USA > Illinois > McLean County > Normal > History of Bloomington and Normal, in McLean County, Illinois > Part 16
USA > Illinois > McLean County > Bloomington > History of Bloomington and Normal, in McLean County, Illinois > Part 16
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The Bloomingtonians at Cincinnati, strengthened by the other delegations from Illinois, infused great enthusiasm into the movement, and, on the first ballot, Judge Davis carried a large vote in the Convention. He was not regarded as sufficiently known all over the Union, and Horace Greeley was the fortunate, or, as the event proved, unfortunate, nominee.
But this event was not needed to prove the strong hold Judge Davis has upon the affections of his neighbors, who well know the many instances in which he has assisted the home of his adoption in nearly all plans that have been inaugurated for the public good. During his whole career in this place, he has been one of the foremost in nearly every public enterprise, so that particular enumeration here is entirely unnecessary.
In the winter of 1877 and 1878, at the Senatorial election, when the Legisla- ture was called upon to choose a successor to Gen. John A. Logan, there was a long contest before a choice was effected. The Republican party in the Legislature lacked several of a majority. The balance of power between the Democrats and Republicans was held by five or six Senators and Representatives who were called Independents, though sympathizing more with the Democrats than with the supporters of Gen. Logan, who had been voted for by the Republicans for several days in succession. The Repub- licans balloted for other persons-Judge C. B. Lawrence among others. Finally, the Independents proposed Judge David Davis, whose political sentiments were almost
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unknown, though he was supposed to lean slightly to the Democratic side, and to his. very much in sympathy with the Independents. After a few ballots, the whole strength of the Democratic party, with one or two exceptions, added to the votes of the Inde pendents, elected David Davis to the United States Senate for the six years comment cing with the 4th day of March, 1575.
His high standing as a Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States taken in connection with his well-balanced judgment, which is seldom at fault on political questions, gave him an enviable position in the Senate, where he wields an influence of which his constituents may well be proud. He has continued impartially to till the political position he was expected to occupy-that of an Independent, with a decided inclination to the side of the Democracy. Bloomington, as well as the whole State of Illinois, may well feel honored in being represented in the United States Senate by David Davis
POLITICAL HISTORY
Our city has always claimed that the great Republican party of the nation had it birth at Major's Hall in 1856. At the risk of being attacked for our audacity. we will undertake to declare this a spurious claim. In the fall of 1851. the opposition to the Nebraska bill all over the country fought its battles under different names. generally as Free-Soilers, Anti-Nebraska Democrats, the Whig or American party; though in Massa- chusetts the Free-Sollers and Anti-Nebraska Democrats had declared themselves to be Republicans. The election of Speaker in Congress in the winter of 1955 and 1556 resulted in the choice of N. P. Banks, who had been elected as a Republican and American. in 1954. It is, however, a fact that a convention called as the " Anti- Nebraska State Convention " assembled in Major's Hall, in Bloomington, May 29, 1856. which nominated William H. Bissell for Governor, which was a most enthusiastic con- vention, was addressed by Abraham Lincoln, and was practically the first Republican State Convention ever held in the State of Illinois.
Let us examine a letter signed " Anti-Nebraska," published August 9. 1854, in the Bloomington Pantagraph : " I am in favor of issuing a call for a State Conven- tion, signed by Whigs, Democrats, and persons of all other political faiths. Let all opposed to this Nebraska outrage come together upon equal footing, and when together, let them organize and devise plans by which to carry the State. As to the name under which we might organize and fight, I should care but little. The one adopted in Massachusetts, viz., ' Republicans,' is, perhaps, as nuobjectionable as any other.
" ANTI-NEBRASKA."
Here we have proof that as early as August, 1554, the name of the new pirty had been applied in Massachusetts.
There was a meeting at Potter County, Penn., July 1, 1451, when the Hon. Joshua R. Giddings and other- organized those present into the " Republican " party of that county. The proceedings of this meeting were recorded in the Potter Canty .Internal, as we are informed by William Perry, Esq, of this city, who was present at the meeting, and well remembers that Mr. Giddings spoke of the organization of the Republican party as a " new movement " being inaugurated all over the country. These references to what was being done in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania are sufficient proud that the Republican party did not " originate " solely in Bloomington ; and we might also mention thu one of the first Republicin meetings in this State was held in Aurora, Kane Co, in the month of August, 18TH.
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It is on record that during this month a County Convention in La Salle County, Ill., adopted the same name. Furthermore, Hon. Washington Bushnell, of Ottawa, Ill., sent to Mr. A. B. Ives, of this city, printed notices for calling a Republican County Convention here on the 9th of September, 1854. These notices were posted by Mr. Ives. The idea of such a convention was derided by our leading politicians, who regarded this movement as a sort of disguised abolitionism. This convention was held at our old Court House, its proceedings attracting very little attention. The Pantagraph, then a Whig paper, contained an able editorial arguing against the formation of a new party, which is almost the only evidence we find in its files that any movement was in contemplation. It did not even deign to give a regular editorial report of the County Convention, which is thus reported in the Weekly Pantagraph of September 13, 1854:
REPUBLICAN.
At a meeting of the voters of McLean County, held pursuant to notice, at the Court House in Bloomington, on Saturday, the 9th day of September, for the purpose of appointing delegates to the District Convention to be held at Springfield, on motion, Dr. J. R. Freese was called to the chair, and A. B. Ives was appointed Secretary. On motion, the following delegates were chosen, to wit : Dr. R. O. Warinner, Dr. J. R. Freese, Oliver Graves, A. B. Ives, Bloomington ; N. N. Jones, Hudson ; W. F. M. Arny, North Bloomington.
On motion of Dr. J. R. Freese, it was
Resolved, That our delegates be instructed to have added to the platform of the new party (if one is formed ) the Anti-Liquor plank.
Resolved, That the delegates have power to fill vacancies, and that the proceedings of this meeting be published in the Daily Pantagraph.
J. R. FREESE, Chairman. A. B. IVES, Secretary.
The State Convention to which these delegates were appointed, met at Springfield, October 5, 1854. It was attended by only twenty-six delegates, who were mostly Abolitionists, Owen Lovejoy, Ichabod Codding and Erastus Wright having been the moving spirits. On the 5th of October, it nominated John E. McClun, of McLean, as a candidate for State Treasurer. In a short time, the name of James Miller, of Bloom- ington, was substituted for that of Judge McClun, but the latter gentleman is entitled to the honor of having been the first Republican nominee in Illinois for a State office. This Convention is not generally considered as the first Republican State Convention, ' its numbers having been insignificant and its organization imperfect, but it is historically the earliest on record.
This is the same State Convention recommended in the Pantagraph's communica- tion of the date of August 9, 1854, and we have now plainly shown the chain of title from its beginning to its ending, proving that Bloomington assisted the general move- ment for a new party, but that our city originated very little that was new in this direction.
Very few of the delegates appointed at the Republican meeting at the Court House September 9, 1854, attended the State Convention of which we have spoken, but they were present at the Congressional Convention held at Major's Hall September 12. This district, at that time, was made up of Bureau, La Salle, Will, Kendall, Kankakee, Iroquois, Putnam, Woodford, McLean, Livingston, Champaign and Vermilion Counties. Among the delegates were some of the class known as Republicans, or Abolitionists, while others were " Anti-Nebraska" Whigs and Democrats. The Convention was
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regarded by the people of Bloomington as a sort of Abolition affir, as in this region the Whig party was supposed to be good enough for all purposes. In the organization of the Convention, the " Republican " element (then considered about the same as Abo- litionists obtained the organization, and the Committer reported and the Convention adopted a full set of Republican resolutions, which were thought to be too strong to please the Whigs, and which were intended to be too radical for the support of Jesse O. Norton, who was the Anti-Nebraska and also Old-Line Whig candidate for a renomi- nation. To the surprise of all. Mr. Norton planted himself squarely upon the Repub- lican platform.
The supporters of the opposing candidate, Mr. C. Coffin, who was also a Whig, withdrew from Major's Hall and assembled at the Pike House. There was great excite- ment in Bloomington ; committees conferred between the two wings of the Convention, and, at 11 o'clock at night, the seceders returned from the Pike House, participated in the meeting, and the Hon. Jesse O. Norton, of Joliet, was nominated as a Republican. This Convention was large and enthusiastic, and was the real parent of the Republican party in MeLean County, although many of the Whigs of that day would not acknowl- edge themselves as members of the new party.
The platform of this Convention was strongly " Anti-Nebraska," of course, was unite satisfactory to the Abolitionists, and. though not as radical as was then demanded by the latter class, it was agreeable to the " Anti-Nebraska " Whigs and Democrats ; and by a union of these three parties the Republican party was formed. In the plat- form, the " new party," referred to in the Court House meeting of September 9, was named the Republican party. This was probably the first convention of any note of this new party held anywhere in the West, though, as we have mentioned above. N. P. Banks and others were chosen to Congress as Republicans from Massachusetts at the same election. The fact seems to be that all over the country, wherever the radical " Anti-Nebraska" men were powerful, there attempts were made, during the fall of 1-54, to organize a new party ; and the meeting held in Bloomington was not held in advance of others in different States.
The resolutions of this Convention were not printed in the Weekly Pantagraph, then a Whig paper, which is the only file of newspapers of that date to which we have access. Its report of the Convention is as follows :
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.
" The Convention in session in this place yesterday, after rather a stirring time, and passing through several phases indicative of the elements of which it was composed. closed its labors at a late hour last night by nominating Hon. Jesse O Norton. Of course, as sensible men, honest in their anti-Nebraska sentiments, they were obliged to nominate the man who could be elected. Mr. Norton is now what he has ever been-n Whig-and, as such, he may well expect to be re-elected by a large majority."
The Whigs voted for Mr Norton as a Whig. The Republicans, referring to their Major's Hall resolutions, which he had indersed, voted for him as a Republican, and he was elected to Congress in November
At the same election, James H. Woodworth, of Chicago, was deeted to Congress as a Republican as we see by a dispatch from the Chicago Tribune, dated November ". 1-54, which gives the figure ".J. H Woodworth, Republican, 2 115. Turner
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(Nebraska Democrat), 695 ; Mayo (Anti-Nebraska Democrat), 70; Blackwell (Whig), 249." In the summary of Congressmen elected, we find Norton classed as a Whig, Woodworth as a Republican, while in one district an Anti-Nebraska Democrat was chosen. All this in 1854 proves that there was a Republican party at that time. The Republican party carried the State of Massachusetts at the election in 1855. When N. P. Banks reached Washington, in the fall of 1855, he and others were willing to be called Republicans, and when the long contest over his election as Speaker ended, in January, 1856, he was known all over the Union as a Republican. In the light of these facts, it is ridiculous for Bloomington to claim that the Republican party had its origin and birthplace here. If there is any historical honor connected with the mat- ter, it attaches itself to the meeting held in our Court House September 9, 1854, whose proceedings we have given above. However, the Republican State Convention held at Major's Hall, May 29, 1856, was of the greatest historical importance, as we shall see.
This Convention was largely attended by delegates from all the principal counties, and was a most remarkable gathering. John M. Palmer presided, and Abraham Lin- coln made his celebrated speech. The " Anti-Nebraska" Whigs and Democrats, with the Abolitionists, and those who, in 1854, were willing to be called Republicans, who in this State were not numerous, with a large number of the Americans, coalesced will- ingly into one party and took upon themselves boldly the name of " Republican," which had now since the election of Speaker Banks, became a name of national importance. The enthusiasm of the convention was most tremendous, and here was started the movement which resulted in the perfect organization of the Republican party of Illi- nois. The nominees of this Convention were elected. Hon. William H. Bissell was elected Governor, and James Miller, of Bloomington, State Treasurer, while the speech of Mr. Lincoln resulted in his election to the Presidency.
Ward H. Lamon, a resident of Bloomington from 1857 to 1861 when he became Marshal of the District of Columbia, in his life of Abraham Lincoln, says: " Mr. Hern- don drew up a paper to be signed by men of his class in polities, calling a County Con- vention to clect delegates to the State Convention at Bloomington. 'Mr. Lincoln was then backward,' says Mr. Herndon, 'dodgey,' so and so. I was determined to make him take a stand, if he would not do it willingly, which he might have done, as he was naturally inclined Abolitionward. Lincoln was absent when the call was signed and circulated here. I signed Mr. Lincoln's name without authority-had it published in the Journal. John T. Stuart was keeping his eye on Lincoln, with the view of keeping him on his side, the totally dead conservative side. Mr. Stuart saw the pub- lished call, and grew mad ; rushed into my office, seemed mad, horrified, and said to me, ' Sir, did Mr. Lincoln sign that abolition call which is published this morning ?" I answered, ' Mr. Lincoln did not sign that call.' 'Did Lincoln authorize you to sign it ?' said Mr. Stuart. 'No, he never authorized me to sign it.' 'Then do you know that you have ruined Mr. Lincoln ?' 'I did not know that I had ruined Mr. Lincoln-did not intend to do so-thought he was a made man by it-that the time had come when conservatism was a crime and a blunder.' 'You, then. take the responsibility of your acts, do you ?' ' [ do, most emphatically.' However, I instantly sat down and wrote to Mr. Lincoln, who was then in Pekin, or Tremont, possibly at court. He received my letter, and instantly replied, cither by letter or telegraph, most likely by letter, that
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he adopted in to " what I had done, and promised to meet the Radicals-Lovejoy and such-like me at Bloomington."
At Bloomington, Lincoln was the great figure. Beide him, all the rest, even the allest in the faith and the strongest in the work, were small. Yet, he was universally regarded as a recent convert, although the most important one that could be made in the State of Illinois. " We mat at Bloomington, and it was there," says Mr. Beandon in one of his lectures, " that Mr. Linen was baptized and joined our church. He male a speech to us. I have hand or read all Mr. Lincoln's great speeches, and give it as my opinion on my best judgment, that the Bloomington speech was the grand effort of his life. Heretofore, and up to this moment, he had simply argued the slavery question on grounds of policy, on what are called the stateman's grounds, never reaching the ques tion of the radical and the eternal right Now he was newly baptized and freshly born; he had the fervor of a new convert; the smothered flame broke out ; enthusiasm unusual to him blazed up, his eyes were aglow with an inspiration ; he felt justice; his heart was alive to the right ; his sympathies, remarkably deep for him, burst forth, and he stood before the throne of the Eternal Right, in the presence of his Good, and then and there unburdened his penitential and fired soul. This speech was fresh, news, genuine, odd. original, filled with fervor not unmixed with a divine enthusiasm ; his head breathing out through his tender heart its truths, its sense of right, and its feeling of the good and for the good. This speech was full of fire, and energy, and force; it was logie, it was pathos, it was enthusiasm; it was justice, equity, truth, right and the good set ablaze by the divine fires of a soul maddened by the wrong ; it was hard, heavy, knotty, gnarled, edged and heated. I attempted for about fifteen minutes, as was usual with me then, to take notes, but at the end of that time I threw pen and paper to the dogs, and lived only in the inspiration of the hour. If Mr. Lincoln was six feet four inches high usu- ally, at Bloomington he was seven feet, and inspired at that. From that day to the day of his death he stood firm on the right. He felt his great cross, had his great idea, nursed it, kept it, taught it to others, and in his fidelity bore witness of it to his death, and finally scaled it with his precious blood."
It is universally admitted that this great speech was the means of elevating Mr. Lincoln into the prominent position he soon occupied, and which resulted in his eleva- tion to the Presidency.
This Convention thoroughly organized the Republican party of Illinois, and, from its results, has become a landmark in the history of Bloomington-almost as prominent as if it had bern, as many seem to suppose, the first movement of the kind in the West .
To recapitulate-we find that September 9, 1854, the first Republican County Convention of Mclean County was held at the Court House; on the 13th of Septem- ber, 1851, there was a remarkable convention of Republicans of this Congressional dis- triet at Major's Hall ; while on the 29th of May, 1856, the second Republican State Convention, but really the first in importance, was also held in Major's Hall, resulting in the perfect organization of the Republican party.
The first nomination of Hon. Owen Lovejoy, to Congress, in Is56, und the " Bolt ing " Convention, held in Bloomington, deserve a place in this chapter. July 2 1-36. a delegate convention of the " Anti-Nebraska " party met at Ottawa to nominate a candidate to represent this district in Congress. This Convention was, in reality, a 11
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Republican gathering, though the name of the new party was at this time used rather sparingly. Its candidates were Owen Lovejoy, Leonard Swett, of this city, and Hon. Jesse O. Norton, then our Representative in Congress. Mr. Lovejoy was the nominee of the Convention. His nomination was exceedingly distasteful to the more conserva- tive old Whig element, especially in McLean and the southern part of the district. This element formed a considerable portion of the new party, then beginning to crys- tallize. " Abolitionist " was the most opprobrious of epithets known, and the Whigs had received too many hard blows from Mr. Lovejoy-long known as an Abolitionist- to accept him as their standard-bearer. Consequently, a large number of the delegates withdrew from the Convention, and signed a call for a " bolting " convention, to be held at Bloomington, July 16. This call was signed by Gen. Gridley, Isaac Funk, Dr. H. Noble, John J. Price and David Cheney, from this county, as well as by delegates from several other counties.
On the 16th of July, the Convention met in the Court House at Bloomington, Isaac Funk being Chairman, and nominated T. Lyle Dickey, now Judge of the Supreme Court, as candidate for Congress. In the evening, there was a mass-meeting at the west side of the Court House, in the public square. Churchill Coffin, Esq., of Peru, opened the meeting with a rather heavy speech. He was followed by Judge Dickey, in an argumentative speech, in which he wholly failed to arouse the meeting, although he roundly denounced the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. Gen. Gridley was the next speaker, and he aroused the enthusiasm of his hearers, for he paid his respects to Mr. Lovejoy, the " Abolitionist," in his usual vigorous style, and caused several interruptions from some of the highly-excited auditors. At the conclu- sion of this speech, Mr. Lovejoy was called for, and, in response, took the stand. He had spent his life in the advocacy of an unpopular cause, many times speaking before unfriendly and hostile audiences. This gathering had been collected by his enemies, and to hear himself denounced. He had been declared an enemy to his country, and a man wholly unfit to be voted for by the members of the new party. IIc quickly proved himself an unrivaled public speaker, and, in a few minutes, he had the audi- ence completely with him. He showed his hearers that, even if he had been an Abolitionist, he was entirely in sympathy with the newly-awakened Northern conscience which had now organized the new Republican party. He stated his position upon the Fugitive Slave Law, and asserted that every man of his audience regarded the law in the same light. His speech was a masterly effert-the greatest of his life-and had an electric effect upon the immense assembly. Since then, Bloomington audiences have heard Lincoln, Douglas, Corwin and Blaine, but never as effective a speech as that of Mr. Lovejoy that night. It was full of wit, declamation and pathos, and was as eloquent a speech as ever was listened to by our citizens. It killed the " bolting" convention, which was never heard of afterward. Nearly all who participated in it became ardent supporters of Mr. Lovejoy, and developed at once into the best of Republicans, and many of them were ever afterward Mr. L.'s carnest personal friends. To his great success at this meeting, thereby placing the Republicans on an advanced ground, is largely due the Republican majority in McLean County in later years, although the magnetism and popularity of Mr. Lincoln no doubt contributed toward bringing about. the same result.
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NORMAL TOWNSHIP
NORMAL UNIVERSITY.
The location of the State Normal University at North Bloomington May 7, 1857, marks a period of history that is not only important to Normal Township, but also in an equal degree to the city of Bloomington and MeLean County. At the time indi- cated, Normal was North Bloomington, or " The Junction," the six miles square, now called Normal, not having been named until after the location of the University, its first existence as a town dating from April 6, 1858. The early history of the Normal institution, its location, its first years of struggling effort, its vigorous childhood, belong
NORMAL. UNIVERSITY.
to Bloomington, and this sketch is as well calculated to honor that city as it is fitted to reflect eredit upon Normal. As we proceed with our account, we shall reach a period when the newly-built village became in reality Normal, with a definite future and pros- pects of its own, after which time, its acts and doings shall be credited to the proper source as z alously as its most earnest friends can desire.
For the sake of greater clearness, we shall here omit any particular mention of the first Settlers in Normal Township, and insert that information in another chapter by itself. We might state, that in 1557, the township was generally cecupied by farmers, the village of North Bloomington having been platted and a few houses built, but to all practical intents, the entire township was simply an agricultural district.
The Illinois Central and Chicago & Alton Railroads were finished and in running order several years before the location of the University, an excursion train having been
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run on the 4th day of July, 1854, from Bloomington to Lexington. The cars of the Illinois Central passed this point without stopping, from May 23, 1853, to the time of the completion of the other line. It was thought in 1852 that there would be a rail- road crossing near this place, and after the definite location of the Chicago & Alton line through the western part of Bloomington in 1853, the point for the junction was fixed. North Bloomington was projected and platted in the early part of 185. There was a sale of lots on the 15th of June, 1854, at which about thirty lots sold at prices ranging between $30 and $50, and public attention was thus attracted to the new town of North Bloomington. The sale took place under the auspices of W. F. M. Arny & Co., but it was understood that Mr. Jesse W. Fell was the moving spirit in the new enterprise.
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