Alexander Long, Salmon P. Chase, and the Election of 1868 by EDWARD S
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Society Photo SALMON P. CHASE Did he, or did he not, scheme for the presidency in 1868? BULLETIN of The Cincinnati Historical Society January 1965 CINCINNATI Vol. 23 No. 1 Alexander Long, Salmon P. Chase, and The Election of 1868 by EDWARD S. PERZEL During the months preceding the presidential election of 1868, many efforts were made to draft Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, for the Democratic presidential nomination. A Supreme Court Justice becoming involved in current politics was, as it still is, contrary to tradition. Nevertheless, Salmon P. Chase was not an innocent bystander in contemporary political affairs. He was ready and willing to accept the nomination, and he had even urged certain people to further his cause. One of the most prominent Chase supporters, second only to Chase's ambitious daughter, Kate Sprague, was Alexander Long, a Cincinnati lawyer and politician. Long was no stranger to Chase. When Chase had lived in Cin- cinnati, he maintained a law office near Long's office on Third Street. More important is the fact that they had met in 1848 in the Ohio legislature. At this time, Long's political maneuvering had greatly aided in Chase's election as United States Senator from Ohio.1 JFor the story of the 1848 Senatorial election in Ohio, see Norton S. Town- shend, "Salmon P. Chase," Ohio Archaeological and Historical Publications, I (June 1887), 111-126; and Agert G. Riddle, "Recollections of the Forty-Seventh General Assembly of Ohio, 1847-48," Magazine of Western History, VI (1887), 341-351. 4 The Bulletin Alexander Long's political career was just beginning in 1848. At that time, he appeared to be a young man of much political promise. Subsequently, he became a dynamic figure in Ohio politics. Then came the Civil War, his election to Congress, and two inappropriate anti-war speeches2 on the floor of the House of Representatives. These speeches earned for him a reputation as one of the most con- troversial and leading "Copperheads" in the country. The basis for this opprobrium was Long's rigid adherence to the principle of state sovereignty. He became a leader of the peace wing of the Democratic Party and was relied upon and trusted by such politicians as George Pendleton, Clement Vallandigham, and Samuel "Sunset" Cox, but these men accepted the results of the war and remained prominent on the political scene. Long tenaciously held to the states' rights position like a drowning man clutching at a straw. He felt that he must go forth and protect the country and the Constitution from Republican aggressions. Unfortunately for him, most voters were beginning to accept the idea of a strong centralized government, and popular support of the states' rights doctrine was weakening. In 1864, Long lead a bolt of the "Peace Democrats" who took a stand in favor of slavery and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1789. This faction wanted to nominate Long for the presidency but he prudently refused and the movement collapsed. During the summer and fall of 1867, he and his friends had tried hard to reorganize the Democratic Party on the "true Jeffersonian principles,"3 but the debate over possible nominees in the 1868 presidential race gradually weakened enthusiasm for a state sover- eignty movement. Thus, after fighting for a long string of lost causes, Alexander Long was ready to try his hand as a political wire-puller at the national level. He noted that the political horizon for the Democrats looked rather bleak. Certain that his ideals pro- vided the basis for solutions to the problems faced by the nation, Long scanned the horizon for a suitable figure to carry forth his program. In Washington stood the figure of Salmon P. Chase. Here was a man who had the desire to be president, and who possessed an outlook which could be twisted to conform to Long's ideology. Under ^Congressional Globe, 38 Cong., I sess., pp. 1499-1503; and Appendix, 38 Cong., 2 sess., pp. 55-61. 3Frazee Clark to A. Long, 3 July 1867; Henry Clay Dean to A. Long, 1.0 Sept. 1867, Long MSS. The Long Papers were deposited in The Cincinnati Historical Society in 1949. It was not until 1960, when J. Wesley Morris ( a member of the Society) volunteered to work on cataloging the collection, that the manu- scripts were made available for any serious research. The present collection is only a fraction of Long's papers. He saved and recorded every little transaction but many of his letter books have been lost or destroyed. Many of the letters footnoted in this paper are copies made by Long or his secretary; particularly those sent to Chase. Alexander Long, Salmon P. Chase, and the Election of 1868 L,-, Society Photo ALEXANDER LONG these conditions, Long dropped his local state sovereignty movement and grasped the "Chase for President" banner. He saw the nomina- tion of the Chief Justice as the Democrats' best hope. It was not that Long liked Chase personally, or that Chase was the most eminently qualified man. Rather, it was purely an expedient course of action. 6 The Bulletin Long realized that he, himself, could not have a public career, thus he sought Chase to put forward his political principles. Chase originally had sought the Republican nomination, but the same forces which had brought about the impeachment of President Johnson had incidentally promoted General Grant's popularity. The ambitious Chase was therefore obliged to turn to the Democrats. In Chase's words: I cannot approve in general of what the Republican party has done. ... I hold my old faith in universal suffrage, in reconstruction upon that basis, in universal amnesty, and in inviolate public faith; but I do not believe in military govern- ment for American States, nor in military commissions for the trial of American citizens, nor in the subversion of the executive and judicial departments of the general govern- ment by Congress. .4 Long was able to reconcile his principles with Chase's on several issues because of their ambiguity. First, both Chase and he were against military governments in the South. Secondly, concerning the Negro suffrage issue, Long was able to support Chase because Chase's policy on this issue tended to bridge the extremes of the North and the South. The principle of universal suffrage satisfied the North that the Negro would be given the vote, while the prin- ciple of state control of suffrage offered the South the right to restrict Negro voting rights by "legal" methods. One might think that Long would have been more inclined to support his fellow Cincinnatian, George H. Pendleton. Long was, however, a hard money man and was opposed to Pendleton's Ohio Plan of issuing more greenbacks. Long felt that no political efforts would succeed until the financial crisis had demonstrated the "utter worthlessness" of greenbacks. He was certain the crisis would come, for "God Almighty has never permitted man to create something out of nothing."5 In April 1868, Alexander Long began to bait his political hook. He wrote to Chase, referring to the aid he had given the Chief Justice in the 1848 Senatorial campaign and indicating his high esteem for him.6 In reply, Chase confided his deepest political sentiments to Long. He suggested that the Democrats, to be successful in 1868, must unite all its factions and turn away from past issues, adopting the motto, "suffrage for all, amnesty for all, and good money for 4Albert Hart, Salmon Portland Chase (New York, 1899), p. 364. 5Long to , 31 March 1867, Copy in Scrapbook, Long MSS. 6Long to Chase, 6 April 1868, Long MSS. Alexander Long, Salmon P. Chase, and the Election of 1868 7 all." Chase hastened to deny that he was a candidate and said he wanted no more political distinction or promotion but only desired to do his immediate duty.7 This letter set down the only conditions on which Chase would run for the Presidency. While these condi- tions appeared to be contrary to Long's views, they were broad enough to be all-encompassing. Long replied to Chase that he was sorry to learn that the Chief Justice did not want more political distinction or promotion. Thou- sands of anxious hearts were looking to Chase, according to Long, to save them from anarchy and complete subversion of what re- mained of republican government. Then Long inquired: "With the Constitution for a platform and amnesty for all, good money for all, security for all citizens at home against military despotism and abroad against governmental invasion, as mottoes would you not [,] I ask it [in the] strictest confidence accept."8 Salmon P. Chase was well aware of Alexander Long's political reputation and knew that he was playing with dynamite by even nibbling at this political bait. The slightest indication of an affirma- tive answer to such a loaded question asked even in the "strictest confidence" would be dangerous. Chase was, however, unable to contain his desires. He told Long that, if the Democratic Party accepted his doctrines as stated, "I should not be at liberty to refuse use of my name." He cautiously, but ambiguously, added that he had no desire for the nomination and preferred to remain discon- nected from all political responsibilities save that of casting his vote.9 The reservation did not matter: the "cat was out of the bag," and tbe campaign for Chase was on. Did such men as Jacob W. Schuckers, who was Chase's personal secretary, and Alexander Long push Chase for the nomination against his consent? Chase was certainly an honorable man of great ability.