Stars and Bars: Part two
Starts and Bars part two
The second party system would see the Democratic and Cotton Whig parties as the major political forces, with the Populist and Temperance parties as relevant third parties.
After George Randolph was elected to the presidency, he was given more political capital than Jefferson Davis ever had, with 19/22 senate seats and 73/87 house seats. He’d take advantage of this overwhelming supermajority often, and would finish the work Jefferson Davis started. One of his major accomplishments was establishing a gold standard-backed currency. This was crucial in combatting the inflation that had started during the war, and also helped him gain support from conservatives. Whig Senator George Davis and Party figurehead Alexander Stephens would argue for a Confederate national bank, a proposal popular with their party. Still, this would easily fail in Congress, proving the Whig’s lack of control in the nation. They would hope to change this in 1869.
The 1869 elections would prove them right. Cotton Whigs would flip 2 senate seats, 7 house seats, and Alabama and Tennessee’s governors mansions. They would also win Tennessee’s state legislature and Atlanta’s mayoral election, along with many other smaller victories and mayoral races. While Democrats would still hold strong supermajorities in both houses, this would still be concerning for the party. Unlike the state’s rights party, the Whigs seemed to gain support in the South. They made the most inroads with economic conservatives and voters who made over $6,000 annually. This would be a trend that would continue in 1871, where the Whigs picked up even more congressional seats(3 house seats and 2 senate seats) along with North Carolina’s gubernatorial race.
These gains would show trouble for the Democrats, as nearly 1/3 of Congress was now made up of Cotton Whigs. Randolph’s final four years be spent rapidly finishing what his party was desiring. The Confederate National Guard and Border Patrol was established in 1870, intending to defend the nation and let the nation prosper without fear of northern invasion. He would also dedicate effort into developing the Western territories won from the Union, which were New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Sequoyah. Another major issue was the nearby war in Cuba. Cuba was a territory that the South had long wanted to annex, and now that the North was out of the picture, the path to taking it was more open. That being said, many across the nation were very reluctant about entering a new war after just recently leaving conflict with the North. They also would have to confront the strong abolitionist sentiment in Cuba, a major factor in the war. Searching for a compromise, Randolph sent diplomatic aid and limited resources to Spain, while agreeing not to enter the war.
The 1873 presidential election was a concern for the Democratic Party, and an opportunity for the Cotton Whigs. The First Whig Convention would be held in Montgomery, where former vice president and Whig figurehead Alexander Stephens would be nominated near unanimously. He would run on a platform of economic conservatism, nativist sentiment during a time of rising immigration, and isolationist policy regarding Cuba. The Democratic convention would feature several candidates including; State Secretary, General, and former Union Vice President John C. Breckinridge, incumbent vice president George Trenholm, and even former general G.T. Beauregard. After nearly 20 ballots had passed, Breckinridge narrowly defeated Beauregard for the nomination. The Democratic platform focused on diplomatic aid to Spain, expansion into the West, and overall maintaining the popular status quo. With both figures being popular with the general public, the race began in a dead heat with a narrow Democratic advantage. As Democratic surrogates toured the nation, including Jefferson Davis and G.T. Beauregard, Breckinridge would continue to build more support. Although the Whigs would have surrogates of their own, mainly Senator George Davis and Governor Thomas Watts, none would have nearly as much sway or popularity as Democrats backing Breckinridge. In the end, John C. Breckinridge/John Johnston beat the Whig ticket with about 55% of the vote, carrying 8 of 11 states.
The 1873 congressional elections would show minimal change,
John Breckinridge would mostly stand by his campaign promises, of keeping the status quo that Davis and Randolph had set. He would encourage gradually shrinking the national government to lower the national debt, and encourage immigrants to come to the Western territories. These policies would have particularly high resistance from Whigs, who used Know-Nothing rhetoric against immigrants. The economy of the South was generally good, and the 1875 midterms would reflect that. The Democrats would win one Louisiana senate seat and 2 house seats, while Alexander Stephens would narrowly win Georgia’s gubernatorial race.
The next two years would be ugly ones for the Cuban rebels. As their war progressed, and as Confederate supplies and diplomatic aid helped the Spanish, the Empire seemed more and more likely to win the war. Then, in 1876, the rebels would be forced to surrender and let the Spanish win. This event would give the Confederacy its strongest ally in the Spanish Empire, a major boost for Breckinridge’s popularity. This was overall a turning point in the second party system as shortly afterwards, the Whig and Democratic parties would decline in popularity, and voter turnout would decrease. These two events, along with another, would set the groundwork for another major political force to enter…..