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CHAPTER XLI.

Governor Palmer's Administration (1869-1873)-Twentysixth General Assembly-Ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment-Special Legislation-Laws and Vetoes.

THE name of

HE name of John McAuley Palmer, the sixteenth governor of the State, at the time of his nomination and election had become distinguished as that of one of the leaders of the republican party. Like his predecessor-as well as many others in this country who have won fame and honor-his early educational advantages were limited to such as were afforded by the common schools to be found in the country settlements of his native state, Kentucky, where he was born September 13, 1817. Removing to Illinois in 1831, after spending two years on his father's farm, he enjoyed for a brief time the benefit of attending Shurtliff College, at Upper Alton. Leaving the academic shades, however, at an early age, he donned the garb and grasped the ferule of the pedagogue. While thus employed, as his limited means afforded him opportunity, being encouraged thereto by Judge Douglas-who took an interest in his welfare, he pursued the study of the law and was admitted to the bar in 1839. His natural inclination soon led him to enter the arena of politics, where he made a favorable impression. His first office was that of probate judge of Macoupin County, his residence being at Carlinville, the county-seat. From this time forward his advancement was rapid. He was a member of the constitutional convention of 1847; was elected to the state senate in 1852, to fill a vacancy, and was reëlected in 1854. Having been, under all circumstances, and without regard to political affiliations, a consistent opponent of slavery, as was his father before him, he separated from the democratic party, to which he had hitherto belonged, in consequence of its attitude on the questions arising under the Kansas-Nebraska legislation of congress and the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. His action as a member of the nineteenth general assembly in supporting Judge Trumbull, and afterward in assisting to organize

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JOHN M. PALMER.

775 the republican party, has already been adverted to. In 1859, he was an unsuccessful candidate for congress against General Mc Clernand; in 1860, he was a republican presidential elector; and in 1861, was one of the commissioners from Illinois to the peace-congress at Washington. When the war broke out, he tendered his services to the government and was commissioned colonel of the 14th Regiment. Discovering an unexpected aptitude for military affairs, he rose rapidly to the positions of brigadier- and major-general, successively. His record as a division-commander, especially at Stone's River and Chickamauga, was exceptionally brilliant. Having asked to be relieved from the command of the 14th army corps before Atlanta, because of the assignment over him by Gen. Sherman of Gen. Howard, a junior officer, to command the Army of the Tennessee, President Lincoln, who well knew Palmer's superior qualifications for such a position, appointed him to the command of the military district of Kentucky. His discharge of the responsible, complicated, and delicate duties thereto attaching, was such as to command the approval and endorsement of the administration and of loyal citizens generally.

Gen. Palmer is a devoted follower of his profession, the law. in which he has been successful to a high degree. No ath lete enters into a contest of physical strength and dexterity with greater ardor or keener enjoyment than does the general into a legal contest before a court and jury. Here the full powers of his mind have free scope, and no intricacy of facts or ingenuity of opposing counsel can dampen his enthusiasm or lessen his devotion to the interests of his client. As a speaker, he is interesting and forcible rather than eloquent. Yet when he becomes fully aroused and the magnitude of the question is such as to bring into full play his strong reasoning faculties, his keen wit, and biting sarcasm, there are few speakers, however fluent or eloquent, who covet the opportunity of facing him on the other side. Of robust frame, sanguine temperament, genial disposition, and a superior mental organization, his seventy odd years, the greater portion of which have been spent in active public life, rest upon him as lightly as do two score years and ten upon the majority of men whose vital powers have not been submitted to so severe a strain. On his elevation to

the executive chair of the State, he entered upon a larger and measurably untried field of service, and at the commencement of one of the most important eras in the civil history of Illinois.*

Col. John Dougherty, the lieutenant-governor elect, had been, until the outbreak of the civil war, a leading democrat. He had served four consecutive terms in the Illinois house of representatives, beginning in 1834; and had been twice thereafter elected to the state senate-1842-46. He was a fair parliamentarian and a courteous gentleman of the old school.†

The twenty-sixth general assembly, the last under the constitution of 1848, convened Jan. 4, 1869. The names of the new senators were J. J. R. Turney of Wayne County, Samuel K. Casey of Jefferson, John P. VanDorston of Fayette, Willard C. Flagg of Madison, Edwin Harlan of Clark, John McNulta of McLean, Aaron B. Nicholson of Logan, James M. Epler of Cass, Isaac McManus of Mercer, Jason W. Strevell of Livingston, Henry Snapp of Will, Andrew Crawford of Henry, and John C. Dore of Cook. In the house, less than one-fifth of the old members had been returned. Among these were Newton R. Casey, David M. Woodson, Charles Voris, William M. Smith, Franklin Corwin, James Dinsmore, Ansel B. Cook, Henry C. Childs; and Messrs. Bond, Reynolds, and Taylor, from Cook County.

Among the new members, there came for the first time, Silas Beason, John Cook, Irus Coy, Calvin H. Frew, Joshua C. Knickerbocker, John Landrigan, Edward Laning, Thomas E. Merritt, William E. Phelps, and Lorenzo D. Whiting. The senate stood 18 republicans, 7 democrats; the house, 58 republicans, 27 democrats.‡

Franklin Corwin was elected speaker, James P. Root clerk,

* Herbert Dilger was appointed adj't-general and E. B. Harlan private secretary. + He was born of Irish parentage, in Washington County, Ohio, May 6, 1806. The occupations and nativity of the members were as follows:

Senate: lawyers 12, farmers 6, merchants 3, miller, trader, banker, and physician one each; 6 were from New York, 4 New England, 3 Pennsylvania, 3 Illinois, 2 Ohio, one each from Scotland and England, 2 Indiana, 2 Kentucky, 1 Tennessee.

House: lawyers 22, farmers 30, physicians 11, merchants and traders 10, manufacturers 5, bankers 3, printers 2, and one architect and one editor; 20 were from Ohio, 18 New York, 10 Illinois, 10 Kentucky, 10 New England, 4 Pennsylvania, 3 Virginia, 1 Tennessee, and 8 foreigners.

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