USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > History of the city of Quincy, Illinois > Part 19
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The result of this spirited contest. between two men whose names have since become na- tional, was that Browning carried the city by a majority of 19 and the county by 410. but was beaten in the distriet by 409 votes. It is curions
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to speculate how delayed might have been the growth to eminence of JJudge Douglas had he failed at this election. That his great talents would have sooner or later made themselves controlling is true, but his advent to national notice at this peculiar time was several years gained in his movement to fame.
In the county. Marquette or the eastern part not counting, the democratic ticket generally was successful, re-electing J. H. Holton record- er, and Nicholas Wren, county clerk. J. C. Ber- naid contested the election of Wren without snecess, but four years later had the satisfac- tion of being elected over his former opponent.
At this August election of 1843. excepting l'or members of congress, political lines were somewhat disregarded. Peter Lott, Timothy Kelly, Ebenezer Moore and Henry Asbury were elected magistrates, all of them respected and capable men. The first two were democrats. the others whigs. Judge Lott was an able law- ver, who had creditably occupied the virenit bench. and was subsequently, in 1844, elected to the legislature, served as a captain in the Mexican war, was chosen circuit elerk in 1848. and at the end of his term receiving a federal appointment, removing to the Pacific Coast, where he died. Capt. Kelly was the most promi- nent Irishman of his day in Quincy, a man of enterprise and means. Ile built the "Kelly building" at the northeast corner of Maine and Fifth streets, where is now the Dodd Build- ing, which was at the time of its erection next to the Quincy House, the most pretentious struc- ture in the town. He enlisted in the Mexican war, became a lieutenant. and was killed while bravely fighting at Buena Vista, and his body was brought to Quincy. and buried with honor.
Mr. Moore, who had been twice chosen mayor and afterwards became a banker, was always among the leading men of the place. He ro- moved to Washington some twenty years later and died there.
Henry Asbury, the only one of the four now (1883) living, was, for many years an especially efficient and popular magistrate, holding also at various times other important publie trusts. and is the oldest living "Esquire" and proba- bly the oldest licensed lawyer in the city.
At the same time, there were chosen as con- stables. Capt. J. Schwindler. an intelligent and influential German. J. M. Pitman, Wilson Land and Wm. P. Reeder. Of these "Billy" Reeder had been a constable from the earliest times. seeming to have a sort of sinecure elaim to the place, like that of old Henry Jasper to the city marshalship. Pitman was afterward twice «hosen sheriff. four times mayor and once elected to the legislature. Lane. yet living here.
subsequently filled the office of sheriff and ronniy treasurer. Mention is made of these of- ficials to show the substantial character of the men to whom publie trusts, however. subordi- nate, were given in those days. In the earliest times it necessarily happened in a sparse popula- tion, that officials would sometimes be chosen of limited attaiments: later, qualification was much more carefully looked to. far more than it has been since. when partisan dictum fur- nishes the candidate, and varnishes over the deleets of the public servants.
There was but little change in the federal representation of Quiney. Flood and Leech, as before stated, were reappointed receiver and register of the public land office. These were then highly important and responsible posi- tions, and for them these two men were excep- tionally well fitted. The local feeling over the removal of Mr. Tillson, a whig, from the post- office, was mainly because, both whigs and dem- oerats. felt that, when the change in the office. which all had expected. occurred, some Quincy democrat should be the lucky recipient, and not an imported stranger, hence both parties united in condemning the appointment. Mr. Clifford's position as postmaster for a couple of years, was no "bed of roses. " He was entirely alone. Vice-President Tyler, who succeeded on the death of President Harrison, had no support- ers in Quiney, and like Vice-President Johnson, who came in after President Lincoln, he ap- peared to be attempting the construction of a political bridge which would carry himself and his administration over to the party that had not elected him. and although a temporary nse was made of this bridge, yet at the end of the presidential term, both it and its projectors in both cases were ignored by the party they soughi, as well as by the party they had aban- doned.
Richard M. Young, who had served for many years as circuit judge, and during the past six as T'. S. Senator, was succeeded in this last of- fice by Sidney Broese, and with this his local connection with Quiney ceased. Most of his after life was spent in public positions at Washing- ton. where he died. He had been, in his various capacities, for many years, the most prominent personage of the place. Ile was an industrions. exemplary, pure minded man. of more than average ability as a jurist. and greatly re- spected in private life. On leaving the senate he was elected by the legislature to one of the varant supremo judgships in the northern part of the state, which he held for a brief period. until he went to Washington.
This was an exceptionally dull business year. Prices ranged very low, as told by figures in
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the grain and provision market, which have been the general index to business. Wheat sold in June at 70 cents per bushel. in October at 50, and 65 cents about the middle of Novem- ber. Flour during the year ranged from $3.75 to $4.25 per barrel. There was among the five or six mills a falling off in the manufacture of four of several thousand barrels. The provision trade was similarly affected in prices, though the amount produced was somewhat increased. Pork opened at about $2.00, slightly increasing in price as the season advanced. By the middle of December 7.000 hogs had been packed, quite an increase in the product of the same period in the preceding year.
Winter began early, coming in with an un- nsnally severe snowstorm on the 24th of Oe- tober, but the weather for the first half of the season, was comparatively mild.
A slight ripple of the shunbering pro and anti-slavery feeling ocenrred during the fall. and a county "anti-abolition" was held at Men- don on the 29th of September. followed on the 3d of October by an abolition meeting. The abolition vote in the county at the August elec- tion was 137, and 230 in the congressional dis- tiet.
The two contested election cases created at the Angust election, that of Barnard vs. Wren for connty clerk, and of Conyers vs. Seehorn, for county commissioner. came up, on appeal, on the second of October in the circuit court, and were then and there exhaustively argned by the best talent of the Adams county bar. A very feverish feeling over these suits had every- where arisen, partly because they blended some- what with the county-seat strife, and also be- cause they had unavoidably assumed a semi- political coloring. Judge Thomas, the immedi- ate successor of Judge Douglas, on the latter's election to congress, before whom these issues were tried, finding this unexpected and awk- ward elephant in his path at the very thresholdl, prudently reserved his decision for three weeks, making a trip in the meantime to Springfield for the purpose. as it was ungeneronsly as- serted. of ascertaining whether his decision, either way given, would be sustained by the supreme court in the event of an appeal being taken from his court. On his return the de- cision was given, on the 25th of October, ill favor of the two democratic candidates, who had already received the certificates of elec- tion. to which they were probably entitled. It was seareely fair to thus impugn the course of the big, easy-going judge. but his constitu- tional incertitude and decided partisanism gave plausibility to the charge. Whether his eon- clusion was right or wrong. its force was thus much weakened, and his own standing also.
This decision, like that of Judge Douglas. (to the effect that Marquette, the new county, though as yet unorganized. remained as "at- tached to Adams for judicial purposes.") mix- ing with political interests, or being used by the politician. gave still more complications to the county-seat quarrel.
Judge Thomas was a very large, fat man. an extreme contrast to his recent predecessor, Douglas, and those unfriendly to him, said that the mental contrast was "invertedly egnal." This was not just to the judge, who. though somewhat indolent and unstudions, was of re- spectable ability. As heretofore, with the ex- ception of Donglas, our judges had been for many years, home men, the appointment of Judge Thomas was not cordially regarded by some, his judicial conrse was prejudicially viewed and he was soon transferred to another cirenit.
Two "county seat question" campaign papers sprang up during the season, one published at Columbus, the other at Quiney. They ended life with the election. The Herald, the oldest news- paper in this section, suspended on the 19th of August, caused by that chronic complaint. indigenous to western journals. pecuniary inanition. It resumed on the 6th of October under the editorial control of E. A. Thompson, whose management during the following months of high political and local excitement was more amusing than satisfactory. The Whig was thus for a brief time the only reg- nlarly published newspaper in the county.
The bill for a division of Adams county became a law in February, after having passed through a most prolonged and exhaustive con- test in both houses of the legislature. It created a county called Marquette, which sub- sequently was named Highland, formed from the ten townships on the eastern side of the county. The bill ordained that there should be an election held on the third day of April for county officers, so as to complete the organiza- tion. There had been at home as well as in the general assembly. a sectional strife over this matter during the entire winter. The whole eastern part of the county was averse to a separation. especially when, as in this case. it was made without the consent of the people who were to be thus expatriated. The western portion, on the other hand, the city included, was equally united in behalf of a division. Very large and earnest meetings were almost daily held in various parts of the county. wherein there was much crimination. and after denunciation of the county representatives at Springfield, wherever their action had not ac- corded. with the local wish. Especially severe was the popular strieture from the eastern part
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of the county against the action which forced them to secede contrary to their desire, and it was personally leveled at those representativos who had refused to allow the question to be submitted to a popular vote. No small number of aspiring political reputations went to wreck before this sweeping storm. Browning, almost alone of the prominent publie men, managed to come out unscathed. He delivered an ad- dress on the 27th of January to a very large meeting in Quiney. in which he vindicated his action in opposition to the division. He showed that though this course was in conflict with the wishes of his immediate neighbors and home friends, and also adverse to his own personal interests. yet that he was pledged thereto and was also bound by a remonstrance against a division containing 1.925 signatures, while all petitions in its favor footed up but 1.798 sub- seribers. This bold. frank position added much to Mr. Browning's popular strength. as was shown in the surprising majority by which he carried the county at the congressional election.
The election for county officers prescribed in the law creating Marquette county, to be held on the 3rd day of April, was less than a farce. It was a nullity. It did not come off. With a singular unanimity of sentiment. everybody agreed not to vote, and. of course, the county remained unorganized. There was thus pre- sented the singular situation, for several years. of a community claiming all their political rights and exercising only such as they chose to, contesting and voting on state and national issues, but utterly refusing to act on county matters. This was comparatively easy to do for the reason that at that time votes under the viva voce system could be east at any pre- cinet in the county. The Marquette men on the day of the election would come over in crowds to Payson or Gilmer or anywhere across the line into AAdams and there vote for presi- dent. congressmen and governor. This con- tinned for some three years. The entire failure to have even the form of an election on the third of April as the law required was a point strongly urged to establish the nullity of the entire law, as it was claimed that an election and organization on that specially prescribed date was an essential, and that with a failure in this feature, the law failed.
Time brought along a partial accommodation to the condition of things, but not a wholly cordial acquiescence therein.
The two decisions heretofore referred to. were constant sonrees of irritation, since they inevitably came up to thought at every election and every session of the circuit court. They involved questions that had to be met and do-
cided, as they were promptly perhaps correctly. yet they were continually striven over. The decision given by Judge Thomas, because it tonched upon the election privileges of the peo- ple, the most sensitive of all publie subjects. was the most criticised, and yet strictly under the law. looking back to it in later times, it appears more nearly correct than it then was felt to be.
The legislature had excluded the eastern por- tion of Adams county from any participation in the local affairs of what continued to he Adams county, and this was the law as uphold by Thomas. The other decision, that of Judge Douglas, to the effeet that the citizens of what was called Marquette county, remained at- tached to Adams for all judicial purposes. seemed valid both in reason and necessity. The territory embraced within the bounds of the contemplated county, had been largely placed in this judicial cirenit, and its political posi- tion only had been afterward ordered to be changed, leaving its judicial associations no- touched. It stood in fact as did in former years, Hancock and some of the other counties of the state, which, though established by boundaries. were on account of seant popula- tion. temporarily attached to an organized county. The unreasoning prejudices of the time were so bitter, that Judge Douglas' course brought against him some partisan criticism. but it did him no injury and his conclusions were generally approved.
Building improvements were not relatively so extensive as they had been during the two or three previous years. yet much of it was of a permanent and substantial character. Some large brick structures were raised on Front street and elsewhere. adding greatly to the appearance of the place. Among others of the more pretentious kind. was the three story brick of A. T. Miller, at the corner of Fourth and Maine street, on the site of the old state bank building. This was, when erected, and for some time afterward, the largest store in the city. and quite notable for that reason. It was the Parker building in which the Herald office was long located and which was destroyed by fire in 1870.
Education received a beneficial advance in the establishment of three excellent private schools. a long felt need. One was the boys' school of C. A. Lord, which promised and did well for a year or two, but was then discon- tinned. Another was the boys' school of Messrs. Dayton and Cochrane, who had re- signed their positions in the public schools. These two schools were opened in the fall and winter of 1843. That of Dayton and Cochrane
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continued for a number of years, latterly under the management of Mr. Dayton alone.
A third enterprise of this kind was the female seminary of Miss Doty, which, though not up to what the place might properly have had. was yet in many respects. a superior institu- tion, and for six or seven succeeding years af- forded as ample and thorough instruction as the average of such institutions in the west. It was at first located on the west side of the public square and afterward in the brick build- ing on the south side of Maine street, east of Sixth, erected specially for this purpose. This enterprise was much fostered by the personal efforts of Miss Catherine Beecher, of the noted Beecher family, who through her interest in the cause of education came to Quincy, and for a while took control of the institution.
The public schools "dragged their slow length along." embarrassed still, somewhat by opposition, but mainly by lack of funds. An effort had been made by petition. to the legis- lature. to have the German taxpayers exempted from the payment of the school tax. This movement was not countenanced generally by the Germans, and failed to succeed, but the agitation of such an issue was hurtful, and showed its effect unfortunately in the city council. The feeble and unsupported condition of the public had become such, that a public meeting of the people held on the 6th of Sep- tember, called upon the council to make an ap- propriation of $300 per quarter, and pay up the salaries. The council said that they could not and would not do so, and that they would resign before so doing. The trustees of schools then directed the teachers to discontinue and the schools were suspended. Cooler councils. however, soon prevailed. and at a meeting of the conneil. September the 29th, provision was made by the issue of $300 in vonchers, to go as far as it would, and a bond for $1,200. This re-opened the schools, though in a crippled con- dition. and with the loss of their most valuable teachers.
CHAPTER XXI.
1844.
THE GREAT FLOOD. LIBRARY. HISTORICAL
CLUB. MILITARY FEELING. SEVERAL MILI-
TARY COMPANIES ORGANIZED. FIRST ODD
FELLOW'S LODGE. DEATH OF DR. NELSON. MOVEMENT TO EDUCATE COLORED CHILDREN. GREAT POLITICAL EXCITEMENT. MORMON WAR. MORMONS IN POLITICS. PRESUMPTION OF THE MORMONS. SMITH, THEIR LEADER. KILLED, COUNTY SEAT QUESTION SETTLED.
This was the year of the famous "great flood." An almost unprecedented rise, at the
same time in May and June, of the Missouri, Illinois and upper Mississippi rivers, spreading over the valleys from bluff to bluff, produced the most extensive and prolonged inundation inat up to that period had been known. The injury arising from such a flood was of course very great, and the subsidence of the waters in the fall was followed by unusual sickness. Throughout the winter of 1843-4, the Miss- issippi had remained very high. being only closed by ice for a few days. from Feb. 14th to 17th, and after that time navigation continued uninterrupted until a temporary freeze on the 12th of December.
Business during the past winter had begun to improve and became more stirring and prosper- ous than in 1843. About twenty thousand hogs were packed, which was a large increase over the product of any former season. Manufactur- ing interests. which had been lately somewhat depressed, revived and continued active. Nearly thirty-five thousand barrels of flour were ground by the half dozen mills of the city and neighborhood, this being nearly fifty per rent advance on the preceding year's business. The times still were "hard" and money was scarce. The only paper in circulation not at a discount, was that of the Indiana and Mis- sonri state banks.
A course of library lectures was the chief weekly enjoyment of the winter. These were a dozen in number. prepared by our own citi- zons, the professional men generally, and were quite popular. One very interesting lecture given by Judge Snow on the 14th of February. on the old times of Quiney, was the inciting rause of what then promised to save some val- nable records of Quincy's infant history. The interest felt ou the subject was such that the Historical Club. which had been rather inactive for some years, proposed to the city council to Furnish free of expense, a manseript of Quincy of which the club was to have sixty copies whenever the same was published. Bartlett and Sullivan, of the Whig, proposed to print the work and sell the same at twenty-five cents per vohne, if the city would pay for publish- ing the sixty copies. The city council agreed to accept these proposals, as soon as a copy should be furnished and appointed a commit- tee of three of its members to collect statistics and furnish them for the use of the club. This project, the first and only general effort to collate and preserve facts bearing upon our early history, seems to have quietly died. This is to be regretted. for that was a period when there was much of incident and legend fresh in recollection, now forever forgotten. and there were men then living who could have largely
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contributed to such a work. This lecture of that provided for the white children, and as Judge Snow's, which is unfortunately lost, and an address on the same subject by Mr. Willard Keves a few years later, were the only efforts made by any of our old pioneers to place our early history into print in a connected and per- manent form. Beyond the scant writings of these two men, both specially familiar with what they might have written more about, and some more extended reminiscences from Mr. Charles Holmes, who resided here from 1828 to 1833, hardly a serap of history or memo- randa even exists from the pen of any of the old settlers who were here prior to 1830.
The military feeling was very prevalent at this period. It was so all over the country. The jarring relations with England over our Maine and Oregon boundaries, and the feeling that trouble was ahead in Texas and with Mexico, set men to thinking of war, and with- ont any immediate thought of action in that way a military spirit was aroused. There had been a large and very good German company here for a year or two. The noted "Quincy Grays" had been disbanded some time before. but in 1843. partially from the membership of that company, the "Quiney Rifles," was or- ganized. Also, now the "Montgomery Guards." a showy Irish company was formed, making its first parade on the 31st of May. These skilled companies proved to be of much needed im- portance a few months later when the state was suddenly required to call out its military force in this section on the occasion of the killing at Carthage of Joseph and Hiram Smith, and the consequent "Mormon War." as it was called, in Haneock county. Two com- panies, the "Rifles" and "Gnards" were creditably represented three years later in the Mexican War, the captain (Kelly) of the Mont- gomery Guards being killed at Buena Vista.
The first Odd Fellows Lodge. the Quincy, No. 12, was organized during this year. Dr. David Nelson, the eminent theologian, whose name is associated with most of the early religious and philanthropie history of this sec- tion died in October. He had become mentally feeble some years before.
A somewhat singular movement, taking into account the feelings and prejudices of the peo- ple in those times, was the presentation to the city council of a strong petition. signed by Judge Richard M. Young. and one hundred and thirty others, asking that provision should be made for the education of colored children. The result was as singular as the application. A committee of the couneil, to whom the matter was referred. recommended that an appro- priation should be made equal in proportion to
there were eight hundred white children in the city, for whose education $1,200 had been appropriated, that for the thirty colored chil- dren there should be appropriated $45. This recommendation was adopted by the council, but resulted in nothing of practical value. It is, however, notable as being the first public and official action in the direction of schools for the colored race. It is also a little singular that this proposition was fathered by those who had been always counted as pro-slavery men. Judge Young long after his residence in Illi- nois, was a slaveholder, and had not a great while before this time advertised for the cap- ture of runaway slaves. Almost every one living north of Mason and Dixon's line was anti-slavery in sentiment, south of that line many thought the same, but the majority there was attached to its home institution. A very few in the north were abolitionists, conscien- tiously so, and perhaps as many northern men sympathized with slavery and would be willing to see it generally established, but these two classes were small and uninfluential; yet so un- reasoning were the prejudices of the day, that it was common to charge the northern man who objected to interference with the institution of slavery in the states where it existed. with being "pro-slavery." and alike also the south- ern man who said a word in opposition to slavery, was suspected and assailed as an "abolitionist." This was untrue and unjust all around. Neither of these small factions, repre- sented the general sentiment of the north. The extension of slavery beyond its already pre- seribed limits was altogether another question, and when that issue arose, as subsequent political history has unmistakably proven. the north showed itself to be almost a mit.
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