Ohio History Journal

OHIO STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL

SOCIETY

 

REVIEWS, NOTES AND COMMENTS

BY THE EDITOR

 

 

A LIFE OF WILLIAM ALLEN

William Allen, A Study in Western Democracy. By Reginald

C. McGrane (Columbus, Ohio: The Ohio State Archaeolog-

ical and Historical Society, 1925. 279 p.)

William Allen was one of those political luminaries who never

quite attained the brilliance of a star of the first magnitude in

the political firmament of his state and nation. Very nearly, but

never quite, achieving the coveted heights of national greatness,

Allen nevertheless was so important a factor in the political life

of his time that no apology need be made for such a detailed and

extended record of his life as Dr. McGrane has produced.

From the early years of the century, when as a youth of 16 he

walked across the Blue Ridge and tramped into Chillicothe, to

his last political venture in the late 1870's, Allen was the fiery and

sometimes brilliant exponent of western democracy and its many

shibboleths. Here is the dominant theme of his long and inter-

esting career, and it is never forgotten, even for a moment, as

Dr. McGrane's narrative carries us swiftly along through the

political events of half a century.

It was at the close of Jackson's first administration that young

Allen first tossed his hat into the political ring. After one of

those rough and tumble campaigns so characteristic of the fron-

tier of Jackson's time, Allen entered Congress as the spokesman

of the Seventh Ohio District, and delivered himself of just two

speeches, one dealing with the Ohio-Michigan boundary dispute,

and the other a typical western swashbuckler's harangue on the

French claims. Defeated for reelection to the lower house, he

was sent to the upper by an Ohio legislature which had insured

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a slight Democratic majority by a skillful gerrymander. Allen

entered the United States Senate just in time to make his maiden

speech on the Subtreasury Bill. During his second term as Dem-

ocratic Senator from Ohio, he rose to the important chairman-

ship of the foreign relations committee. But so extreme was this

champion of western expansion that he resigned his chairman-

ship when he discovered that President Polk was disposed to com-

promise the Oregon boundary controversy with England. With

thirteen other "irreconcilables", who believed in America's mani-

fest destiny to expand, especially at the expense of Great Britain.

Allen tried to prevent the ratification of the Oregon settlement of

1846. Needless to add, he found it easy to support the Mexican

War.

By 1848, Allen had acquired enough of a national standing to

be considered a presidential possibility, at least of the "dark

horse" variety, but his defeat in Ohio by Chase for reelection to

the Senate temporarily forced his retirement from the political

arena.  The rising sectional controversies of the 1850's over

slavery revealed Allen at first as an opponent of the Kansas-

Nebraska bill, but striving hard to remain a loyal party man. In

1861, he favored a war to preserve the Union, but not an aboli-

tionists' war. It was the Emancipation Proclamation and the

extraordinary "war powers" of President Lincoln, and their in-

evitable encroachment upon the constitutional guarantees of indi-

vidual freedom which soon induced Allen to join the Ohio "Peace

Democracy". In 1863, he stumped the state for Vallandigham.

From the close of the Civil War to 1872, Allen was more or

less in retirement, enjoying the bucolic pleasures of Fruit Hill,

near Chillicothe. The rise of new economic issues, particularly

currency inflation, and the widespread demand for reform which

followed the many scandals of Grant's administration, sent the

leader of the Ohio Democracy, Allen G. Thurman, on a new pil-

grimage to Fruit Hill farm, to persuade his venerable uncle, now

seventy years of age, to enter the lists for the governorship, on

a platform pledged to "earnest and inexorable economy". "Rise

up William Allen" rose to the occasion. The discussion of the

complicated details of Ohio politics in the 1870's; the interesting

relations between Allen who accepted greenbackism in spite of his

record as a hard money man forty years earlier, and Thurman,

who tried to talk to both sides of the Alleghanies at once on this

troublesome issue; and the forces at work in the famous Allen-

Hayes campaign of 1875, are set forth in great detail in what is

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Reviews, Notes and Comments             613

 

perhaps the best part of the book. It was not until after the

campaign of 1876, when he received 56 votes for president in the

Democratic convention, and declined second place on the Green-

back ticket, that Allen finally retired from politics.

Dr. McGrane has done a most creditable piece of work. He

has made ample use of newspapers, documents and manuscript

material in the Library of Congress, as well as a private collec-

tion of Allen materials at Chillicothe, and the private letter-books

of Allen G. Thurman. A number of charts, showing the political

complexion of the Ohio counties from 1869 to 1877 have been

included. Errors are few and are mostly slips of the proof-

reader. The original of the Blair letter, quoted on p. 136-137, is

almost illegible in places and mistakes are certainly to be ex-

cused. However, there is part of one sentence in the author's

version of the letter which is entirely without meaning. The

implication that Medary and Allen parted company over the Ne-

braska bill (p. 138) is hardly correct. They had been at odds

for some years before, and some of the Allen faction had been

largely responsible for Medary's failure to secure a cabinet ap-

pointment under Pierce. By way of general criticism, it seems

to the reviewer that not enough space has been devoted to Allen's

career in the period from 1849 to 1854. Although he himself

was in partial retirement, his friends were certainly very active

on his behalf, and while the Allen papers may reveal little of

importance during this period, certainly the Ohio newspapers are

not so barren. In an account which devotes fifteen pages to a

discussion of the Independent Treasury, surely more space might

have been given to Ohio politics of the early 1850's,--the era of

Young America versus "old fogyism", the new constitution, tri-

umphant locofocoism and violent factional quarrels over the spoils

of office. In short, wasn't Allen perhaps a little more important

during this period than his biographer indicates?

But these are minor criticisms. Dr. McGrane's biography of

Allen is a valuable addition to the literature of western history.

By students of Ohio history it will be recognized at once as one

of the few worth-while studies of a most important period in the

history of the state.  The Ohio Archaeological and Historical

Society is to be congratulated for sponsoring this publication.

The book is very readable, and is the result of careful and pains-

taking research.

CARL WITTKE,

The Ohio State University.

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HISTORY OF AKRON

A Centennial History of Akron 1825-1925, published under the

auspices of the General Committee of the City's First Cen-

tennial Celebration, July 19-23, 1925, and the editorial direc-

tion of the Historical Committee, Oscar E. Olin, LL. D.,

Mr. J. M. (Ada E.) Allen and Edwin W. Brouse; Man-

aging Editor, James A. Braden.

This book presents the remarkable progress of the city of

Akron from its humble beginning one hundred years ago to the

present time. It is one of the best city histories that has come

to our notice. It is absolutely free from advertising features

and contains a wealth of material on the institutions and indus-

tries of Akron. It opens with a general history of the city cov-

ering 122 pages followed by thirty-three special articles by citi-

zens of Akron who are qualified to write with authority on the

chapters assigned them. The volume includes 666 neatly printed

pages of small octavo size. No one interested in the growth and

commanding importance of this industrial city can afford to be

without it. It is published at a very moderate price without any

thought of profit and deserves a place in every public library of

Ohio. It has an ample table of contents that the average reader

will find a sufficient guide to the chapters of the book but it de-

serves and should have had in addition a carefully prepared index.

 

BROOKS AND BURLINGAME

Among the papers left by Governor James E. Campbell re-

lating to the challenge of Anson Burlingame by Preston S. Brooks,

is a copy of a communication published in the New York Tribune

of July 28, 1856. This is signed by Lewis D. Campbell and sets

forth fully the circumstances of the challenge and Burlingame's

acceptance of the same. The letter places Burlingame in a favor-

able light and was evidently intended to show conclusively that

it was no fault of his that the parties did not meet at the Clifton

House in Canada opposite the Niagara Falls to settle their "dif-

ferences". In a future issue of the QUARTERLY we will publish

the communication in full.

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Reviews, Notes and Comments              615

 

Judged impartially at this distance, it looks a little as though

neither Brooks nor Burlingame was eager to fight a duel. Of

course each naturally desired the public to think that he was not

lacking in courage to meet the other in mortal combat. While it

would doubtless have been dangerous for Brooks to travel through

the hostile North direct to Canada, had the public been advised of

his going, a journey to the point designated seems not to have

presented any unsurmountable difficulty. The contribution by

Governor Campbell shows pretty clearly that Burlingame was

not eager to fight the duel.

While Brooks was sustained and "vindicated" by the South

that probably did not fully satisfy his conscience. His attack

upon Sumner when the latter was seated at his desk and could

not defend himself, certainly did not reflect favorably upon the

courage of Brooks. In a speech in the House of Representatives

shortly after the assault, Brooks publicly admitted that he took

advantage of Sumner while the latter was seated, because he

knew that he would not have been able to measure strength with

the Senator from Massachusetts if the latter had been face to

face with him on his feet. Reflection upon his rash act and the

storm of indignation that it had aroused against him and his state

probably preyed upon the mind of Brooks and shortened his life.

Burlingame doubtless realized that a duel, even if he should

win and "kill his man", would in the end bring no glory to him

or his cause.

In this connection it is interesting to remember that Lewis

D. Campbell was an uncle of the late Governor James E. Camp-

bell. He was an eminent political leader of his time and worthy

of a monograph by some writer of Ohio history.

 

DEDICATION OF MEMORIAL WING

The Memorial Wing to the Museum and Library building of

the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society is rapidly

nearing completion. The bronze statue of the Marching Sol-

dier at the north entrance has for some time been in position.

The bronze tablets in the memorial room have been cast and will

soon be shipped to Columbus. Arrangements are in progress to

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have this wing dedicated April 6, 1926, the anniversary of the

date on which the United States entered the World War.

The new wing presents a very dignified appearance at the

main entrance to the University grounds. It will almost double

the capacity of the Museum and Library building of the So-

ciety and will afford much needed space for exhibits which have

long been stored away awaiting room for satisfactory display.

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