owards　the　acquisition　of　slave　territory。　But　the　voters　in　both　parties　had　become　interested　in　the　specific　question　whether　the　country　was　to　enter　upon　a　war　of　conquest　whose　primary　object　should　be　the　extension　of　slavery。　In　the　North　it　became　generally　understood　that　a　vote　for　Henry　Clay；　the　Whig　candidate；　was　an　expression　of　opposition　to　annexation。　This　issue；　however；　was　not　made　clear　in　the　South。　In　the　absence　of　telegraph　and　daily　paper　it　was　quite　possible　to　maintain　contradictory　positions　in　different　sections　of　the　country。　But　since　the　Democrats　everywhere　openly　favored　annexation；　the　election　of　their　candidate；　James　K。　Polk；　was　generally　accepted　as　a　popular　approval　of　the　annexation　of　Texas。　Indeed；　action　immediately　followed　the　election　and；　before　the　President…elect　had　been　inaugurated；　the　joint　resolution　for　the　annexation　of　Texas　passed　both　Houses　of　Congress。　The　popular　vote　was　almost　equally　divided　between　Whigs　and　Democrats。　Had　the　vote　for　Birney；　who　was　again　the　candidate　of　the　Liberty　party；　been　cast　for　Clay　electors；　Clay　would　have　been　chosen　President。　The　Birney　vote　was　over　sixty…two　thousand。　The　Liberty　party；　therefore；　held　the　balance　of　power　and　determined　the　result　of　the　election。　The　Liberty　party　has　often　been　censured　for　defeating　the　Whigs　at　this　election　of　1844。　But　many　incidents；　too　early　forgotten　by　historians；　go　far　to　justify　the　course　of　the　leaders。　Birney　and　Clay　were　at　one　time　members　of　the　same　party。　They　were　personal　friends；　and　as　slave　holders　they　shared　the　view　that　slavery　was　a　menace　to　the　country　and　ought　to　be　abolished。　It　was　just　fourteen　years　before　this　election　that　Birney　made　a　visit　to　Clay　to　induce　him　to　accept　the　leadership　of　an　organized　movement　to　abolish　slavery　in　Kentucky。　Three　years　later；　when　Birney　returned　to　Kentucky　to　do　himself　what　Henry　Clay　had　refused　to　do；　he　became　convinced　that　the　reaction　which　had　taken　place　in　favor　of　slavery　was　largely　due　to　Clay's　influence。　This　was　a　common　impression　among　active　abolitionists。　It　is　not　strange；　therefore；　that　they　refused　to　support　him　as　a　candidate　for　the　Presidency；　and　it　is　not　at　all　certain　that　his　election　in　1844　would　have　prevented　the　war　with　Mexico。　Northern　Whigs　accused　the　Democrats　of　fomenting　a　war　with　Mexico　with　the　intention　of　gaining　territory　for　the　purpose　of　extending　slavery。　Democrats　denied　that　the　annexation　of　Texas　would　lead　to　war；　and　many　of　them　proclaimed　their　opposition　to　the　farther　extension　of　slavery。　In　harmony　with　this　sentiment；　when　President　Polk　asked　for　a　grant　of　two　million　dollars　to　aid　in　making　a　treaty　with　Mexico；　they　attached　to　the　bill　granting　the　amount　a　proviso　to　the　effect　that　slavery　should　forever　be　prohibited　in　any　territory　which　might　be　obtained　from　Mexico　by　the　contemplated　treaty。　The　proviso　was　written　by　an　Ohio　Democrat　and　was　introduced　in　the　House　by　David　A。　Wilmot；　a　Pennsylvania　Democrat；　after　whom　it　is　known。　It　passed　the　House　by　a　fair　majority　with　the　support　of　both　Whigs　and　Democrats。　At　the　time　of　the　original　introduction　in　August；　1846；　the　Senate　did　not　vote　upon　the　measure。　Davis　of　Massachusetts　moved　its　adoption　but　inadvertently　prolonged　his　speech　in　its　favor　until　the　hour　for　adjournment。　Hence　there　was　no　vote　on　the　subject。　Subsequently　the　proviso　in　a　new　form　again　passed　the　House　but　failed　of　adoption　in　the　Senate。　During　the　war　the　Wilmot　Proviso　was　the　subject　of　frequent　debate　in　Congress　and　of　continuous　debate　throughout　the　country　until　the　treaty　with　Mexico　was　signed　in　1848。　A　vast　territory　had　been　acquired　as　a　result　of　the　war；　and　no　decision　had　been　reached　as　to　whether　it　should　remain　free　or　be　opened　to　settlement　by　slave…owners。　Another　presidential　election　was　at　hand。　For　fully　ten　years　there　had　been　ever…increasing　excitement　over　the　question　of　the　limitation　or　the　extension　of　slavery。　This　had　clearly　become　the　topic　of　supreme　interest　throughout　the　country；　and　yet　the　two　leading　parties　avoided　the　issue。　Their　own　membership　was　divided。　Northern　Democrats；　many　of　them；　were　decidedly　opposed　to　slavery　extension。　Southern　Whigs　with　equal　intensity　favored　the　extension　of　slavery　into　the　new　territory。　The　platforms　of　the　two　parties　were　silent　on　the　subject。　The　Whigs　nominated　Taylor；　a　Southern　general　who　had　never　voted　their　party　ticket；　but　they　made　no　formal　declaration　of　principles。　The　Democrats　repeated　with　colorless　additions　their　platforms　of　1840　anti　1844　and　sought　to　win　the　election　with　a　Northern　man；　Lewis　Cass　of　Michigan；　as　candidate。　There　was；　therefore；　a　clear　field　for　a　party　having　fully　defined　views　to　express　on　a　topic　of　commanding　interest。　The　cleavage　in　the　Democratic　party　already　begun　by　the　debate　over　the　Wilmot　Proviso　was　farther　promoted　by　a　factional　division　of　New　York　Democrats。　Martin　Van　Buren　became　the　leader　of　the　liberal　faction；　the　〃Barnburners；〃　who　nominated　him　for　President　at　a　convention　at　Utica。　The　spirit　of　independence　now　seized　disaffected　Whigs　and　Democrats　everywhere　in　the　North　and　Northwest。　Men　of　anti…slavery　proclivities　held　nonpartizan　meetings　and　conventions。　The　movement　finally　culminated　in　the　famous　Buffalo　convention　which　gave　birth　to　the　Freesoil　party。　The　delegates　of　all　political　persuasions　united　on　the　one　principle　of　opposition　to　slavery。　They　adopted　a　ringing　platform　closing　with　the　words：　〃Resolved；　That　we　inscribe　on　our　banner　'Free　Soil；　Free　Speech；　Free　Labor；　and　Free　Men；'　and　under　it　will　fight　on；　and　fight　ever；　until　a　triumphant　victory　shall　reward　our　exertions。〃　They　accepted　Van　Buren　as　their　candidate。　The　vote　at　the　ensuing　election　was　more　than　fourfold　that　given　to　Birney　in　1844。　The　Van　Buren　supporters　held　the　balance　of　power　between　Whigs　and　Democrats　in　twelve　States。　Taylor　was　elected　by　the　vote　of　New　York；　which　except　for　the　division　in　the　party　would　have　gone　to　Cass。　There　was　no　longer　any　doubt　of　the　fact　that　a　political　force　had　arisen　which　could　no　longer　be　ignored　by　the　ruling　parties。　One　of　the　parties　must　either　support　the　new　issue　or　give　place　to　a　party　which　would　do　so。　A　political　party　for　the　defense　of　liberty　was　the　fulfillment　of　the　aspirations　of　all　earnest　anti…slavery　men　and　of　all　abolitionists　not　of　the　radical　Garrisonian　persuasion。　The　national　anti…slavery　societies　were　for　the　most　part　limited　in　their　operations　to　the　Atlantic　seaboard。　The　West　organized　local　and　state　associations　with　little　reference　to　the　national　association。　When　the　disruption　occurred　between　Garrison　and　his　opponents　in　1840；　the　Western　abolitionists　continued　their　former　methods　of　local　organization。　They　recognized　no　divisions　in　their　ranks　and　continued　to　work　in　harmony　with　all　who　in　any　way　opposed　the　institution　of　slavery。　The　political　party　was　their　first　really　effective　national　organization。　Through　party　committees；　caucuses；　and　conventions；　they　became　a　part　of　the　forces　that　controlled　the　nation。　The　older　local　clubs　and　associations　were　either　displaced　by　the　party　or　became　mere　adjuncts　to　the　party。　The　lines　for　political　action　were　now　clearly　defined。　In　the　States　emancipation　should　be　accomplished　by　state　action。　With　a　few　individual　exceptions　the　leaders　conceded　that　Congress　had　no　power　to　abolish　slavery　in　the　States。　Upon　the　general　Government　they　urged　the　duty　of　abolishing　both　slavery　and　the　slave…trade　in　the　District　of　Columbia　and　in　all　areas　under　direct　federal　control。　They　further　urged　upon　the　Government　the　strict　enforcement　of　the　laws　prohibiting　the　foreign　slave…trade　and　the　enactment　of　laws　forbidding　the　interstate　slave…trade。　The　constitutionality　of　these　main　lines　of　action　has　been　generally　conceded。　Abolitionists　were　pioneers　in　the　formulation　of　political　platforms。　The　declaration　of　principles　drawn　up　by　Garrison　in　1833　and　adopted　by　the　American　Anti…Slavery　Society　was　of　the　nature　of　a　political　platform。　The　duty　of　voting　in　furtherance　of　the　policy　of　emancipation　was　inculcated。　No　platform　was　adopted　for　the　first　political　campaign；　that　of　1840；　but　four　years　later　there　was　an　elaborate　party　platform　of　twenty…one　resolutions。　Many　things　had　happened　in　the　eleven　years　intervening　since　the　declaration　of　principles　of　the　American　Anti…Slavery　Society。　In　the　earlier　platform　the　freedom　of　the　slave　appears　as　the　primary　object。　That　of　the　Liberty　party　assumes　the　broad　principle　of　human　brotherhood　as　the　foundation　for　a　democracy　or　a　republic。　It　denies　that　the　party　is　organized　merely　to　free　the　slave。　Slaveholding　as　the　grossest　form　of　despotism　must　indeed　be　attacked　first；　but　the　aim　of　the　party　is　to　carry　the　principle　of　equal　rights　into　all　social　relations。　It　is　not　a　sectional　party　nor　a　party　organized　for　a　single　purpose。　〃It　is　not　a　new　party；　nor　a　third　party；　but　it　is　the　party　of　1776；　reviving　the　principles　of　that　memorable　era；　and　striving　to　carry　them　into　practical　applicati