The politics of Michigan, 1865-1878

Preface

An attempt has been made in the following pages to set torth the attitude of Michigan on the leading political issues during the important years from 1865 to 1878. The party interests of the state naturally centered about national questions during this period, but there were certain local issues, such as railroad construction and internal improvement, which also received much attention. Probably the most striking features of Michigan politics at this time were the unbroken dominance of the Republican party, and the prominence of the personal element arising from the unusual characteristics of several of the leaders.

My research has been greatly facilitated by many persons who have manifested a kind interest in its progress. Mr. Thomas A. Wilson and Edward W. Barber, of Jackson, Michigan, very kindly contributed many personal reminiscences which were helpful because of their impartiality. Mr. C. M. Burton, of Detroit, Michigan, extended to me the privilege of his excellent private library, containing all the letters and papers of Jacob M. Howard.

Among the many persons who assisted me in my research, acknowledgments are due Mr. Gaillard Hunt, Mr. William L. Bishop, and Miss Emily West, of the Library of Congress, and Mr. Byron A. Finney and Miss Fredricka Gillette, of the Library of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

I am most deeply indebted, however, to Professor William A. Dunning, of Columbia University, who has rendered the most valuable assistance throughout the preparation of this monograph, by his advice both as to content and as to manner of treatment.

CHAPTER I R£sum£ of Michigan State Tolitics During the War TAGS

Early Poliiics and the Personal Issues of 1862

The transuion of Michigan politics in 1856 21

Preference for Seward over Lincoln in i860 21

The War Governorship of Austin Blair ... 22

The loyalty of the state legislature and the " Joint Resolution on the

State of the Union," February 2, 1861 23

The extra session of the legislature, 1861 23

Election of Jacob M. Howard to the Senate, 1862 25

The personal element in Michigan politics of 1862 ........ 26

Senator Zachariah Chandler and the schism in the Republican party . 26

Hostility to his re-election to the Senate 27

His " blood letting" letter as an issue 28

His speech of July 16, 1862, against McClellan 29

Victory of Chandler over James F. Joy, January, 1S63 29

Folitics 0/1863-4, and the Unionist success in Michigan

Lincoln's policy, the issue in 1863-4 30

History of Michigan's attitude toward the negro 31

Advanced position of Governor Blair 31

The grievances of the Democratic party, and its platform, 1863. ... 33

The hostility towards presidential dictatorship 33

Disaffection within the Republican party, 1864 33

Attitude of Republicans towards the Wade-Davis Bill 34

Chandler's support of President Lincoln 35

His role in securing Fremont's withdrawal . . 35

The reuniting of the elements of the Republican party and its solidarity

of interests after the campaign . . ... . 36

The Unionists' victory in Michigan in 1864 37

A small decline in Lincoln's support since i860 . . .• 37

Territorial distribution of the vote, 1864 38

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER II Michigan Politics During the Period of Restoration, 1865-1866

Michigan and Presidential Restoration

The Thirteenth Aaiendment and the Michigan delegation in Congress. 39

Ratification of the Amendment by the Michigan state legislature ... 39

Speech of Jacob M. Howard in the Senate, February 25, 1865 .... 40

Michigan and Johnson's initial steps in restoration 42

Attitude towards the President's Amnesty Proclamation of May 29, 1865. 43

Michigan and the question of negro suflVage 44

Views upon the President's procedure in North Carolina and the other

rebel states 45

Chandler and the appointment of Provisional Governors 45

Progress of the Radical tendency in Michigan 46

Presidential versus Congressional Restoration

The Michigan delegation to the Thirty-ninth Congress 49

Their support of the Stevens Resolution 50

The veto of the Freedmen's Bureau Bill 50

Evidences of reaction against Congressional policy 5 1

Governor Crapo's Thanksgiving Proclamation relating to the Civil

Rights Bill 51

Presentation of the proposed articles of amendment by Jacob M.

Howard to the Senate 53

The Republicans of Michigan generally in favor of the state regulation

of negro suffrage 53

Issues of the Campaign of 1 866

Threats of extreme measures and possible violence 55

Grounds for Democratic hostility to negro sufTrage 56

Fiscal issues of the campaign 57

The Campaign of j866

Agitation by the Democrats for an early convention 58

The Republicans' suspicion of an intended union of the Democracy

with the soldiers 58

The Johnson Mass Convention, August 9, 1866 59

The informal meeting of the Democratic State Central Committee and

its appointments 59

Acceptance of the appointed delegates by the Johnson party 60

Beginning of the alliance of the Democrats with the Johnson or

National Union party 60

The Republican State Convention, August 30 60

Care in the nomination of a ticket 62

The State Nominating Convention of the Johnson party, September 6 . 62

The State Democratic Convention, September 6 64

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Appointment by the soldiers of delegates to Philadelphia 65

Failure of the soldiers of Michigan to organize 65

Effective organization of the Republican party 65

Prominent part taken by the Detroit Daily Post 66

The personal element in the campaign 66

Effect of President Johnson's address of February 22 67

Ridicule of Seward's attitude 68

The Election

Important gains of the Republican party . 68

Close votes in three Congressional Districts 69

Vote on the Soldiers' Suffrage Amendment to the state constitution . . 70

The proposal to revise the state constitution 70

Contested election case in the Fifth District and its significance ... 70

Reasons for the defeat of the Democracy 7'

Territorial distribution of the vote 7 *

Chapter III

The Politics of Michigan, 1867-68, and the Attitude Towards Early Reconstruction

State listies

Ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment 73

Ratification, February 15, 1867 74

Attitude of the two leading parties within the state 74

Presentation and veto of railroad-aid bills 74

The revision of the Constitution of 1850 75

Personnel of the Convention which met May 15, 1867 76

Defeat of woman suffrage . . 7^

The State Agricultural College 76

Prohibition of the sale of intoxicating liquors embraced in a separate

article ... 77

The salary question 77

The provision for biennial sessions embodied in a second separate article. 77

Discussion of negro suffrage 7^

Triumph of the more radical element of the Republican party .... 80

The Republicans' defense of the article 80

The railroad-aid provisions 81

The constitution as a Republican platform 81

General Issues

Attitude of Michigan parties toward the early measures of Congressional Reconstruction 82

Negro suffrage in the District of Columbia, January, 1867 83

The Reconstruction Acts of March and July 84 lO CONTENTS [lO

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Republican support of militarism and impartial suffrage 84

Development of the views of the Michigan delegation in Congress on

the question of impeachment 84

Jacob M. Howard's work and his final opinion 87

General support of the policy by the Republicans 88

Occasional expressions of dissatisfaction . 88

TAe Campaign of the Spring 0/ 186S

Importance of the spring elections of 186S ......... 89

The State Republican Convention, March 18, and its declaration in

favor of the constitution 90

Defeat of the constitution . . 90

The Catnpaign of the Autumn of iSdS

Views of leading Republicans . 92

Unanimous agreement of the Republican parly ot the state upon the

nomination of Grant ... 93

Michigan in the Republican National Convention 93

The State Democratic Convention, May 27 93

Fiscal issues . 94

The Democracy not in agreement upon a candidate for President ... 96

Michigan in the National Democratic Convention 96

The State Nominating Convention of the Democrats 97

The Election of 1868

The Republicans uncertain of thc-.ir position 97

Victory of the Republicans 97

Height of the Republican power m Michigan during the period of

this study 99

T/te Senatorial Contest, i868-g

Relations of Zachariah Chandler and Austin Blair 99

Their negotiations and attempted arrangement 99

The vote in the Republican Legislative Caucus of January 6, 1S69 . . 100

Triumph of Chandler over Blair loi

Defeat of the Democratic candidate, January 19 102

Preparations for the contest of 187 1 102

Senator Jacob M. Howard's standing in Michigan 102

The senatorship a field for personal politics, and a cause of shifting

alliances 103

CHAPTER IV The Forward Movement of the Democracy in Michigan

Ratification and Interpretation of the Fiftefnth Amendment

Characterization of the politics in Michigan, 1869-70 105

The negro suffrage discussion 105

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II Tagb

Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment by the Michigan legislature,

The negro suffrage amendment to the state constitution, passed by the

Michigan legislature during the spring of 1S69 106

Personal rather than political nature of the elections of 1869 . . . . 107

Novelfeatures of the electorate in Michigan, 1S70 107

Exercise of the right of suffrage by negroes 107

Exceptional instances of women voting 107

T/ie Railroad-Aid Issue

The Railroad-Aid Law of 1S69 as a direct encouragement to local

taxation and bonded indebtedness 108

Case of The People ex rel. the Detroit and Howell Railroad Co. v.

the Township Board of Salem 108

Financial effects of the decision . . 109

Comment, favorable and unfavorable, as yet nonpartisan 109

Immediate legislative action no

Passage of the constitutional amendment by the state legislature,

August, 1870 no

The Campaign of iSyo

The Democrats' departure from the usual custom ... no

The Democratic State Convention, August 31 in

The platform and ticket ... ... in

The Republican State Convention, September i 112

Changes in the organization of the State Central Committee . ... 112

The platform . . 112

Ambiguity of the tariff provision . 113

The influence of that portion of the Republican party which previously

had Democratic affiliations 113

Division in the Republican party en the question of aid to railroad corporations 114

Austin Blair and the Republican Congressional nomination 114

Probable source of hostility to Blair 115

John A. Driggs and the Republican Congres.'-ional nomination ... 116

Relation of the German vote and Prohibition in the campaign of 1S70. 117 The attempt of the Republicans to accomplish by amendment in 1870

what they failed in 1868 to eftecl by revision 118

Proposed amendments to the state constitution 118

Results of the Election of i8jo

Evidences of Republican decline since iS65 119

Significance of the Democratic victory in the Sixth District 119

Fate of the amendments 120

Territorial distribution of the vote 121

General inferences relative to party status in 1S70 122

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T/ie Senatorial Election of iSji

The four rivals for the Republican Senatorial nomination 123

Development of an opposition to Senator Jacob M. Howard 123

The significance of the locality consideration 124

Blair's prospect and the Fish letter 124

The vital importance of the enmity of two of the leaders 126

Attitude and preferences of the Michigan members in Congress .... 126

The Republican legislative caucus and the triumph of Ferry 127

Unanimous nomination of H. M. Walker by the Democrats 127

Election of the Republican candidate, January 18 127

Death of Jacob M. Howard 128

Qualifications of his successor 128

The passing of old issues and the appearance of new 128

CflAPTER V The Campaign of 1S72, and the Failure of the Liberal

MOVK.MENT IN MICHIGAN

P, eliininary Politics

The Democracy at the opening of the year 1871 129

Defense of Grant by the Republicans ... 130

Amendment of the state constitution 130

Reapportionment of the Congressional representation of Michigan .. . 131

Hostility engendered by the mode of redistricting ......*.,. 131

Impeachment proceedings against Charles A. Edmunds 131

The Liberals in Michigan and the leadership of Austin Blair 132

Motives for his apostasy . . . 133

Delay in the organization of the party 134

Method of choosing delegates to Cincinnati 135

No distinct preference among the Liberals for presidential candidate. . 136 Comment in Michigan on the reception of the news of Gieeley's nomination 136

The probability of Greeley's withdrawal from the contest 136

The Democracy and the Liberals

Doubt and uncertainty of the Democrats after the Cincinnati Convention 137

Friendly declarations towards the Liberals 138

The State Democratic Convention, Lansing, July 2, for the election of

delegates to Baltimore 138

Test vote of the Michigan delegation .138

Altitude towards the adoption of the Cincinnati ticket at Baltimore , . 139

Plans for the joint action of the Democrats and Liberals 140

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The joint convention at Grand Rapids, August 22 141

The State and Congressional nominations , 141

Failure of the " Straight Democratic" movement in Michigan . . . 142

T/ie Regular Republicans

The State Republican Convention, May 16, for the election of delegates

to the National Convention 143

The nominating convention in August, and its work ... . . 143

Michigan in the Philadelphia Convention 143

Character of the campaign in Michigan 144

The Election

Dismal failure of the Liberal movement in Michigan 145

Analysis of votes, presidential and state 145

Rejection of the railroad aid amendment 146

Fate of the other amendments 146

Expectations of the Democrats before the election 146

Their reflections upon their defeat 147

Value of this experience two years hence 147