After the split of the Democratic Party in 1848 over the slavery question, a large part of the Barnburner faction, who had joined the Free Soil Party, returned to the Democratic Party and re-united with the Hunkers. During the following years, the Hunkers split over the question of reconciliation with the Barnburners. The Hards were against it, denying the Barnburners to gain influence in the Party. The Softs favored reconciliation with the intention of maintaining enough strength to win the elections. Both Hards and Softs favored a compromise on the slavery question: to maintain the status quo and to leave the decision to the local population in new Territories or States if they want slavery or not, as expressed in the Kansas–Nebraska Act. The Barnburners were against the permission of slavery in new Territories or States, but were now the minority in the party.
Nominations
The Free Democratic, or Independent Democratic, Party was the radical anti-slavery faction of the disbanding Free Soil Party, which advocated the immediate abolition of slavery. Their State convention was held on August 31 in Syracuse.[1]
The Democratic state convention met in September in Syracuse. Two chairmen, one Hard and one Soft, were elected who sat one beside the other and commenced proceedings ignoring each other. After some ensuing confusion, the Hards moved out, convened elsewhere, and nominated a state ticket. The Softs and Barnburners nominated their own ticket. Only the nominees for the two judgeships of the Court of Appeals were nominated jointly by Hards and Softs.[2]
The Whig state convention met on October 5 in Syracuse. Benjamin F. Bruce was Temporary Chairman until the choice of Ex-Governor Washington Hunt to preside over the convention. James M. Cook was nominated for Comptroller on the first ballot (vote: Cook 88, Spaulding 29, Josiah B. Williams 8). Elias W. Leavenworth was nominated for Secretary of State on the first ballot (vote: Leavenworth 82, Samuel J. Wilkin 41, Spaulding 3). Elbridge G. Spaulding was nominated for Treasurer on the first ballot (vote: Spaulding 82, Jeremiah Ellsworth 19, Epenetus Crosby 11, Myron H. Clark 10). Ogden Hoffman was nominated for Attorney General on the third ballot (first ballot: Daniel Ullmann 49, Hoffman 45, Roscoe Conkling 27, J. M. Van Cott 4, Thompson 3; second ballot: Hoffman 56, Ullmann 54, Conkling 16, blank 1; third ballot: Hoffman 74, Ullmann 48, Conkling 5, blank 1). Cornelius Gardinier was nominated for Canal Commissioner on the second ballot (first ballot: Gardinier 30, David S. Wright 28, Ebenezer Blakely 19, Samuel P. Russell 16, Thomas Clowes 13, Ogden N. Chapin 13; second ballot: Gardinier 75, Blakely 19, Wright 18, Russell 5, Clowes 3, Chapin 1, Peabody 1, blank 1). Thomas Kirkpatrick was nominated for Inspector of State Prisons on the third ballot (first ballot: Kirkpatrick 22, Henry Underwood 21, Josiah T. Everest 14, Norwood Bowne 13, Alexander H. Wells 9, A. F. Crocker 9, Henry Bradley 9, Abner Baker 7, Benjamin Squire 7, William Lyons 6, Epenetus Crosby 5, Joseph Garling House 5; second ballot: Kirkpatrick 55, Underwood 45, Bowne 17, Everest 11; third ballot: Kirkpatrick 70, Underwood 60). John T. Clark was nominated for State Engineer by acclamation. Benjamin F. Harwood was nominated for Clerk of the Court of Appeals on the first ballot (vote: Harwood 62, E. P. Cole 22, A. T. McCarty 10, J. T. Lamport 8, P. Smith 5, Robinson 2). George Wood was nominated for a full term as Judge of the Court of Appeals on the second vote (88 ayes, 20 noes) after William Rockwell had been rejected in the first vote. Joseph Mullin was nominated for the short term by acclamation.[3]
Results
Due to the split of the Democratic Party, almost the whole Whig ticket was elected. Only the jointly nominated Democratic judges of the Court of Appeals, Ruggles and Denio, were elected. The incumbent Ruggles was re-elected, the incumbent Mather was defeated.
23 Whigs, 7 Hards and 2 Softs were elected to a two-year term (1854–55) in the New York State Senate.
78 Whigs, 24 Hards, 24 Softs and 2 Free Democrats were elected for the session of 1854 to the New York State Assembly.
1853 1853 Liverpool Town Council election Preston strike of 1853–1854 Pattern 1853 Enfield Argentine Constitution of 1853 1853–54 Boston mayoral election 1853 Massachusetts legislature 1853 in the United States 1853 in sports William Betham (1779–1853) 1853–54 Massachusetts gubernatorial election Argo (1853 ship) 1853 in Iran Cincinnati riot of 1853 Charles Heywood (1803–1853) Mahmud Pasha (1853–1903) 1853 Wisconsin gubernatorial election 1853 Texas gubernatorial election 1853 New Zealand general election 1853 in the United Kingdom 1853 California gubernatorial election 1853 Liberi…
an general election 1853 Atlantic hurricane season 1853 New Jersey gubernatorial election 1853 Liverpool by-election 1853 Maryland independence referendum RMS Atrato (1853) 1853 New York state election September 6, 1853, cabinet USS Mystic (1853) 1853 Norwegian parliamentary election Members of the Victorian Legislative Council, 1853–1856 1853 Greek legislative election Johan Christopher Ræder (1782–1853) 1853 Grand National Henry Stone (1853–1909) Lord Charles Townshend (1785–1853) Absalom (1853) Honduran-Guatemalan War (1853–1855) 1853 in Ireland 1852–53 United States Senate elections 1853 in India The Royal Oak, Toodyay (1853–1860) 1853 Costa Rican general election 1853 in Belgium 1853 in Russia 1853 in birding and ornithology 1853 in China New Zealand Legislative Council (1841–1853) List of shipwrecks in 1853 Wallamet (1853 sidewheeler) 1853 in Brazil William Oliver (artist, born 1804) List of shipwrecks in June 1853 1853 in Iceland SS Republic (1853) 1853 in France List of shipwrecks in January 1853 1853 in Germany 1853 in Denmark List of shipwrecks in August 1853 William Anderson (Victorian politician, born 1853) List of shipwrecks in November 1853 1853 Tenne