Hon. John McAuley
Palmer, deceased, who was Governor of Illinois from 1869 to 1872, and later
United States Senator from Illinois and in 1896 candidate of the gold wing
of the Democratic party for President of the United States, was born on
Eagle Creek, Scott County, Kentucky, September 13, 1817. His father, who had
been a soldier in the War of 1812, removed when his son was an infant to
Christian County, Kentucky, where lands were cheap. There the future
Governor of Illinois spent his childhood and received such schooling as the
new and sparsely settled country afforded. To this he added materially by
diligent reading, for which he evinced an early aptitude. His father, an
ardent admirer of Andrew Jackson, was noted for his anti-slavery sentiments,
which he thoroughly impressed upon his children. In 1831 the Palmer family
moved to Madison County, Illinois, where the labor of improving a new farm
was pursued for about two years, when the death of our subject's mother
broke up the family. About this time Alton College was opened, on the
"manual labor" system, and in the spring of 1834 young Palmer with his elder
brother, Elihu, entered this college and remained 18 months. Then, for over
three years, he was variously employed at coopering, peddling and as a
school teacher.
During the summer of 1838, John M. Palmer formed the
acquaintance of Stephen A. Douglas, then making his first canvass for
Congress. Young, eloquent and in political accord with Mr. Palmer, Douglas
won the latter's confidence, fired his ambition and fixed his purpose. The
following winter, while teaching near Canton, Mr. Palmer began to devote his
spare time to a desultory reading of the law and in the spring entered a law
office at Carlinville, Macoupin County, making his home with his elder
brother, Elihu, who became a learned clergyman of considerable originality
of thought and doctrine. On the next meeting of the Supreme Court of
Illinois, he was admitted to the bar, Stephen A. Douglas being one of his
examiners. He was not immediately successful in his profession, and would
have located elsewhere than in Carlinville had he been possessed of the
requisite means. His early poverty was probably a blessing in disguise, for
much of the success of his life must be attributed to his continued
residence in this county.
While diligently pursuing his profession
he participated more or less in local politics from the time he located in
Carlinville. In 1843 he became judge of the Probate Court. In 1847, he was
elected to the State Constitutional Convention and there took a leading
part. He was elected to the State Senate in 1852 and at the special session
of February, 1854, true to the antislavery sentiments bred in him, he took a
firm stand in opposition to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and when
the Nebraska question became a party issue, he refused to receive a
renomination for the Senatorship at the hands of the Democracy, issuing a
circular to that effect. A few weeks afterward, however, hesitating to break
with his party, he participated in a convention that nominated T. L. Harris
for Congress against Richard Yates and that unqualifiedly approved the
principles of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Later in the campaign, however, he
ran for the State Senate as an Anti-Nebraska Democrat, and was elected. In
the session of the following winter, he nominated Mr. Trumbull for the
United States Senate and was one of the five men who continued to vote for
Mr. Trumbull until all the Whigs came to their support and elected their
man.
In 1856 Mr. Palmer was chairman of the State Republican
Convention at Bloomington, which was the first State convention held in
Illinois by that party. He ran for Congress in 1859, but was defeated. In
1860 he was a Presidential Elector for the State at large on the Republican
ticket, and in 1861 he was appointed as one of the five delegates (all
Republicans) sent by Illinois to the Peace Congress at Washington.
When the Civil War broke out, Mr. Palmer offered his services to his
country, and was elected colonel of the 14th Reg., Illinois Vol. Inf., and
participated in the engagements at Island No. 10; at Farmington, where he
skillfully extricated his command from a dangerous position; at Stone River,
where his division for several hours on December 31, 1862, held the advance
and stood like a rock, and for his gallantry there he was made
major-general; at Chickamauga, where his and Van Cleve's divisions
maintained their position when they were cut off by overpowering numbers. He
participated in the Atlanta campaign, being assigned to the 14th Army Corps
under General . Sherman. At Peach Tree Creek his prudence did much to avert
disaster. In February, 1865, General Palmer was appointed by President
Lincoln Military Governor of Kentucky, which was a delicate post, as that
State was about half rebel and half union, and even those of the latter
element were daily fretted by the loss of their slaves. Although given
extraordinary power over the persons and property of his fellow men as
Governor, he exhibited great caution in the execution of the duties of his
post and received the commendation of all good citizens.
General
Palmer was nominated for Governor of Illinois by the State Republican
Convention which met at Peoria, May 6, 1868, and his nomination would
probably have been made by acclamation had he not persistently declared that
he would not be a candidate for the office. The result of the ensuing
election gave General Palmer a majority of 44,707 votes over John R. Eden,
the Democratic nominee.
On the meeting of the State Legislature in
January, 1869, the first thing to arrest public attention was that part of
the Governor's message which took broad State's rights ground. This and some
minor points, which were more in keeping with the sentiment of the
Democracy, constituted the entering wedge for the criticisms and reproofs he
afterward received from the Republican party and ultimately resulted in his
entire alienation from the latter element. This session of the Legislature
was noted for the numerous bills which were introduced in the interest of
private parties, which were embarrassing to the Governor. Among the public
acts passed was that which limited railroad charges for passenger travel to
a maximum of three cents per mile; it was passed over the Governor's veto.
Over his veto was also passed the "tax-grabbing" law to pay railroad
subscriptions, the Chicago Lake Front bill, etc. The new State Constitution
of 1870, a great improvement on the old one, was a peaceful "revolution"
which took place during Governor Palmer's term of office. The suffering
caused by the great Chicago fire of October, 1871, was greatly alleviated by
the promptness with which Governor Palmer met the exigencies of the
situation.
After retiring to a private life in 1872, Governor Palmer
continued to be a prominent figure in State politics and was finally sent to
the United States Senate in 1890. When the National Democratic Convention of
1896 nominated William Jennings Bryan at Chicago for President, Governor
Palmer was selected by the Gold Democrats to head their ticket with Simon B.
Buckner as Vice-President. The putting of this ticket into the field
undoubtedly assisted in the defeat of Bryan, as many Democrats voted for
Palmer who would otherwise have voted for Bryan on account of not wishing to
be termed deserters to their party.
Governor Palmer always adhered
very closely to the profession of the law, although many years were given up
to the public service. Few excelled him in an accurate appreciation of the
depth and scope of its principles. The great number of his able veto
messages abundantly testify, not only this, but also a rare capacity to
analyze the measures vetoed and to show his reasons for his action. He was a
logical and cogent reasoner, and while not a fluent or ornate speaker, was
interesting, forcible and convincing. Without brilliancy, his dealings were
rather with facts and ideas than with passions and prejudices. He was a
patriot and a statesman of very high order. Just before his death, he edited
and published a book entitled "The Story of an Earnest Life." His portrait
accompanies this sketch.
Extracted 2018 May 06 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 132-136.
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