> Tell me more about Birney. I should know this, but I don't...
Sure.
James Gillespie Birney (1792-1857). Successful lawyer in Alabama. Started out as the agent for the "Colonization Society" (gradually emancipate slaves but ship them out of the US). Moved to Ky in 1833 & freed his slaves. Started Anti-Slavery Society & newspaper _The Philanthropist_ in Cincinnati in 1835. Leader of the "constitutional" abolitionists - opposed to Garrison and the 'direct action' types. Was the first Presidential candidate of the Liberty Party - the first anti-slavery national political party - in 1840, and did much better in 1844.
In 1844 he received about the same percentage of the votes as Nader in 2000. And because the election was really close between the Democrat Polk and the Whig Clay, Birney was a "spoiler" and threw New York - and therefore the election - to Polk by drawing anti-slavery votes that would otherwise have gone to the (from the abolitionist viewpoint) lesser evil Clay. The anti-slavery Whigs - a minority in their own party, but there weren't at that point hardly any anti-slavery Democrats - were livid with rage. Polk stood for the extension of slavery by annexing Texas - which meant a war of aggression against Mexico and the annexation of California, Arizona, New Mexico as well. Clay was opposed (but very ambiguously) to the extension of slavery by annexation of Texas & to a war of aggression against Mexico. Birney argued that the two parties were equally complicit in slavery, and the same things would happen no matter which won. And as with all counter-factuals...can't be certain.
john mage