USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : from 1700 to the present time, Volume I > Part 10
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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
were held in the spring forced the political campaign to be carried on during the winter, and some of these early campaigns were intensely interesting.
1801-The first Constitutional Convention assembled in Albany, October 13, 1801. The delegates from Oneida county were James Dean, Bezaleel Fish and Henry Huntington. The most prominent of these men was Mr. Dean. He was one of the earliest settlers of the county, had acquired a large tract of land by patent, had much to do with the Indians, mastered the language of the Iro- quois and had great influence among that most remarkable people. Mr. Hun- tington was also prominent among business men in the early history of the county, was connected with the first bank organized in Utica, and finally became its president.
1803-The election of 1803, although there were no particular local differ- ences to make it more exciting than others, assumed great proportions in the state by reason of the fact that it was the beginning of a life and death strug- gle between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Differences had arisen prior to this between these two great men, and the sequel of the election in the following year was the awful tragedy at Weehawken, when Hamilton, perhaps the foremost intellect among American citizens, was murdered by his unscrupu- lous rival. The state was in political turmoil during the year 1803. The Re- publican county convention was held at the house of Moses Bagg, in the village of Utica, on the 29th day of March, and resolved to support Caleb Hyde for sen- ator for the Western District, and Joseph Jennings, Thomas Hart, Walter Martin and Nathan Sage for members of assembly; it also appointed Francis A. Blood- good, Nathan Williams, Apollos Cooper, James Kip, Needon Maynard, Rufus Easton and Oliver Lucas a committee to correspond with different committees and prepare an address to the people. In their address, among other things, they said of their opponents, "Every day they blaspheme the name of Wash- ington, whilst the name of their idol, the name of John Adams is continuously avoided. The Republicans revere and follow Washington; but the administra- tion of Adams they hope will never be renewed." The records attainable do not show who the local opposing candidates were at this election. The returns of this election show that Vincent Matthews, the Federal candidate for senator, carried the county by 269 majority, and the Federal candidates for assembly, Ostrom, Coffeem, Kirkland and VanEps were elected by an average majority of about 300.
1804-The election of 1804 was most interesting, as the candidate of the Federal party for governor was Aaron Burr, and of the Republican party Morgan Lewis. From an editorial in the Columbian Gazette of March 5, 1804, we quote the following: "To our Republican fellow citizens in this county and the western district, we would recommend the strictest unanimity and firmness in the approaching election. If any person mentions the name of Mr. Burr as governor observe the Meddler, you will certainly find the man to be a Federa- list, the policy of whose party (in this district) is to create confusion and to disunite us. Let such men be treated with that contempt which they so richly merit, and their assertions, upon this occasion, be classed with the numerous falsehoods and improbable rumors which have been propagated by the same industrious drudges on the eve of former elections. We can assure you, upon
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the most authentic information, that Judge Lewis will receive the unanimous support of the Republicans throughout the state, that Mr. Burr can only rely upon the votes of a few friends, who, though calling themselves Republicans, are secretly associated with many of the Federal party, and who, when united, will make but a sorry show, either in number or responsibility, in short, we have no doubt that Judge Lewis will succeed by a vast majority. We are confident that no Republican in the western district will disgrace himself so far as to be persuaded into a pitiful minority or forsake the great body of his fellow citizens, upon so important an occasion." This same paper gives an account of a meeting of the members of the legislature and other prominent citizens on February 20 at the Assembly Chamber in the Capitol at Albany, when a communication was received from Chancellor Livingston, declining the nomination for governor that had been tendered him, and this meeting "Resolved unanimously that the Honorable Morgan Lewis, Chief Justice of the state is considered by this meeting a suitable candidate for the office of governor, and that Mr. Taylor, Mr. Johnson, Mr. L'Hommedieu and Mr. Talmadge of the senate, and Mr. Peck, Mr. Few, Mr. Elmendorf and Mr. Mooers of the assembly be a committee to wait upon his honor, the Chief Justice, to know whether he will accept the nomina- tion." The committee reported that the Chief Justice would accept the nomi- nation. He was, therefore, declared nominated, and John Broome was nomi- nated for lieutenant governor. This meeting then prepared and sent forth an address to the people, advocating the election of the candidates which it had nominated. Mr. Lewis was elected governor, and carried the county against Mr. Burr by a majority of 248.
1805-In the Columbian Gazette of April 8, 1805, we learn that the Repub- lican county convention was held at the hotel in Hampton, April 2, and that the following ticket was nominated: For senators, John Nichols and Obadiah German; for members of assembly, Joseph Jennings, George Brayton, Thomas Hart. In the same paper appears an account of the organization of the two new counties, Jefferson and Lewis, and a statement of the officers of those counties. In the Columbian Gazette of April 22, is found a report of the convention of the Federal Republican electors held at Whitesboro, April 13, at which were nominated for the assembly David Ostrom, George Doolittle and Peter Schuyler. The Republican electors of Chenango county had met at Oxford, February 20, and ratified the nomination of John Nichols and Nathan Lock for senators; the same proceedings were had in Onondaga county, and also at Geneva. In many instances it is impossible to ascertain who the opposing candidates were, for the papers in those days said very little about the opposite parties except in the way of abuse, but from the civil lists of the state of New York covering this period the names of the successful parties can be ascertained, and it appears that John Nichols and Nathan Lock were elected to the senate.
1806-As this was the year in which a president was to be elected, the campaign was exciting, and the usual amount of bitter attacks on the opposite candidates was indulged in. James Madison was the Democratic candidate for president, and Charles Cotsworth Pinkney the Federal candidate. The legis-
TABLET OF ORISKANY MONUMENT GENERAL HERKIMER AFTER HE WAS WOUNDED
ONE OF THE TABLETS OF ORISKANY MONUMENT
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lature of New York elected that year was controlled by the friends of Mr. Madison, and Joshua Hathaway was appointed presidential elector for this congressional district. The vote in the legislature for president was as follows: Madison 122; George Clinton 6; Pinkney 48: for vice president, Clinton 113; Rufus King 48; John Langdon 9, and Madison and Monroe each one. The local ticket for that year appears in the Columbian Gazette for April 26, and was as follows: For senators, Francis A. Bloodgood, Sylvanus Smalley, Luther Rich, Silas Halsey and Walter Martin. At this time senators were elected by great districts, and Francis A. Bloodgood, of Utica, was the candidate from this county. John Hathaway was the candidate for representative in Congress, and the candidates for assembly were Nathan Pike, Leavitt Fox, Joseph Mott and Thomas H. Hamilton. The Republican county convention was held that year at Hampton in the town of Westmoreland, and this ticket was ratified in that convention. A local Republican ticket seems also to have been nomi- nated by a public meeting held in Utica on the third day of April, and the ticket consisted of John Nicholson for representative in Congress; for senators, Jacob Gebhard, Nathan Smith, John Ballard and Samuel Buel; and for mem- bers of assembly, Thomas Hart, Joseph Jennings and George Brayton. A popu- lar meeting was also held in Utica, April 5, at which resolutions were passed adopting the above candidates for the assembly and the candidates for senator, with the exception that Evan Wharry was substituted in the place of Nathan Smith, and William Kirkpatrick was nominated for representative in Congress. There was still another meeting held at New Hartford on April 14, at which Col. Oliver Collins presided, and at which William Kirkpatrick was endorsed for Congress; George Brayton, Charles Z. Platt and Uri Doolittle for members of assembly, and Freegift Patchen, Evans Wharry, John M'Whorton and Joseph Annin were nominated for senators. The returns of this election show that for senators Wharry received 150 majority, Annin 150 majority, M'Whor- ton 127 majority, and Patchen 131 majority ; Kirkpatrick for Congress received about 400 majority; Doolittle and Platt were elected to the assembly by about 300 majority each, while Brayton seems to have had no opposition, receiving 2,334 votes, and none cast against him so far as the record shows. It is worthy of remark here, that so slow were the facilities for procuring information, that not until June 3 did the newspapers announce the result of the election for the senate in the western district, and on June 24 the announcement was made through the Columbian Gazette that Kirkpatrick had been elected to Congress.
1807-An interesting incident occurred during the early part of the year 1807. A meeting of Republicans was called to be held at the house of A. Loomis in Westmoreland on the 15th day of January. It was largely attended, and the object was to formulate an address to be presented to Thomas Jefferson, requesting him to stand as a candidate for election to the presidency. The address presented to Mr. Jefferson was a somewhat lengthy paper, laudatory of him and his party and bitterly condemning prior administrations, and closed as follows: "We offer no adulatory praise; we dedicate no fulsome panegyric. But, as men, anxious for the prosperity and happiness of the nation, we cannot forbear calling upon you to relinquish the idea of retiring from our counsel We, therefore, expect from you, Sir, that the public good
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will outweigh all private considerations, and that you will accept our suffrages and support and again preside over a people happy under your administra- tion." On the 16th day of February, at Albany, by a majority of the Republi- can members of the legislature, a number of prominent citizens from various parts of the state, Daniel D. Tompkins was nominated for governor and John Broome for lieutenant governor. The usual address was issued to the people, and signed by those who took part in the meeting. It was stated at this time that the legislature stood, as divided between the party, as follows: In the Senate 21 Republicans, 11 Lewisites, (as they were then called) ; and in. the Assembly 48 Republicans, 34 Lewisites and 18 Federalists, making the number of the assembly at that time 100.
1808-In 1808 the Federal Republican nominations were made April 1, at a meeting held at the hotel in Utica. This meeting was of electors and not of delegates. At this meeting a resolution was passed by which it was "Resolved unanimously that Thomas R. Gold be recommended to the electors of the con- gressional district in which the county of Oneida may be included, as a suitable character for representative in Congress." It was also resolved that Henry M. Niel was a "suitable character" to stand as a candidate for senator, and that David Ostrom, Benjamin Wright, James Dean, Joel Bristoll and John Storrs were "suitable characters" to stand as candidates for members of assembly in the county. There was appended to the report of this meeting the names of those who took part in it, there being several hundred, and the pre- siding officer was Benjamin Walker. It seems that the politicians of that early day had a curious way of presenting their candidates to the people. For in- stance, on March 25, 1808, a meeting of electors was held at the house of A. Fairchild in the town of Remsen, and this meeting presented candidates as follows : For Senator, Enoch Hall; for representative in Congress, John Easton, for member of assembly, James Sheldon. Such meetings as these were evidently held to place before the people the candidate which a certain clique or num- ber of men desired for the respective offices. As to how effective this meeting was in furthering the interests of the respective candidates there are no records to enable us to tell. From the returns of the following election it appears, however, that Mr. Gold, the Federal candidate for representative in Congress, had a majority of 715, and that the Federal candidates for senator received an average majority of about 300, while the assemblymen received a majority of about 600. Commenting upon the result of this election the Patriot said: "We do not exult; but we rejoice that this respectable county continues, not only firm and steadfast, but that it is increasing in strength."
An unusual meeting assembled at Utica, September 3, 1808. This meeting was called for the purpose of addressing the President of the United States upon the subject of the relation between this country and foreign nations. The famous Embargo Act was working great injury to the commerce of this country, and the opposition of the Federalists to the government was intense. The meeting passed resolutions condemning the Embargo Act, and calling on the President for its suspension. A committee was appointed from each town of the county, and an address was prepared to be forwarded to the President. Mr. Jefferson, the President, paid the inhabitants of the county the respect of
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answering their communication, and this is so extraordinary a paper that we give it in full: "To the inhabitants of the county of Oneida in meeting assem- bled: Your representation and request were received on the 11th inst., and have been considered with the attention due to every expression of the senti- ments and feelings of so respectable a body of my fellow citizens. No person has seen with more concern than myself, the inconveniences brought on our country in general, by the circumstances of the times in which we happen to live; times to which the history of nations presents no parallel. For years we have been looking as spectators on our brethren of Europe, afflicted by all those evils which necessarily follow the abandonment of the moral rules which bind men and nations together. Connected with them in friendship and com- merce, we have happily so far kept aloof from their calamitous conflicts, by a steady observance of justice towards all, by much forebearance and multiplied sacrifices. At length, however, all regard to the rights of others have been thrown aside, the belligerent powers have beset the highway of commercial intercourse with edicts which, taken together, expose our commerce and mariners under almost every destination, a prey to other fleets and armies. Each party indeed would admit our commerce with themselves, with the view of associating us in their war against the other; but we have wished war with neither. Under these circumstances were passed the laws of which you complain, by those delegated to exercise the powers of legislation for you, with every sympathy of a common interest in exercising them faithfully. In reviewing these measures therefore, we should advert to the difficulties out of which a choice was of necessity to be made. To have submitted our rightful commerce to prohibitions and tributary exactions from others, would have been to surrender our independence. To resist them by arms was war, without consulting the state of things or the choice of the nations. The alternative preferred by the legislature of suspending a commerce placed under such unexampled difficulties, besides saving to our citizens their property, and our mariners to their country, has the peculiar advantage of giving time to the belligerent nations to revise a conduct as contrary to their interests as it is to our rights. In the event of such peace or suspension of hostilities between the belligerent powers of Europe, or of such change in their measures affect- ing neutral commerce, as may render that of the United States sufficiently safe in the judgment of the president, he is authorized to suspend the embargo. But no peace or suspension of hostilities, no change of measures affecting neu- tral commerce, is known to have taken place. The Orders of England, and the Decrees of France and Spain, existing at the date of these laws, are still unre- pealed, as far as we know. In Spain, indeed, a contest for the government appears to have risen; but of its course or prospects we have no information on which prudence would undertake a hasty change in our policy. I should with great willingness have executed your wishes had peace or a repeal of the obnoxious edicts, or other changes, produced the case in which alone the laws have given me that authority : and so many motives of justice and interest lead to such changes, that we ought continually to expect them. But while these edicts remain, the legislature alone can prescribe the course to be pursued. Thomas Jefferson."
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1809-A meeting of electors of Oneida county of great importance was held at Whitesboro on the 2d day of March, 1809, and it is stated that more than 1,500 men attended. The object of the meeting was said to be to take into consideration the present state of the country as to suitable candidates for sen- ators of the western district and members of assembly of the county. The senatorial ticket, which had been nominated at a meeting held at. Onondaga, January 25, was approved. This ticket consisted of Jonas Platt of Oneida, Amos Hall of Ontario, and Seth Phelps of Cayuga. The meeting then nominated for members of assembly, David Ostrom, John Storrs, John Humaston, Samuel Chandler and Levi Carpenter, Jr. The meeting was addressed by Hon. Thomas R. Gold, and it adopted a series of resolutions. The result of the meeting was published, together with the names of the persons who participated. It is remarkable that a body of men so prominent and influential should have arrayed themselves in so pronounced a manner against the administration in such a critical time as that proved to be. The first resolution began as follows: "Resolved, that the powers given to the Congress of the United States for the purpose of protection and defense, have been turned against the country, whereby the charter rights of the citizens are subverted, and the fruits of our glorious revolution put in jeopardy." This indicates the spirit of the meeting, and the remarkable part of the situation appears, in fact, that the measures taken by the government were productive of the rights of the United States against the insults of foreign countries. The committee appointed at this meeting issued an address in which the administration was violently assailed, and the former Federal administrations inordinately lauded. The address closed as follows: "Is it not time to withhold our confidence from men who have drawn so thick a cloud of evil over the fair sunshine of our prosperity, who have blasted the rich harvest of blessings planted and erected by their predecessors; who have been abundant in words but sparing in works of utility ? # *
* We recommend to your suffrages candidates of the school of Wash-
ington, who warmly approve of his principles and admire his example; men, who when their country calls for acts of energy, will not be found skulking behind a proclamation: who will not quit the highway of nations to seek for shelter beneath the fir trees of an embargo; who, under the pretence of preserving property of the citizens, will not forbid them the use of it; and to en- force the preposterous mandate, deprive us of a trial by jury, and sub- ject our persons and the earnings of laborious industry, to the craving desires of angry caprice of every petty collector armed with the power of a military despot." It is a remarkable fact that this committee was composed of many of the most prominent men residing in the county, the chairman being Ben- jamin Walker, and among the members were Morris S. Miller, Erastus Clark, Charles C. Broadhead, Jedediah Sanger, Thomas R. Gold, William G. Tracy and others. It is noteworthy that a meeting was held at Oxford, Chenango county, on the 20th day of March, 1809, at which the senatorial ticket was ap- proved, and resolutions in the same spirit of those in Oneida county were adopted by the Federal Republicans. A number of bolting Whigs, calling themselves American Whigs, issued an address advising the support of the ticket nominated by the Federalists. They constituted what might be called the peace element of the Whig party, and it would seem as if they were for
COLONEL BENJAMIN WALKER Aid to George Washington
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"peace at any price." The Republican party accused the Democrats in this election of nominating a Tory for the senate, and the other party reiterated by making the same charge; and, as no person could be in worse odor than a Tory, this was supposed to be enough to disqualify any candidate from receiv- ing the vote of any citizen. The attack upon the respective candidates seemed to have little effect, as the Federalists carried the county by their usual major- ity. For senators, Platt carried the county by 583 majority, Hall by 582, Phillips by 586, and the Federal assemblymen were elected by substantially the same majority. A meeting of the Federalists to rejoice over the election was held May 5 at Whitestown. After the adoption of resolutions denouncing Mr. Jefferson as president, declining to express opinion upon the differences
between the United States and Great Britain, denouncing Napoleon, and fav- oring some amicable arrangement with Great Britain to settle the differences, they held a banquet, at which Colonel Benjamin Walker presided, and at which seventeen toasts were responded to. It would be interesting to give them all, but we will only occupy the space to give two or three. The second was as follows: "James Madison, president of the United States; we hail the first act of his administration, as a pledge, that unlike his predecessor, he will prefer the great interests of the nation to the gratification of foreign partialities or party prejudices." The third one was: " The constitution of the United States: the corner stone of federalism." The tenth was: "Thomas Jefferson : his retirement from office, the best act of his life; and the only time all parties agree, was beneficial to his country." The 11th was: "Our fellow citizens on the northern frontiers: we congratulate them on their deliverance from the inquisition of the embargo and the vexations of military law." The 16th was : "The state of Virginia the birthplace of Washington; the late election bears witness that she has not wholly forgotten his precepts." The 17th was: "The memory of Washington" (drank standing, band playing and a discharge of musketry and artillery).
1810-It has been very difficult to get information in regard to the politi- cal history of the county during the year 1810. No authentic records in the county clerk's office can be found, and newspaper files are only fragmentary for that year. It appears, however, that on the 6th of February a meeting of the electors of Steuben, Remsen, Boonville and Trenton was held at the house of John Storrs at the village of Oldenbarneveld, for the purpose of making a choice of delegates to the respective conventions. Resolutions were passed favoring the candidacy of Moss Kent of Jefferson, Joel Thompson of Chenango, and Wilhelmus Mynderre of Seneca, and Freegift Patchen of Schoharie for senators, and Thomas R. Gold for representative in Congress. One of the resolutions adopted at this meeting was as follows: "Resolved, That we, as disciples of the great and good Washington, are ready to make a tender of our property and lives in defense of our constitution and maintenance of our na- tional independence against any foreign or domestic foe." ,
1811-The Republican county convention assembled February 28, 1811, at the house of Thomas Shepard in Whitestown, and adopted a resolution which read as follows: "Resolved, That Nathan Sage, Samuel Dill, Henry Wager, Thomas Skinner and William Hotchkiss be recommended to the electors of the county of Oneida, at their next election, as 'suitable characters to represent
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