History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc, Part 11

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344

USA > Maryland > Baltimore County > Baltimore City > History of Baltimore, Maryland, from its founding as a town to the current year, 1729-1898, including its early settlement and development; a description of its historic and interesting localities; political, military, civil, and religious statistcs; biographies of representative citizens, etc., etc > Part 11

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not yet become deep seated. Conditions were provided in the bill for emancipation, difficult of attainment and intended to fa- vor the slave master; nevertheless in them was the recognition of the right to liberty, and private manumissions were numerous. Slavery in Maryland was not regarded fa- vorably for a long period of time after the Revolution; and in Baltimore City the pro- portion of slaves to its white population was less than in any one of the slave-holding sections of Maryland.

The temper of the people of Baltimore, with whom were associated a few philan- thropic persons residing in the counties, is best illustrated by the establishment of the Maryland Colonization Society, incorpo- rated in 1832. On the 24th of March there met in Judge Brice's office in the court house George Hoffman, John Gibson, Nich- olas Brice, who had pronounced the penalty of the law upon Garrison in the libel case of Todd; Peter Hoffman, Charles Howard, Thomas Elliott, Luke Tiernan, Moses Sheppard, Solomon Ettinge and John H. B. Latrobe. George Hoffman was presid- ing officer and John H. B. Latrobe secre- tary. Previous efforts had been made to establish colonies on the western coast of Africa for the settlement of emancipated blacks. A branch society was formed in Maryland, but, being subject to a national society, the relations of the two were not harmonious. Independence and a separate colony were therefore resolved upon. There was a large free black population and an annual appropriation of twenty thousand dollars was granted by the Legislature. Three commissioners were to represent the State in the management of this trust. Set- tlers were yearly sent to Cape Palmas,

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

where the colony was located, and a regular packet sailed between it and Baltimore.

At a subsequent meeting of the board Dr. James Hall was selected as an agent of the society to superintend the location and management of those willing to move to Cape Palmas, and John Hersey as his assistant. Father Hersey, as he was fa- miliarly called, was a plain-garbed Metho- dist evangelist, who wore hooks and eyes in place of buttons on his coat; he would eat but simple fare, fasting on Fridays. He slept on a straw bed and was rigid in his devotional duties. He was the offspring of parents of good antecedents and when a young man embarked in business, losing all his money in the venture and thereby was burthened with creditors; he preached far and near with great success and signal ability; wrote numerous works and from the proceeds of their sale, finally, late in life, paid off his entire indebtedness. In early years, when financial reverses overtook him, he made a vow to sacrifice all personal com- fort until his last dollar of indebtedness was paid. He had difficulty in finding those who represented his one remaining unpaid cred- itor; they were his children, living in des- titute circumstances in New York City. He settled with them in full, both principal and interest, and wrote in his diary, "Thank God, John Hersey is now a free man."

Mr. Latrobe first met Mr. Hersey in his house on Mulberry street, where Mr. Her- sey was escorted by Moses Sheppard, who introduced him. Before Hersey would en- ter upon the subject of assistant agent in Liberia he insisted on prayer; he and Mr. Latrobe knelt, while Moses Sheppard, with his face showing disapprobation for mixing religion with business, inclined his head and

body forward, his hands resting upon his cane, which he firmly clutched by the head. Hall and Hersey sailed from Baltimore in the ship Ann on the 24th of November, 1833, with eighteen emigrants on board; they were Joshua Stewart, twenty-four years of age; Louisa, his wife, twenty-three years, and their infant son, Joseph, one year; James Stewart, nineteen years; Par- mally Delworth, fifteen years; William Connell, twenty-five years; Francis, his wite, thirty-one years, and Charles, their son, two years; all of whom were from the city of Baltimore. The others were from Fred- erick county; their names were: Jacob Gross, forty-five years, and Rosanna, his wife, thirty-three years, accompanied by their children, Clarisa, ten years, Margaret, eight, Nancy, five, Caroline, three, and Roasana, eight weeks old. The comple- ment was made up by Nicholas Thompson, forty years, and Oden Nelson, nineteen years. The ship reached Cape Palmas the 6th of February, 1834, and an enterprise, that proved subsequently a failure, was in- augurated. It was a novelty of the times, conceived for a good purpose, but imprac- ticable. The movement was fanned into a flame like similar ones by agitation con- ducted by the press, in which Lundy and Garrison were no small factors.

Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, in sketching the life of Garrison, gives this incident:

"The articles in Garrison's paper, how- ever, attracted the attention of a little, ob- scure, old man, a Quaker, who was labor- ing in the city of Baltimore for the cause. of the suffering slaves with a devotion and self-sacrifice worthy of the primitive Chris- tians.

"Benjamin Lundy, a quiet, persistent,

Charles Firmnaw

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

drab-clothed, meek, old man, one of those valiant little mice who nibble undismayed on the nets which enchain the strongest lions, was keeping up, in the city of Balti- more, an anti-slavery paper which was read only by a few people who thought just as he did, and which was tolerated in southern society only because everybody was good- naturedly sure that it was no sort of matter what it said.

"Benjamin, however, took his staff in hand and journeyed on foot up to Benning- ton, Vt., to see the man who wrote as if he cared for the slave. The strict Baptist and the meek Quaker met on the common ground of the cross of Christ. Both were agreed in one thing; that here was Jesus Christ, in the person of a persecuted race, hungry, thirsty, sick and in prison, with

none to visit and relieve, and the only ques- tion was, would they arise and go to His help.

"So Mr. Garrison went down to the city of Baltimore to join forces with Benjamin Lundy. 'But,' as. he humorously ob- served, 'I wasn't much help to him, for he had been all along for gradual emancipation, and soon as I began to look into the matter I became convinced that immediate aboli- tion was the doctrine to be preached, and I scattered his subscribers like pigeons.' "

Garrison was imprisoned in the Baltimore jail in a cell once occupied by a man hanged for murder. "He wrote sonnets on the wall of his prison." When discharged from it he renewed his fight against slavery, making his name renowned as one of its most for- midable assailants.

CHAPTER V.

EVENTS FROM 1835 TO 1859 ; OR, A PREFACE TO THE DEBATE OF ARMS.

The summary that follows is a narrative of events that succeeded one another in reg- ular succession without doing more than rousing the feelings of partisanship. If the days of nullification and the war with Mex- ico be excepted, there is left only the rival- ries of contending parties. While it is strictly true that the era was broad in its partisanship, it was insidious, and its subtle poison was distilling itself through the veins of our national life. The epoch can properly and appropriately be characterized as the preface to the debate of arms that woke the heroism of the people to deeds of sublime daring.

The decline and fall of the memorable Whig party and the failure of its pacific measures to stay the oncoming wave of blood; the rise of Americanism, to live a brief and troubled day, and to hide itself in its shroud, while fast in its wake rolled the chariot of red-handed war, which the "Union party" could not check or stop, will not be passed over carelessly by those who peruse these pages.

1835.

The 20th of May the National Demo- cratic Convention met in the Fourth Pres- byterian Church, Baltimore. Martin Van Buren was nominated for President and Richard M. Johnson for Vice-President.

Andrew Stevenson, of Virginia, was chairman of the convention; his address was graceful, fluent and conciliatory. A committee was appointed to draft and pub-

lish an address to the people of the United States, embodying the cardinal principles of the party. It was composed of Silas Wright, of New York; Upton S. Heath, of Maryland; Jared W. Williams, of New Hampshire; Robert Strange, of North Car- olina, and Samuel A. Cartwright, of Mis- sissippi.

The committee informed the convention that it would be unable to report the address in time for its adoption, so it was author- ized to issue it after its adjournment. In August the address made its appearance; it was long and cumbersome, much too long for a campaign document; it deplored sectional animosities and the hostile opin- ions of those opposed to slavery. On this subject appeared this sentence: "Congress has no right to interfere with the domestic relations of master and apprentice in Massa- chusetts or master and servant in Virginia any more than they have to meddle with similar social relations in Great Britain, France or Spain."

Jesse Hunt having resigned the mayor- alty in consequence of the Bank riot, it was necessary to elect a successor to him; it was also the year of congressional election. Gen. Samuel Smith was the Democratic candidate for Mayor and Moses Davis the Whig candidate. Benjamin C. Howard and Isaac McKim were the Democratic nomi- nees for the House of Representatives and C. R. Stewart and James P. Heath the Whig candidates, and George H. Stewart was an

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

independent candidate. The last named gentleman in his tour of the city complained of the rough usage to which he was sub- jected. He issued an address to the public in which he charged that disorders and riots had prevented his addressing town meet- ings in the Bel Air and Lexington markets, and to rebuke such manifestations he sum- moned the friends of law and order to meet in Monument Square Friday evening, Oc- tober 2d, at seven o'clock.

At the municipal election Smith received 5,190 votes and Davis 1,61I votes.

At the congressional election October 5th Howard had 5,622 votes, McKim had 5,599, Stewart had 4,910, Heath had 4,960 and George H. Stewart had 189.

1836.

Gen. William Henry Harrison reached Baltimore Thursday afternoon, September 22d, from Washington. Accompanying him was a delegation of citizens of Balti- more. From Carroll's bridge a procession of people on horseback escorted him to the place at which he joined the main body of processionists on Pratt street. After a line of march through Pratt, Bond and Balti- more streets, the Eutaw House was reached, where the General was entertained during his visit. He was received on arriving at the hotel by Judge Hanson, who delivered a speech of welcome, to which the General responded.

The question of representation in the Legislature, and the inequality of the then existing system, was again agitated. Dis- cordant elements were united in one pur- pose and a convention was proposed of re- formers without distinction of party, to be held in the city of Baltimore. When the

convention assembled on June 6th it was found that Baltimore, Harford, Cecil, Mont- gomery, Frederick, Washington counties and Baltimore City were represented. The convention issued an address calling upon the people to send delegates to the State Legislature who were pledged to introduce and support a bill for taking the sense of the voter on reforming the Constitution of the State, through a constitutional conven- tion. The Assembly of 1835 passed an act directed towards enlarged representation in more populous districts, which required confirmation at the ensuing session of the Legislature in order to become a law. The act provided for two additional delegates in Baltimore City. Carroll county was carved out of Frederick and Baltimore counties, giving four more representatives to the western section of the State, which had the effect of encouraging the reformers in their demands.

Interest in the absorbing question inten- sified. September 15th an election was held for members of the Electoral College, who should chose a State Senate. It resulted in the election of twenty-one Whigs and nine- teen Van Buren electors, known in the Democratic parlance of the times as "the glorious nineteen." At the date fixed for the meeting of the Electoral College at An- napolis it was unable to assemble, in con- sequence of the absenteeism of the "glorious nineteen." They declined to take their seats unless promised in advance that eight mem- bers of the Senate should be selected friend- ly to the reforms at issue. The Whigs re- fused pledges in advance, and a deadlock ensued which lasted until November the 19th. Joshua Vansant and others, who rep-

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

resented Baltimore, were active in their ob- structive tactics.

The adjourned reformed convention was reassembled in Baltimore November 16th; it resolved eloquently and adjourned to meet in Cambridge at a later date. The General Assembly was convened and con- firmed the acts of the previous session re- lating to reform; increasing representation in Baltimore City to four delegates. In the election of representation from the city to the Legislature the Whigs polled 5,502 and the Democrats 5,793 votes. Smith, Demo- crat, was elected Mayor over Small, having a vote of 5,261 to Small's 4,651. The Presi- dential vote resulted in Van Buren receiv- ing 5,740 and Harrison 5,630 votes.

1837.

In March the Legislature passed a law ultimately leading to the granting of most of the desired changes. The power of elect- ing the Governor was vested in the people; the Senate was reconstructed; one member was assigned to each county, and one to Baltimore City to be elected by popular vote; Baltimore City was given five mem- bers of the House of Delegates, and it was provided that after 1840 counties having a population of 35,000 should be entitled to elect six delegates, and Baltimore City was vested with the same privilege. The elec- tion for members of Congress this year de- veloped considerable acrimony. Benjamin C. Howard and Isaac McKim were the Democratic candidates and John P. Ken- nedy and Charles S. Ridgely the Whig can- didates. The Democrats charged Kennedy with political apostasy, and being an attor- ney hired by the banks and the author of a resolution stopping specie payments, and

causing the interests of Baltimore to be im- paired by the construction of a canal from Havre de Grace to Philadelphia. He was also charged with denouncing gold and sil- ver and with being pledged to rag money. It was said of Ridgely that he was the au- thor of a gag law and numerous other de- vices and schemes; an echo of Kennedy and a tool of the bank aristocracy.

The Whigs retorted. McKim was ar- raigned for being a silent member of Con- gress; it was said he got up one day to leave the house when his eye met the speak- er's, and the Speaker recognized him, "the gentleman from Maryland." He wanted no recognition, but managed to say "Mr. Speaker, I move to adjourn." The House had only been in session a short while and the motion did not prevail.

Both Howard and McKim were severely criticised in the usual style fashionable dur- ing such campaigns. It was "a Roland for an Oliver" throughout the entire struggle.

The vote stood in the twelve wards of Baltimore City, that being the number then existing, Howard, 6,062 votes; Mc- Kim, 6,031; Kennedy, 5,794; Ridgely, 5,- 732 votes.

1838.

The first Democratic State Convention met in Baltimore May 3Ist. The result of its choice for the Gubernatorial nomination was William Grayson, of Queen Anne county. The Whigs opposed him with John L. Shelly. The campaign was energetically conducted by both parties. After the votes had been polled in the city, a crowd composed of persons belonging to each of the parties gathered before the newspaper offices on Gay street and awaited the an-

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

nouncement of the result. Loud cheering and some hisses were indulged in. There was but one outcome of an exhibition of hostile feelings to be anticipated, and it oc- curred at II o'clock-a most desirable hour for the police. A brisk fight took place; stones and brick bats went flying through the air and many persons were wounded. The interest in the result of the election was kept up in such a manner until after the nocturnal hour of 2 o'clock a. m. The City Guard then appeared and informed the gen- tlemen present, who were anxious to know who had been elected by the people, the first Governor of Maryland, that it was time to go home; that they would be furnished the information next morning by the news- papers. Accordingly, in no good humor, the crowd took to its heels, and when it learned the result, it was ascertained that Grayson had in the city 6,074 votes, and Shelly 6,191 votes.

During its session this year, the Legisla- ture passed an act requiring a registration of voters in Baltimore City. It was sub- mitted to the voters for approval or rejec- tion and adopted by a majority of 52 votes out of a total vote of 13,316. Those not voting were counted in favor of the meas- ure, which gave it an apparent majority of 716 votes. The mode of its adoption se- cured its repeal the 5th day of January, 1840.

1840.

May the Ist the Young Men's Whig Con- vention, composed of delegates from the several States of the Union, assembled in Baltimore. The city was crowded with visi- tors and accommodations were not to be had at a premium, hundreds could not find shelter. The day of the great parade Balti-

more street from Paca street to Jones' Falls was swarming with a dense crowd. At IO o'clock the procession moved. Mayor Leakin and Daniel Webster were in a ba- rouche at the head of the line. The dele- gations of the several States carried ban- ners which were saluted by cheers. There were such devices as stags horns, antiers, beaver traps, log cabins and coons. Hun- dreds of men had on hunters' shirts and ex- hibited the rusticity of frontier life and its perils, faithfully, as far as appearances could do so.

The grounds of the Canton race course was the objective point of the procession. Hard cider was liberally dispensed along the route and at the grounds where the meetings took place.

Twenty thousand men were called to or- der at Canton, the Rev. Henry Bascom, a friend of Clay, supplicated the Throne of Divine Grace. The appearance of the mul- titude was that of a large army drawn up in front of its commander. The stand be- fore which the audience stood was beauti- fully decorated. During the Rev. Mr. Bas- com's prayer, heads were uncovered and bowed in reverence.

The incomparable Daniel Webster; the magnetic Henry Clay, the compromiser; the famed John Sargeant, William C. Pres- ton; the eccentric Henry A. Wise and other distinguished gentlemen inspired the audi- ence until it went wild and rent the air with acclaiming sounds.

During Mr. Clay's visit on this occasion or some other one, George R. Richardson, the eloquent lawyer, was selected to make an address of welcome and introduce him to the people from the portico at Barnum's Hotel. Mr. Richardson suffered himself to

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

become frightened at the august presence of the great man and was unable to speak. After Mr. Clay made his speech, he turned to Mr. Richardson and said, "Why, Mr. Richardson, what was the matter with you ?"

The National Democratic Convention met in the city the 5th of May, at the As- sembly Rooms. Martin Van Buren was nominated for President. The convention adjourned without naming the nominee for Vice-President, leaving that important of- ficer to the Democracy of the States for their selection.

The Whigs in the October State election met with exhilirating success. So elated was the State Whig Committee, located in Baltimore City, over the result that it is- sued an address to the voters of the State, calling it a "signal and unexpected triumph which had crowned their efforts." The committee claimed "an overwhelming pre- ponderance of Whigs in the Legislature, by so large a popular majority as to deprive the Democrats of the slightest hopes of suc- cess in the final result in November."

The House consisted of ninety-nine members, of which the Whigs elected sixty and the Democrats nineteen. The Senate consisted of twenty-one members, the Whigs returned fifteen and the Democrats six.

The 23d of October a further address was put forth by the Whig Committee. It closed: "Remember, to relax now is to in- cur defeat and to forfeit all honors and ad- vantages of our past success. It is the last charge: Let the whole Maryland Line ad- vance in solid column and in the language of the hero who was never beaten, 'The day is ours.' "

Duff Green, a self-willed and eccentric newspaper man, an advanced courier of the National American party, who edited the "Pilot," in the issue of his prospectus for his paper, expressed sentiments which did not meet with popular approval. He served notice of his intentions after the elec- tion was over to continue these utterances, especially "as to religious sects." The Whig Committee fearing his avowals might embarrass their party, issued an address in which they said, "General Green has an un- doubted right to take such a course as his own judgment may approve." The com- mittee had protested against his doing so, as a Whig party organ, and went on to an- nounce their previous action. He had been repeatedly requested "not to do so; we now emphatically declare that the Whig party is not in any way, or to any extent, responsible for what has heretofore been published in the 'Pilot' on the subject of 'Catholicism and Naturalized Voters,'" and "will not be responsible for what General Green may be pleased hereafter to do."

A stirring Presidential campaign had fol- lowed the nominations of both parties. In Baltimore, from beginning to end, they worked to their uttermost. It was a closely contested struggle. The Democrats won by a majority of 31 votes. Partisans neg- lected business during the campaign, and excitement and enthusiasm were at their height. Lyceums, places of amusement and recreation were neglected under the commotion electioneering created. On the 3d of November, after nightfall, a collision took place between the rivals. The Whigs were at their usual place of assembling in front of the "Patriot" office when a fire alarm sounded and the engines passed on

HISTORY OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

their way to it. On their return from Old Town, the firemen were stopped by the dense crowd when they undertook to force their way through it. They met with op- position, and a battle with brick-bats was waged. A number of people were injured. The Mayor made a public address of the usual pacific character on such occasions, and peace was restored. At the fall election for President the city gave Mr. Van Buren 7,326, and Gen. W. H. Harrison 7,295 votes.

1841.

William C. Johnson was the nominee of the Whigs and voted for by them at the election of this year for Governor. He was opposed by Francis Thomas, the Demo- cratic nominee. The result of the battle was for the former 6,386, and for the latter 7,435.

1842.

At the municipal election Solomon Hil- len, Democrat, received 7,296 votes, being elected over Mr. Small, his Whig competi- tor, who polled 2,853 votes.

1843.

Daniel Webster was tendered a dinner in Baltimore the 18th of May by merchants of the city. It was sumptuously gotten up by the proprietor of the Exchange Hotel. Around the festive board was that talent and wealth for which the city was famous. Mr. Webster, when responding to the toast allotted to him, referred to our agricultural pursuits; to our commerce on the seas; our manufactures in the shops and the necessity of tariff protection to the products of our home industries. In commerce we had rivals, but not superiors, and we should

guard all our energies by perpetually pro- tecting them.

The election for members of the Legisla- ture this year in the city resulted in a Whig vote of 6,564 and a Democratic vote of 6,484.

1844 ..

May Ist the Whig Convention assembled in the city of Presidential nominating con- ventions, holding its sessions in the Univer- salist Church. Great men made burning speeches, and Henry Clay, doomed never to be President, was once more placed in nomination for that high office. Theodore Frelinghuysen was elected as the nominee for Vice-President.

May the 2d was surrendered to a civic procession and a mass meeting held on the Canton race course grounds, under the au- spices of the Young Men's National Whig Convention, which assembled contem- poraneously with the nominating conven- tion. The decorations on Baltimore street, down which the procession passed, were on a magnificent scale. An arch stood at Baltimore and Hanover streets, and one other at Calvert street. The ship Tariff was full rigged and manned with National banners flying. Implements of husbandry were represented and flags waved along the entire line. One banner, more artistically beautiful than all others, was of silk, having on it a perfect likeness of Henry Clay. It now hangs suspended in one of the rooms of the Maryland Historical Society.

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Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n Publication date: 1898 Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1344

Author: Shepherd, Henry Elliott, 1844-1929, ed. 4n
Publication date: 1898
Publisher: [Uniontown? Pa.] S.B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1344