Section #1 - The Congressmen Who Built Then Broke The Union
Chapter 100: Republicans win the mid-terms in 1858.
As the mid-term balloting gets underway, Henry Seward issues a warning that many party members will regard as too extreme:
Shall I tell you what this collision means? It is an irrepressible conflict between opposing
and enduring forces, and it means that the United States must and will, sooner or later,
become either entirely a slaveholding nation, or entirely a free-labor nation.
The results show the Republicans winning a solid majority in the House.
Votes Won in the U.S. House
| Party | 1852 | 1854 | 1856 | 1858 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 158 | 83 | 132 | 98 |
| Whigs | 71 | 0 | 90 | 116 |
| KN Opposition | — | 54 | 14 | 5 |
| American | 0 | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| Free Soil | 4 | 37 | o | 0 |
| Others | 0 | 9 | 1 | 19* |
| Total | 233 | 234 | 237 | 238 |
The Democrats do hang onto their last stronghold, the Senate, although losing four seats.
Votes Won in the U.S. Senate
| Party | 1852-3 | 1854-5 | 1856-7 | 1858-9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 35 | 33 | 42 | 38 |
| Whigs | 18 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Republicans | 0 | 3 | 20 | 25 |
| Others | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 56 | 50 | 64 | 65 |