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[[Image:1848free.jpg|thumb|300px|1848 marching banner for Van Buren on Free Soil ticket]]

[[Image:1848free.jpg|thumb|300px|1848 marching banner for Van Buren on Free Soil ticket]]

Debates over the proviso had aroused the country. State legislatures approved or condemned the opposition to slavery expansion incorporated in the proviso. Sectional animosity was heightened. The Northern [[Whig Party|Whigs]] strongly endorsed it, the Southern Whigs opposed; the party refused to take a stand at its national conventions in 1848 and 1852, and so the Whig coalition collapsed after 1852. In 1848 the antislavery Democrats in the Northeast formed the [[Free Soil Party]] with the slogan "Free Trade, Free Labor, Free Soil, Free Speech, and Free Men." In 1854-56 most of them joined the new Republican party, which was strongly committed to the proviso. The other northern [[U.S. Democratic Party, history|Democrats]] dropped the Wilmot Proviso in 1848 in favor of the popular sovereignty principles of [[Stephen A. Douglas]] and [[Lewis Cass]] (which said local voters in the territories, not Congress, should decide on slavery there.) The Wilmot proviso was never about helping black slaves; it was all about stopping their owners from expanding into new western lands and thereby shutting out poor white farmers.<ref> In practice it made little difference. California rejected slavery and New Mexico, where slavery was legal, had only a handful of slaves.</ref> As David Wilmot put it. "The negro race already occupy enough of this fair continent. . . . I would preserve for free white labor a fair country . . . where the sons of toil, of my own race and own color, can live without the disgrace which association with negro slavery brings upon free labor." <ref> Quoted in McPherson, (1988). p: 55. Those abolitionists who were concerned about the black slaves also supported the Wilmot Proviso, but they were a small factor.</ref>

Debates over the proviso had aroused the country. State legislatures approved or condemned the opposition to slavery expansion incorporated in the proviso. Sectional animosity was heightened. The Northern [[Whig Party|Whigs]] strongly endorsed it, the Southern Whigs opposed; the party refused to take a stand at its national conventions in 1848 and 1852, and so the Whig coalition collapsed after 1852. In 1848 the antislavery Democrats in the Northeast formed the [[Free Soil Party]] with the slogan "Free Trade, Free Labor, Free Soil, Free Speech, and Free Men." In 1854-56 most of them joined the new Republican party, which was strongly committed to the proviso. The other northern [[U.S. Democratic Party, history|Democrats]] dropped the Wilmot Proviso in 1848 in favor of the popular sovereignty principles of [[Stephen A. Douglas]] and [[Lewis Cass]] (which said local voters in the territories, not Congress, should decide on slavery there.) The Wilmot proviso was never about helping black slaves; it was all about stopping their owners from expanding into new western lands and thereby shutting out poor white farmers.<ref>In practice it made little difference. California rejected slavery and New Mexico, where slavery was legal, had only a handful of slaves.</ref> As David Wilmot put it. "The negro race already occupy enough of this fair continent. . . . I would preserve for free white labor a fair country . . . where the sons of toil, of my own race and own color, can live without the disgrace which association with negro slavery brings upon free labor." <ref>Quoted in McPherson, (1988). p: 55. Those abolitionists who were concerned about the black slaves also supported the Wilmot Proviso, but they were a small factor.</ref>

The “Alabama Platform” was adopted by the Democratic state convention in 1848 and approved by other southern groups. It was W. L. Yancey's answer to the Wilmot Proviso and popular sovereignty. The Alabama Platform demanded congressional protection of slavery in the Mexican cession. Rejected by the national Democrats in 1848, the anti-Wilmot Alabama platform was adopted by a majority of the Democratic Convention at Charleston in 1860. With the disruption of that convention, it became a basic issue of the southern secessionists.

The “Alabama Platform” was adopted by the Democratic state convention in 1848 and approved by other southern groups. It was W. L. Yancey's answer to the Wilmot Proviso and popular sovereignty. The Alabama Platform demanded congressional protection of slavery in the Mexican cession. Rejected by the national Democrats in 1848, the anti-Wilmot Alabama platform was adopted by a majority of the Democratic Convention at Charleston in 1860. With the disruption of that convention, it became a basic issue of the southern secessionists.

“Conscience Whigs” were dissident New England members of the [[Whig party]], so-called because of their moral opposition to slavery. They placed loyalty to their principles higher than loyalty to party and determined to resist at all hazards the further extension of slave territory. They favored the Wilmot Proviso. When the 1848 Whig National Convention refused to endorse it, they bolted and joined the Free Soil party.<ref> The conservatives, or Old Line Whigs, opponents of the Wilmot Proviso, were called Cotton Whigs, since they stood for a settlement of the slavery issue at any price for the sake of the cotton trade. The terms "Woolly Heads" and "Amalgamationistss" were also given to the antislavery group; the term "Snufftakers" was given to the conservatives. The Silver Gray Whigs were those party members who bolted in the Syracuse NY Convention (1850), following the endorsement of [[William H. Seward]]'s position opposing the [[Compromise of 1850]] and the adoption of antislavery resolutions. See Hans Sperber and Travis Trittschuh, ''American Political Terms: An Historical Dictionary'' (1962).</ref>

“Conscience Whigs” were dissident New England members of the [[Whig party]], so-called because of their moral opposition to slavery. They placed loyalty to their principles higher than loyalty to party and determined to resist at all hazards the further extension of slave territory. They favored the Wilmot Proviso. When the 1848 Whig National Convention refused to endorse it, they bolted and joined the Free Soil party.<ref>The conservatives, or Old Line Whigs, opponents of the Wilmot Proviso, were called Cotton Whigs, since they stood for a settlement of the slavery issue at any price for the sake of the cotton trade. The terms "Woolly Heads" and "Amalgamationistss" were also given to the antislavery group; the term "Snufftakers" was given to the conservatives. The Silver Gray Whigs were those party members who bolted in the Syracuse NY Convention (1850), following the endorsement of [[William H. Seward]]'s position opposing the [[Compromise of 1850]] and the adoption of antislavery resolutions. See Hans Sperber and Travis Trittschuh, ''American Political Terms: An Historical Dictionary'' (1962).</ref>

The Wilmot Proviso was meaningless in practice. California in 1849 unanimously adopted a state constitution that forbade slavery. Texas had already been admitted as a state in 1845 with slavery. The Compromise of 1850 allowed slavery in New Mexico and Arizona, but it was not economical and there never were more than a handful of slaves there. However the symbolic importance was everything. "As if by magic," commented a Boston Whig newspaper, "it brought to a head the great question that is about to divide the American people." Both sides in the debate assumed that in the long run, slavery had to expand to survive. The Wilmot Proviso would have stopped its expansion in one direction and was a clear marker that majorities in the North wanted slavery expansion to stop (and thus slavery to die away.) The southerners saw the issue as a matter of states rights, equality and honor. The Wilmot Proviso pronounced "a degrading inequality" on the South, declared a Virginian. It "says in effect to the Southern man, Avaunt! you are not my equal, and hence are to be excluded as carrying a moral taint." Having furnished most of the soldiers who conquered Mexican territory, the South was especially outraged by the proposal to shut them out of its benefits. <ref> McPherson, ''Battle Cry,'' 56-7</ref> They were being treated as second class citizens because they owned slaves, and they could not tolerate that insult.  

The Wilmot Proviso was meaningless in practice. California in 1849 unanimously adopted a state constitution that forbade slavery. Texas had already been admitted as a state in 1845 with slavery. The Compromise of 1850 allowed slavery in New Mexico and Arizona, but it was not economical and there never were more than a handful of slaves there. However the symbolic importance was everything. "As if by magic," commented a Boston Whig newspaper, "it brought to a head the great question that is about to divide the American people." Both sides in the debate assumed that in the long run, slavery had to expand to survive. The Wilmot Proviso would have stopped its expansion in one direction and was a clear marker that majorities in the North wanted slavery expansion to stop (and thus slavery to die away.) The southerners saw the issue as a matter of states rights, equality and honor. The Wilmot Proviso pronounced "a degrading inequality" on the South, declared a Virginian. It "says in effect to the Southern man, Avaunt! you are not my equal, and hence are to be excluded as carrying a moral taint." Having furnished most of the soldiers who conquered Mexican territory, the South was especially outraged by the proposal to shut them out of its benefits.<ref>McPherson, ''Battle Cry,'' 56-7</ref> They were being treated as second class citizens because they owned slaves, and they could not tolerate that insult.  

==Bibliography==

==Bibliography==

* Stewart, James Brewer. ''Joshua R. Giddings and the Tactics of Radical Politics.'' (1970)

* Stewart, James Brewer. ''Joshua R. Giddings and the Tactics of Radical Politics.'' (1970)

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[[Category:Slavery]]

[[Category:Slavery]]

[[Category:American Civil War]]

[[Category:American Civil War]]

[[Category:Western United States]]

[[Category:Western United States]]