After the split of the Democratic Party in 1848 over the slavery question, a large part of the Barnburner faction, who had joined the Free Soil Party, returned to the Democratic Party and re-united with the Hunkers. During the following years, the Hunkers split over the question of reconciliation with the Barnburners. The Hards were against it, denying the Barnburners to gain influence in the Party. The Softs favored reconciliation with the intention of maintaining enough strength to win the elections. Both Hards and Softs favored a compromise on the slavery question: to maintain the status quo and to leave the decision to the local population in new Territories or States if they want slavery or not, as expressed in the Kansas–Nebraska Act. The Barnburners were against the permission of slavery in new Territories or States, but were now the minority in the party.
Nominations
The Free Democratic, or Independent Democratic, Party was the radical anti-slavery faction of the disbanding Free Soil Party, which advocated the immediateabolition of slavery. Their State convention was held on August 31 in Syracuse. The Democratic state convention met in September in Syracuse. Two chairmen, one Hard and one Soft, were elected who sat one beside the other and commenced proceedings ignoring each other. After some ensuing confusion, the Hards moved out, convened elsewhere, and nominated a state ticket. The Softs and Barnburners nominated their own ticket. Only the nominees for the two judgeships of the Court of Appeals were nominated jointly by Hards and Softs. The Whig state convention met on October 5 in Syracuse. Benjamin F. Bruce was Temporary Chairman until the choice of Ex-Governor Washington Hunt to preside over the convention. James M. Cook was nominated for Comptroller on the first ballot. Elias W. Leavenworth was nominated for Secretary of State on the first ballot. Elbridge G. Spaulding was nominated for Treasurer on the first ballot. Ogden Hoffman was nominated for Attorney General on the third ballot. Cornelius Gardinier was nominated for Canal Commissioner on the second ballot. Thomas Kirkpatrick was nominated for Inspector of State Prisons on the third ballot. John T. Clark was nominated for State Engineer by acclamation. Benjamin F. Harwood was nominated for Clerk of the Court of Appeals on the first ballot. George Wood was nominated for a full term as Judge of the Court of Appeals on the second vote after William Rockwell had been rejected in the first vote. Joseph Mullin was nominated for the short term by acclamation.
Results
Due to the split of the Democratic Party, almost the whole Whig ticket was elected. Only the jointly nominated Democratic judges of the Court of Appeals, Ruggles and Denio, were elected. The incumbent Ruggles was re-elected, the incumbent Mather was defeated. 23 Whigs, 7 Hards and 2 Softs were elected to a two-year term in the New York State Senate. 78 Whigs, 24 Hards, 24 Softs and 2 Free Democrats were elected for the session of 1854 to the New YorkState Assembly.
