1872 Party Conventions

President Abraham Lincoln won the 1868 election resoundingly, beating both Senator Thomas F. Bayard and Brigham Young. In addition, the election of 1868 saw the Whig Party gain a majority in Congress. Lincoln took both of these facts as a vindication of his presidency, and set out a more ambitious agenda.

One bill passed by the new Congress was the Homestead Act of 1869, which would allow citizens of the United States to obtain land grants in the Oklahoma and Dakotas territories, and payment of a $200 sum, provided they could prove to regional inspectors that they had improved the land over a five year span. The act was passed with the intent to expedite westward expansion, and admit new states to the Union. Some of the fiercest critics of this act would be in the Union Party, lambasting the program as "wasteful" and that it "threatens to provoke indigenous Indian tribes." In addition, some in the Union Party saw it as a scheme to add Senate seats that would be favorable to the Whigs.

A more controversial bill passed by Congress would be the Anti-Polygamy Act of 1870. Although several states (particularly in the West) had already enacted bans on polygamy, enforcement was minimal due to the sizable Mormon populations. Soon after the passage of the Anti-Polygamy Act, however, President Lincoln sent federal troops in what were alleged to be polygamist communities, arresting wealthy and politically connected Mormon males, more often than not affiliated with the Radical Party. The most controversial action would be the arrest of Brigham Young, which many Mormons decried as political imprisonment.

Soon after this, Mormons began flocking Westward to the Utah territory. Colluding with other Mormons who'd already settled, they agreed to form a new nation: The Republic of Babel. Centered around the beliefs of the Church of Latter Day Saints, the Republic of Babel had strict temperance laws, legalized polygamy, and a currency backed by gold. While initially designed as a haven for Mormons, the Republic of Babel soon became a catch-all and incorporated Indian tribes, displaced Chinese migrants, and some non-Mormon settlers.

President Lincoln is still considered to be popular, but has opted not to run for a third term. Instead, his Vice President, Horatio Seymour, has thrown his hat into the ring. While Seymour has kind words for Lincoln's Presidency, he has taken a slightly different tack, seeking to scale back internal improvements and decrease federal spending, while still continuing support for Westward expansion. In addition, he supports preemptive military action against the Republic of Babel, saying, "these are Americans in rebellion, and ought not be able to evade the law of the land." There is also James A. Garfield of Ohio. Garfield supports a continuance of internal improvements and is also trying to draw the party's attention to corruption in lower-level government agencies. There is also Stanley Matthews, who opposes Lincoln's policies toward Chinese immigrants. Lastly, there are Edmund Davis, Benjamin Hill, Algernon Paddock, and William Mahone, all running as dark horses.

The Union Convention would be much more schismatic. On one side there was the "Old Guard" of Unionists, represented by Roscoe Conkling. Its adherents supported high tariffs, a gold standard, were opposed to civil service reform, and opposed lifting immigration standards. The aforementioned Roscoe Conkling is emblematic of this, though former Vice Presidential candidate Ulysses Grant was cut from a similar cloth. However, there is another wing of the Unionists that has been emerging in response to the party's electoral defeats, considered to be "New Unionists." These were best represented by the young Samuel Tilden, elected Governor of New York in 1870 on a platform of low taxes and fighting corruption. While these "New Unionists" kept true to the gold standard, they also supported tariff reductions and looser immigration policies. There is also Senator George Edmunds, a staunch proponent of the Anti-Polygamy Act. Both Bayard and Chandler are running again as well. While the Union Party supports the Anti-Polygamy Act, it is uninterested in intervening in the Western territory.

The secession of Babel and the enforcement of the Anti-Polygamy Act has put the Radical Party in a quandry. There are those who wish to peacefully annex the Republic of Babel and reconcile with its residents, while others (mostly the non-Mormon contingent) favor a more 'mainstream' tack. From the Mormon faction, there is Thomas Kane, who is running on a platform of pardoning Brigham Young. He also lambasts the Anti-Polygamy Act, saying, "it is entirely political. The Anti-Polygamy Act has been used to arrest Mormon activists without the slighest proof, and is a violation of our first amendment rights." There is also Elijah Abel, a former candidate, who favors reconciliation with Babel. The more radical, non-Mormon wing of the party has turned toward Garfield, a member of the Whig Party. Though his past statements on Mormonism are considered profane by many in the party, he could appeal to a broader audience. Lastly, there is also Governor Benjamin Butler, one of the few hold-outs in the Northeast.

Three days.

Sorry for the delay - spent the past two days drunk in Boston.

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