1868 Democratic National Convention

1868 Democratic National Convention

1868 Presidential Election
Nominees Seymour and Blair
City	New York, New York
Venue	Tammany Hall
Candidates
Presidential Nominee	Horatio Seymour (NY)
Vice Presidential Nominee	Francis P. Blair, Jr. (MO)
Results (President)	Seymour (NY): 317 (100%)
Results (Vice President)	Blair (MO): 317 (100%)
‹ 1864  ·  1872 ›

The 1868 Democratic National Convention was held at Tammany Hall in New York City. Although former Governor from New York Horatio Seymour was nominated as the unanimous candidate for President, he stood virtually no chance of defeating the hero of the Civil War, Republican candidate Ulysses S. Grant. The Democratic Convention chose another Civil War general and former US Representative from Missouri, Francis P. Blair, Jr., as its unanimous candidate for Vice-President.

In the election of 1868, Democrat Seymour received 33 electoral votes from his home State of New York and carried only 7 other states, amassing a total of 80 electoral votes. Republican Grant won the Presidency with 214 electoral votes.

The Convention

New attendees

The most memorable occurrences at the convention were the return of politicians from the defeated, war-ravaged southern States. In attendance was Robert Barnwell Rhett of Louisiana (formerly of South Carolina) who had been one of the strongest advocates of secession.

In 1868, the States of Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana were readmitted to the Union. Nebraska had been admitted to the Union on March 1, 1867.

Candidates gallery

• 

  Former Governor Horatio Seymour of New York

• 

  Former Representative George H. Pendleton of Ohio

• 

  Senator Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana

• 

  General Winfield S. Hancock of Pennsylvania

• 

  President Andrew Johnson of Tennessee

• 

  Former Lieutenant Governor Sanford E. Church of New York

• 

  Former Representative Asa Packer of Pennsylvania

• 

  Governor James E. English of Connecticut

• 

  Former Governor Joel Parker of New Jersey

• 

  Senator James R. Doolittle of Wisconsin

• 

  Associate Justice Stephen J. Field of California

• 

  Former Representative Francis P. Blair of Missouri

• 

  New York City Mayor John T. Hoffman of New York

• 

  Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase of Ohio

Seymour/Blair campaign poster

The front-runner in the early balloting was George H. Pendleton, who led on the first 15 ballots, followed in varying order by incumbent president Andrew Johnson, Winfield Scott Hancock, Sanford Church, Asa Packer, Joel Parker, James E. English, James R. Doolittle, and Thomas A. Hendricks. The unpopular Johnson, having narrowly survived impeachment, reached his peak strength of 65 votes on the first ballot, less than one-third of the total necessary for nomination, thus losing his bid for election as president in his own right.

Meanwhile, convention chairman Horatio Seymour received 9 votes on the fourth ballot from the state of North Carolina. This unexpected move caused "loud and enthusiastic cheering," but Seymour left his chair, advanced to the front of the platform and made his refusal. "I must not be nominated by this Convention, as I could not accept the nomination if tendered. My own inclination prompted me to decline at the outset; my honor compels me to do so now. It is impossible, consistently with my position, to allow my name to be mentioned in this Convention against my protest. The clerk will proceed with the call."

After numerous indecisive ballots, the names of John T. Hoffman, Francis P. Blair, and Stephen J. Field were placed in nomination. However, none of these candidates gained substantial support.

For twenty-one ballots, the opposing candidates were at loggerheads: the east battling the west for control, the conservatives battling the radicals. The two leading candidates were determined that the other should not receive the nomination; because of the two-thirds rule of the convention it was apparent that a compromise candidate would have to be found. Seymour still was hoping it would be Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, but on the twenty-second ballot, the chairman of the Ohio delegation announced that "at the unanimous request and demand of the delegation I place Horatio Seymour in nomination with twenty-one votes-against his inclination, but no longer against his honor."

Seymour had to wait for the none rousing cheers to die down before he could address the delegates and make another refusal. "I have no terms in which to tell of my regret that my name has been brought before this convention. God knows that my life and all that I value most I would give for the good of my country, which I believe to be identified with that of the Democratic party..." "Take the nomination, then!" cried someone from the floor. "..but when I said that I could not be a candidate, I mean it! I could not receive the nomination without placing not only myself but the Democratic party in a false position. God bless you for your kindness to me, but your candidate I cannot be."

Perspiring profusely from the intense heat, excited and overwrought, Seymour left to platform to cool off and rest. No sooner had he left the hall than the Ohio chairman cried that his delegation would not accept Seymour's declination; Utah's chairman rose to say that Seymour was the man they had to have. While Seymour was waiting in the vestibule, mopping his brow, the convention nominated him unanimously, named a vice-presidential candidate in great haste, and shut up shop before Seymour could dash back into the hall and reject their offer still once again.

General Francis Preston Blair, Jr. was nominated unanimously for Vice President on the first ballot after John A. McClernand, Augustus C. Dodge, and Thomas Ewing, Jr. withdrew their names from consideration. Blair had just brought himself into prominence by a violent, not to say a revolutionary letter, addressed to Colonel James O. Broadhead, dated a few days before the convention met. The nomination seemed to be, and probably was, a result of that letter.

Presidential Ballot
Ballot	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th	18th	19th	20th	21st	22nd Before Shifts	22nd After Shifts
Horatio Seymour	0	0	0	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	22	317
George H. Pendleton	105	104	119.5	118.5	122	122.5	137.5	156.5	144	147.5	144.5	145.5	134.5	130	129.5	107.5	70.5	56.5	0	0	0	0	0
Thomas A. Hendricks	2.5	2	9.5	11.5	19.5	30	39.5	75	80.5	82.5	88	89	81	84.5	82.5	70.5	80	87	107.5	121	132	145.5	0
Winfield Scott Hancock	33.5	40.5	45.5	43.5	46	47	42.5	28	34.5	34	32.5	30	48.5	56	79.5	113.5	137.5	144.5	135.5	142.5	135.5	103.5	0
Andrew Johnson	65	52	34.5	32	24	21	12.5	6	5.5	6	5.5	4.5	4.5	0	5.5	5.5	6	10	0	0	5	4	0
Sanford E. Church	34	33	33	33	33	33	33	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Asa Packer	26	26	26	26	27	27	26	26	26.5	27.5	26	26	26	26	0	0	0	0	22	0	0	0	0
James E. English	16	12.5	7.5	7.5	7	6	6	6	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	16	19	7	0
Joel Parker	13	15.5	13	13	13	13	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	7	3.5	0	0	0	0	0
James R. Doolittle	13	12.5	12	12	15	12	12	12	12	12	12.5	12.5	13	13	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	4	0
Reverdy Johnson	8.5	8	11	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Francis Preston Blair	0.5	10.5	4.5	2	9.5	5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0	0	0	0	0	13.5	13	0	0	0
Thomas Ewing	0	0.5	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
John Q. Adams	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Salmon P. Chase	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.5	0.5	0	0	0	0.5	0.5	0.5	0	4	0	0
George B. McClellan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.5	0	0
Franklin Pierce	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
John T. Hoffman	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	3	0	0	0.5	0	0
Stephen J. Field	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	15	9	8	0	0
Thomas H. Seymour	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2	0	0	0

Vice Presidential Ballot
Ballot	1st
Francis Preston Blair	317

References

• Gillet, Democracy in the United States, (New York, 1868)
• Official proceedings of the National Democratic convention, held at New York, July 4-9, 1868

Preceded by 1864

Democratic National Conventions

Succeeded by 1872