John Bell Papers, 1860-1861 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

Scope and Contents:

The materials in this collection concern the 1860 presidential candidacy of John Bell of Tennessee. Included are correspondence between Bell and Alexander H. H. Stuart, who helped organize the Constitutional Union Party, Jeremiah Clemens, a Unionist from Alabama who attempted to prevent secession, and Washington Hunt, a former governor of New York (1850-52) and Chairman of the Constitutional Union Convention which nominated Bell. The collection also includes photocopies of two speeches, one, handwritten by Bell, concerning Kansas and the Missouri Compromise, and the other concerning the issue of secession in Texas.

Acquisition Source: The photostats in this collection were selected from the John Bell Papers, Library of Congress.