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IX. Dickey and Wallace Against Lovejoy in 1856 and 1858.
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CHAPTER IX. DICKEY AND WALLACE AGAINST LOVEJOY IN 1856 AND 1858. T HE year 1856 saw marked changes in political parties . Slavery was the great question that held all minds and the line that divided all parties. The Missouri Compromise bill of 1820, which admitted Missouri into the Union as a slave state with the proviso that all states formed of the territory west and northwest should be free, was thought at chat time to have quieted the slave approbation you are at liberty to show this letter to such of your friends as you see fit, especially Mr. Henning and Mr. Wheeler. "Truly yours, "]. C. CHAMPLAIN." Lovejoy was very active and aggressive in his canvass for renomination at the Congressional Convention to be held at Joliet on June 30th. A letter to Mr. Wallace from Mr. A. Wardlaw of Granville, Putnam County, on May 5th, says: "I understand that Lovejoy is busy writing letters home [82] LIFE AND LETTERS OF GENERAL W. H. L. WALLACE to his friends urging them to see to his interests. I had the reading of one and saw several others. The one I saw stated that he understood that there were efforts being made in the district to defeat him in the convention by calling mass meetings and making it inconvenient for his friends to attend, and saying they ought to have meetings in the different towns and send delegates to attend the convention at Joliet." A letter to Judge Dickey from C. H. Moore of Clinton, DeWitt· County, on June 5th, speaking in the same strain, says: "I saw a letter from Lovejoy yesterday complaining of the course taken, that the primary meetings were called too soon. He wanted them delayed until he could get home and see the people. Our delegates to Joliet are Jno. Warren , C. P. Ford, L. Welden and C. H. Moore. I am the most of a Lovejoy man amongst them. There is no possible contingency that I can conceive of in which the delegation from this county will vote for Lovejoy in the convention. Our choice is Judge Davis. Our delegation will do its best for him. If it is impossible to nominate him, we will do the next best thing to defeat Lovejoy. As against any man north of the Illinois river, Mr. Wallace, I think, can rely upon this county. I suppose there will be but three candidates , Mr. Wallace, Davis and Lovejoy-Swett, I have not heard spoken of." From Pontiac, Livingston County, Mr. Wallace received a letter in the same strain from Josh Whitmore, a lawyer there, on June 5th: "We are thrashed out completely. You never saw Abolitionists flock out so in your life. Lovejoy has sent confidential letters stereotyped to every Abolitionist in the county and probably in the district. I saw one day before yesterday , an appeal to the Sympathizers and Abolitionists; everyone of them turned out to the rescue. I am not only mad, but tired of this Nigger Worshipping. If Lovejoy is [83] [34.229.50.161] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 10:59 GMT) LIFE AND LETTERS OF GENERAL W. H. L. WALLACE to be the nominee, I am ready to vote for a Douglas Democrat . I have seen some gentlemen from DeWitt, Vermillion and Champaign Counties who say Lovejoy will carryall of them certain. Davis is going to have all he can attend to to carry McLean County. I speak advisedly, I think. I shall be in Joliet on the 30th at all events, and in the event that Davis comes in strongly posted you will get the Livingston delegates, but not if there is any chance for Lovejoy." Mr. Wallace received a letter from Judge Davis a couple of days later telling of affairs in McLean County: "BLOOMINGTON, June 7, 1858. "DEAR WALLACE :-Hill Lamon is just starting to Joliet and Ottawa, to inform you of result and causes of it for our failure, and I can write but a word. I knew ten days ago that the result was inevitable. My friends, however, thought otherwise. The Mass Convention was unfortunate and the weather and roads conspired to defeat us. The main argument used for Lovejoy was that he was entitled to a second nomination. Again they harped greatly upon the fact that I did not vote for Lovejoy. "The Abolition element is successful here and very proscriptive . They are entirely in the ascendency. The delegates from here are more abolitionized than any you will...