6 0 ▁but ▁failed ▁to ▁win ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁anti - s la very ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁Massachusetts ▁deleg ation . ▁He ▁chose ▁not ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁national ▁convention ▁and ▁retired ▁as ▁Governor . ▁Republic ans ▁nominated ▁John ▁Alb ion ▁Andrew , ▁a ▁radical ▁supp orter ▁of ▁John ▁Brown , ▁as ▁B anks ' s ▁successor ▁over ▁B anks ' s ▁preferred ▁candidate , ▁Henry ▁L . ▁Daw es . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁state ▁Republican ▁convention ▁in ▁Wor c ester , ▁Senator ▁Sum ner ▁delivered ▁a ▁speech ▁claim ing ▁that ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ' s ▁sole ▁cause ▁was ▁sla very ▁and ▁the ▁primary ▁objective ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁government ▁was ▁to ▁destroy ▁sla very . ▁Sum ner ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁Union ▁government ▁had ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁invoke ▁mart ial ▁law ▁and ▁em an cip ate ▁the ▁slaves . ▁This ▁speech ▁drew ▁har sh ▁criticism ▁from ▁the ▁conserv ative ▁Boston ▁establishment ▁but ▁che ers ▁from ▁the ▁party ' s ▁abol ition ists . ▁▁ ▁During ▁and ▁after ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁Democr ats ▁and ▁anti - war ▁Republic ans ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁un pop ular ▁in ▁Massachusetts . ▁Rad ical ▁Republic ans , ▁who ▁were ▁most ▁ag gress ively ▁support ive ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁cons olid ated ▁power ▁and ▁passed ▁a ▁wave ▁of ▁re forms . ▁To ▁aid ▁the ▁war ▁effort , ▁Andrew ▁res c ind ed ▁a ▁ban ▁on ▁imm igr ant ▁milit ias . ▁During ▁his ▁governor ship , ▁Republic ans ▁repe aled ▁the ▁constitution al ▁restriction