underlie our Government. He prophesied that the moral and
political effect of this convention upon the country would be felt for
the next quarter of a century. In its deliberations, he said that
everything had been conducted with marked propriety and dignity.

The platform adopted at Pittsburgh demanded the repeal of all laws
allowing the introduction of slavery into free territories; promised
support by all lawful measures to the Free-State men in Kansas in their
resistance to the usurped authority of lawless invaders; and strongly
urged the Republican party to resist and overthrow the existing national
administration because it was identified with the progress of the slave
power to national supremacy.

On the evening of the second day, a mass meeting was held in aid of the
emigration to Kansas. The president of the meeting was George N.
Jackson, and D. D. Eaton was made secretary. Horace Greeley and others
made addresses, and with great enthusiasm promises of aid to the
bleeding young sister in the West were made.

This record seems to show beyond question that the Republican party had
its national birth at Pittsburgh on February 22, 1856, and that it came
into being dedicated, as Horace Greeley described it at that moment, to
the principle of human freedom. A later formal convention, as provided
for at Pittsburgh, was held at Philadelphia on June 17, 1856, which
nominated John C. Fremont, of California, for President, and William L.
Dayton, of New Jersey, for Vice-President. This ticket polled a total
popular vote of 1,341,264, but was beaten by the Democratic
candidates,--James Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, for President, and John C.
Breckinridge, of Kentucky, for Vice-President, who polled 1,838,169
votes. This defeat of a good cause was probably a fortunate piece of
adversity, for the men who opposed slavery were not yet strong enough to
grapple the monster to its death as they did when Lincoln was nominated
four years later. It was the high mission of the party in 1856 and 1860
to stand against the extension of slavery, and in 1864 against all
slavery as well as against the destruction of this Union; and in 1868,
against those who wished to nullify the results of the war. Its later
mission has been full of usefulness and honor.

XV

Among the eminent men who visited Pittsburgh in bygone days we find
record of the following:

1817, President Monroe
1825, General Lafayette
1833, Daniel Webster