Sounds like new Seward book lacks analysis

This is not an official review as I have not read it but in browsing the Civil War News book reviews for February/March 2010, John Deepen finds that Lawrence M. Denton's William Henry Seward and the Secession Crisis--The Effort to Prevent Civil War (2009) lacks critical analysis of antebellum Senator and wartime Secretary of State, William Seward. Deepen finds that Denton is apt to praise Seward without attention to his actions. Furthermore, Denton suggests that if Seward had been elected president the war period would have been a different ballgame with Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, and James Ewell Brown (J.E.B.) Stuart fighting within the United States military.

Again, I am not reviewing or passing complete judgement off on this text as I have not read it in its entirety. However, I find it difficult to imagine Seward would have found many Southerners in an alliance with him. His antebellum activities had divided Southern politicians from him and thus I cannot imagine very many Southerners believing the more radical Seward would make a better president than Abraham Lincoln.

John Randolph of Roanoke

On this day in 1827, two great titans of democracy literally came to blows. Senator John Randolph of Roanoke (pictured at right at the age of thirty) questioned the circumstances by which the new Secretary of State, Henry Clay, came to hold office. At the close of one of his eccentric speeches on the Senate floor, Randolph denounced the relationship between the president and secretary as "the coalition of Blifil and Black George, - of the puritan and blackleg." However, Clay was not able to shake this degrading remark as he normally could by responding oratorically on the floor of Congress as he could in the past. He concluded the only way to settle the affront to his personal honor was to send Randolph a challenge, which was accepted. The Virginia senator stated, "I have no explanations to give. I will not give any. I am called to the field. I have agreed to go, an am ready to go." According to General James Hamilton of South Carolina, Randolph sent for him on the night of April 7. Hamilton recalled that he found Randolph "calm, but in a singularly kind an confiding mood. He told me that he had something on his mind to tell me. He then remarked, 'Hamilton, I have determined to receive, without returning, CLAY's fire; nothing shall induce me to harm a hair of his head; I will not make his wife a widow, or his children orphans. Their tears would be shed over his grave; but when the sold of Virginia rests on my bosom, there is not, in this wide world, one individual to pay this tribute upon mine."

The two men met the next day, April 8 at 4:30 p.m., across the Potomac River in Virginia. Before the word was given to fire, Randolph's pistol supposedly discharged prematurely. General Jesup, a friend of Clay, exclaimed that if this occurred again the secretary would immediately leave the field. Clay retorted that the "gentleman might be allowed to go on." Once the Virginian's pistol was reloaded and ready, the word was given. Clay fired without hitting the senator, and Randolph fired his pistol harmlessly into the air. The two men left the field uninjured, and although not becoming best of friends, they did resume some cordial relations. In fact, before he died, Randolph travelled to the Senate Chamber to hear that magnificent voice of Clay's one last time.

The 1824 “American System” speech by Speaker Henry Clay of Kentucky**

March 30, 1824 – March 31, 1824

On this date, Speaker Henry Clay of Kentucky addressed the House from the well to support targeted protective tariffs and to proclaim his ideal of an “American system” of national development that would benefit all sections of the United States. Clay’s speech distilled his long evolving belief in tariffs to protect fledgling American industry—one component of the American system that sought to promote federally-funded internal improvements and to institute a strong national bank. The speech befitted the reputation of a man widely accepted as one of Congress’ greatest orators. Armed with visual charts, Clay delivered an address that filled two legislative days and more than 40 pages of print in the Annals of Congress. “The object of the bill under consideration is to create this home market, and to lay the foundations of a genuine American policy,” Clay began. He then addressed 10 main objections to weak tariff provisions. “Are we doomed to behold our industry languish and decay yet more and more?” Clay intoned. “But there is a remedy, and that remedy consists in modifying our foreign policy, and in adopting a genuine AMERICAN SYSTEM. We must naturalize the arts in our country, and we must naturalize them by the only means which the wisdom of nations has yet discovered to be effectual—by adequate protection against the otherwise overwhelming influence of foreigners.” The speech garnered national accolades. The Tariff of 1824 passed the House by a narrow margin—with support from the northwest and Middle Atlantic and strong opposition from the South. It carried the Senate narrowly and was signed into law in May 1824.

**Taken from the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives

Ashland: The Home of the Great Pacificator

(To see the video in full screen mode, please click on the four directional arrows in the lower right hand corner)

In light of the new book concerning the Compromise of 1850 and Henry Clay, I thought this quick video introducing the historic house and grounds of the Great Compromiser would be appropriate! Unfortunately, the home we are able to visit today is not the same as the honorable gentleman from Kentucky built. The original was raised in the late 1850s and rebuilt by his son. I hope you enjoy Lextreks tour of Ashland.

At the Edge of the Precipice

In 1850, America hovered on the brink of disunion. Tensions between slave-holders and abolitionists mounted, as the debate over slavery grew rancorous. An influx of new territory prompted Northern politicians to demand the new states remain free; in response, Southerners baldly threatened to secede from the Union. Only Henry Clay could keep the nation together.

At the Edge of the Precipice is historian Robert V. Remini's fascinating recounting of the Compromise of 1850, a titanic act of political will that only a skillful statesman like Clay could broker. Although the Compromise would collapse ten years later, plunging the nation into civil war, Clay's victory in 1850 ultimately saved the Union by giving the North and extra decade to industrialize and prepare.

A masterful narrative by an eminent historian, At the Edge of the Precipice also offers a timely reminder of the importance of bipartisanship in a bellicose age.

Robert V. Remini, historian of the U.S. House of Representatives, has been teaching and writing about American history for more than half a century. He has written more than twenty books, including the definitive three volume biography The Life of Andrew Jackson, which won the National Book Award (1984). His other books include biographies of Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John Quincy Adams, and Joseph Smith. His Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars won the Spur Award for best western nonfiction from the Western Writers of America. He lives in Wilmette, Illinois.

Information taken from Amazon.com

Southern Ladies Public Forums

Recently a historian said at a conference that elite Southern ladies had few opportunities in the antebellum period to address a wider audience. Their platform she suggested was limited to church functions and thus they had little access to illustrate their committment to the slave institution. I beg to differ and offer just a few short things to counter this oft-imagine vision of elite Southern whtie women sitting around in silk gowns falling over men like Scarlett O'Hara.

Caroline Lee Hentz wrote about a dozen novels though her The Planter's Northern Bride
was her first to deal with slavery. Check it out here: http://www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/proslav/hentzhp.html

Additionally, the former First Lady, Mrs. Julia Gardiner Tyler wrote a scathing letter to the Duchess of Sutherland which was published in the Richmond Enquirer and subsequently in the Southern Literary Messenger. It can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/ptgcv7 Thousands of people received or read elsewhere the Messenger it was the South's most important literary publication. Former President John Tyler in 1860 had more than 70 enslaved laborers engaged in caring for his large family and growing corn and wheat on his plantation, Sherwood Forest (http://www.sherwoodforest.org)

Lastly, we cannot forget South Carolina slaveholder and slavery defender, Louisa McCord. Leigh Fought completed a bio on McCord a few years ago: http://press.umsystem.edu/spring2003/fought.htm. Both McCords wrote for Southern Literary Messenger. You can float through this link to find article written by David (d. 1855) and Louisa (d. 1879): http://tinyurl.com/rys6ec

I hope this helps to start us imaging elite white women in the context they existed in.

The Honourable John C. Calhoun leaves "The Great Triumvirate"

John C. Calhoun, arguably South Carolina's most famous United States Senator and two time Vice President of the United States, died of tuberculosis on March 31, 1850, in a Washington boarding house (the Old Brick Capitol). Congress initially buried Calhoun's body in a public vault located in the Congressional Cemetery on April 2, 1850. Later in 1850, the family disinterred the body and moved it to St. Philip's Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where his illustrious stone can be viewed today. The following quotation is from "The Congressional Globe," April 6, 1850, page 626.

IN SENATE

TUESDAY, April 2, 1850.

The Senate met at twelve o’clock, for the purpose of attending the funeral obsequies of the Hon. John C. Calhoun, late a Senator in Congress from the State of South Carolina.

The galleries, and every avenue therto, were crowded with spectators, and hundreds left the doors unable to obtain admittance.

At twelve o’clock, the House of Representatives, preceded by its officers, entered the Chamber, and too seats assigned them.

Numerous officers of the army and navy, and many distinguished strangers, occupied sofas in the lobbies.

The Supreme Court of the United States entered the Chamber, and took seats at the left of the Vice President.

The President of the United States and the Cabinet soon followed; the President being conducted to a seat at the right of the Vice President.

The diplomatic corps, which was very fully represented, occupied seats near the centre of the Chamber.

At twenty minutes past twelve, the corpse was brought into the chamber, in charge of the Committee of Arrangements, and placed immediately in front of the Secretary’s desk. Several relatives and friends of the deceased, Senator Butler, and the South Carolina delegation of the House of Representatives, accompanied the corpse as mourners.

The Rev. C.M. Butler, Chaplain to the Senate, read the passage of Scripture, found in the 1^st Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, 15^th chapter, beginning at the 20^th verse, to the end of the chapter.

Mr. B. then delivered a brief discourse from the words, in the 82d Psalm, 5^th and 7^th verses:

“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”

The address being ended, the Senate and audience left the Chamber, and formed in procession in the following order:

The Chaplains of both Houses of Congress.

Physicians who attended the deceased.

Committee of Arrangements:

Mr. Mason, Mr. Dodge, of Wis.,

Mr. Davis, of Miss., Mr. Dickinson,

Mr. Atchison, Mr. Greene.

Pall-bearers:

Mr. Mangum, Mr. Cass,

Mr. Clay, Mr. King,

Mr. Webster, Mr. Berrien.

The family and friends of the deceased.

The Senator and Representatives from the State of South Carolina, as mourners.

The Sergeant-at-arms of the Senate of the United States

The Senate of the United States, preceded by the Vice President of the United States and their Secretary.

The Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Representatives

The House of Representatives, preceded by their Speaker and Clerk.

The President of the United Stated.

The Heads of Departments

The Chief-Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, and its officers.

The Diplomatic Corps.

Judges of the United States.

Officers of the Executive Departments.

Officers of the Army and Navy.

The Mayor of Washington.

Citizens and Strangers.

The line having been formed, the procession moved to the Congressional Burying Ground, where the remains of the deceased were deposited, with the usual solemnities, in the receiving vault.

The Senate returned to their chamber, and adjourned.