Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1), Part 53

Author: Truman C. White
Publication date: 1898
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017

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Canandaigua, where he had been engaged in law practice, to Black Rock. He was then thirty-seven years old, unmarried, and a polished gentleman of the old school. He was the first citizen of Erie county to exercise a wide political influence. An election was held in the middle of December, 1812, for members of congress, and General Por- ter was renominated by the Republicans (Democrats), but declined the honor. The Federalists nominated and supported Samuel M. Hopkins and Nathaniel Howell, who were elected for this district. The latter received 61 votes in the town of Buffalo, 36 in Hamburg, 41 in Clar- ence and 37 in Eden. The other candidates received 34 in Buffalo, 81 in Hamburg, 92 in Clarence and 14 in Eden. The Buffalo Gazette, soon after election, made a statement that "we understand " that no election was held in Willink and Concord. This was a fact, and a re- markable one that we are now unable to account for; it is less difficult to understand why a newspaper published at a county seat in those primitive days should be in any doubt whether or not an election was held. Daniel D. Tompkins, who had been governor since 1808 and was personally popular, was again elected by the Democrats, but the fail- ures of the preceding summer under an administration of the same political faith so strengthened the Federals that they elected nineteen out of the twenty-seven congressmen of the State, and a majority of the assemblymen. The State Senate was, however, largely Democratic. Madison, as is well known, was re-elected president by a decided ma- jority over De Witt Clinton, then an independent opposition candidate. Clinton received the Federal vote and had declared himself in favor of a more vigorous prosecution of the war. No one will doubt that, if he had been elected, the war would have had a different history.

The local political field had assumed sufficient importance and inter- est to command the support of two newspapers in 1815, when the Ni- agara Journal was established in Buffalo by David F. Day. Mr. Day continued its editor many years and gained a strong influence in the county. His paper was Democratic, while the Gazette had leaned toward Federalism. Senator Archibald S. Clarke was elected to fill out General Porter's congressional term, probably at a special election in June, 1815; two members of assembly were chosen for the first time in that year. Men were then settling in Buffalo who were destined to attain eminence in politics. Albert H. Tracy opened a law office in the spring of that year, and later became a skillful political leader. Dr. John E. Marshall settled there in the same spring and became somewhat prominent in politics, as well as in his profession.

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In 1816 Benjamin Ellicott, a younger brother of Joseph, was elected to Congress from this district. Like his brother he was a surveyor by profession, and resided at that time in Williamsville. He was not con- spicuous in public life after the expiration of his term. He was the last congressman from Erie county who resided outside of the village or city of Buffalo. The Indians having seen Ellicott draw maps from notes brought him by assistants, laying down streams familiar to them and which they knew he had never seen, gave him a name signifying The Man who Knows all the World. Of the two assemblymen elected that year, Jedediah Prendergast was from Chautauqua county, and Richard Smith lived in Hamburg. It was also in that year that Archi- bald S. Clarke was made a member of the Council of Appointment, Frederick B. Merrill taking his place as county clerk. Mr. Clarke was also commissioned a judge of the Court of Common Pleas; he, probably, during his life held as many or more offices than any other Erie county citizen.

The election of 1818 was of more than ordinary interest. The Buffalo Gazette changed hands, going from S. H. Salisbury to H. A. Salisbury, who changed its name to the Niagara Patriot, and announced that thenceforth it would be a Republican sheet, the name Republican still being applied to the party which was at that time just becoming known as the Democratic party. This organization was jubilant. The Fed- eral party had almost disappeared and no organization had been effected to take its place. It was the historical "era of good feeling," which, however, did not always extend to local political affairs, where the dominant party was frequently divided in factious wrangles. The Re- publican party nominated Nathaniel Allen from the eastern part of this district, and the bright young lawyer, Albert H. Tracy, of Buffalo. Isaac Phelps, jr., of Aurora, was renominated for the Assembly, with Philo Orton of Chautauqua county. It was at this period that loud denunciation appears in the newspapers of the Kremlin Junta, which took its name from the Kremlin block in Buffalo; that building evi- dently received its foreign title from its having been erected amid the ruins of Buffalo, as the more famous Kremlin of Moscow was erected on the ruins of that city after the fire that drove Napoleon to destruc- tion amid the snows of Russia. The Kremlin Junta consisted of Mr. Tracy, Dr. John H. Marshall, James Sheldon, and a few other active politicians, who were credited with holding meetings and devising schemes of more or less terrible import in the local political field. Ex-

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Congressman Archibald S. Clarke was the leader of the opposing fac- tion. An independent convention was soon held and nominated Judge Elias Osborne, of Clarence, for Assembly, against Phelps, but for some unexplained reason did not bring forward candidates for Congress. The old members, John C. Spencer and Benjamin Ellicott, declined to serve, but they received the votes of many of the Anti-Kremlin party. The Patriot was the organ of the Clarke-Osborne faction, while the Journal supported Tracy and Phelps. The ensuing campaign was made memorable by the bitterness of the opposing factions and the extravagant vigor of the epithets hurled back and forth. In the April election . Tracy was successful, coming out with a large majority; Phelps's majority was only twenty-three. Mr. Tracy was then only twenty-five years old, just eligible to the office, and by far the youngest member ever elected in this county.

By the beginning of 1820 the Clinton and the Bucktail parties, as they were termed, had come into life and were in the full tide of activity throughout this State. Governor Clinton was, of course, the leader of the former, which had as its principal foundation the canal scheme. The latter received more or less benefit from the regular Re- publican (Democratic) organization and nominated Vice-President Tompkins for governor. Clinton was elected by a large majority, though his opponent only a few years earlier had been one of the most popular men in the State. This shows what a hold upon the leading men of the State had been acquired by the project of the "grand canal," though it was ridiculed and opposed in the rural districts. In Erie county Clinton received 737 votes, to 310 for Tompkins; Boston gave 35 votes for Clinton, and only one for Tompkins; Wales 126 for Clin- ton, and 27 for Tompkins; Concord 128 for Clinton and 20 for Tomp- kins. These figures indicate the popularity of the canal policy in Western New York. Albert H. Tracy was again elected to Congress as the Clintonian candidate. Judge Oliver Forward was elected to the State Senate and was very active in favor of the canal and making Buffalo its terminus. The story of the contest between Buffalo and Black Rock over this question has already been told in an earlier chap- ter; it was at last decided in favor of the former place, and work began in Erie county on the 9th of August, 1823. From that time forward the canal was a less important political factor.

The new constitution of 1821-22 made important changes in elec- tions and changed the date of holding them from April to November;

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sheriffs and county clerks were elected by the people, and Erie, Niag- ara, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties became the Thirtieth Con- gressional District, entitled to one member. Albert H. Tracy was elected to Congress for the third time, and before he had reached thirty years of age. Ebenezer F. Norton, a Buffalo lawyer, was elected to the Assembly. It was in the spring of 1822 that Millard Fillmore made his early advent in Buffalo, entering the law office of Joseph Clary, to lay the foundations of his later political eminence. In 1824 Mr. Tracy declined a renomination for Congress, and Daniel G. Garn- sey, of Chautauqua, was elected, Mr. Tracy receiving the nomination for United States Senator that winter, but failing of confirmation.

A virulent political quarrel, based chiefly on personal grounds, took place in 1826 between Garnsey, member of congress, and Mr. Tracy, who had been again nominated for congress and failed of election by a small minority. Mr. Tracy had only a few months previous been appointed judge of the Eighth Circuit, but had declined the office. But the quarrel, as far as these two men were affected, ended as many such do, in forgetfulness. The census of 1825 gave Erie county two assem- blymen, and David Burt of Buffalo, and Oziel Smith, of Williamsville, were the first elected under this condition. The Anti-Masonic political crusade was now approaching and began to develop its strength in town elections of 1827. The story of that important episode has already been told. The veteran officer and statesman, Peter B. Porter, again appeared in politics and was unanimously elected to the Assem- bly, representing a mingled sentiment of opposition to Masonry and to the Holland Land Company. The political situation led to the estab- lishment of an Anti-Masonic newspaper in Buffalo called the Western Advertiser; as Anti-Masonry was ably and vigorously supported by the Buffalo Patriot, the new organ was not needed and closed its career in three months.

The fall election in 1828 was unusually exciting, not only on account of the strength of the Anti-Masonic party, but it was also the first election of Jackson to the presidency. His supporters were now generally recognized as Democrats, leaving their old title to be as- sumed by a new party thirty years later. In Western New York the lines were closely drawn between the Jackson Democrats on one side and Anti-Masons on the other, with the latter in the majority. In this district Ebenezer F. Norton was elected to Congress over John G. Camp, and the Anti-Masons elected David Burt and Millard Fillmore to the

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Assembly; other officials of that time are to be found in the preceding lists. A new paper was started to support the Democrats against their more powerful adversaries, which after several changes became the Buffalo Courier, now thriving under its age of seventy years; it was at first called the Buffalo Republican. The Anti-Masons held sway through 1829, many lodges in this county gave up their charters, and in the fall of that year Albert H. Tracy again entered political life and was elected State senator by that party, Mr. Fillmore and Edmund Hull, of Clarence, going to the Assembly.

By 1830 the opponents of Jackson's administration had to a large extent taken the name of National Republicans, but the Anti-Masons in Western New York were still the chief element of local opposition. Bates Cook, of Niagara county, was elected to Congress and Mr. Fill- more for the third time to the Assembly, with Nathaniel Knight, of Collins; Mr. Knight was the first assemblyman from any town in the county south of Aurora and Hamburg. The same conditions pre- vailed through 1831-32. That was the year of Jackson's second elec- tion; Buffalo had just been made a city, and the election was one of unusual interest. Millard Fillmore, then only thirty-two years old, was chosen to represent the Thirtieth District in Congress, and entirely without aid from extraneous sources. It was a high honor to thus step into the national legislature only nine years from the time when he was practicing law in the Common Pleas in a small interior town. This preferment was the more remarkable from the fact that Mr. Fillmore did not appear to possess the qualifications that most commonly win success in politics; he was not a great orator, nor did he render himself popular in a social way with his constituents. His rapid advancement could be attributed only to his industry, perseverance, sound judgment and sterling ability, which gained for him the entire confidence of the community. It should be understood that the only difficulty for him was in regard to the nomination, for the election of an anti-administra- tion candidate was certain. This is shown by the fact that in this county William L. Marcy, the Democratic candidate for governor, received only 1,743 votes, while 4,356 were cast for Francis Granger, his opponent. The two Erie county members of the assembly were both re-elected.

Albert H. Tracy had by this time taken a very prominent position in the State Senate, and in 1833 was re-elected. The Senate was then sitting as the Court for the Correction of Errors, then the highest tri-

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bunal in the State, and Mr. Tracy wrote and delivered a large number of opinions in which were displayed legal knowledge of the highest order.

Nothing of especial importance took place in the local field of poli- tics during the next few years, if we except the formation of the first Anti-Slavery society in this county, which was organized at Griffin's Mills. Judge Mills, of Clarence, Judge Freeman, of Alden, Judge Phelps, of Aurora, George W. Johnson, Abner Bryant and Daniel Bowen, of Buffalo, and Asa Warren, of Eden, were among the leading members, and the society continued active and a part of the local ma- chinery which was kept in operation until slavery was abolished.

The memorable era of "hard times " was now at hand, and in the general speculative scramble and subsequent failure and ruin, little at- tention was given to other affairs. In the presidential election of 1836, when a governor was also chosen, Van Buren and Marcy were elected to the two offices respectively. Erie county, as usual, went strongly for the opposition, which had by that time assumed the name of Whig throughout the country. Anti-Masonry as a political factor had ceased to exist, but its consequences were still seen in the large Whig majori- ties of Western and Central New York. Millard Fillmore, after two years' retirement, was again elected to Congress.

A perusal of the preceding lists of county officials will convey some idea of the increase of the German element in the local population. Beginning soon after 1820, and increasing more rapidly with passing years, this nationality had sent over its hosts of representatives until it became at the period under consideration a conspicuous feature of the growing cosmopolitanism to which further reference has been made in an earlier chapter, and a power in local politics which has never since been ignored. From this time onward lists of officials are liberally in- fused with names unmistakably German or Prussian. In the fall of 1837 William A. Moseley was elected to the State Senate in place of Mr. Tracy, who then finally retired from public life at the early age of forty-four years, after twenty-one years of a brilliant career. The county now had three assemblymen, as indicated in the preceding list.

The general depression in business continued to a considerable ex- tent down to 1840. General discontent prevailed and manifested itself in many State elections in 1838. In this State William H. Seward defeated Governor Marcy and became the first Whig governor. Erie county became more and more a Whig stronghold, and when the ex-

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citing Harrison campaign of 1840 opened, local political enthusiasm was at flood tide. No where else were more log cabins built, more hard cider drank, or louder shouting for "Tippecanoe and Tyler too." The Harrison ticket received here a majority of nearly two to one. Henry W. Seymour was presidential elector from this district. Millard Fillmore was elected to Congress for the fourth time, and in 1842 declined a re-election to that office, and William A. Moseley was elected. In 1844, when Henry Clay was nominated for president by the Whigs, Mr. Fillmore's name was presented by the New York delegates for the second place on the ticket. He was not selected, however, but was chosen with scarcely a division as the candidate for governor; but the State as well as the nation went for Polk and Silas Wright was elected governor. Dr. Carlos Emmons, of Springville, was then chosen State senator.

A new State constitution was prepared and ratified by the people in 1846, which wrought important changes in every county in the State. Under its provisions most of the county offices were made elective; the term of State senator was made two years and each senator was made to represent a senatorial district, and each assemblyman an assembly district. Erie county became the Thirty-first Senatorial District, and was now entitled to four assemblymen. The old court of Common Pleas was abolished and the County Court instituted, to be presided over by a county judge, excepting in certain criminal cases in Courts of Sessions, when he was .to be assisted by two justices of sessions. The State was divided into eight judicial districts, each of which was to elect four justices of the Supreme Court. Erie county was made a part of the Eighth District and has so continued to the present time. At a special election held in June, 1847, judicial officers and district attorneys were elected, as directed by the constitution. The Whigs having a large majority in the Eighth District, four justices of the Supreme Court of that political faith were elected; among them were Seth E. Sill, of Buffalo, and James Mullett, of Chautauqua county, who kept an office in Buffalo. Other Whig candidates in Erie county were all defeated for the first time since the organization of the party, through the influence of local differences. In the following fall the first State officers were elected under the new constitution. Millard Fillmore was nominated by the Whigs for comptroller. The Demo- crats were torn asunder into the so-called Hunker and Barnburner factions, which were then at the height of their antagonism, and Mr. Fillmore and his Whig associates were elected by a large majority.

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The political campaign of 1848 was an important one and possesses local historical interest. In June, after General Taylor had been nom- inated for the presidency by the Whig National Convention at Phila delphia, Mr. Fillmore was chosen for second place on the ticket. The Democrats in national convention nominated Cass and Butler for president and vice-president respectively, while the Barnburners, who constituted the radical wing of that party, and had espoused the Wil- mot Proviso, for the exclusion of slavery from territory then recently acquired from Mexico, met in Utica and nominated Martin Van Buren for the presidency, with a western nominee for second place; the latter declined the honor. For the purpose of uniting all the forces possible against the extension of slavery, another convention was called for August 9 to meet in Buffalo. The proceedings of this assemblage of distinguished men are memorable in history. Representatives were present from every Northern State as well as from Delaware, Mary- land and Virginia. At noon of the day named above the convention was called to order in a great tent which had been placed in the court house park. Nathaniel Sawyer, of Ohio, was chosen temporary chair- man, and a committee on permanent organization was appointed, consisting of one from each State represented.

At the beginning of the afternoon session an immense throng gathered about the tent and in adjoining streets. Preston King was chosen chairman of the committee on organization and reported the name of Charles Francis Adams, of Massachusetts, for president of the convention, and he was elected. Thereupon the man who for the first time occupied a prominent position before the nation was escorted to the chair by a broad-shouldered, fine appearing man of thirty-eight years, Salmon P. Chase, of Ohio. A committee on resolutions was appointed, of which Benjamin F. Butler was made chairman; not Gen. Benjamin F. Butler of military fame, but the first lieutenant of Martin Van Buren in his political schemes, and later attorney-general of the United States in Van Buren's cabinet.

During the delay incident upon the consultation of a committee of conference over the nomination of candidates, the convention was ad- dressed by several men whose names ere long became familiar through- out the country in the Anti-Slavery cause: among them was Joshua R. Giddings, of Ohio. Salmon P. Chase was chairman of the com- mittee of conference; this committee declined to make nominations until the convention prepared its platform. On the following morning

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MILLARD FILLMORE.

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there was reported to the convention a series of resolutions embodying the creed of the Free Soil party, which was subsequently the same as that afterwards adopted by the Republican party; its key note was "no more slave States and no slave Territories." The resolutions were enthusiastically adopted. Meanwhile the committee of confer- ence met in the Universalist church and when it received notice of the action of the convention, proceeded to make nominations. Mr. Van Buren had already been nominated for the presidency by a New York convention of Free Soilers, but there was a strong feeling in the con- vention in favor of John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, a well known radical opponent of slavery. However, after Mr. Butler had eloquently portrayed the position of his friend and explained the principles by which he was guided, a vote was taken in which Van Buren received 244; John P. Hale 181, and 41 scattering. Van Buren had a majority over all others of only 22. Charles Francis Adams was then unani- mously nominated for vice president. In the evening of that day these nominations were reported to the mass convention, which filled the great tent to the utmost, and they were received with tumultuous cheers. After the reading of a letter from Van Buren by David Dudley Field, and several short speeches, the convention closed.

The results of this memorable convention were at least twofold; it gave New York to the Whigs, caused the election of Taylor and Fill- more, and exerted a powerful influence in strengthening the growing opposition to the extension of slavery and hastening the approach of most momentous events.

In the election of that year Elbridge G. Spaulding, of Buffalo, was chosen to represent this district in Congress. Upon the death of Gen- eral Taylor, July 9, 1850, Millard Fillmore became president of the United States. He was then fifty years of age; twenty-one years earlier he entered public life as member of assembly, and only twenty- seven years had passed since he began law practice in Aurora.

In forming his cabinet Mr. Fillmore gave his former student and partner, Nathan K. Hall, the office of postmaster-general, and was promptly accused of favoritism by his opponents; but the thoroughly successful administration of Mr. Hall justified the action of the presi- dent. Daniel Webster was made secretary of State and John J. Crit- tenden attorney general. Through the remaining hot months of that summer, Congress, which was in session at the time of General Tay- lor's death, wrestled with the problems growing out of the slavery

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question and finally passed the celebrated compromise measures which provided for the admission of California, the organization of the terri- tories of New Mexico and Utah without prohibition of slavery, the abolition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia, and the sum- mary return of fugitive slaves escaping from one State to another. While the last named act (the Fugitive Slave Law) was strongly de- nounced by many prominent Whigs and some Northern Democrats, the president signed all of the five acts constituting the compromise meas- ures. He was upheld in this action by a majority of both political parties. Solomon G. Haven, the third member of the law firm of Fill- more, Hall & Haven, was brought forward that fall as a candidate for Congress and was elected, thus assuring the president of unqualified support from his own county. Mr. Fillmore's policy, after the passage of the compromise acts, was in harmony with his party and his ad- ministration was a creditable one in every respect. But he had ac- quired a reputation for conservatism, and when the Whig convention of 1852 assembled he was opposed by the radical members of the party who were in fierce opposition to slavery. The nomination of General Scott followed, and was considered a defeat for the conservatives, but the platform was sufficiently conservative and as decidedly in favor of the compromise measures as Mr. Fillmore himself could have desired. The Whig party, as is well remembered, was overwhelmingly de- feated.

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Our County and Its People: A Descriptive Work on Erie County, New York (Volume 1), Part 53

Author: Truman C. White Publication date: 1898 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1017

Author: Truman C. White
Publication date: 1898
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017