USA > New York > Oneida County > History of Oneida County, New York : from 1700 to the present time, Volume I > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
1838-The canvass of this year opened with warmth all along the line. All the great Whig leaders were alarmed at the situation. Gerrit Smith, at the head of the Abolitionists, questioned Seward as to the propriety of granting fugitive slaves a fair trial by jury, but Mr. Seward declined to make anti-elec- tion speeches. Seward had been nominated by the Whigs for governor, and Luther Braddish for lieutenant governor. Francis Granger had been the op- posing candidate for governor, but had been beaten in the convention. A branch of the Democratic party, under Nathan P. Talmadge, assembled at Syracuse, adopted Seward and denounced Marcy. The Democratic convention assem- bled at Herkimer, September 12, renominated Governor Marcy for governor, and John Tracy for lieutenant governor. Mr. Greeley, editor of the New York Tri- bune, was confident of the election of Seward, and the great political manipulator of the age, Thurlow Weed, was confident of success. This wizard of politics had for some time been influential in Whig circles, and but few men had exercised the power that Mr. Weed exercised in political affairs in any age, and at this time he was about entering upon his remarkable career. The Marcy local ticket was as follows : For representatives in Congress, John G. Floyd of Oneida and David P. Brewster of Oswego; for senator, Joseph Clark of Madison; for members of assembly, Ward Hunt, Israel Stoddard, Jesse Armstrong and Amasa S. New- berry. The Whigs nominated for representatives in Congress, Charles P. Kirk- land and Henry Fitzhugh; for senator, John D. Ledyard; for members of as- sembly, Fortune C. White, Patrick Mahon, John J. Knox and Philip M. Schuyler. The majority for Marcy for governor in the county was 1,040, but Seward was elected by a majority of 10,321; Floyd and Brewster were elected representa- tives in Congress by about 900; Clark, for senator, carried the county by about 1,040 majority ; Hunt, Stoddard, Armstrong and Newberry were elected members of assembly by an average majority of 730.
1839-This year was an "off year" politically. It would seem as if the great parties were preparing for the unusual campaign of 1840. The county officers elected in this year were members of assembly, as follows : Nelson Dawley, Anson Knibloe, Charles A. Mann and John F. Trowbridge.
CHAPTER XIII
1840-1859
1840-The campaign of 1840 was perhaps the most extraordinary of any that has ever occurred in the country. The Whigs nominated General William Henry Harrison for president and John Tyler for vice president; William H. Seward was renominated for governor, and the Democrats named William C. Bouck. The entire campaign was carried on upon national issues. The great cry of "Change of the Administration" was most effective. The Whig candidate for president was ideal, under the circumstances. He had performed valuable mili- tary services for the country, had been a successful gencral, and immortalized himself by the battle of Tippecanoe, which gave rise to the most ef- fective cry of "Tippecanoe and Tyler too." A Virginia paper had said that Harrison should remain in his log cabin. This was taken up by the Whigs, and log cabins were built all over the country; and Horace Greeley commenced the publication of a paper known as the Log Cabin. This was the entry of this great writer into national politics, and it is perhaps useless to say that he never had an equal as a newspaper writer. The state convention which nominated Seward was held in Utica, and, instead of being an ordinary convention, people came from all over the state in vast numbers. It is estimated that not less than twenty-five thousand people paraded the streets, and attempted to witness the proceedings of the convention. When the parade was passing, a bystander asked one of the marshals of the day how long the procession was. The marshal replied, "Indeed, sir, I can't tell you; the other end of it is forming somewhere near Albany." There was an attempt to ridicule General Harrison by suggestions of the log cabin, cider barrel and coon skin cap. This was taken up by the Whigs, and marching parties carried the cider barrel, drew the log cabin, and wore coon skin caps. This spirit was most effective in drawing to the Whig candi- date the common people, and Harrison was elected by an overwhelming ma- jority. As a matter of fact General Harrison was a most cultured gentleman, the son of Benjamin Harrison, who presided in the Continental Congress, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was governor of Virginia, and General Harrison, was the grandfather of Benjamin Harrison, one of the most able presidents who ever filled the executive chair. Of this campaign Henry Clay said, "The nation was like the ocean when convulsed by some ter- rible storm." Bouck for governor carried the county by 789 majority, but Seward was elected governor by 5,203. John J. Knox was elected presidential elector; John G. Floyd was elected to Congress; Calvin Dawley, Joseph Hal- lock, Luke Hitchcock and Nathan Odell were elected to the assembly, and David Moulton was elected sheriff.
104
FRUITS CONFECTIONERY
CITY HALL, UTICA
105
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
1841-The year 1841 was uneventful as a political year, as neither president nor governor were to be elected, and very little interest was manifested in the election. The death of President Harrison was a sad blow to the Whig party, as John Tyler abandoned the party that elected him and took sides with its opponents. This divided the party somewhat, and the Whig party really never was rehabilitated, although it had temporary successes thereafter. The assem- blymen elected this year were Ichabod C. Baker, Ebenezer Robbins, Horatio Sey- mour and De Witt C. Stevens. This year marked the entry into state politics of one of the most prominent politicians upon the Democratic side in the history of its party. Horatio Seymour, from this time up to the day of his death, was a powerful element in Democratic circles, and at times swayed the entire party of the nation as well as the state by his unusual ability and high character.
1842-In 1842 the Whig party was really on the decline, for its prominent men, who were thought to be eligible, declined nominations tendered them for high office. Even Seward, who had twice been elected governor, declined to be a candidate. Luther Braddish was finally nominated for governor and Gabriel Farnam for lieutenant governor. The Democratic party was divided into two factions, the Conservatives and the Radicals. The division of the Whig party made the triumph of the Democratic party this year easy, and under the lead- ership of such men as Edward Croswell, editor of the Albany Argus, Daniel S. Dickinson, Samuel A. Beardsley, Henry A. Foster and Horatio Seymour they were victorious, and elected Bouck governor by a majority of 21,981, he having a majority in Oneida county over Braddish of 1,397. The members of assembly elected were Dan P. Cadwell and Amos S. Fassett by an average majority of 768 over Andrew Rockwell and Salmon Chase, and Evan Owens and Ezekiel Butler over David Murray and John H. Tower by an average majority of 230. Samuel A. Beardsley had a majority for representative in Congress over Charles P. Kirkland of 785. Henry A. Foster, being elected to the senate, was made its president pro tem, and, although he was not a stranger to office at this time, the wisdom of this choice was shown in his great ability as a presiding officer, and it is not extravagant to say that he had no equal as a debater in the senate. In another part of this work we give a sketch of Mr. Foster's life, but we cannot let the occasion pass to pay our tribute to his great ability, and, had he the elements of suavity that Horatio Seymour possessed, he would have been in the front rank among our national leaders.
1843-The Whig county convention assembled at Rome, September 28, 1843, and nominated Palmer V. Kellogg for sheriff, Calvin B. Gray for county clerk, and for members of the assembly Warren Converse, George Bristol, Samuel B. Hinckley and Russell Fuller. The Locofoco or Democratic convention met at Hampton and nominated for sheriff Squire Utley, for county clerk Delos De Wolf, and for members of assembly Horatio Seymour, James Douglass and Richard Empey. The Locofocos carried the county by about 800 majority. Kel- logg was elected sheriff by a plurality of 525; DeWolf was elected county clerk by a plurality of 1,011; Horatio Seymour, James Douglass, Richard Empey and Justus Childs were elected to the assembly by an average plurality of about 1,100.
1844-In 1844 the National Democratic party nominated James K. Polk of Tennessee for president and George M. Dallas of Pennsylvania for vice presi-
106
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
dent, but it was claimed that VanBuren had been defeated for the nomination by treachery. The Whig convention nominated Henry Clay, the idol of the party, for president, and Theodore Frelinghuysen for vice president. Silas Wright, resigned as United States senator, became the Democratic candidate for governor, although this was not satisfactory to the Radical wing or the Soft Shells, as they were called, of the Democratic party. Millard Fillmore was nominated for governor and Samuel J. Wilkin for lieutenant governor at the Whig convention. Fillmore had been defeated for the Whig nomination of vice president on the Clay ticket, and this was to assuage his sorrows. Fillmore was about entering on a distinguished career. He had been a successful member of Congress, and this was a contest between two of the most prominent men in their respective parties. But a new element entered into the contest. The Abolition party had nominated James G. Birney of Michigan for president and Alvin Stewart of Utica for governor. Gerrit Smith and Briah Green, two of the ablest orators in the Abolition party, supported this last named ticket. The Whig county convention assembled at Hampton in September, and nominated to fill vacancy for member of Congress Salmon Chase, and for the full term For- tune C. White; for members of assembly Josiah S. Kellogg, Harvey Brayton, Samuel B. Hinckley and Jeremiah Knight; at the senatorial convention Samuel Farwell received the nomination for senator. The opposing candidates for senator were Enoch B. Talcott and Isaac S. Ford; for representatives in Con- gress, Timothy Jenkins, Levi D. Carpenter and Bela Allen; for members of assembly Horatio Seymour, Andrew Billings, Calvert Comstock and Merritt Brooks. The canvass was carried on with great spirit, and much sorrow was manifested at the defeat of Mr. Clay. Oneida county gave 734 plurality for the Polk electors, and 821 plurality for Wright for governor; about the same plurality for Talcott for senator, and Timothy Jenkins had a plurality of 526 for member of Congress for the full term, and Levi D. Carpenter about the same plurality. Andrew Billings, Merritt Brooks, Calvert Comstock and Horatio Seymour were elected to the assembly by a small plurality.
1845-The political campaign of 1845 was fought out largely in the legis- lature. This fight grew over the question of calling a Constitutional Conven- tion. The two wings of the Democratic party had a majority in the assembly, but the Hards and Softs were not united, and a remarkable young man appeared upon the Whig side, who made a determined fight for the convention. This was John Young. Prior to this time he had done nothing to attract atten- tion, nor was the public aware generally of his extraordinary talents. He was an excellent parliamentarian, and had set his heart upon carrying through the legislature the bill for a Constitutional Convention, and ultimately succeeded. This presaged his future career, and he at once passed into the front rank among young men of the Whig party. The Whig county convention met in Whitestown September 7, and nominated for members of assembly Benjamin F. Cooper, first district, Chauncey C. Cook, second district, Daniel G. Dorrance, third district, and Russell Fuller fourth district. There was nothing before the people to make the canvass exciting beyond the ordinary struggle for precedence and the question of a Constitutional Convention, which tended to strengthen the Whig party, as they were entitled to the credit of having this bill pass through
107
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
the legislature. The candidates for senator were Lyman J. Walworth, Demo- crat, Joshua A. Spencer, Whig, and James Brown, Abolitionist. The Democratic candidates for assembly were James Watson Williams, Henry Wager, Squire M. Mason, Nelson Dawley; and the Abolition candidates were John M. Andrew, William J. Savage, Edmund Allen and Freeman Waterman. The Whig candidate for senator, Joshua A. Spencer, had a plurality in the county of 811, and the Whig assemblymen, Messrs. Cook, Cooper, Dorrance and Fuller were elected by a plurality of about 500.
1846-The most important event in the state during the year 1846 was the work of the Constitutional Convention. The delegates to this convention from Oneida county were Harvey Brayton, Julius Candee, Edward Huntington and Charles P. Kirkland. Mr. Alexander, in his political history of the state, erron- eously mentions Ezekiel Bacon as one of the delegates to this convention. Mr. Bacon was a delegate in the convention of 1821, but he was not in the convention of 1846. In speaking of Messrs. Bacon and Kirkland, Mr. Alexander refers to them as "the powerful leaders of a bar famous in that day for its famous law- yers." This convention liberalized the constitution, made nearly all offices elec- tive, shortened the term of senator from four to two years, and provided that members of assembly should be elected in separate districts. The Whig state convention met at Utica, September 23. The delegates from Oneida county were Salmon Chase, Palmer V. Kellogg, Elihu Storrs and Samuel Beach. The prominent candidates for governor were Millard Fillmore, John Young and Ira Harris. On the third ballot Young received 76 votes to Fillmore's 45, and was declared duly nominated. Hamilton Fish was nominated for lieutenant gover- nor by acclamation. The Whig county convention assembled at Rome on the 7th day of October, and nominated for member of Congress, Orsamus B. Mat- teson; for sheriff, John B. Bradt; for county clerk, George Tracy; for members of assembly, Warren Converse, James J. Carley, Isaac Curry and Nathan Burchard; also four coroners. The Barnburners met in convention at Rome, October 14, and nominated for Congress Timothy Jenkins; for sheriff, H. G. Everett; for county clerk, Richard Hurlburt, and for members of assembly, John Dean, John B. Miller, Vincent Tuttle and Ira Lillibridge. Mr. Jenkins was the representative in Congress at that time, and had been renominated by the Hunkers before this convention was held. The candidate for sheriff had also been nominated by the Hunkers, and the two last named assemblymen were Hunkers, but were not on the Hunker ticket. A Mass Young Men's Whig state convention was held in Syracuse, October 21st, was largely attended, and passed resolutions calling upon all Whigs to support the nomination of Young for governor. The delegates from Oneida county took a prominent part in that convention, the most prominent among them being Palmer V. Kellogg. The of- ficial canvass shows that Young carried the county for governor by a majority of 1,337; that Jenkins received a plurality for representative in Congress of 1,325; that Nelson J. Beach carried the county for senator by a plurality of 1,174; that Lester Barker received a plurality of 217 for sheriff; that Patrick Mahon received a plurality for county clerk of 360; that Nathan Burchard, Abel E. Chandler, Isaac Curry and John Dean were elected to the assembly by a small plurality.
108
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
1847-In 1847 the Democratic party was rent in twain, one branch being known as Hunkers and the other known as Barnburners. The term "Hunkers" was applied to the conservative element, because it was charged against the members of that wing of the party that they hankered after office, and this word was turned into "hunkers." The Barnburners were the radicals, and the term was applied to that branch of the party because it was said of them that they were like the farmer who burned his barn to get rid of the rats. The foremost leaders of the Hunker element were Horatio Seymour and Henry A. Foster. This division of the party was caused by the bolt of the Barnburners in the Syracuse convention September 7th, when the Hunkers had carried the con- vention against a resolution in favor of the Wilmot proviso. The Barnburners called a convention, declared in favor of free soil, but did not nominate a ticket. The effect, however, was to elect the Whig ticket by about 30,000 majority. The Whigs nominated Hamilton Fish for lieutenant governor to fill a vacancy; for comptroller, Millard Fillmore, for secretary of state, Christopher Morgan; for state treasurer, Albin Hunt; for attorney general, Ambrose L. Jordan; for state engineer, Charles B. Stuart; three canal commissioners and three inspectors of state prisons; the candidate for senator for the nineteenth district was Thomas E. Clark; for members of assembly, first district, Luke Smith; second district, Warren Converse; third district, Bloomfield J. Beach; fourth district, Russell Fuller. The Utica Gazette of the 22d of October, announces the nominations for the respective offices, and also contains a most interesting report from the Mexi- can seat of war. It is the report brought by steamer to New Orleans, and spread broadcast through the country, that General Scott had taken the city of Mexico; it also states that Generals Pillow and Shields had been wounded, but were doing well; that the loss in killed, missing and wounded of our army up to that time was from three to four thousand; that General Scott had issued a congratu- latory order requiring the officers and men to return thanks to God for their triumph, and enjoining strict discipline and sobriety; also, that an American paper had already been issued in the city of Mexico. Clark carried the county for senator by 1,128. The Whig majority in the first assembly district was 739; second district, 330; third district, Beach was elected, and Henry Wager was elected in the fourth district by a small majority.
1848-The political campaign of 1848 was intensely interesting. The Whig convention had nominated General Zachary Taylor for president, who was one of the greatest heroes of the Mexican war, and Millard Fillmore for vice presi- dent. The Democratic candidates were Lewis Cass for president, and William O. Butler for vice president. The Whig state convention was held in Utica Sep- tember 14th, and nominated Hamilton Fish for governor, and George W. Pat- terson for lieutenant governor; for electors at large, Henry H. Ross and John A. Collins. The Free Soil Democrats nominated for governor John A. Dix, and for lieutenant governor, Seth N. Gates. The Hunkers nominated R. H. Wals- worth for governor, and William J. Forman, for lieutenant governor. General Taylor had won great fame in the Mexican war, which had virtually commenced in 1846. Taylor had been ordered to invade Mexican territory; he had done so, and from the time he entered it, in the many engagements he had with the Mexicans he had been successful. The declaration of war was made by Congress
4
CITY HALL, ROME
1
19
POSTOFFICE, ROME
109
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
on the 11th day of May, 1846, and the efficiency of Taylor was illustrated by the fact that he, with a less body of men, in every engagement with the Mexicans had been successful. This was notably true at Buena Vista, where he had de- feated Santa Anna with twenty thousand men, although Taylor had but five thousand. His war record became a prominent element in the political cam- paign, and, although his opponent had rendered important military service, Taylor was swept into the presidential chair by an immense majority. The Whig candidate for governor was elected by a large plurality, and carried Oneida . county by 1,401. There appeared upon the scene of action in Oneida county a man of remarkable ability, who, from this time for twenty years was the con- trolling element in Whig politics in central New York-Orsamus B. Matteson. In another part of this work we have given a sketch of his life as a politician, but it is proper here to say that he excelled as a manipulator in politics, and, but for an unfortunate cloud upon his actions as a member of Congress, he would have gone down in history as one of the foremost citizens of this great coun- try. The Whig county convention met at Rome and nominated for member of Congress, Orsamus B. Matteson; for county treasurer, Sanford Adams; three superintendents of schools; and the members of assembly nominated in their respective districts were as follows: first district, Oliver Prescott; second district, Nehemiah N. Pierce; third district, Junius Woods; fourth district, John M. Muscott. The result of the election in the county was that the Whig candidates were elected by more than 1,000 majority over the Free Soil party, and more than 2,000 majority over the Hunkers. The Taylor electors had a majority over the Cass electors of more than 2,000; Matteson was elected to Con- gress, and Prescott, Pierce, Elwell and Stevens were elected members of assembly.
1849-General Taylor became president March 4, 1849, but the country was shocked because of his untimely death, and political parties seriously disturbed because of the fact that Millard Fillmore had become president. It was sup- posed that the slavery question had been permanently settled by resolutions which had passed Congress known as the Clay Compromise, and the greatest sat- isfaction was manifested throughout the country; bells were rung, guns were fired, and great rejoicing occurred, because this question, which threatened the disruption of the Union, was supposed to have been finally disposed of. But the truth of the saying, attributed both to Lincoln and Seward, that the "Nation could not exist half free and half slave," arose and "would not down" until it was finally settled at Appomattox, when Lee tendered his sword to the great hero of the Federal armies. The Whig state convention met in Syracuse in September and nominated Joshua A. Spencer for judge of the Court of Appeals; Washington Hunt for comptroller; Christopher Morgan for secretary of state; Alvin Hunt for treasurer; Samuel Stevens for attorney general, and some other state officers. By the constitution of 1846 Supreme Court justices were to be elected by districts, and the nominations were made this year; Joseph Mullin was the candidate for the fifth judicial district nominated by the Whigs, and the Locofocos nominated F. W. Hubbard. Both these candidates were from Jeffer- son county. The Whigs nominated for state senator, Joseph Benedict; for sher- iff, John B. Jones; for county clerk, Alexander Rea; for members of assembly, first district, William J. Bacon; second district, John J. Knox; third district,
110
HISTORY OF ONEIDA COUNTY
William Howes; fourth district, George Brayton. The Democrats nominated for sheriff, Edward Eames; for county clerk, Richard Hurlburt; for members of as- sembly, first district, Augustus Hurlburt; second district, Ralph McIntosh ; third district, Robert Frazier; fourth district, Luther Leland. The result of the elec- tion was that Mr. Mann received 111 majority for senator, Jones, for sheriff, 147; Rea, for county clerk, 480; and the members of assembly, first district, Bacon, Rep., 625; second district, McIntosh, Dem., 20; third district, Frazier, Dem., 84; fourth district, Leland, Dem., 110 majority.
1850-In 1850 the Whigs nominated Washington Hunt for governor, and George W. Cornwell for lieutenant governor. The convention, however, that nominated Hunt was a riotous one, and resulted in a split of the Whig party. Francis Granger headed the bolters, and with his dignified manner, elegant ap- parel and silver gray hair led the bolting delegates as they passed out of the hall. This gave rise to the name "Silver Gray Whig" that was attached to that wing of the party thereafter. They called a convention to be held at Utica, October 17th, but did not make any nominations. The Democratic convention nominated Horatio Seymour for governor, and Sanford E. Church for lieutenant governor. A great meeting of citizens was held in New York city under the management of the Democrats for the purpose of capturing the Silver Gray element of the Whig party, but this was not very successful, and, although Seymour carried Oneida county by a majority of 1,088, Hunt was elected governor by a plurality of 262. The vote was so close that it required weeks to determine who was elected governor, although the other candidates upon the Democratic ticket were elected by substantial pluralities. The Whig county convention nominated for representative in Congress, Orsamus B. Matteson; for district attorney, Roscoe Conkling; for members of assembly, Joseph Benedict; second district, Lorenzo Rouse; third district, William Howes; fourth district, George Brayton. The Democrats nominated Timothy Jenkins for representative in Congress; for dis- trict attorney, Samuel B. Garvin; for members of assembly, first district, Nantis White; second district, William H. Hubbard; third district, Lewis Rider; fourth district, David Moulton. The result of the election was that Timothy Jenkins, Dem., received 117 majority for representative in Congress; Garvin, Dem., for district attorney, 626; and Joseph Benedict, Lorenzo Rouse, Lewis Rider and George Brayton were elected members of assembly.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.