<P> John J. Crittenden and other unionist Congressmen organized the 1860 Constitutional Union Convention , which met in May 1860 . The convention nominated John Bell of Tennessee for President and Edward Everett of Massachusetts for Vice President . Crittenden , Sam Houston , William Alexander Graham and William Cabell Rives also received support for the party 's presidential nomination at the convention . In the 1860 presidential election , Bell took 12.6 % of the popular vote and won three slave states . Most of Bell 's support came from former Southern Whigs or Know Nothings . </P>
<P> John J. Crittenden and other unionist Congressmen organized the 1860 Constitutional Union Convention , which met in May 1860 . The convention nominated John Bell of Tennessee for President and Edward Everett of Massachusetts for Vice President . Crittenden , Sam Houston , William Alexander Graham and William Cabell Rives also received support for the party 's presidential nomination at the convention . In the 1860 presidential election , Bell took 12.6 % of the popular vote and won three slave states . Most of Bell 's support came from former Southern Whigs or Know Nothings . </P>
who represented the constitutional union party in the election of 1860
who represented the constitutional union party in the election of 1860
John Bell of Tennessee
John Bell of Tennessee