In November, 1850, a meeting was called at Manchester, New Hampshire, designed to pledge the Democracy of the State to the Union and Constitution.

In a speech made here General Pierce gave expression to these views:

"Let them be met by argument; let the discussion come, and he that is defeated must go to the wall and yield the question. That is the way to manage such matters in a free country. There must be no breaking up of the Government in case of defeat. If we are precipitated into a war by fanaticism we can not conquer. Both sections of the country may be immolated. Neither could come out of the contest short of ruin.

"The men then in the hall who had abandoned themselves to the infatuation of disunion sentiments would probably live to regret and repent their present course.

"When the Compromise was first proposed in Congress, he had no doubt that the Union would go down unless the measures recommended were carried. The defeat of the first attempt overwhelmed him with apprehension, understanding that the Compromise was intended to give to the South a sense of greater security for one of their rights than they felt they had for some time possessed. Who did not deplore slavery? But what sound-thinking mind regarded that as the only evil which could rest upon the land? The men who would dissolve the Union did not hate or deplore slavery more than he did; but even with it, we had lived in peace, prosperity, and security, from the foundation of our institutions to the present time. If the Constitution provided for the return of fugitives slaves, it should be done. That was what he wanted to do; that was what our fathers' agreed we should do; and that was what the friends of the Union established by them wanted to do."

The Democratic Convention for nominating candidates for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency met at noon on Tuesday, June 1, 1852, in the great hall of the Maryland Institute, Baltimore. Benj. F. Hallett, chairman of the party National Executive Committee, made a short address, and called the meeting to order. On the motion of Jesse D. Bright, of Indiana, Romulus M. Saunders, of North Carolina, was chosen temporary chairman. Mr. Saunders had figured in the convention of 1844, securing the nomination of Mr. Polk. Saunders made a short speech, when the business of one of the most stormy conventions ever held by the Democratic party was begun. Committees on Permanent Organization and Credentials were appointed, consisting of one member from each State. After a short interval the Committee on Organization made a report, with John W. Davis, of Indiana, as president of the convention. The two-thirds rule was adopted with little debate, by a vote of two hundred and eighty-three to thirteen. At seven o'clock the convention adjourned until Wednesday, the following day.

At ten o'clock, June 2d, the convention again assembled. The morning session and a great part of the day were occupied in wrangling over the admission of delegates and measures of the platform, several resolutions being introduced as to the Fugitive Slave Law and the Compromise Measures of 1850.

At five o'clock the convention again met, and the evening was taken up with a spirited debate on a resolution offered by Mr. Nabors, of Mississippi, as

to the formation of a platform before proceeding to the nominations. This is the resolution :

"Resolved, That this convention will not go into a nomination for President or Vice-President until the platform of the party is laid down."

This proposition was laid on the table by a small majority, and soon afterwards, in great confusion, the convention adjourned to wrangle over the steps already taken, cast up the prospects of the hour, count the chances of the favorites in the race, and prepare for the still more uncertain and boisterous work of the following day.

At half-past nine on Thursday the convention was again called to order. After some wrangling over the report of the Committee on Credentials, Cave Johnson moved that the balloting for candidates should begin. All the States had delegates in the convention but South Carolina. James M. Commander claimed to have been duly authorized to represent that State, but the convention decided to leave out South Carolina. Eight ballots were finally taken, with General Cass in the lead, his highest vote, however, not exceeding one hundred and eighteen, the next highest vote being ninety-five for James Buchanan. Next in order came S. A. Douglas, William L. Marcy, Joseph Lane, Sam Houston, of Texas, and a few votes were cast for Hunter, of Virginia, Henry Dodge, of Wisconsin, William R. King, Daniel S. Dickinson, William O. Butler, and John B. Weller, of California. After a short recess the

seventeenth and last ballot for the day was taken,

At a quarter past nine on Friday morning the convention again met, and took nine more ballots, with little change in the results, Buchanan, however, leading by a few votes, the highest number cast for him being one hundred and three; one hundred and ninety-two being two-thirds of the two hundred and eighty-eight delegates, without South Carolina. Seven more ballots were taken in the evening session, with no material change, Cass now leading, and Buchanan and Douglas standing next in order.

On Saturday morning, at twenty minutes past nine, the convention again met. Thirty-three ballots had now been taken. On the thirty-fifth ballot Virginia cast her fifteen votes for Franklin Pierce. This act created great excitement, as this was the first appearance of this candidate. On the next ballot thirty votes were given for Pierce. In the next nine ballots he had twenty-nine votes each time. In the forty-sixth ballot he had forty-four votes, in the next forty-nine, and the next fifty-five, and in the forty-ninth and last ballot he received two hundred and eighty-two votes, the other six being cast for

Cass, Douglas, and Butler. The convention then adjourned.

At the evening session a Northern delegate said that section would now take any live man the South would mention as Vice-President. The first ballot, however, showed quite an array of names, William R. King receiving one hundred and twenty-six votes, and standing at the head of the list. Other candidates were Gideon J. Pillow, David R. Atchison, Thomas J. Rusk, Jefferson Davis, William O. Butler, Robert Strange, S. W. Downs, John B. Weller, and Howell Cobb.

On the next ballot Mr. King received two hundred and seventy-seven votes, far above the number required for the nomination, Illinois casting her eleven votes for Jefferson Davis.

Both nominations were made unanimous. The platform was then read and adopted, the next nominating convention appointed to meet in Cincinnati, and the convention adjourned sine die.

This nomination greatly surprised the country, many of the Democrats thinking at the outset that the Whigs would have an easy walk to victory. William R. King was well-known, but who was Franklin Pierce? At the time of the nomination General Pierce was at the Tremont House, in Boston, but soon after the reception of the unexpected news quietly withdrew to the "Brattle House," Cambridge, his whereabouts being known only to a few "friends." Pierce was regarded as the find of the South, and so Virginia and North Carolina claimed.