The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 73, July 1969 - April, 1970 Page: 25
605 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Whig Party of Texas in Elections of 1848 and 1852
In spite of these problems, the Whigs worked hard for Scott and
Graham. Campaign organizations were established and special meet-
ings were held in widespread areas including Bexar, Travis, Wash-
ington, Cass, and Fayette counties as well as in previously stronger
Whig localities such as Galveston, Houston, Marshall, Clarksville, and
Paris."3 As the election approached, the Democrats felt forced to in-
crease their political activity for Franklin Pierce and to step up their
attack on Scott as a friend of antislavery. The Washington Lone Star
printed lists of abolitionists who supported Scott with lists of southern
Whigs who opposed him while the Marshall Texas Republican ap-
pealed even more bluntly: "Will our state rights Whigs in this county
have it said abroad that old Harrison voted for Gen. Scott-the candi-
date of Seward . . .?" The Democrats even used Ashe on the cam-
paign trail where he declared that Scott was "inimical" to the
interests of the South."'
The Whigs often attempted to fight back with the charge that
Pierce had as many antislavery friends as did Scott. For example, a
Galveston Whig meeting posed the issue of the contest as follows:
"Shall Scott and Whig principles prevail, or Pierce, modern democ-
racy, secession and abolitionism." The Galveston News, an independ-
ent paper, complained that both sides claimed to be national and
patriotic while at the same time, addressing themselves to voters of the
section on a sectional basis."
The election results demonstrated a lack of interest on the part of
Texas voters. The state's free population had increased by more than
38,000 since 1848, but the Whigs gained only 75 votes over their
previous total. The Democratic vote increased by 3,214, but the per-
centage of the vote received by the Whigs decreased by only 5 percent
from 31 to 26 percent of the total. Their support was spread more
evenly over the state than in 1848, but they failed to carry a single
county and suffered noticeable losses in areas of former strength like
Cameron, Harris, Galveston, Harrison, Red River, and Lamar coun-
"San Antonio Western Texian, October 7, 1852; Austin Southwestern American, July
21, 1852; Marshall Texas Republican, August 14, September 1o, October 2, 1852; Gal-
teston Journal, September 17, October 1, 5, 29, 1852 San Antonio Ledger, September 23,
October 28, 1852.
37Washington Lone Star, October 23, 3o, 1852; Marshall Texas Republican, October 3o,
1852; San Antonio Western Texian, October 28, 1852; Clarksville Northern Standard,
October 23, 1852; Galveston News, October 26, 1852-
"Galveston Journal, August 6, October 22, 1852; Austin Texas State Gazette, August
28, 1852; Galveston News, August 17, October 26, 1852; Marshall Texas Republican,
August 28, 1852.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 73, July 1969 - April, 1970, periodical, 1970; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117147/m1/41/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.