Results (vice president)	Blair (MO): 317 (100%)
‹ 1864 · 1872 ›

The convention was held at the new Tammany Hall building on East 14th Street in Manhattan, New York City, which replaced the organization's earlier headquarters.^[1] For the convention, the hall was elaborately decorated.^[2]

Horatio Seymour, the former governor of New York, served as the permanent chairman of the convention. Each state delegation had a vice president and secretary to the convention.^[3]

Henry L. Palmer of Wisconsin served as the convention's temporary chairman, after the convention voted on the opening day to appoint him after he was nominated by Democratic National Committee Chairman August Belmont.^[2]

On July 4, 1868, coinciding with the first day of the Democratic National Convention, the Soldiers and Sailors National Convention was held at the Cooper Institute, also in New York City.^[4] On July 6, a committee from that convention was granted privilege to address the Democratic National Convention.^[3]

On July 6, an address from the Woman's Suffrage Association was presented and read before the convention.^[3]

During the convention, many delegates utilized the catch phrase, "this is a white man's country, let white men rule".^[5]

Presidential candidates

The front-runner in the early balloting was George H. Pendleton, who led on the first 15 ballots, followed in varying order by incumbent president Andrew Johnson, Winfield Scott Hancock, Sanford Church, Asa Packer, Joel Parker, James E. English, James Rood Doolittle, and Thomas A. Hendricks. The unpopular Johnson, having narrowly survived impeachment, won 65 votes on the first ballot, less than one-third of the total necessary for nomination, and thus lost his bid for election as president in his own right.

Meanwhile, the convention chairman Horatio Seymour, former governor of New York, received 9 votes on the fourth ballot from the state of North Carolina. This unexpected move caused "loud and enthusiastic cheering," but Seymour refused, saying,

I must not be nominated by this Convention, as I could not accept the nomination if tendered. My own inclination prompted me to decline at the outset; my honor compels me to do so now. It is impossible, consistently with my position, to allow my name to be mentioned in this Convention against my protest. The clerk will proceed with the call.^[6]

After numerous indecisive ballots, the names of John T. Hoffman, Francis P. Blair, and Stephen Johnson Field were placed in nomination. This raised the number of names placed into nomination to thirteen. None of these new candidates, however, gained much traction.

For twenty-one ballots, the opposing candidates battled it out: the East battling the West for control, the conservatives battling the radicals. The two leading candidates were determined that the other should not receive the nomination; because of the two-thirds rule of the convention, a compromise candidate was needed. Seymour still hoped it would be Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, but on the twenty-second ballot, the chairman of the Ohio delegation announced, "at the unanimous request and demand of the delegation I place Horatio Seymour in nomination with twenty-one votes-against his inclination, but no longer against his honor."

Seymour had to wait for the rousing cheers to die down before he could address the delegates and decline.

I have no terms in which to tell of my regret that my name has been brought before this convention. God knows that my life and all that I value most in life I would give for the good of my country, which I believe to be identified with that of the Democratic party...

"Take the nomination, then!" cried someone from the floor.

...but when I said that I could not be a candidate, I meant it! I could not receive the nomination without placing not only myself but the Democratic party in a false position. God bless you for your kindness to me, but your candidate I cannot be.^[6][7]

Seymour left the platform to cool off and rest. No sooner had he left the hall than the Ohio chairman cried that his delegation would not accept Seymour's declination; Utah's chairman rose to say that Seymour was the man they had to have. While Seymour was waiting in the vestibule, the convention nominated him unanimously.

In 1868, the States of Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana were readmitted to the Union. Nebraska had been admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867. Texas, Mississippi and Virginia had not yet been readmitted to the Union.

• 1st Ballot
  (Johnson's Peak)

• 8th Ballot
  (Pendleton's Peak)

• 18th Ballot
  (Hancock's Peak)

• 22nd Ballot
  Before Shifts
  (Hendricks' Peak)

• 22nd Ballot
  After Shifts
  (Seymour Nominated)

Vice Presidential candidate

Withdrawn candidates

Declined

Exhausted, the delegates unanimously nominated General Francis Preston Blair, Jr. for vice-president on the first ballot after the names of Augustus C. Dodge and Thomas Ewing, Jr. were withdrawn from consideration. Blair's nomination reflected a desire to balance the ticket east and west as well as north and south.^[8]

Blair had worked hard to acquire the Democratic nomination and accepted second place on the ticket, finding himself in controversy.^[9] Blair had gained attention by an inflammatory letter addressed to Colonel James O. Broadhead, dated a few days before the convention met. In his letter, Blair wrote that the "real and only issue in this contest was the overthrow of Reconstruction, as the radical Republicans had forced it in the South."^[10]

• 1st Vice-Presidential Ballot

• History of the United States Democratic Party
• List of Democratic National Conventions
• U.S. presidential nomination convention
• 1868 Republican National Convention
• 1868 United States presidential election

• Coleman, Charles Hubert. The election of 1868 : the Democratic effort to regain control (1933) online

Primary sources

• Chester, Edward W A guide to political platforms (1977) pp 86–89 online
• Official proceedings of the National Democratic convention, held at New York, July 4-9, 1868

• Democratic Party Platform of 1868 at The American Presidency Project