Clement Vallandigham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clement Vallandigham
|
|
|---|---|
Vallandingham, photographed at some point during his Congressional career (1858-1863)
|
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 3rd district |
|
| In office May 25, 1858 – March 3, 1863 |
|
| Preceded by | Lewis D. Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Robert C. Schenck |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the Columbiana County district |
|
| In office December 1, 1845 – December 5, 1847 Serving with Joseph F. Williams
|
|
| Preceded by | Robert Filson |
| Succeeded by | James Patton Joseph F. Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Clement Laird Vallandigham
July 29, 1820 New Lisbon, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | June 17, 1871 (aged 50) Lebanon, Ohio, U.S. |
| Resting place | Woodland Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Louisa Anna Vallandigham |
| Alma mater | Jefferson College |
| Signature |  |
Clement Laird Vallandigham (July 29, 1820 – June 17, 1871) was an American lawyer and politician. He was a leader of the "Copperheads," a group of Democrats who were against the American Civil War.
He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives for Ohio's 3rd congressional district. In 1863, a military court found him guilty for speaking out against the war. He was then sent away to the Confederate States of America. From Canada, he ran for governor of Ohio in 1863, but he lost the election.
Vallandigham died in 1871 in Lebanon, Ohio.
Contents
Early Life of Clement Vallandigham
Clement Laird Vallandigham was born on July 29, 1820, in New Lisbon, Ohio. His father, a minister, taught him at home.
In 1841, Vallandigham had a disagreement with the president of Washington & Jefferson College. He left the college honorably but did not earn a degree.
Edwin M. Stanton, who later became Secretary of War for President Abraham Lincoln, was a close friend of Vallandigham before the Civil War. Stanton helped Vallandigham with money for law school. Both men were Democrats, but they had different ideas about slavery. Stanton was against slavery, while Vallandigham was not.
Clement Vallandigham's Political Career
Ohio State Legislature
After starting his law practice in Dayton, Ohio, Vallandigham quickly entered politics. He was elected as a Democrat to the Ohio legislature in 1845 and 1846. From 1847 to 1849, he also worked as an editor for a newspaper called the Dayton Empire.
While in the Ohio state legislature, Vallandigham voted against ending the "Black Laws." These laws limited the civil rights of African-Americans. However, he wanted the public to vote on the issue. In 1851, he tried to become the Democratic candidate for Ohio's lieutenant governor, but his party did not choose him.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Vallandigham ran for Congress in 1856 but lost by a small number of votes. He argued that some votes were illegal, and the House of Representatives agreed. He was finally seated in Congress near the end of the term. He was reelected in 1858 by a small margin.
In October 1859, John Brown, a strong opponent of slavery, raided Harper's Ferry, Virginia. He took over the United States Army Arsenal. Vallandigham was passing through and joined officials who questioned Brown. Brown said he wanted to start a rebellion of enslaved people to free them.
Vallandigham supported slavery and believed each state should decide on the issue. He thought the federal government had no power to control slavery. He also believed states had a right to leave the Union. During the Civil War, he became one of Abraham Lincoln's biggest critics.
He was re-elected to the House in 1860. During the 1860 presidential election, he supported Stephen A. Douglas.
On February 20, 1861, Vallandigham gave a speech called "The Great American Revolution." He said the Republican Party was causing conflict. He suggested either a peaceful separation or a united country through agreement. Vallandigham supported the Crittenden Compromise, an effort to stop the Civil War. He blamed disagreements between regions and anti-slavery feelings for the crisis.
Vallandigham proposed changes to the Constitution. The United States would be divided into four sections: North, South, West, and Pacific. Each section would have the power to stop new laws in the Senate. He also suggested changing the Electoral College.
Vallandigham strongly opposed every military bill. This led his opponents to say he wanted the Confederacy to win. He became the main leader of the anti-war "Copperheads." In a speech on May 8, 1862, he created their slogan: "To maintain the Constitution as it is, and to restore the Union as it was."
Vallandigham lost his re-election bid in 1862. This meant he would leave office in early 1863. His district had been changed, which partly caused his loss. Even so, some people still thought he might become president one day.
As his term ended, Vallandigham gave a speech on January 14, 1863. He spoke against abolitionism (ending slavery) from the start. He criticized Lincoln for limiting civil liberties, saying it made the country a "despotism." Vallandigham also spoke against Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. He claimed the war was no longer about saving the Union but about freeing enslaved people. He also criticized those making money from the war.
After Congress: Vallandigham's Activities
General Ambrose Burnside issued an order saying that showing support for the enemy would not be allowed. Vallandigham gave a big speech on May 1, 1863. He said the war was no longer about saving the Union. Instead, he claimed it was about freeing enslaved people by taking away the freedom of white Americans.
President Lincoln had given Burnside the power for this order. Lincoln had suspended habeas corpus (a right to challenge unlawful imprisonment). He made it illegal to discourage people from joining the army or to do anything "disloyal."
Arrest and Military Trial
On May 5, 1863, Vallandigham was arrested for breaking General Order Number 38. His angry supporters burned the offices of the Dayton Journal, a newspaper that supported the Republicans. Vallandigham was tried by a military court on May 6 and 7. He was accused of showing sympathy for the enemy and speaking disloyal ideas to weaken the government.
The specific accusations against Vallandigham included:
- Calling the war "wicked, cruel, and unnecessary."
- Saying the war was not for saving the Union.
- Claiming the war was to create a dictatorship and enslave white people.
- Saying the war could have ended honorably if the government wanted.
- Calling General Order Number 38 a "base takeover of power."
- Encouraging people to resist these restrictions on their freedom.
- Saying he believed those in power were trying to create a cruel dictatorship.
Vallandigham himself wrote that he knew his public opinions helped the Confederate war effort. They made people doubt the Lincoln government and feel sympathy for Confederate soldiers.
He was sentenced to be held in a military prison for the rest of the war. On May 11, 1863, a request was made to a federal court to release Vallandigham. The judge said Vallandigham's arrest and military trial were allowed under the President's war powers. Congress had passed a law allowing the president to suspend habeas corpus on March 3, 1863.
On May 16, 1863, a meeting was held in Albany, New York, to protest Vallandigham's arrest. New York Governor Horatio Seymour wrote a letter saying that "military despotism" had been set up. These protests were sent to President Lincoln. Lincoln wrote a letter explaining why he supported the military court's decision.
In February 1864, the Supreme Court decided it could not issue a writ of habeas corpus to a military court.
Being Sent Away
Lincoln thought Vallandigham was a "clever troublemaker." To avoid making him a hero, Lincoln ordered him sent into the Confederacy on May 19, 1863. When he reached Confederate lines, Vallandigham said he was an Ohio citizen forced to be there and surrendered as a prisoner of war.
On May 30, 1863, another protest meeting was held in Newark, New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Joel Parker wrote a letter condemning Vallandigham's arrest and deportation.
On June 2, 1863, Vallandigham was sent to Wilmington, North Carolina, by Jefferson Davis. He was briefly held as an "enemy."
President Lincoln wrote a letter on June 29, 1863, offering to cancel Vallandigham's deportation. This was if some Ohio congressmen would agree to support certain government policies.
Vallandigham traveled to Richmond, Virginia. He advised a former classmate that the Confederate army should not invade Pennsylvania. He thought this would unite the North against the Copperheads in the 1864 presidential election.
Vallandigham then left the Confederacy on a ship to Bermuda, and from there went to Canada. He then announced he was running for Governor of Ohio. He won the Democratic nomination while still in Canada. He managed his campaign from a hotel in Windsor, Ontario.
Vallandigham asked in a letter on July 15, 1863: "Shall there be free speech, a free press, peaceable gatherings of the people, and a free vote any longer in Ohio?"
Vallandigham lost the 1863 Ohio governor election by a large margin to John Brough. However, his actions had divided the people of Dayton into groups supporting and opposing slavery.
The Northwestern Confederacy
While in Canada, around March 1864, Vallandigham became a leader of the Order of the Sons of Liberty. This group was secretly working with Confederate agents to create a "Northwestern Confederacy." This new country would include Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. The plan was to overthrow their governments. Vallandigham asked the Confederates for money for weapons.
Vallandigham secretly returned to the U.S. on June 14. He gave a passionate speech at a Democratic meeting in Hamilton, Ohio, the next day. He felt he had to lie about being involved in a "secret organization."
President Lincoln knew he had returned. Lincoln thought about arresting him but decided not to. In late August, Vallandigham openly attended the 1864 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He was a delegate for Ohio.
The convention had mixed feelings about Vallandigham. He received both cheers and boos when he spoke.
Vallandigham pushed for the party's "peace plank," which said the war was a failure. It demanded an immediate end to fighting. George B. McClellan, the party's presidential candidate, said peace would only happen if the Confederacy was ready to rejoin the Union. This disagreed with the party's platform. Vallandigham supported McClellan but was very angry when McClellan went against the party's ideas. This disagreement weakened the Democrats' efforts to win voters.
In late September 1864, a trial began in Indianapolis for members of the Knights of the Golden Circle. This group had become the Sons of Liberty. Witnesses said Vallandigham was the "Supreme Commander" of the group. The plan was to start a revolt. In 1866, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that using military courts to try civilians when regular courts are open is against the Constitution.
In April 1865, Vallandigham testified at another trial. He admitted talking with a Confederate agent in Canada. The planned revolt never happened.
After the War
In 1867, Vallandigham continued to oppose African-American suffrage (the right to vote) and equality. However, his views later changed with the "New Departure" policy.
Vallandigham returned to Ohio. He lost his campaigns for the Senate and the House of Representatives. He then went back to practicing law.
In 1871, Vallandigham convinced Ohio Democrats to adopt the "New Departure" policy. This policy aimed to move past the Civil War issues like secession and slavery. It also promised to fully enforce the Constitution to ensure equal rights for all people, regardless of race or color. It also called for government reform and a progressive income tax.
Death
Vallandigham died in 1871 in Lebanon, Ohio, at age 50. He was survived by his wife, Louisa Anna Vallandigham, and his son, Charles Vallandigham. He was buried in Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.
James W. Wall, a former senator, spoke highly of Vallandigham after his death. Wall had recently met with him about the "New Departure" policy.
John A. McMahon, Vallandigham's nephew, also served as a U.S. representative from Ohio.
In Popular Culture
Vallandigham being sent away to the Confederacy inspired Edward Everett Hale to write "The Man Without a Country." This short story was published in December 1863 and became very popular.
Vallandigham appears as a character in some alternate history novels. In Ward Moore's Bring the Jubilee (1953) and William Gibson and Bruce Sterling's The Difference Engine (1991), Vallandigham defeats Lincoln in the 1864 Presidential election after the South wins the Civil War. In Harry Turtledove's The Guns of the South (1992), he is elected Vice President in the same year for the same reason.
In CBBC's Horrible Histories, Clement Vallandigham is played by Ben Willbond. In the show, he is shown as a great lawyer but very embarrassed by how he died while defending a client.
See also
- Copperhead (politics)
- List of unusual deaths
- List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States
