half-ally

Updated: August 18, 2026

Did the Southern leaders prefer the election of a Republican, their open opponent, to Douglas, their friend and half-ally? To such questions as these there can be little more than a conjectural answer. It would be most interesting to know the true thoughts and purposes of the leading delegates. We shall see a little later the interpretation given by one of their defenders.

George Spring Merriam - The Negro and the Nation: A History of American Slavery and Enfranchisement