READ AND REFLECT!: (1856 Presidential Election – Democratic Arguments against Voting for Republican Candidate John Fremont)

It was the Presidential Election year of 1856, and the Republican Party had chosen John Fremont to be their candidate for the office. The Democratic Party, in response to this choice and in fear of a Republican victory, went to great lengths to provide reasons to the public as to why they should not vote for the Republican ticket. This article, READ AND REFLECT!, is one example of their electioneering material.

READ AND REFLECT! Is a 16 page booklet that, in its two first pages, lists 15 reasons why the voter should not vote for the Fremont ticket. The following 14 pages contains Mr. Douglas' Report (To accompany bill H. R. 75) related to The Committee on Territories, to whom was referred a bill from the House of Representatives, for "An act to reorganize the Territory of Kansas, and for other purposes, beg leave to report:".

The 15 reasons stated include several relating to the issue of slavery – a hot issue during the years leading to the civil war! It is not practical to list all 15, but, as an example, the following is Reason No. 4:
That they have voted to legalize and establish hereditary slavery in the whole of Kansas, and to introduce and establish slavery in a part of New Mexico, and to declare that children who shall hereafter be born to be laves for life and their posterity after them, in violation of the great principles of self-government and State-equality, which should leave the people of each State and Territory "perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the Constitution of the United States,

The booklet, which measures approximately 6 x 9 inches, is without covers and with several pages detached. The pages are tanned, but the text is clear and easily read. The overall condition of the booklet is good.

The illustrations accompanying this description show the first page, page 3 (the first page of the Douglas Report) and a typical 2-page spread from the Douglas Report.

John Charles Frémont or Fremont (January 21, 1813 – July 13, 1890) was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a United States senator from California and was the first Republican nominee for president of the U.S. in 1856 and founder of the California Republican Party when he was nominated. He lost the election to Democrat James Buchanan when the vote was split by Know Nothings. [Wikipedia]