USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Pittsburgh > Standard history of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania > Part 91
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The campaign for the mayoralty candidates in December, 1835, and Janu- ary, 1836, was extremely violent and bitter. The Democrats placed in nomina- tion Mr. McClintock, and the Anti-Masons Mr. Lowrie. The Whigs united with the Jacksonians, with the agreement that the latter were to name the candi- date for mayor, and the former a majority of the candidates for City Councils. At this time all the other city offices were appointive only. The Anti-Masons called themselves reformers, and had in view principally the correction of abuses in the police department, but the contest was really fought over the question of the policies of President Jackson. So severe were the strictures employed during this contest that the notice of many localities in distant parts of the United States was called to Pittsburg. The election in Pittsburg resulted as follows: Mr. McClintock, 849; Mr. Lowrie, 598. Of the 21 councilmen, ten were Masons and the majority were Whigs.
In 1835 occurred an important division in the ranks of the Democracy. It was recognized that President Jackson's official career was drawing to a close, and his supporters sought a new organization that would insure party success
780
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
much on the old lines. Martin Van Buren was recommended by President Jackson as his most suitable successor, and soon the party, which had but recently been known as Jacksonians, came to be known as Van Burenites. In Pennsylvania the Van Buren wing cut loose from Governor Wolf and advocated the election of Henry A. Muhlenberg to the governorship. The organ of this movement here was the Manufacturer. Forty-three men signed an address to the public calling attention to the great increase in the State debt, declaring that public money had been injudiciously squandered, and that official oppres- sion had become unbearable. Thus in 1835 four parties contended in Allegheny County for supremacy. Among the leaders of the Muhlenberg movement was David Lynch.
The Whig party in 1835 was composed of men who had formerly been members of the National Republican, Anti-Masonic, and Jackson parties. The objects of the Whig party were to unite all minor considerations and party distinctions in the maintenance unimpaired of the fundamental principles of Republican institutions, which, it was alleged, were seriously threatened by President Jackson and by the South. They recommended the nomination of Joseph Ritner for governor and Daniel Webster for President.
In March, 1835, the Democrats met in Harrisburg for the purpose of nominating a state ticket and formulating the policy of that party. The Alle- gheny County delegates at this convention were William Robinson, Jr., E. J. Roberts, J. Gallagher and Thomas Hamilton. From the commencement the convention was bitterly divided upon party issues. The various factions con- tended with desperation for the control of the convention, and finally the Alle- gheny County delegates withdrew from that body. This convention, owing to its hopeless division on old and new issues, became popularly known as the "chaotic convention," and this division in the Democratic party ranks became known in history as the Muhlenberg Rebellion. The Allegheny County dele- gates were instructed to support Van Buren for the Presidency and Muhlen- berg for the governorship, and when they learned that the Van Buren wing of the party would be unable to control the convention, they withdrew in com- pany with other supporters of Mr. Muhlenberg. The Statesman, though opposed to the Administration, supported Governor Wolf for reelection, but later in the campaign changed and supported Mr. Muhlenberg. At this time Mr. Butler, editor of the Statesman, was one of the ablest editors in Western Pennsylvania, and the enmity between himself and Mr. Craig, of the Gazette, was bitter and acrimonious in the extreme.
It was during the campaign of 1835 that the Catholic question was brought into unusual prominence in this county. Their hostility to the public school system, and their position concerning the temporal power of the Pope, were combated with great vehemence and ability by the Protestant denominations, and by the two newspapers, the Gazette and the Times, both of which favored severing the Catholics of the United States from their foreign head. The subject was taken into politics and discussed with much bitterness.
During this year the war reached its height. The Whig newspapers of Pittsburg stigmatized Mr. Wolf as "the priest-ridden Governor," and claimed that he was the candidate of the Catholics. It was asserted that his most inti- mate friends were Michael Curran and Thomas O'Neil, both Irish Catholics. It was declared in many issues of the Times, Gazette and other newspapers of Pitts- burg that "Catholicism, Masonry and Infidelity were combined to crush the liberty of the republic." In 1836 it was asserted that during the Presidential campaign fifteen Masons were on the Van Buren electoral ticket. It was also declared that Martin Van Buren was the correspondent and eulogist of the Pope of Rome, and it was known that he had nominated for Chief Justice
781
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
of the Supreme Court Roger B. Taney, a Roman Catholic, to succeed John Marshall.
In 1835 business had become so much better that the citizens generally invited Honorable Thaddeus Stevens to visit Pittsburg and deliver an oration on the 4th of July. Mr. Stevens at this time was popularly known as the "father" of the common school system. In answer to the letter of the citizens he replied that he would be present on that occasion. In 1835 and 1836 the Mercury and the Democrat supported Mr. Wolf, while the Manufacturer and the Statesman supported Mr. Muhlenberg. The Gazette and the Times were Anti- Masonic, while the Advocate was the organ of the Whig party. The following was the vote for Governor in 1835:
Ritner.
Wolf. Muhlenberg.
North Ward
23I
142
IO ·
West Ward.
267
I55
24
East Ward.
227
192
42
South Ward.
162
I43
26
Northern Liberties
I38
178
16
Allegheny.
404
259
63
Birmingham
34
29
15
Lawrenceville
46
42
I
The county vote was: Ritner, 3,848; opposition, 3,232. It is difficult to describe the vituperation resorted to during the campaign of 1835 and 1836 by the various party factions. After having exhausted themselves in denounc- ing party politics, principles and methods, the newspapers and the candidates descended to outrageous personal abuse. Several citizens who had participated during the war of 1812 in the affair at Black Rock were brought before the people at this time as candidates for office. The newspapers, in referring to their public careers, called them in derision the "heroes of Black Rock." Hand- bills of a libelous character were circulated, and all the newspapers contained intense abuse of some of the candidates. It was a desperate struggle for political supremacy amid the shifting issues of the day. So severe became party antag- onism that in many instances proscription was resorted to by the friends of some candidate or the supporters of some public measure. This feature of the campaign became so prominent that in April, 1837, a large meeting was held in Pittsburg by those who claimed to be the friends of the Union, of free speech and of free discussion. Benjamin Bakewell served as chairman. A long list of resolutions was adopted, declaring that attempts which had been made here by some politicians to prohibit free speech must be met with emphatic opposition by all free men, and that the right of free discussion and of petition were guaranteed by the Constitution and must not be abrogated. At the election for President in 1836 the vote stood as follows:
Harrison. Van Buren.
East Ward.
252
256
South Ward.
204
195
West Ward.
284
233
North Ward.
388
217
Northern Liberties.
187
227
Lawrenceville
49
46
Allegheny
487
283
Birmingham.
3I
50
In the autumn of 1836 Richard Biddle, Anti-Masonic candidate for Con- gress, received 3,155 votes in the county, and Trevanion B. Dallas, Van Buren
782
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
candidate, 2,984. For President, Harrison received in the county 3,623, and \ an Buren, 3,074.
On October 19, 1836, General W. H. Harrison arrived in Pittsburg. He was met by a committee of the citizens at East Liberty and reached the Exchange Hotel about 1:30 in the afternoon, where he was welcomed by a large assemblage and by an eloquent speech from William B. McClure. Mr. Harrison responded in an address of about an hour in length on the issues of the day, and was frequently interrupted with applause.
During the campaign of 1836 William Wilkins, who seemed to have formed a great liking for the South and its institutions, took the strong position substantially that a State had the right, under certain limitations, of seceding from the Union. For this declaration he was denounced in the severest terms by the Whig and Anti-Masonic organs of this county. It was declared that he had forfeited his right to be called "The Iron Knight," which title of honor had been previously bestowed upon him by his friends and admirers here for his able advocacy of all measures likely to benefit the commercial enterprises of Pittsburg. As a matter of history, the declaration made by Mr. Wilkins was to the effect that the Constitutional Convention which convened in May, 1837, was unlimited and uncontrollable, and that it might, therefore, establish a monarchial form of government in this State. In other words, he maintained that the convention was independent of fealty to the General Government; and could establish a monarchy in Pennsylvania if it so desired. For this state- ment he was criticised and denounced by his enemies almost as long as he lived ; at any rate as long as he remained in public life. George M. Dallas and others made statements of similar import concerning the Constitutional Con- vention of 1837. Mr. Dallas went so far as to declare that the convention could introduce slavery into Pennsylvania and make it a part of the organic law. These ultra statements gave the opponents of Mr. Wilkins and Mr. Dallas abundant opportunity for harsh criticism, of which they did not fail to take advantage. The Jacksonians were called Tories, because it was concluded that Jackson represented a form of arbitrary power repugnant to the sense of justice of Americans. For an opposite reason the Van Buren party were called Jacobins, because they represented, or were supposed to represent, the humbler elements of American civilization.
In 1832 a faction of the voters in favor of Masonry, but neutral on the subject of Jacksonism, had succeeded by artifice in securing the nomination of Charles Shaler for Congress. At that time Mr. Shaler and his followers were the advance advocates of the Whig party. The Jacksonians became dis- satisfied with the standing of Mr. Shaler on the question of Masonry and Whigism and compelled him to withdraw. In 1836 a faction of Whigs and Masons nominated for Congress George Darsie, and, notwithstanding the fact that the candidate had opposed Jacksonism, he was accepted by the Democrats. In other words, the Jacksonians in 1836 were not so independent as they had formerly been, and were glad to receive assistance from Masons, Whigs or any other political faction.
At a large public meeting held at the Courthouse on Saturday, January 21, 1837, at 3 o'clock p. m., pursuant to a call of the Board of Trade, Mayor J. R. McClintock was called to the chair, John M. Snowden, Benjamin Bake- well, George Miltenberger, William Bell, John Arthurs and William Porter were chosen vice-presidents, and Samuel P. Darlington, William McCandless, A. McN. Semple and Isaac E. Wade were appointed secretaries. Richard Biddle, president of the Board of Trade, stated that the object of the call was to consider the proposition that had a short time before been presented to Congress, and strenuously urged by a strong following, to withdraw the pro-
783
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
tection which, since 1824, had fostered American manufactures. It was declared that the policy of Pennsylvania was to protect domestic manufactures; that a resolution of the Assembly, adopted June 6, 1832, asserted "that we view with the most serious apprehension any attempt to lessen the restric- tions upon the importation of any article of foreign manufacture or produc- tion which may compete with articles of similar growth, production or manu- facture of the United States;" that the Assembly again in January, 1833, declared "that the bill now under consideration by the House of Representatives in Congress ought not to become a law, and that no reduction of duties ought to be made, calculated to affect the successful prosecution of our domestic manu- factures;" that in spite of this protest from Pennsylvania such bill became a law in March, 1833, and provided for a gradual reduction of duties, to which the Assembly finally gave its assent, to preserve the harmony of the Union; that now it was manifest that intense distress must ensue and death to domestic manufactures result from a continuance even of the compromise law of 1833, requiring a gradual reduction of the duty; that now (in 1837) a new proposition was pending to violate the compact of 1833, bad as it was, and at one sweep abruptly withdraw all protection; and that the proposition was an insult and a mockery to Pennsylvania. After some discussion and after several resolu- tions had been offered, a memorial presented by Mr. Wade and addressed to the Assembly was unanimously adopted. The memorial recited "that the prop- osition to reduce the duties on all imports to 20 per cent. by September 1, 1838, instead of the time fixed by the compromise act of March, 1833, was both unjust and unnecessary; that manufacturers had consented to the act of March, 1833, to allay the extreme violence which characterized the discussion of the subject and to prepare for the adoption of such measures as would enable them to meet the crisis in 1842; that manufacturers, relying on the act of March, 1833, had enlarged their operations and establishments, and must suffer absolute prostration should the proposed change take place; that, therefore, the Assem- bly should instruct the Pennsylvania representatives in Congress 'to oppose to the utmost all attempts to pass a law to reduce the duties on protected articles beyond the provisions of the act passed March, 1833.'" A committee consisting of Richard Biddle, Walter Forward and William Wade was appointed to pre- pare a remonstrance to Congress, and another, consisting of a large number of citizens, was appointed to prepare a memorial to the Assembly and secure signatures to the same. Twenty-seven prominent citizens were thus appointed. Richard Biddle and Walter Forward were publicly thanked by the meeting "for their able exertions in behalf of the manufacturing interests of Pittsburg." Mr. Forward "addressed the meeting in a very happy and eloquent manner." " On motion of W. M. Shinn, those members of Congress from the Southern States who had avowed their intention not to disturb the law of March, 1833, received an expression of warm approval from the meeting (j).
. The Whig convention of June, 1837, was a notable assemblage. William D. Wilson served as president, William M. Shinn vice-president, Thomas J. Maitland secretary; and John Shipton, J. K. Henderson, T. M. Howe, Mr. McKenzie and Mr. Brown were appointed a committee on resolutions. One of the resolutions adopted was as follows: "Resolved, That the present system of misrule, which has cast such a gloom over the commercial and manufacturing interests of the country, and disorganized all our foreign and internal relations, imperatively calls upon the National Republican, or Whig, party, immediately to reorganize, that they may be able by concert of action more effectually to resist the encroachments of the party now in power, and to restore the country
(j) Gazette, January 24, 1837.
784
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
to the same healthy condition in which it was at the time of the first election of General Jackson to the Presidency."
It was in this year that the first gold party in Allegheny County was organized. It was a movement against banks of all kinds, and naturally took the course of a support of all kinds of specie, with gold as the leading metal. Among the leaders of the party were Zantzinger McDonald, Dr. L. Callahan, James Anderson, Thomas Hamilton, Orin Newton, Patrick McKenna, J. P. Avery and Henry Wagoner. This party, at its convention in June, 1837, declared its hostility to all banks, and favored the issuance of all money by the Government. It was at this time, in one of the public meetings held after the banks of the city had suspended specie payment, that Dr. Callaghan uttered liis famous declaration that if he had charge of the Arsenal he would compel the city banks to resume specie payments.
Soon after the banks suspended in May, 1837, David Lynch, postmaster, was directed by the postal authorities to receive nothing but coin in all payments to the Government. A great cry arose against this procedure, and the post- office was denominated a deposit bank, or a pet bank of the Administration. The Manufacturer was the organ of the anti-bank people, and of the postoffice faction, of which David Lynch, as postmaster, was the head. This paper, edited by Mr. McDonald, brought down upon its head the wrath of the religious denominations, by its support of various ultra movements, among which were the improvement in the social and political condition of women, as advanced at that time by Frances Wright, the advocacy of various liberal and infidel views, and the continued celebration of the birthday of Thomas Paine. It published a work in three small volumes, entitled "The Christian's Manual," which comprised a scurrilous attack upon the Scriptures, more violent and less reasonable and justifiable than Paine's "Age of Reason." The paper itself and its course in politics and in the so-called reforms were denounced with great persistency by the religious denominations, and, in fact, all the friends of Christianity.
In the spring of 1837 the new Constitution of Pennsylvania was framed. The candidates to the Constitutional Convention from Allegheny County were Harmar Denny, Matthew Henderson, Andrew Bayne, Walter Forward and Henry G. Rodgers.
In 1837 Jonas R. McClintock, a supporter of Van Buren, was elected mayor of Pittsburg. At this time the parties were seriously split in this vicinity. Mr. McClintock was the so-called no-party candidate for mayor. The Democracy had adopted this unique method of catching the popular vote, and the method was eminently successful. On more than one occasion the Democrats suc- ceeded in electing their candidate by resorting to this dodge, in spite of the utmost efforts of the opposition. While, in 1837, their nominee was styled the no-party candidate, in 1838 he was styled the city improvement candidate, and in 1839 the workingmen's candidate. It was in the latter year that the fire- men of the city were induced for the first time to hold a separate convention and nominate a candidate for mayor, Mr. Little receiving that honor. In 1840 their candidates were known as the citizens' ticket. The Anti-Masonic can- didate was called in derision the anti-goat candidate.
In 1837, for the first time here, there was a general union of the Whigs and Anti-Masons, in opposition to the alleged usurpations of the President of the United States. This question outweighed the one of Masonry, and was the means of cementing all opposition to the Van Burenites, and the means of securing the election of the fusion candidates. At the special election for delegate to the convention to revise the Constitution, the Whigs and Anti-
785
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
Masons were united, Hays, the fusion candidate, receiving in the county 4,000 votes, and Stevenson, the Democratic candidate, 3,194 votes.
At the Whig county convention, in September, 1837, General William Marks presided. All evils of the day in the political field were ascribed to the ruinous policies of Jackson and Van Buren, and it was declared that the Whigs should be united and organized at once to resist the "wicked experi- ments" of the Administration and save the country from impending ruin, owing to the attitude of the Administration toward the Bank of the United States and toward the American system of protection. The small party of anti-bank people took a strong position on the question of National money, and tlie Democrats came forward with their positive declarations in regard to the pros- perity of the country and the wisdom of the course pursued by the Administra- tion. The anti-bank party here denounced in the severest terms the pro- posed issue of $10,000,000 of treasury notes, and stigmatized them as shinplas- ters, the circulation of which should be emphatically repudiated. The immense appropriation bill pending in the Legislature was sufficient to stagger the views of all parties. While all people favored internal improvements, they were regarded at this time, in view of the prevailing panic and distress, as unwise, and when the "mammoth bill" was finally vetoed by Governor Ritner in 1837, the act met the wishes of a majority of the people of this vicinity. The State debt at this time was about $24,000,000. The mammoth bill proposed to increase this indebtedness to about $43,520,000.
Late in 1837 the Mercury came out as an advocate of the nomination of William Wilkins for governor. In 1837-8 the Daily Bulletin was the principal organ of the Van Buren faction of the Democracy. After that paper was dis- continued they had no daily organ. Both the Democrat and the Manufacturer had renounced many of the views of Van Buren, and were working on new political lines. In October, 1837, on the morning of the election, a handbill, entitled "Anti-Masons to the Polls," was issued, designed to irritate the Whigs by making them believe the Anti-Masons had issued it. The handbill was a tirade against Masons, Odd Fellows, trade unions and all secret societies, and was expected to create a great chasm between the Whigs and the Anti- Masons. It was promptly disowned and denounced by the latter. In 1838 the vote of the county for governor was as follows: Ritner (W.), 6,038; Porter (D.), 4,505. The vote on the Constitutional Convention was: For, 4,460; against, 5,049. The votes for members of the Assembly in 1836 and 1837 were as follows :
1837.
Whig.
1836.
Allegheny County .. . 1,807 Democratic. Whig. Democratic.
1,345 1,318 1,377
In January, 1837, Jonas R. McClintock was the Van Buren candidate for mayor, and William W. Irwin the Anti-Masonic and Whig candidate. The Democrats called their nominee the city improvement candidate, as Mr. McClin- tock continued the tactics of his predecessor by promising numerous public improvements. In fact, this was the principal question involved in the mayoralty contest on January, 1838, and much sport was made by the newspapers of the promises made for improving the streets of Pittsburg. It was humorously con- tended afterward that Mr. McClintock promised slackwater navigation of the principal streets, and promised to have bridged certain streets that were usually filled with water. In 1838 the anti-bank people of this vicinity made the most of the fact that David R. Porter, Democratic candidate for governor, was one of the stockholders in the Exchange Bank of Pittsburg. At the election in Janu- ary, 1838, Mr. McClintock was triumphantly elected mayor of Pittsburg, almost wholly upon his promises of public reform and improvements. As a matter
41
786
HISTORY OF PITTSBURG.
of fact, many Whigs voted for him, owing to such promises and to his unques- tioned popularity. However, his majority was very small, the vote standing as follows:
Anti-Van Buren. Van Buren. McClintock.
Irwin.
West Ward.
298
218
South Ward
I9I
232
East Ward.
273
33I
North Ward.
234
234
Northern Liberties
160
227
1,156
1,242
Among Mr. McClintock's promises to his constituents were the following: To plant umbrageous trees on Duquesne Way, to finish the public wharf, to hasten the completion of the gas-works, to strengthen and reform the night watch and to institute certain necessary reforms in the City Councils. Although the Van Burenites elected the mayor by 86 majority, the Anti-Masons and Whigs secured the councils by safe majorities. In February, 1838, a large meeting was held here to protest against the passage of the sub-treasury bill. Suitable resolutions were adopted and forwarded to Congress. In 1838 the "family" was again brought prominently to public notice by the newspapers. George M. Dallas was Minister to Russia, Trevanion B. Dallas was judge, and William Wilkins was a candidate for Congress.
The young men's Ritner convention (as it was called) of the State mct here in September, 1838. The object was to adopt such measures as would likely effect the reelection of Joseph Ritner to the governorship. In the fall of 1838 the Firemen's Association of Pittsburg and Allegheny was urged to take part as a body in the pending election contest, but that organization at first passed resolutions refusing to do so, but later entered the contest. The object of the Whigs and Anti-Masons in 1838 was to rebuke the Van Burenites by reëlect- ing Joseph Ritner to the governorship. Mr. Van Buren had tried to secure Pennsylvania by pensioning two of its most prominent candidates, in order to secure their withdrawal from the contest. The Whigs promised a large reduc- tion in the State indebtedness, the maintenance of the common school system, resistance to the encroachments of the national executive, and resumption of specie payments. These were the principal planks in their platform. The Democrat at this time was anti-sub-treasury; the Mercury had lost caste with the Democracy of the county by supporting Mr. Muhlenberg in 1835, while the Manufacturer claimed to be the only strictly Democratic journal in Pittsburg. However, the Mercury sustained the Democratic nominees and platform, and had a large circulation. The campaign of 1838 was characterized by great spirit and constant charges and counter-charges by the opposing candidates. In more than one instance the opposite party 011 election day issued tickets with the name of some opposing candidate slightly changed, hoping thus to win a few votes at the expense of its enemy. About this time Richard Biddle was making his mark in the halls of Congress. The vote for governor in 1838 was as follows :
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