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CHAPTER 1
A picture of
Frederick E. Bissell is included with this chapter.
The Republican State Convention assembled at Des Moines on the
14th of June, 1865, nominating Governor Stone for reelection by
acclamation. Benjamin F. Gue was nominated for Lieutenant-Governor,
George G. Wright for Judge of the Supreme Court and Oran Faville for
Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Upon the reading of the report of the committee on resolutions,
Edward Russell of Scott County moved to amend the fourth resolution
which read as follows:
"Resolved, that, with proper safeguards to the purity of the
ballot box, the elective franchise should be based upon loyalty to
the Constitution and the Union recognizing and affirming the
equality of all men before the law."
Mr. Russell moved to amend this resolution by adding the
following:
"Therefore we are in favor of amending the Constitution of our
State by striking out the word WHITE in the article on Suffrage."
This precipitated a warm discussion in which the amendment was
earnestly supported by Hiram Price, Edward Russell, Henry O'Connor
and E. W. Eastman, while it was as warmly opposed by J. B. Grinnell,
J. F. Tracy, W. S. Sample and others. The amendment was a bold and
unmistakable declaration for negro suffrage in Iowa and was opposed
as injudicious and likely to endanger the election of the Republican
ticket. The position of its supporters cannot be better stated than
by an extract from the speech of Hiram Price, who said:
"The Republican party is strong
enough to dare to do right and cannot afford to shirk a duty. The
colored men North and South were loyal to the Government in the days
of its greatest peril. There was not a rebel or a traitor to be
found among them. They ask the privilege of citizenship now that
slavery has been forever banished from our country. Why should the
great freedom-loving State of Iowa longer deny them this right? No
one reason can be given that has not been used to bolster up slavery
for the last hundred years. The war that has just closed has swept
that relic of barbarism from our land; let the Republican party have
the courage to do justice.
"I have no fear of the result in
a contest of this kind. We shall carry the election and have the
satisfaction of wiping out the last vestige of the black code that
has long been a disgrace to our State."
It is notable fact that Price and Eastman, who now so warmly
advocated negro suffrage, were Democrats in early years, and that
this party had placed on the statute books all of the laws hostile
to the colored race; while Grinnell, who now opposed the
enfranchisement of negroes, was a radical Abolitionist at that
period. Slavery and Rebellion had driven Price and Eastman into the
Republican party and they now represented the fearless and
uncompromising element of that organization which was striking
deadly blows at oppression and race prejudice. Grinnell and many
who opposed the Russell amendment were in favor of the principle for
which it stood, but opposed a bold declaration for the reform as
impolitic and liable to bring party defeat. There were also a
number of Republicans who were opposed to negro suffrage while they
were in favor of emancipation of the race and it was urged that they
held the balance of power in Iowa politics and that this amendment
would drive them from the party. Finally the roll of delegates was
called and the vote stood five hundred and thirteen for the
amendment to two hundred and forty-two against it, whereupon it was
incorporated into the platform.
The Democratic State Convention was called to meet at Des Moines
on the 23d of August and on the same day at Soldiers' Convention was
called to meet at the same place. Conferences had been held by the
leaders of the Democratic party with prominent Republicans who were
opposed to negro suffrage and who had been gallant officers in the
Union army. It was believed that if a Union ticket could be agreed
upon by these elements and the entire Democratic vote given to it,
that the defection of the Republicans would insure its election.
The Soldiers' Convention, with the approval of the Democratic
leaders, organized the "Union Anti-Negro Suffrage party," and placed
in nomination the following ticket: for Governor General Thomas H.
Benton; Lieutenant-Governor, Colonel S. G. Van Anda; Superintendent
of Public Instruction, Captain J. W. Sennett.
The third resolution of their platform read as follows: "We are
opposed to negro suffrage and to striking the word white out of the
article on suffrage in our State Constitution, and will support no
candidate for office, either State or National, who is in favor of
negro suffrage or of the equality of the white and black races."
The Democrats made no nominations, but decided by a unanimous
vote to support he "Soldiers' Ticket." They passed the following
resolution on the absorbing issue: "We are radically opposed to
negro equality in all of its phases and accept the issue tendered by
the late Republican Convention on the 14th of June in making that
doctrine the chief plank in its platform by proposing to strike the
word "white' out of the article on suffrage in the Constitution of
Iowa."
Other resolutions were adopted by each of the conventions but the
campaign of 1865 was fought on the one issue of negro suffrage.
The candidates nominated by the Soldiers' Convention who were
also supported by the solid Democratic party, were excellent men,
all of whom had served with distinction in the Union army in the
late war. General Benton was originally a Democrat who had been
twice elected Superintendent of Public Instruction and had served
three times as Secretary of the State Board of Education. Colonel
Van Anda was a Republican who had been a member of the Legislature.
Colonel Trimble was a prominent Democrat who had served in the
State Senate and was a District Judge, Captain J. W. Sennett was a
well-known Republican.
Of the Republican candidates, Governor Stone had formerly been a
Democrat, B. F. Gue an Abolitionist, while Judge Wright and Oran
Faville had been Whigs. The Republican candidates for Governor and
Lieutenant-Governor made a general canvass of the State and in all
of their speeches advocated and defended the proposed amendment to
the Constitution to grant suffrage to the colored race, while their
competitors as strongly opposed and denounced the measure. The
result of the election was a heavy loss to the Republicans from the
year before, equal to about 16,500 votes. The candidates however
were elected by the following majorities: Wm. M. Stone, 16,375; B.
F. Gue, 19,370; G. G, Wright, 19, 076; Oran Faville, 19,280. As the
previous election had been for President, when usually a much larger
vote is polled than at an ordinary State election, it is difficult
to estimate how many Republicans voted the "Anti-Negro Suffrage"
ticket and how many refrained from voting to show their disapproval
of negro suffrage. The opposition ticket received an average vote
of about 54,100, while at the previous election the Democratic vote
was about 49,500.
It was during this year that the Directors of the State Bank of
Iowa determined to discontinue business and retire from the field.
The new National Banking Act, by requiring the purchase and deposit
of Government bonds to secure the circulation of the banks
established under its provisions, was powerful aid to the Government
in establishing a home market for bonds at a period when there was
most vital need of such a market. During the war foreign
capitalists held aloof from purchase of our bonds at fair prices,
cautiously waiting to see how the Civil War would terminate. The
Government was obliged to raise immense amounts of money by the sale
of bonds to meet the enormous expenses of the war. Patriotism
demanded that our own people sustain their Government by purchasing
these bonds. National banks were being organized in various parts
of our State and the directors of our State bank system wisely
determined to leave the entire field to the National banks and thus
throw the weight of their influence in strengthening the credit of
the National Government. The final act in terminating the existence
of the State Bank of Iowa was taken on the 22d of November 1865
when, the safety fund having been returned to the various branches,
the outstanding currency to the amount of $35,460 was burned in the
presence of the directors. The system had been in existence seven
years and twenty-five days, furnishing the people of Iowa with a
safe and sound currency, which was never discredited and could at
any time be redeemed upon demand, in lawful money of the United
States. No safer or more popular paper money was ever issued by any
institution, State or country.
The Eleventh General Assembly convened at Des Moines on the 8th
of January. In the Senate B. F. Gue became president. The House
was organized by the election of Ed. Wright Speaker. The message of
Governor Stone stated that the total expenditures for military
purposes by the State during the war, from May, 1861, to January 1,
1966, amounted to $1,046,735.99. The amount due this State from the
United States for all purposes arising from the war was estimated at
$300,000. The total indebtedness of the State was $622,295.75. The
Governor recommended an appropriation sufficient to complete the
building for the State Agricultural College. He also called the
attention of the General Assembly to a serious misapplication of
Swamp Land Indemnity Funds, which had been recently discovered, in
the following language:
"A large number of warrants for
the indemnity money have been issued by the United States Treasury
and forwarded to this office. Some of these warrants, without
coming into my possession, have been improperly and illegally
applied by parties through whose hands they have passed and the
counties to which the warrants belong have, up to this time, failed
to receive the money. This matter is of so grave a character that I
deem it incumbent on me to call the early attention of the General
Assembly to it, and I therefore ask the immediate appointment of a
joint committee to investigate the facts."
The General Assembly appointed a joint committee, in accordance
with the Governor's request to make an investigation of the alleged
diversion of the Swamp Land Indemnity Funds, consisting of Senators
Stiles, Richards and Udell and Representatives Hale, Barker, Clark,
Russell and Martin. This committee made a thorough investigation
and toward the close of the session made a majority and minority
report. The majority report was signed by E. H. Stiles, Nathan
Udell, Wm. Hale, John Russell and L. Clark, the Republican members
of the committee. The following is a brief summary of their
findings:
"During the month of December,
1864, and the year 1865, there was awarded to the State of Iowa by
the General Government Swamp Indemnity Warrants amounting to the sum
of $151,254.19. These warrants were sent by the Treasury Department
at Washington to the Governor of Iowa by mail. In the Governor's
absence these warrants were delivered to R. G. Orwig, the private
secretary of the Governor. Of these warrants thus received by Mr.
Orwig $33,994.36 were missing and not accounted for. We find that
all of these unaccounted for warrants or drafts came into the hands
of R. G. Orwig soon after their arrival by mail endorsed by his
writing the name of the Governor on them, and most if not all of
them were cashed by him or deposited in the two National Banks at
Des Moines. The committee unanimously find that said $33,994.36
came into the hands of R. G. Orwig and that he has not accounted for
this amount and that said deficit is with and in the hands of R. G.
Orwig. The committee further finds that on the 16th of December the
said R. G. Orwig, for the purpose of securing all parties interested
against loss, executed to B. F. Allen, as trustee, a deed of trust
on property estimated to be worth from $30,000 to $40,000.
The minority of the joint committee, B. B Richards, W. T. Baker
and W. C. Martin, Democrats, made a report in which they say:
"While we concur in much of the
reasoning and many of the conclusions of the other members of the
committee as to the serious dereliction of duty and the corrupt
practice of an obscure agent of a high official of the State, and
believe that he has appropriated an amount of the public funds
nearly or quite equal to the Swamp Land deficit, we yet must dissent
from the main position of the other members of the committee, that
this humble secretary-this obscure agent-is the chief or only wrong
doer: ...
That there is a serious deficit
in the public treasury no one will find it difficult to conclude.
That the amanuensis of the Governor has been the wicked and willing
agent to help to cause that deficit, all will admit. But painful as
the duty may be (and it is one of the most painful we have ever
performed), we deem it our duty nevertheless, to declare our
conviction that the gross negligence of one high State official and
the malpractice of another, are among the fruitful sources of all
the loss, derangement and shame under which the State now labors,
and which is partially exposed by this investigation. We cannot too
strongly condemn the negligence in the Executive Department and the
malpractice in the financial department of the State as revealed by
the testimony submitted herewith."
Both reports recommended that the Attorney-General be instructed
to institute legal proceedings against the persons and securities
involved for the purpose of recovering the missing funds. The
General Assembly passed joint resolutions giving such instructions
to the Attorney-General and further providing that all money thus
recovered should be paid pro rata to the counties affected by the
defalcation.
Among the important acts of the General Assembly was one to
ratify the amendment to the Constitution of the United States,
forever prohibiting slavery. An act proposing to amend the
Constitution of the State of Iowa granting suffrage to negro
citizens; also to amend the Constitution to disfranchise all
citizens who might be guilty of treason or who have absconded for
the purpose of avoiding any military conscription or draft and also
prohibiting such persons from holding any office in the State; acts
making appropriations for the completion of buildings for the State
University and State Agricultural College.
A joint resolution was passed expressing the profound
satisfaction by the people of Iowa that the unjust order dismissing
Colonel Wm. T. Shaw from the service had been revoked and urging his
promotion to the rank of Brigadier-General.
Hon. James Harlan, who had entered President Johnson's Cabinet in
May, 1865, resigned his position as Secretary of the Interior when
it became evident that the President had become hostile to the
Republican party and adopted a policy that was obnoxious to the
party which had elected him Vice-President. Mr. Harlan became a
candidate for a seat in the United States Senate which he resigned
when he entered the Cabinet. Ex-Governor Kirkwood had in the mean
time, been announced as a candidate for the Senate and was warmly
supported by a large number of the prominent men of the party. When
the Legislature assembled an animated contest was inaugurated by the
supporters of these two eminent men which resulted in the nomination
of Governor Kirkwood for the short term to fill the vacancy, ending
March 3d, 1867, while Mr. Harlan was nominated for the full term
ending six years from that time. The Democrats of the General
Assembly nominated Wm. Stoneman for the short term and Colonel H. H.
Trimble for the full term. In the joint convention held for the
election of Senators, Governor Kirkwood was elected, having received
one hundred and eighteen votes to twenty for Mr. Stoneman. Mr.
Harlan was chosen for the full term, having received one hundred and
eighteen votes to twenty for Colonel Trimble.
The Soldiers' Orphans' Home, which was established by a private
corporation and successfully carried on as a benevolent enterprise,
was at this session officially recognized and an act passed by which
it came under the control and support of the State. A board of
trustees was chosen by the Legislature consisting of one member from
the State at large and one from each Congressional District.
Twenty-five thousand dollars was appropriated for its support and
the Census Board was authorized to levy a tax each year thereafter
for its maintenance. The main buildings of the institution were at
Davenport with branches at Cedar Falls and Glenwood. The number of
children cared for at these three homes was at this time eight
hundred and sixty-four. The Legislature passed acts at this session
making the Clerk and Reporter of the Supreme Court elective by the
people for terms of two years.
The Eleventh General Assembly in March, 1866, passed an act to
resume the Geological Survey making an appropriation of $6,500
annually for two years for carrying on the work and electing Dr.
Charles A. White of Iowa, State Geologist. Dr. White appointed O.
St. John, assistant and Rush Emery, chemist. Under this act and one
of the Twelfth General Assembly the work was carried on for four
years. As no appropriation was made by the next Legislature, the
work ceased. The act of 1866 required the State Geologist to
prepare reports of the progress of his work from time to time to be
given to the newspapers of the State for publication, giving
information as to the character of the soils, deposits of coal and
other minerals, which might be of general interest to the public.
It also provided that the various specimens found should be divided
among the collections at the State University, the State
Agricultural College and other educational institutions. The
Thirteenth General Assembly authorized the publication of 3,000
copies of White's report in two volumes and appropriated $18,000 for
that purpose. The report was printed in two royal octavo volumes
illustrated with maps, diagrams, engravings and views of geological
formations in various parts of the State. When the act of 1855 was
passed providing for a Geological Survey it was doubtless the
intention of the promoters of the law that the work should be
carried on until a thorough survey and geological examination of the
entire State had been made. But the extent of the work was
dependent upon biennial appropriations, and when such appropriations
failed, the work was necessarily suspended. Halls' survey was
confined largely to the east half of the State. Dr. White therefore
began his work in the western half and, during the years 1866-1867,
the work was largely carried on in the southern and middle portions
of western Iowa. At the close of 1867 a preliminary report was made
to the legislature together with articles prepared and given to the
newspapers during the period, all of which were published in
pamphlet form. The field work for 1868-1869 was principally carried
on in northwestern Iowa.
During the year 1866 there was growing up a serious estrangement
between president Johnson and a large majority of the Republican
members of Congress. The President was strongly urging Congress to
admit Senators and Representatives from the States lately in
rebellion to seats in that body so that the citizens of those States
might be again represented. He urged in his message to Congress
that, as these States had adopted the amendment to the Constitution
prohibiting the existence of slavery, had repealed the ordinances of
secession and repudiated all debts created for revolutionary
purposes, that they should be restored to their places in the Union
by the admission of their duly elected members of Congress. A
majority of the Republican members of Congress were unwilling to
restore these States to their former relations until further
legislation was enacted for the protection of the colored race
lately held in slavery. Congress framed and passed an act to
establish a "Bureau for the Relief of the Freedom" in the late slave
States. The President vetoed the bill and returned it with his
objections. The bill was passed over the President's veto, in the
Senate, by a vote of thirty-three yeas to nine nays. All voting yea
were Republicans and three Republicans voted nay. In the House the
vote stood yeas, one hundred and four, all Republicans; thirty-three
voted nay, six of whom were Republicans and twenty-seven Democrats.
In February, 1866, Congress passed the Civil Rights Bill which was
vetoed by the President. The Senate passed the bill over the veto
by a vote of thirty-three yeas, all Republicans, to fifteen nays,
five of whom were Republicans and ten Democrats. In the House the
bill was passed over the veto by a vote of one hundred and
twenty-two yeas, all Republicans, to forty-one nays, seven of whom
were Republicans and thirty-four Democrats. By these acts the
antagonism between the President and the Republican party was
greatly intensified and grew more bitter from month to month. A
joint committee of the House and Senate reported a plan of
reconstruction for the States lately in rebellion which did not meet
the approval of the President, this further alienating the President
and Congress until the feeling became intense and bitter. All of
the members of Congress from Iowa sustained the measures of that
body, while the Democratic party of the State favored the
President's policy. In 1866 Johnson began the removal of Federal
officers, in Iowa, who sided with Congress in the controversy,
including a great number of postmasters. A large majority of the
Republican papers and people of the State warmly supported the
policy of Congress on reconstruction, yet it made a division in the
party throughout the Union. William H. Seward, one of the founders
of the party and now Secretary of State in president Johnson's
Cabinet, as well as many other prominent Republicans, with a number
of the leading Republican newspapers of the country, warmly
supported the President in his controversy with Congress and the
entire Democratic party sustained the President in his plan of
reconstruction.
In the midst of this division of the people on new issues the
Republican State Convention assembled at Des Moines on the 20th of
June, 1866. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted as
expressing the opinion of the Republicans of Iowa on the controversy
between Congress and the President:
"Resolved, That the
reconstruction of the States lately in rebellion belongs, through
their representatives in Congress, to the people who have subdued
the Rebellion and preserved the nation and not to the Executive
alone.
"Resolved, That we heartily
approve the joint resolution lately passed by the Senate and House
of Representatives in Congress assembled, proposing to the
legislatures of the several States an additional article by way of
amendment to the Federal Constitution, and we pledge the
ratification of that amendment by the Legislature of Iowa.
"Resolved, That in the firm and
manly adherence of the Union party in Congress to the above
principles, we recognize new guarantees to the safety of the Nation,
and we pledge to Congress our continued and earnest support."
The following resolution was adopted in relation to the affairs
of the State:
"Resolved, That we are in favor
of the nomination and election to office of such persons as are
known to be possessed of honesty and capacity, and we unqualifiedly
condemn dishonesty and carelessness in every department of the
public service."
The candidates nominated for State offices were Colonel Ed.
Wright, Secretary of State; Major S. E. Rankin, Treasurer; John A.
Elliott, Auditor; Colonel C. C. Carpenter, Register of Land Office;
F. E. Bissell, Attorney-General; E. H. Stiles, Supreme Court
Reporter; Charles Linderman, Clerk of Supreme Court.
The Republicans of Iowa who approved of the policy of the
President, determined to hold a State convention and put a ticket in
the field which they were assured would receive the support of the
Democrats. A call was therefore issued for the Conservative
Republican Convention which assembled at Des Moines on the 27th of
June. General Thomas H. Benton was one of the most prominent movers
for this convention, his name was at the head of the call and when
it assembled he called it to order, was chairman of the committee on
resolutions and was the author of the platform adopted by the
convention. The platform was of great length indorsing the plan of
reconstruction proposed by the President and condemning the measures
and general plan enacted by Congress which came in conflict with the
policy of the President. The principal resolution on this subject
was as follows:
"Resolved, That we endorse the
restoration policy of President Johnson as wise, patriotic,
constitutional and in harmony with the loyal sentiment and purpose
of the people in the suppression of the Rebellion and the platform
upon which he was elected, with the declared policy of the late
President Lincoln, the action of Congress and the pledges given
during the war.
"That we are opposed to any
further amendments to the Constitution of the United States until
all the States are represented in Congress and have a vote in making
the same."
On State affairs the following declaration was made:
"All officers intrusted with the
management of funds should be held to a strict accountability for
the faithful application of same and in case of the defalcation or
misuse of such funds they should not be permitted to evade
responsibility by implicating irresponsible agents selected by
themselves. Any party that countenances such evasion becomes
accessory to the crime."
The following nominations were made: Secretary of State, Colonel
S. G. VanAnda; Treasurer, General George A. Stone; Auditor, Captain
R. W. Cross; Register Land Office, S. P. McKennie; Attorney-General,
Captain W. Ballinger; Reporter Supreme Court, Captain J. W. Sennett;
Clerk, Lewis Kimsey.
The Democratic State Convention met at Des Moines on the 11th of
July and on the issue of reconstruction adopted the following
resolutions:
"Resolved, That one great
question of the day is the immediate and unconditional restoration
of all of the States to the exercise of their rights within the
Federal Union under the Constitution and that we will cordially
support Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, in all
necessary and proper means to carry out his policy as directed to
that end, and especially in securing immediate representation in the
Senate and House of Representatives to the eleven States from which
it is now unconstitutionally and arbitrarily withheld.
"Resolved, That for the purpose
above set forth, we will cooperate in public meetings, conventions
and at the polls with all men without reference to past party
positions and who honestly and by their acts and votes, as well as
by their professions, support the President in his policy of
restoration as declared."
In relation to State affairs the following resolution was
adopted:
"Resolved, That the plunder of
the State Treasury by Governor Stone and accomplices calls for the
condemnation of every honest man in the State, and if the radicals
of the last Legislature had been true to the interests of the
people, they would not have labored to save the criminals, but would
have prosecuted them to a speedy and condign punishment."
The convention made no nominations for State officers but passed
a resolution "to cooperate with the conservative element of the
Republican party in their efforts to restore the Union and defeat
radical disunionism and for that purpose we hereby agree to support
their candidates."
The
election resulted in the success of the Republican candidates by the
following vote: Ed. Wright, Republican, 91,227; S. G. VanAnda,
Conservative Republican and Democrat, 55,815; Republican majority,
35,412. The votes of the other candidates varied but little from
the above. The vote at this election was far in excess of any
heretofore given in the State, being 147,124; exceeding the vote of
1865 by 19,734. While many conservative Republicans and all of the
Democrats who went to the polls voted the conservative ticket, it is
a singular fact that Van Anda's vote was but 1,805 larger than that
which he received the year before for Lieutenant-Governor; while the
vote for Wright was 17,847 larger than the highest Republican
candidate received in 1865 and was about the average vote received
for the other Republican candidates. This would indicate that the
great increase in population and votes for the year past was almost
entirely Republican. This election clearly demonstrated the fact
that the people of Iowa, by a large majority, were determined to
remove from the organic laws of the State, as well as from its
statutes, all race discriminations which in earlier years were
enacted against persons of African descent. One by one these acts
had been repealed and in the recent election the majority in favor
of protecting the late slaves in the Southern States in all civil
rights by amendments to the National Constitution, was very large,
that being one of the principal issues involved in the late
campaign. The policy of the State was thus permanently reversed
from that of the first twenty years of Territorial and State
existence. The election for members of the House of Congress
resulted in the choice of the Republican candidates in all of the
six districts.
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