USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : from 1700 to the present time, Volume I > Part 13
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"They were turbulent, factious and insolent in the extreme. We had assem- bled as Republican Young Men to assert the rights of the people; and when we discovered that we could not do it at Hallock's, for the mob, we retired to Ray's.
THE REPUBLICAN YOUNG MEN OF ONEIDA.
October 28, 1824."
The Clinton party was successful in the county, carrying it against Young by 1329, and Clinton was elected governor of the state. The majority for George Brayton, senator, was 1377; for Henry R. Storrs, representative in Congress, 1052; and the vote of the town of Steuben was rejected as defective; for mem- bers of Assembly, Joseph Kirkland, Israel Stoddard, David Pierson, Samuel Woodworth and Broughton White were elected by a majority of about 1,100.
During this year Lafayette visited the United States, and was received every- where with great enthusiasm, and the gratitude of the American people for his services during the Revolution showed itself wherever the illustrious French- man went.
1825-The presidential electors appointed by the legislature at its 1825 session held the balance of power, and as they did not agree, great difficulty was encoun- tered in perfecting the election. The candidates were John Quincy Adams, William Crawford of Georgia, and Henry Clay. There being no election by the people, the election was thrown into the House of Representatives. There were 34 Republicans in Congress from New York, 17 of whom favored John Quincy Adams and 16 opposed him, while Stephen VanRensselaer was doubtful and would not declare himself in favor of any candidate. It was of the utmost im- portance how he should vote, because, if he voted against Mr. Adams, the Repub- licans would be a tie and the vote of New York could not be counted, while, if he voted for Mr. Adams, it would give him a majority of states and would make him president. It was not known until the vote was cast what Mr. VanRensse- laer's position was, but on the appointed day he walked into the House of Rep- resentatives, took his seat among the New York Congressmen, cast the vote, and when it was counted it was found that he had voted for Mr. Adams, and Mr. Adams was declared duly elected president of the United States. The local cam- paign in this year was without special interest, and the Oneida Observer of November 20 says that its party did well, but it might have done better. This paper reports the election as follows: For state senators, Gerrit Smith 3,831 votes, and Charles Stebbins 2,960 votes; for assemblymen, Theodore Sill, Lorenzo Hull, Israel Stoddard, Aaron Barnes and Russell Clark were elected by about 1,000 majority over Greene C. Bronson, Thomas H. Hamilton, Linns Parker, Theor Woodruffe and Samuel Mott.
1826-The Whig state convention was held in Utica in September of this year. The Bucktails held their convention at Herkimer. The principal issue in the campaign was for or against Clinton. The candidate of the Republican
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HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
party for governor was De Witt Clinton, for lieutenant governor, Henry Hunt- ington; the candidate of the opposing party for governor was William B. Roch- ester, and for lieutenant governor Nathaniel Pitcher. The Republican county convention was held at Hampton on October 14, and the following ticket was nominated: For senators S. Stoddard and James McVickar; for representative in Congress, Henry R. Storrs; for assemblymen, Theodore Sill, Winthrop H. Chandler, Benjamin P. Johnson, John Billings and John Parker. Clinton carried the county by 1,108 and Huntington by 1,078. It has been impossible from the records to ascertain who the opposing local candidates were at this election. Truman Enos was the senator elected from this district.
1827-In 1827 the Republican convention was held at the house of S. Ray at Hampton. Nathan Adams presided and Charles P. Kirkland acted as secre- tary. A resolution was adopted approving the selection of Lauren Ford of Her- kimer as a candidate for senator from the fifth district, and for members of assembly the following persons were nominated : William Clark of Utica, Israel Stoddard of Camden, Gardiner Avery of Paris, Benjamin P. Johnson of Rome, and John Mappa of Boonville. A strong address was prepared and presented to the voters advocating the election of the candidates nominated at this con- vention. The opposing candidate for senator was Nathaniel S. Benton, and for members of assembly S. Sidney Breese, Gardiner Avery, William Clark, Eli Savage and Benjamin P. Johnson. Ford was elected senator by a majority of 100, and Breese, Avery, Clark, Savage and Johnson were elected to the assembly by a majority of about 200.
1828-The national Republicans, or the party which favored the adminis- tration of President Adams, held its state convention at Utica, July 22, 1828. Smith Thompson was nominated for governor, and Francis Granger for lieu- tenant governor. The Anti-Masonic convention met also in Utica, and nomi- nated Francis Granger for governor and John C. Crary for lieutenant governor, but Granger declined this nomination, and Solomon Southwick was substituted on that ticket in Granger's place. The State Administration party met at Her- kimer and nominated Martin VanBuren for governor and Enos T. Throop for lieutenant governor. For the first time a nomination was made for a presiden- tial elector, as prior to this time presidential electors had been appointed by the legislature, and a law had been passed providing that they be elected by districts. This was only in operation for one election, and Ebenezer B. Sher- man of Utica was the elector nominated by the Republicans for that office. At this time there were two parties, known as the Republican party and the Jack- son party, and the contest between them was very bitter. A large meeting of young men was held at the inn of O. Foot at Vernon Center on the 2d day of August for the purpose of sending delegates to the state convention of Young Men to be held in Utica, on the 12th of August. This convention passed a series of resolutions, among which was the following: "Resolved, That in our endeavors to promote the election of our candidates we will not circulate false- hoods as our opponents do. Nor will General Jackson threaten to cut off their ears." The Republican county convention was held at Whitestown on the 9th of October, and Henry R. Storrs was nominated for Congress, Kellogg Hurlburt for sheriff, John H. Ostrom for county clerk; and for members of assembly, Vol. I-T
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Reuben Bacon of Sangerfield, Fortune C. White of Whitestown, John Parker of Vienna, Benjamin P. Johnson of Rome and Thomas H. Hamilton of Steuben. The nomination of William H. Maynard for senator was approved. There was a continuous attack upon Andrew Jackson through the entire campaign of the most bitter character. Directly under the Republican ticket there were given reasons why he ought not to be elected president, among which were the fol- lowing: He said "our government ought to be damned," and that we "ought to have a standing army of upwards of 100,000 men," and that in 1814 he had said that Mr. Madison was unfit for president for the horrid reason that he was "too much of a philosopher to look on blood and carnage with composure." VanBuren was elected governor, but Thompson carried the county by 607, and the presidential elector, Ebenezer B. Sherman carried the county by about the same majority. Storrs was elected to Congress, Maynard to the senate, and Bacon, Johnson, Savage, Tower and Fortune C. White to the Assembly. The local fight centered principally upon the election of sheriff, and circulars were isued pro and con by John E. Hinman and Kellogg Hurlburt. A personal attack was made upon Mr. Hinman, and forgery, perjury and other crimes were set forth in these respective circulars. One of them, dated November 1, and signed by David Pierson, chairman of the Republican committee, among other things said: "Fellow citizens! If there ever was a case which merited your indignation this is one. If you have never before understood the real character of John E. Hinman, this exposure presents him to your view, and you who will yet vote for him, must reconcile it to your consciences and to your sense of propriety and decency as well as you can." It would appear that a large num- ber of voters of the county reconciled themselves to their consciences, as Mr. Hinman was elected by a substantial majority.
1829-During the year 1829 intense excitement prevailed throughout the state upon the subject of Free Masonry. So bitter was the feeling that the political parties divided upon that question, and candidates were nominated by the Anti-Masonic party throughout the state. In the county of Oneida there were a great number of tickets in the field, as follows: For senator -- Anti- Masonic ticket, Edward Bancroft of Lewis; Federal Jackson Anti-Tariff ticket, Aloin Bronson of Oswego; Mechanics' ticket, Edward Bancroft. For members of assembly-Republican ticket, Benjamin P. Johnson of Rome, David Pierson of Verona, John Storrs of Trenton, John Humaston of Vienna and Aaron Barnes of Deerfield; Anti-Masonic ticket, Thomas R. Palmer of New Hartford, Stephen Bridgman, Jr., of Vernon, James Dean of Utica, Benjamin Hyde of Annsville, and William Hubbard of Trenton; Federal Jackson Anti-Tariff ticket, Eli Savage of New Hartford, Elisha Pettibone of Vernon, and Aaron Com- stock of Western; Mechanics' ticket, Aaron Barnes, Eli Savage, James Dean, Itha Thomson and John Humaston. The public prints attainable at this time do not give the remainder of the tickets nominated hy the respective parties. It seems that William H. Maynard was elected to the senate, and Aaron Com- stock, Linus Parker, Elisha Pettibone, Eli Savage and Itha Thompson members of assembly.
1830-In this year the Whig party nominated Francis Granger for governor and Samuel Stevens for lieutenant governor; S. Newton Dexter was nominated
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for representative in Congress. The Bucktails met at Herkimer and nominated Enos P. Throop for governor and Edward P. Livingstone for lieutenant gover- nor. A convention of farmers, mechanics and workingmen of the county met at Whitesboro, and nominated for representative in Congress Fortune C. White, and for assembly Gardiner Avery, John J. Knox, John Storrs, Aaron Barnes and David Pierson. Nehemiah Huntington, Ephraim Hart and Henry A. Foster were candidates for the senate. The Democratic candidate for representative in Congress was Samuel Beardsley, and for members of assembly Reuben Bettis, Aaron Comstock, David Moulton, Riley Shepard and John F. Trowbridge. Throop carried the county for governor by a majority of 2,550, Foster by nearly the same majority for senator, and Samuel Beardsley by about the same majority for representative in Congress. The following candidates were elected to the assembly : Aaron Comstock, Reuben Bettis, Riley Shepard, John F. Trowbridge and David Moulton, by about 1,300 plurality.
1831-In this year the Anti-Masonic party felt strong enough to make a nomination for the presidency for 1832, and named William Wirt of Maryland for president, and Amos Ellmaker of Pennsylvania for vice president; Thomas Beekman of Madison for senator, Kellogg Hurlburt of Utica for sheriff, James H. Collins of Verona for county clerk, and for members of assembly, James Platt, William Rollo, Alexander Whaley, Thomas R. Palmer and Eliphaz B. Barton. The opposing parties had nominated Robert Lansing for senator, Samuel M. Mott for sheriff, John H. Ostrom and George Brown for county clerk, and for members of assembly, Eliphaz B. Barton, David Moulton, Lemuel Hough, Nathaniel Fitch and Rutger B. Miller. The official canvass gave Robert Lansing for senator, 1,562 majority, Samuel M. Mott, for sheriff, 950 majority, George Brown for county clerk, about 500 plurality, and Daniel Twitchell, David Moul- ton, Lemuel Hough, Nathaniel Fitch and Rutger B. Miller about the same majority.
1832-The national campaign of 1832 is known as the one without an issue. The agitation of the slavery question had brought about the great debate between Webster and Hayne, and this was for the next thirty years to be the paramount question before the people of the United States, although for the time being it was held in abeyance. The Anti-Masonic convention was held in Utica, June 21, 1832, and nominated Francis Granger for governor, and Samuel Stevens for lieutenant governor. The American party adopted Granger and Stevens, and James Kent and John C. Spencer as presidential electors at large; the sena- torial candidate was Nathan Hall of Madison; for representative in Congress, Charles P. Kirkland of Oneida, and Peter Sken of Oswego; and for members of assembly James Platt, Warren Converse, George Manchester, William Park and John Williams. The opposing candidates were Henry A. Foster for senator, Sam- uel Beardsley for member of Congress, and for members of assembly, Ichabod C. Baker, Levi Buckingham, John Dewey, Squire Utley and David Wager. The county gave a majority for William L. Marcy for governor of 546, and gave the same majority for the electoral ticket headed by Edward P. Livingstone; Sam- uel Beardsley was elected to Congress by about the same majority, and John G. Stower, for senator, carried the county by a vote of 569; Henry A. Foster car- ried the senatorial district, while Ichabod C. Baker, Levi Buckingham, John
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Dewey, Squire Utley and David Wager were elected to the assembly. The state gave Marcy a majority of a little over 10,000, and the Jackson presidential elec- tors carried the state by about the same majority.
1833-During the political campaign of 1833 the Republicans and Anti- Masonic parties united, and nominated for senator in the fifth district William Williams. For members of assembly on the ticket of the Oneida Democrats were Chester Hayden, Benjamin P. Johnson, John Dewey, Robert I. Norris and Jona- than Hubbard. On the ticket known as the Utica Regency were Pomroy Jones, Israel Parker, Itha Thompson, Aaron Stafford and Hiram Shays. A bitter fight was made against what was known as the Utica Regency, and in the Eluci- dator of October 22 there is a proclamation, ostensibly issued in burlesque form by the Regency, reversing the excommunication of one George Brown, "who hath since then been languishing in spirit and hath manifested deep humiliation insomuch that he hath implored our gracious pardon, and hath moreover con- descended to kiss the great toe of our chief autocrat." Francis Seger, candidate for senator, carried the county by 4,972, and Itha Thompson, Hiram Shays, Israel S. Parker, Pomroy Jones and Aaron Stafford received about 1,000 ma- jority for members of assembly.
1834-A convention was held in Syracuse in August, 1834, and the term "Whig" was first applied to the new party, which made the nomination at that time of William H. Seward for governor. This was the first entry of Mr. Seward into what might be called national politics, for, from this time forward, he became a very important element in conventions and in shaping the thought of the people of this country. He was a man of unusual acquirements, of great facility with the pen, an accomplished lawyer, who had commenced practice in the city of Utica, but after about a year he removed to Auburn and spent his days there. Silas N. Stillwell was the candidate of this party for lieutenant governor. The candidates of the Democratic party were William L. Marcy for governor, and John Tracy for lieutenant governor. The local ticket of the Repub- lican party at that time was for senator of the fifth district, Abijah Beckwith; for member of Congress, Samuel Beardsley; for sheriff, Erastus Willard; for county clerk, John D. Leland, and for members of assembly, Amos Woodworth, David Wager, Dan P. Cadwell, Merritt Brooks and Riley Shepard. During this campaign and on the 29th day of October a largely attended meeting of Irish Adopted Citizens was held in Utica. It seems that handbills had been circu- lated throughout the city signed by a few Irishmen claiming to represent the sentiment of the Irish, and asking the support of the VanBuren ticket. This was resented by the large mass of Irishmen, and this meeting was called to denounce the procedure. Among other resolutions passed by this largely at- tended meeting was the following: "Resolved, That the Whigs have proved their confidence and friendship for the Irish citizens both in this city and else- where, by placing them in important trusts, and more recently by placing on their congressional ticket, William Sampson, the co-patriot of Emmett, and a dis- tinguished native of Ireland, resolved that the Irish electors did not wear the collar in their own country and will not in this." These resolutions were pub- lished and set forth in a flaming circular signed by a large number of Irishmen, with John Queal as chairman and James McDonough as secretary.
POLICE OFFICE, UTICA
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William L. Marcy was elected governor against William H. Seward, and car- ried the county of Oneida by a majority of 366; Samuel Beardsley was elected representative in Congress; Henry A. Foster, senator; Erastus Willard, sheriff ; and Merritt Brooks, Dan P. Cadwell, Riley Shepard, David Wager and Amos Woodworth were elected members of assembly by substantial majorities.
1835-It was during the year 1835 that the agitation of the slavery question assumed great proportions, and Utica was a center of the excitement. It was at- tempted to hold meetings at different places to further the cause of the freedom of the slaves, and meetings had been held in the First Presbyterian Church in Utica favoring the American Colonization Society. These meetings had created intense excitement, and a convention of the Anti-Slavery Society was called to be held October 21, in Utica. On September 3 a meeting of prominent citizens was held at the court house in Utica, and the Utica Observer of September 8, gives a report of this meeting. It states that the courthouse was crowded, and that many were unable to obtain admission. The meeting was addressed by Hon. Samuel Beardsley, Joshua A. Spencer and Ephraim Hart. A motion was made for the appointment of a committee to report the officers of the meeting. The committee reported Hon. Joseph Kirkland, as president; Hon. Henry Sey- mour, Hiram Denio, Chester Hayden, Gardiner Tracy, Rudolph Snyder, John C. Devereux, Thomas H. Hubbard, Kellogg Hurlburt, Thomas Goodsell and E. S. Barnum as vice presidents; Theodore Pomeroy, John M'Call, Joshua N. Church and David Wager as secretaries. A committee was appointed to draft resolu- tions, which made its report, and the resolutions were unanimously adopted. The resolutions are too lengthy to be quoted in full, but one of them was as follows: "Resolved, that the relation of master and slave having been consti- tutionally recognized, can in no way be impaired or affected by the general government; that, therefore, all attempts to dissolve their relations through the medium of public meetings and publications can only tend to exasperate one por- tion of the union, and eventually to overthrow the glorious fabric of our national confederacy." The meeting also resolved that "we will in every lawful way, by public meetings, through the presses, and by our individual efforts oppose the measures of the Abolitionists, believing that if carried into effect the union of the states will be broken into pieces." Dr. Bagg, in his Memorial History of Utica, on page 224 gives an account of the meetings that were held, and attempts to palliate the acts of the citizens who undertook to prevent the holding of the Anti-Slavery convention. We do not think he presents the situation in its true light, for, as a matter of fact, it is undisputable that the meeting to be held was for the sole purpose of the discussion of the question of slavery; that no injury was threatened or thought of, so far as the facts show, to any person either north or south, but that, by discussion of the question, the people might be brought to a true realization of what slavery was, and that such means should be taken as would result in the freedom of the colored race in this country. The fact that the mayor of the city and prominent citizens of both parties opposed the holding of this convention does not in any way change the situation. Truth is paramount to position or social standing, and it was truth that actuated the law abiding citizen who undertook to hold a meeting for the expression of their views. This convention assembled at the Bleecker street church, and these
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"prominent citizens," who had taken part in the meeting, repaired, headed by the chairman of the committee, Samuel Beardsley, to the church, and demanded that this meeting be abandoned. To quote from Dr. Bagg, who gives it as rosy a color as possible for the "prominent citizens," he says after the committee had carried out these instructions it returned, and "during the delay thus alluded to there were undoubtedly some lively scenes inside the church. The presence of the committee was an incentive to whatever rowdy element was in the church, as well as on the outside, to create a disturbance; there was much noise, and some threats of violence, hymn books and other missiles were tossed about, and some personal assaults, in one of which Spencer Kellogg's coat was torn from his back * * * The excitement was intense, and it was remarkable that a destructive riot did not follow *
* * Gerrit Smith was a spectator. When the necessity of breaking up the convention became apparent, he invited the people to go home with him, where they would find a warm welcome. About four hundred accepted the invitation, and the work of the convention was finished at Peter- boro." Up to that time Gerrit Smith was not an ardent supporter of emanci- pation, but, true to the old saying that "the blood of the martyr is the seed of the church," the outrages at the Utica convention were the seed that resulted in the conversation of Gerrit Smith and made him one of the foremost champions of the cause which the prominent citizens of Utica would have smothered at its very birth. In the election of this year, Henry A. Foster was again elected to the senate, and Henry Graves, John W. Hale, William Knight, Jared C. Petti- bone and John Stryker were elected to the assembly. The palliating circum- stance, it would seem, for the acts of these prominent and reputable citizens was they feared the disruption of the union in consequence of the agitation of the slavery question. Many of them had, undoubtedly, experienced that which we of the present day know little of, and that is that slavery had existed in their midst. What would be thought to-day of an advertisement like one in the Utica Patriot of April 18, 1815-"For Sale. Two years and five months service of a female slave (a woman). Inquire at this office. Utica, March 21."
1836-The Democratic candidate for president in this year was Martin VanBuren. The Whig party was divided, and the northern wing of this party nominated William Henry Harrison, while the southern wing nominated Hugh L. White of Tennessee. The Democratic candidate for governor was William L. Marcy, and the Whig candidate was Jesse Buell, with Gamaliel H. Barstow for lieutenant governor. It was a foregone conclusion, when the Whig party divided, that VanBuren would be elected and that the state of New York would give a Democratic majority. The county of Oneida gave Marcy 2,054 plurality, and the electoral ticket and the county officers generally about the same. The VanBuren ticket carried the state of New York by 29,474. Samuel Beardsley was elected representative in Congress, and Levi Buckingham, John I. Cook, Lester N. Fowler and Andrew S. Pond were elected members of assembly. The presi- dential elector for this district was Parker Halleck.
1837-The financial panic had wrought havoc in the Democratic party, to the great advantage of the Whigs. The Whigs went into the campaign with-much confidence, and this confidence was well placed. There were three tickets in the field for county offices. The Democratic-Republican nominated, for senator,
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Avery Skinner of Oswego; for sheriff, Calvin Hall; for county clerk, Israel S. Parker; for members of assembly, Willard Crafts, Ebenezer Robbins, Amasa S. Newberry and Luke Hitchcock. The opposing candidates were Jonas Platt for senator; for sheriff, Lyman Curtis (Whig) and Samuel Comstock, who was called an Irregular; for county clerk, James Dean (Whig) and Anson Knibloe (Irregular) ; for members of assembly, Whigs, Russell Fuller, Fortune C. White, James S. T. Stranahan and Henry Hearsey ; Democrats, Willard Crafts, Ebenezer Robbins, Clark Robbins, Luke Hitchcock; Irregulars, John P. Sherwood, Nathan- iel Sherrill, Ingham Townsend and Jared C. Pettibone. Jonas Platt carried the county for senator by a plurality of 1,050; Lyman Curtis for sheriff by about 400 plurality ; James Dean for county clerk, by about the same plurality ; Levi Buckingham, John I. Cook, Lester N. Fowler and Andrew S. Pond, for members of assembly, by about the same plurality.
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