Obviously, if the whites could be induced or coerced to stand together, they could continue to control the governments in eight of the seceding States.

The negro population, however, was not distributed uniformly over any of these States, so that, no matter how great the white preponderance in the State as a whole, there were counties or other civil divisions where negroes were in the majority.

This meant that the issue of white supremacy was present in every State, for the negro majorities in such counties could elect the local officers and control the local governments.
To attain a political consolidation of the white population all other issues must be subordinated.

Differences of opinion and judgment must be held in abeyance.

No question upon which white men might seriously disagree must be placed in the party platform, if any way to avoid such insertion could be found.