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The Confederate States Presidential Election of 1879, the 4th C.S. presidential election, was held on November 4, 1879. This was the first election in Confederate history that was contested by a political party. It is thus considered to be the end of the initial golden era of the Confederacy, bringing in a new era of party politics and heated campaigns. Alexander H. Stephens of the newly formed Southern Party defeated nonpartisan General James Longstreet by a slim margin to become the 4th President of the Confederate States.
Background[]
This election was preceded by the controversial tenure of President Stonewall Jackson. Jackson had upset a large portion of the Confederate populace by dealing with the United States and even making an official state visit for the American bicentennial in 1876. This amplified the already existing feelings of resentment towards the policies of Jackson and the presidents who had served to that point. Stephens and the like minded politicians that formed the Southern Party, along with Confederate citizens in the Deep South, believed that the general-presidents were unnecessarily strengthening the federal government and the military. They believed in their vision of the Confederacy as a decentralized, agrarian, peaceful nation, with deeply entrenched support of slavery.
In the face of criticism, President Jackson still hoped to continue the tradition of electing nonpartisan military men as president. He and former president Davis believed that parties had no place in Southern politics and wanted to end the institution before it began. The two men quickly settled on the man they wanted to follow them as president: General James Longstreet. Longstreet never had a particular like for politics, but accepted the endorsement anyway. He envisioned a peaceful six year stint as president that would enhance his fame and guarantee comfy living for his family. He did not expect to be part of the most heated campaign in Confederate history up to that point.
Augustus Hill Garland of Arkansas had become a prominent politician by that point and would add some legitimacy to the ticket. He accepted the offer to be Longstreet's running mate.
Southern Nomination[]
The Southern National Convention was held from July 5-9, 1879 in Birmingham, Alabama. Several party founders, including Robert M.T. Hunter, Vice President Albert G. Brown, and Stephens, met before the convention to essentially determine the candidate. After a few hours of deliberation, they unanimously decided to have Stephens run. Senator Stephens was quickly becoming infirm with old age, and almost turned down the nomination. The other leaders knew that they had to have Stephens, largely seen as the face of the party, run in their first election. They convinced him to accept the candidacy.
The party wanted to have a military man as Stephens' running mate to counteract Longstreet's war popularity. Almost all of the military establishment was unwilling to oppose Longstreet, Jackson, and Davis. The Southern Party reached out to several prominent generals, and all turned down except one: G.T. Beauregard, who was currently serving as the Governor of Louisiana. Unlike the other officers, Beauregard had often been at odds with his military colleagues and had a particular dislike of Davis- he was all too willing to oppose him. Beauregard felt continually spurned by these men who had passed over him for military commands, public glory, and political office. Thus, his agreement to run with Stephens was born less out of a firm commitment to party values and more out of a personal vendetta and wish to finally receive his deserved time on top. He hoped to serve as vice president and then run for president in 1885 on the Southern Party ticket.
Southern Party leaders considered his personal political views to be of little consequence. The name of a famous general on the ballot was all they were after.
The convention, the first of its kind in the Confederacy, was raucous and loud, promoted as an event for the common man. The delegates unanimously nominated the party leaders' picks for president and vice president.
The Campaign[]
The campaign was civil at first, but devolved into a mud slinging fest as the months went on. Pent up anger at the policies of the generals and President Davis years before burst out at full speed. Stephens ran a populist campaign in the Deep South, promising that he would return the Confederacy to the people. His campaign was slightly more direct than how he had run in 1873. He published his views in newspaper articles which were widely published. Beyond that he continued to serve in the Senate and conduct a limited front porch campaign. Beauregard campaigned vigorously across the country, most frequently and most effectively in his home state of Louisiana.
James Longstreet was a unique candidate, to say the least. He had a well-earned reputation as an unrefined man who grew up on the rough Georgia frontier. He did not have the manners of the typical Southern gentleman. He also did not have much of an interest in politics, meaning that he did not have much passion for his campaign. On the other hand, Longstreet was a devoted family man and had a genuine demeanor. His campaigning was done almost wholly by his supporters, run by the political machine of Davis, who traveled around and tried to convince people to vote to continue the prosperous policies of the first four presidents. He received visitors at his home who often came away with a warm impression, even if they had initially gone as political opponents.
In September, Stephens became ill and was unable to do any further campaigning. As the campaign went on, his unchecked supporters began viciously attacking Longstreet's "brutish" ways and lack of experience. They pointed out that he, just like Jackson, had no diplomatic or political experience. Stephens attempted to reign in such mudslinging. Beauregard, in turn, became the subject of fierce attacks from the other side. Opponents called him promiscuous and pampered, while also attacking his Creole heritage which made him seem foreign to Anglo Confederates. Stephens was attacked as a simple, angry, self-serving malcontent who would never be satisfied with anyone but himself in power. Opponents also pointed out his poor health compared to the more vigorous Longstreet, charging that Stephens was not physically or mentally fit to lead an entire nation. Longstreet supporters tried to call into question Stephens' patriotism by resurfacing the man's initial opposition to secession. Stephens responded that such issues were far in the past and he was focused on the current issues plaguing the country. Overall, Stephens promised to create a decentralized, agrarian republic rooted in slavery. Longstreet's campaign pushed a more nationalist vision rooted in military strength and a strong overall economy.
Results and Aftermath[]
In a very close election, Stephens managed to sweep the Deep South and also capture Texas. He won by firm margins in all the states he won except Texas, which he won by 3%. Florida and Arkansas almost went his way as well, but ended up voting for Longstreet by a few percentage points. Without Garland on the ticket, Longstreet probably would have lost Arkansas. Beauregard helped land Stephens a very heavy victory in Louisiana. Although Longstreet resided in New Orleans, he was seen as more of a native Georgian then a genuine Louisianan like Beauregard. In Georgia itself, Stephens also won a firm victory, simply down to the fact that the people there felt more in tune with his political beliefs compared to Longstreet's. If Stephens had lost any of the states he won, he would have lost the election.
Stephens had recovered from his illness by the time of his inauguration, but he still remained weakened for the rest of his term. He and the Southern-controlled Congress began passing laws to remake the Confederacy in his image. The size of the standing military was drastically reduced, and the draft was outlawed. Stephens signed into law the controversial Emancipation Tax which was later struck down by the Supreme Court. He did not have any official interactions with the U.S., which suited both him and the U.S. President Samuel Tilden.
The Southern Party victory in the 1879 elections led to the creation of the Confederate Party, made up of politicians and former officers who had supported Davis, Lee, Benjamin, and Jackson. The living former presidents were greatly disappointed at the formation of two warring political parties in the Confederacy. Neutral parties were concerned with the harsh mudslinging of this campaign. Prior to this election, the Confederacy had been a peacefully united nation and it seemed like fierce political factionalism may have been left behind in the North. James Longstreet was deeply distressed by all the attacks on his personal integrity and personal life and resigned to stay out of politics for the rest of his life. He did join the Confederate Party in 1883.
President Stephens' physical condition began to rapidly deteriorate in 1883, and he died on October 14 of that year. Vice President Beauregard served the rest of his term. He had reached his goal of becoming president, but was unable to run for a full term as he had wanted due to the Confederate Constitution's clause that presidents were not "re-eligible" for the office.
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