USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II > Part 51
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The history of the first of the campaign log cabins ereeted in Columbus begins with the organization of the " Franklin County Straightout Tippecanoe Club," which took place April 9, 1840, on the open lawn in rear of John Young's Eagle Coffeehouse. A crowd, large for those days, was present and was regaled with a barrel of hard cider provided by Mr. Young who was a member of the club. An account of the event says : "The generous liquor was imbided from a gourd. In the centre of the yard stood the miniature of Fort Meigs kindly bestowed to the Harrison men of Columbus by the Wood County delegation. . . Above it floated two magnificent flags. .. The Fort was appropriated as a rostrum."' The crowd was addressed by J. G. Miller, John W. Andrews, Alfred Kelley and W. B. Lloyd. A " manifesto" was signed by about two hundred members, and officers of the club were chosen as follows : President, George Elphinstone; Vice Presi- dent, Joseph Leiby and A. Stotts; secretaries, James Allen and Oren Follett; executive committee, N. Gregory, J. Neereamer, J. Phillips, S. McClelland and T. Y. Miles.
On April 18, 1840, a campaign log cabin was raised by the Straightouts, assisted by " Tippecanoe Clubs 1 and 2 and the German Club." An account states that "the Hard Cider boys from Madison came in a wagon drawn by six horses, adorned with Buckeye boughs and a flag." Addresses were delivered by Messrs. Philips, Heyl, Brush and Backus. The location of the cabin was on the common just east of the Capitol Square, near the present line of Third Street. A Whig meeting held at the eabin July 7 was addressed by R. W. Thompson, of Indiana, and General Murphy, of Chillicothe. At another cabin meeting, held September 14, the principal speaker was Hon. John H. Eaton, who had been a member of President Jackson's first cabinet.
So strong was the tide of partisan feeling this year that the Fourth of July was celebrated by the Whigs and Democrats separately - the Whigs at Stewart's Grove, south of the city, the Democrats6 -- it was derisively stated - "about equidistant from the Penitentiary, the Ropewalk and the Graveyard." In the Whig procession a company of juvenile lancers marehed on either side of the ladies as a guard. The speakers at the Whig meeting were Alfred Kelley, Joseph Olds, and J. L. Green, of Pickaway, and R. W. Thompson, of Indiana. Of the speakers at the Democratie meeting the author finds no record.
The Democratic State Convention of 1840 was held in Columbus January 8 Its temporary chairman was Hon. John Chaney, of Fairfield ; its permanent ebairman Hon. Thomas L. Hamer, its viee ebairmen John Larwill and William Milligan. Governor Wilson Shannon was nominated for a second term ; delegates
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to the National Convention were appointed, and the following State Central Com- mittee was named : C. B. Harlan, Bela Latham, Samuel Medary, A. G. Hibbs, Peter Kaufman, John Patterson and John McElvain. The platform denounced native Americanism and endorsed Van Buren's administration. On the same occasion the anniversary of the battle of New Orleans was celebrated by a ban -. quet, largely attended, at the dining hall of the American House. Samuel Spangler presided at this banquet, and many toasts were proposed and responded to. Among the speakers were Governor Shannon and Hon. Thomas L. Hamer.
The great Democratic occasion of the year seems to have been the reception accorded to Vice President Richard M. Johnson, which took place August 8 at Stewart's Grove, then described as " about a mile from the city on the Chillicothe road." The attendanee is said to have been great and the procession of cor- responding dimensions. Major W. F. Sanderson was marshal of the day and the order of march to the Grove was as follows: 1, German band; 2, martial music ; 3, First German Artillerists ; 4, Vice President of the United States and Governor of Ohio ; 5, Members of Congress and other invited guests; 6, Second German Artillerists; 7, Columbus Lancers; 8, officers of the day, in carriages ; 9, Revo- lutionary soldiers and sailors, and soldiers of the last war, in carriages; 10, Com- mittee of Arrangements; 11, strangers from other counties; 12, citizens on foot ; 13, citizens in carriages; 14, citizens on horseback. The procession formed on High Street, with its right resting on Broad. At the grove, Vice President Johnson was welcomed by John A. Bryan, Esq., and delivered an address. Additional speeches were made by Governor Shannon and Hon. William Allen.
At a Democratic meeting held at the Old Courthouse September 1, Philip Bruck was chairman, George Kraus vice chairman and Jacob Reinhard secre- tary. Resolutions favoring Van Buren and Johnson were adopted.
An antislavery convention was held in the city sometime during the year, but was carefully ignored by the local press. Its date and proceedings therefore can- not be given.
A body styling itself the Jackson Reform True American Association issued an address, in July, signed by about 150 names, accusing President Van Buren of gross abuse of his patronage, and appealing to the " original Jackson men " to oppose his reelection.
General Harrison, candidate for the Presidency, arrived in Columbus, unex- pectedly, during one of the early days in June, and alighted at the National Hotel, where he was visited by many citizens. To the calls of the crowd which assembled outside he responded in reply to various personal calumnies. At ten o'clock on a Saturday morning he quitted Columbus en route to Fort Meigs and was escorted for some miles by a cavalcade of citizens, led by the Mayor, who on taking leave made a brief address to which the General responded. Before reaching Worth- ington he was met by an escort of mounted men from that place, with sprigs of buckeye attached to the bridles of their horses. From Worthington, where he was enthusiastically received, he proceeded to Delaware, whence, after remaining over Sunday, he continued his journey to Sandusky. In October General Harrison
John
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again arrived in Columbus, and remained some days before proceeding to his home at North Bend.
Hon. John Tyler, candidate for the Vice Presideney, arrived in the city Sep- tember 24, and was welcomed by the Mayor, to whose address he responded, it was stated, " in a most able and feeling manner, amid the cheers and shouts of an admiring and patriotic people." On the next day following, he was present at and addressed a socalled Jackson reform convention at which General Resin Beall presided. Additional speeches were delivered by Governor Wickliffe, of Kentucky, General Murphy, of Chillicothe, and Mr. Silliman of Wooster. On the evening of December 5 the Whigs throughout the city illuminated their houses in honor of Harrison's election. A congratulatory address was issued about the same time by the Whig State Central Committee, the members of which were Alfred Kelley, N. M. Miller, F. Stewart, R. Neil, J. W. Andrews, Lyne Starling, Junior, O. Follett and Lewis Heyl.
1841.
On April 4 the death of President Harrison, which occurred on that date, was announeed by Daniel Webster and other members of the cabinet. On the evening of the seventh a meeting of citizens was held at the Statehouse to express regrets and condolences. Alfred Kelley was chairman, Joseph Ridgway, Senior, and Noah H. Swayne viee chairmen ; John Sloane and A. S. Chew secreta- ries; and William B. Hubbard, Doctor Robert Thompson and John Sloane mem- bers of a committee to prepare resolutions. The meeting was addressed by Hon. James T. Morehead, National Senator from Kentucky. The resolutions adopted were expressive of deep sorrow ; also of confidence in Vice President Tyler. A committee to select a suitable person to deliver a eulogy on the late President was appointed.
On April 24 a meeting of the Second Brigade, Seventh Division of the Ohio militia, was held at Military Hall, and a funeral procession in honor of the deecased President was resolved upon. General J. C. Reynolds was appointed chief mar- shal, and Major W. F. Sanderson assistant. Colonels James Dalzell and Jesse Hoyt and Captains Wray Thomas and N. B. Kelley were selected as special aides. Colo- nel S. Cutler and Majors W. F. Sanderson and H. Daniels were appointed as a committee of arrangements. General William J. Reese, of Lancaster, was invited to deliver an oration. The funeral procession was arranged to take place on Fri- day, May 21, according to the following programme :
Business to be suspended and buildings dressed in mourning. No banner bear- ing any politieal device or inscription to be permitted. The firebells to be tolled during the procession. The ceremonies of the day to be: 1, prayer; 2, funeral oration by General Reese; 3, requiem, by the Musical Association; 4, prayer ; firing of three volleys by the military escort. The procession was to be formed at ten A. M. on High Street, right resting on Broad and eolumn extending south in the following order :
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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.
Chief marshal and aids ; military escort, consisting of Colonel S. Cutler's regiment of cavalry ; orator of the day and officiating clergyman in an open barouche ; the Rev. clergy in carriages ; Assistant Marshal, Major W. F. Sanderson ; Columbus City Band, Columbus Guards ; First German Band ; Captain Frankenburgli's Company of Light Artillery ; Second German Band; Captain C. Jacobs's Company of Light Artillery ; funeral car drawn by six horses ; horse caparisoned and led by a groom ; pallbearers in carriages ; Captain Merion's Company of Executive Horse Guards will be posted on the right and left flanks as a guard of honor. Captain Beach's Company of Washington Guards. Captain Stoel's Company of Reynoldsburg Guards. First Rifle Regiment under the command of Colonel Edward Slocum. Governor of Ohio and officers of State in carriages; Senators and members of the legislature in Ohio; officers and soldiers of the Revolution ; officers and soldiers of the last war ; Mayor and members of the City Council and officers of the corporation ; judges of the several courts ; officers and members of the bar and students at law ; members of the Medical Faculty and students of medicine; members of the Franklin Literary and Scientific Institute ; members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Columbus Typographical Society ; mem- bers of the Young Men's Library Association; Society of Ancient Britons ; members of the Young Men's Lyceum ; members of the Mechanics' Benevolent Association ; members of the Fire Department of the city of Columbus; members of the several temperance societies ; citizens of the city of Columbus and strangers who may wish to join in the procession ; Columbus butchers, mounted ; citizens from the country, mounted. The procession will march at ten o'clock precisely. The direction will be up Broad to Third, up Third to Rich, up Rich to High, up High to State, down State to the First Presbyterian Church where the funeral ceremonies will take place. The military escort will be halted in front of the church and receive the civic procession with the highest military honors. The gallery of the church will be reserved for the military. After the ceremonies shall have been concluded, the pro- cession will be again formed and march up State to High Street at which point the proces- sion will be dismissed.
The ceremonies and parade took place in accordance with this arrangement except that the members of the Typographical Society and the Mechanics' Band quitted the procession and refused to march in it because of being assigned to a place behind the carriages where they would have been " nearly suffocated with dust." The remains of General Harrison were not brought to Columbus. They arrived at Cincinnati July 5, whence they were taken to the place of inter- ment at North Bend, the Columbus Guards forming a part of the escort, as already narrated.
The veto 'of the United States bank bill by President Tyler produced a great deal of disappointment and bitter feeling among his supporters of the Whig party. In Columbus a large number of them held a public meeting at the Markethouse and passed resolutions condemnatory of Tyler's action. The chairman of this meeting was J. A. Lazell ; its secretaries were H. Wood and C. H. Wing. Its resolutions were reported by Joseph Ridgway, H. Wood, N. H. Swayne, J. A. La- zell and Captain Duffy. A small meeting of administration Whigs held about the same time - William Neil chairman and Robert Ware secretary - passed resolu- tions deprecating criticism of the veto ; but this assembly was immediately followed by another and much larger one which gave expression to opposite sentiments. At a meeting of " friends of the veto " held August 20 Jacob Hare was chairman and Henry Rödter secretary. At a meeting held in the Markethouse September 25 - Colonel James Kilbourn chairman, and Wray Thomas and James O'Kane
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POLITICAL EVENTS ; 1840-1848.
secretaries - resolutions reported by Alfred Kelley, Noah H. Swayne, John W. Andrews and others, were adopted, denouncing Tyler's vetoes, favoring a sound state bank and recommending that a convention of Western and Southern States be held to consider the deranged state of the currency then existing. The mem- bers of the Democratic State Central Committee in 1841 were Bela Latham, William Trevitt, A. G. Hibbs, A. McElvain and S. Medary. In June a Clay Club was organized with officers as follows : President, Horatio Wood ; Vice Presidents, Benjamin Blake and Abram Stotts; Secretaries, Thomas Y. Miles and John A. Lazell.
1842.
On July 25 the General Assembly convened in extra session pursuant to adjournment in March of that year. Primarily this extra session was held for the purpose of reapportionment of the congressional districts; secondarily, to provide relief for canal contractors and laborers; and for the protection of debtors against the suminary execution and sale of their property during the monetary distress then prevailing. A reapportionment bill reported by T. W. Bartley passed the Senate and on August 11 was to have been put upon its passage in the House, but during the preliminary proceedings of that date nearly all the Whig Senators and Representatives filed their resignations, leaving both houses without a quorum." The resigning Whigs then issued an address to the people of the State denouncing the reapportionment measure as an attempted gerrymander which "disarmed the people " and " broke down the power of the ballotbox by enabling the few to rule and ruin the many." This summary action produced great excitement. During the evening of the eleventh a meeting of Democrats to denounce the course of the seceders was held at the Markethouse, while the Whigs, assembled in front of the Statehouse, were pass- ing resolutions denouncing the reapportionment bill as a measure " devised for the express purpose of stifling and suppressing the true voice of the people of Ohio by such a partial, unfair and unconstitutional arrangement of counties in the formation of the several districts as to enable a minority of the voters to elect a large majority of Representatives in Congress." The chairman of the Democratic meeting was David T. Disney, of Hamilton County ; the secretary, C. B. Flood ; the principal speakers, Allen G. Thurman of Ross, and Elwood Fisher, of Hamil- ton. At the Whig meeting speeches were made by Messrs. Wade, Root, Clarke and Powell of the General Assembly ; Judge Wright, of Cincinnati; and Alfred Kelley, of Columbus. On the thirteenth, James J. Faran, Speaker of the Senate, wrote to Governor Corwin stating that thirteen Senators had resigned and inquir- ing whether he considered the resignations as creating vacancies, and if so whether he would order such vacancies to be filled by special elections. The Governor replied that in the absence of a quorum all that either house could do was to com- pel the attendance of absent members, and that the question whether there were such absentees was one for each body to determine for itself. An effort was mean- while made by the partisans of the apportionment to compel attendance of the
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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.
seceders, but without avail. The General Assembly was therefore practically dis- solved and both Whigs and Democrats quietly dispersed to their bomes.
In its phillippies against the seceders the Ohio Statesman charged that while the legislative officers were endeavoring to serve warrants on the recusant mem- bers, they were " followed around the streets by a tumultuous and disorderly multitude," and were grossly insulted. In a political speech Speaker Faran also made this accusation, and added : " If the legitimate orders of either branch directed to the proper officer cannot be executed without the officer being insulted by a mob, it is high time to inquire whether another place should not be selected for the seat of government. This will have to be determined by a future legisla- ture." The removal of the capital from Columbus having already been seriously threatened, as narrated in a preceding chapter, these declarations were at once met by an investigation by a committee appointed at a meeting of citizens held for that purpose. The members of this committee were J. R. Swan, Francis Stew- art, W. B. Hubbard, P. B. Wilcox, A. F. Perry, Moses Jewett and S. E. Wright. A searching inquiry was made by these gentlemen, and on September 20, a public meeting was held at the Engine House for the purpose of receiving their report. D. W. Deshler was chairman of this meeting and William Dennison secretary. After narrating the events which followed the legislative secession the commit- tee reported as its conclusion from investigation of the facts that " not only was there no mob on the occasion alluded to but there was really no disrespect intended or offered by any citizen to any member of the legislature, or to any of its officers.
The Democratic State Convention of this year was held Jannary 8, and again nominated Hon. William Shannon for Governor. The Whig convention took place February 22. Its president, as the chairman of such a body was then called, was General Joseph Vance, of Champaign. An account of it says:8 " A little before twelve the convention assembled in the street in front of the Neil House, a stage having been erected for the accommodation of the officers and speakers on the sidewalk, near the Old Courthouse."9 Among the speakers were Messrs. Cook of Erie, White of Licking, Schenck of Montgomery, Nash of Gallia and Bingham of Harrison. Governor Corwin was renominated and the following State Central Committee was appointed : Joseph Ridgway, Junior, Samuel Z. Seltzer, John A. Lazell, John Greenwood, Lewis Heyl, A. F. Perry and C. H. Wing. The anniversary of Washington's birth was celebrated the same day by a military parade marshalled by Major W. F. Sanderson, assisted by C. Runyon of Columbus, Andrew MeAlpin of Cincinnati and Samuel R. Curtis, of McConnells- ville. The civic procession, it was stated, was " escorted by the two splendid com- panies of German Artillery," commanded by Captains Jacobs and Ambos, and " moved through the principal streets of the city with flags and banners and accompanied by the excellent bands from Cadiz, Harrison County, McConnells- ville, Morgan County, and Circleville, Pickaway County."
The Freesoilers held their convention at Mt. Vernon in June. Their rela- tion to the current politics of the time is indicated by the following comment in the Ohio State Journal : " Of the two great political parties into which the country
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POLITICAL EVENTS ; 1840-1848.
is divided they [the antislavery men] receive something allied to pity from the one and the scorn and contempt of the other. And thus related they assume the attitude of armed neutrals."
In derision of the proposed gerrymander, the Whig newspapers were illus- trated with drawings in which the general outlines of the congressional districts as bounded by the defeated bill were converted into monsters of terrific form. Nevertheless the dissolution of the General Assembly, by withdrawal of the Whig members, in order to defeat this measure, did not produce the effect intended. Shannon was elected Governor over Corwin and a General Assembly was returned which reelected John Brough, then a Democrat, as Auditor of State. In exulta- tion over the success of its party, the Ohio Statesman displayed a comie illustra- tion representing Messrs. Corwin, Kelley, Ewing, Wright and Powell en route to "Salt River," and jeered its political antagonists with these rasping suggestions :
Banks is obsolete, Coons is obsoleter ; Cider some thinks sweet But vinegar's more sweeter.
The votes cast for Leicester King, the Freesoil candidate for Governor, num- bered 5,134, and would have elected Corwin had he received them.
On December 10 the General Assembly convened in joint session to count the vote for Governor, and declared Mr. Shannon elected. On December 15 the retiring Governor, Mr. Corwin, was given a complimentary banquet by some hun- dreds of his friends at the Neil House.
1843.
A banquet in honor of the twentyeighth anniversary of the battle of New Orleans took place at the American House on the evening of the ninth. Samuel Medary presided. Among the speakers were John Brough, Jacob Reinhard, S. Medary, T. W. Bartley, E. B. Olds, R. P. Spalding and Senator Walton. Music was furnished between the toasts by the " Columbus City German Brass Band."
On February 11 a meeting in behalf of a bill pending in Congress providing for the settlement of Oregon Territory was held at the Council Chamber, P. H. Olmsted presiding. Samuel Medary, William B. Hubbard, J. W. Milligan, N. B. Kelly, Joseph Leiby and M. J. Gilbert were appointed a committee " to collect information concerning the said territory of Oregon," and reported to a subse- quent meeting held at the United States Court House, February 16. At a second adjourned meeting held March 11 an address was delivered by General Thomas Worthington, of Hocking County, and a committee was appointed to correspond with other States favorable to immediate occupation of Oregon, with reference to "holding a Western Convention on the subject."
On June 1 a political meeting held at the Old Courthouse, Nathaniel Harris, chairman, adopted a platform of principles which declared that the people were tired of the endless embarrassments resulting from the absence of a sound cur-
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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.
rency ; denounced all political parties as then organized ; favored " a judicions tariff; " opposed new undertakings of public improvements; demanded the reduction of official salaries ; opposed secret political caucuses, and resolved that the " friends of the meeting style themselves Republicans." Thompson Bull, Tru- man Sheats, Samuel Kinnear, M. J. Gilbert, Doctor Richey and Nathaniel Harris were appointed a committee to prepare an address.
1844.
The Democratic State Convention of this year met at the City Hall January 8. Its chairman was William Medill; its secretaries, Thomas J. Gallagher of Hamilton, and Jonathan D. Morris, of Clermont. Its declaration of principles was reported by Allen G Thurman of Ross. David Tod, of Trumbull, was nom- inated for Governor, and addressed the convention. One of the conspicuous dele- gates was John Brough. Presidential electors were nominated and delegates were appointed to represent the Ohio Democracy in the National Convention to be held at Baltimore the ensuing May.
The Ohio Democracy celebrated the Eighth of January of this year by a banquet at the American House. Hon. David T. Disney presided, and the toasts, of which there was a large number, were read by Colonel B. B. Taylor and Allen G. Thurman, R. P. Spalding, T. J. Gallagher and Messrs. Taylor and Piatt were prominent among the speakers. On January 9 the Juvenile Hickory Club met at the Council Chamber and elected the following officers : President, J. Doherty ; Vice President, J. A. Markland ; Secretaries, George H. Warren and R. H. Thompson. An "Irish repeal meeting" held at the Representatives' Chamber January 10, was addressed by Thomas J. Gallagher and Patrick Collins. In a correspondence of February 8, with Messrs. Reinhard & Fieser, publishers of the Westbote, Hon. Thomas Ewing deprecated the organization of " native American societies." On February 19, it was stated, " a large and enthusiastic meeting of the citizens of Ohio " then "in the capital," was held at the house of General E. Gale for " congratulating each other and the country on the passage of the act to refund to General Andrew Jackson the fine imposed on him by a vin- dictive federal judge for declaring martial law at New Orleans when necessary for the defense of the city and the protection of the 'booty and beauty ' from the sacriligious hands of a mercenary soldiery." A dinner was spread and numerous toasts were proposed and responded to. Hon. Jacob Reinhard was a member of the committee on resolutions. An additional "Oregon meeting" was held February 23 at the City Hall for the purpose of pronouncing resistance to " the groundless pretentions of England," and reiterating the " nobly American declaration " of President Monroe in 1823 that "the American continents were not thenceforth to be considered subjects of colonization by any European power."
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