United States Senate election in New York, 1863
Encyclopedia
The 1863 United States Senate election in New York was held on February 3, 1863, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator (Class 1) to represent the State of New York
in the United States Senate
.
had been elected in February 1857 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1863.
At the State election in November 1861
, 22 Republicans and 10 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1862-1863) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1862, Democrat Horatio Seymour
was elected Governor; and a tied Assembly of 64 Republicans and Democrats each was elected for the session of 1863. In December, in the 15th Senate District, Republican William Clark was elected for the session of 1863 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Democrat John Willard. The 86th State Legislature met from January 6 to April 25, 1863, at Albany, New York
.
The election of a Speaker
proved to be difficult in the stalemated Assembly. The Democrats voted for Eliphas Trimmer, of Monroe Co.
, the Republicans for Henry Sherwood, of Steuben Co.
The Republicans, led by Chauncey M. Depew, became worried about the U.S. Senate election, due to occur on the first Tuesday in February. If the Assembly was not organized by then, the seat would become vacant, and could remain so until the next elected Assembly met in 1864. The Republicans, with a majority of 14 on joint ballot, were anxious to fill the seat, to have a maximum of support for President Abraham Lincoln
in the U.S. Senate during the ongoing American Civil War
. Theophilus C. Callicot
, a Democratic assemblyman from Brooklyn
, approached Depew to propose a deal: the Republicans would vote for Callicot as Speaker, and Callicot would help to elect the Republican candidate to the U.S. Senate. Depew put the proposition before the Republican caucus, and they accepted. On January 16, Sherwood withdrew, and Callicot was nominated for Speaker by Depew. The Democrats, whose intention it was to prevent the election of a U.S. Senator, managed to postpone the vote for Speaker by filibuster
ing for another ten days, but on January 26, Callicot was elected Speaker on the 89th ballot (vote: Callicot 61, Trimmer 59, 3 Democrats were absent and 3 Republicans were paired
). Thus the Assembly was organized to begin the session of 1863, three weeks late but in time for the U.S. Senate election.
presided. They nominated Ex-Governor Edwin D. Morgan (in office 1859-1862) for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent Senator Preston King
was voted down.
The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met on the evening of February 2, State Senator John V. L. Pruyn
presided. They did not nominate any candidate, instead adopting a resolution that "each Democratic member of the Legislature be requested to name for that office such person as he deems proper." They met again on the morning of February 3, and nominated Congressman Erastus Corning
. The vote in an informal ballot stood: 28 for Corning, 21 for Fernando Wood, and 18 scattering. Wood's name was however withdrawn and Cornings nomination was made unanimous.
, voted for Ex-Mayor of New York Fernando Wood
, and Speaker Callicot voted for John Adams Dix
. Thus the vote was tied, and no choice made. Speaker Callicot, although elected by the Republicans, refused to vote for the Republican caucus nominee, insisting in his vote for Dix who had been U.S. Senator and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury as a Democrat, but was now a Union General in the Civil War. A second ballot was then taken, and the Republicans took Callicot's hint, and voted for Dix who was nominated by the Assembly. Thus Callicot kept his part of the bargain, knowing that, on joint ballot, the Republican State Senate majority will outvote the Democrats, and elect their candidate. It was just necessary that the Assembly nominate anybody, so that it became possible to proceed to a joint ballot.
In the State Senate, Edwin D. Morgan was nominated.
Both Houses of the Legislature then proceeded to a joint ballot.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Background
Republican Preston KingPreston King
Preston King was a United States Representative and Senator from New York.- Biography :Born in Ogdensburg, New York, he pursued classical studies and graduated from Union College in 1827, where he was an early member of The Kappa Alpha Society. He studied law and was admitted to the bar. He...
had been elected in February 1857 to this seat, and his term would expire on March 3, 1863.
At the State election in November 1861
New York state election, 1861
The 1861 New York state election was held on November 5, 1861, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, a Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, two Canal Commissioners and an Inspector of State Prisons, as well as all...
, 22 Republicans and 10 Democrats were elected for a two-year term (1862-1863) in the State Senate. At the State election in November 1862, Democrat Horatio Seymour
Horatio Seymour
Horatio Seymour was an American politician. He was the 18th Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president of the United States in the presidential election of 1868, but lost the election to Republican and former Union General of...
was elected Governor; and a tied Assembly of 64 Republicans and Democrats each was elected for the session of 1863. In December, in the 15th Senate District, Republican William Clark was elected for the session of 1863 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Democrat John Willard. The 86th State Legislature met from January 6 to April 25, 1863, at Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
The election of a Speaker
Speaker of the New York State Assembly
The Speaker of the New York State Assembly is the highest official in the New York State Assembly, customarily elected from the ranks of the majority party....
proved to be difficult in the stalemated Assembly. The Democrats voted for Eliphas Trimmer, of Monroe Co.
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
, the Republicans for Henry Sherwood, of Steuben Co.
Steuben County, New York
Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,990. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same...
The Republicans, led by Chauncey M. Depew, became worried about the U.S. Senate election, due to occur on the first Tuesday in February. If the Assembly was not organized by then, the seat would become vacant, and could remain so until the next elected Assembly met in 1864. The Republicans, with a majority of 14 on joint ballot, were anxious to fill the seat, to have a maximum of support for President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
in the U.S. Senate during the ongoing American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Theophilus C. Callicot
Theophilus C. Callicot
Theophilus Carey Callicot was an American lawyer, newspaper editor and politician.-Early life:He was born in Cornwall, England, and came with his parents to the United States as a child. The family settled at Fairfax, Virginia...
, a Democratic assemblyman from Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, approached Depew to propose a deal: the Republicans would vote for Callicot as Speaker, and Callicot would help to elect the Republican candidate to the U.S. Senate. Depew put the proposition before the Republican caucus, and they accepted. On January 16, Sherwood withdrew, and Callicot was nominated for Speaker by Depew. The Democrats, whose intention it was to prevent the election of a U.S. Senator, managed to postpone the vote for Speaker by filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
ing for another ten days, but on January 26, Callicot was elected Speaker on the 89th ballot (vote: Callicot 61, Trimmer 59, 3 Democrats were absent and 3 Republicans were paired
Pair (parliamentary convention)
Pairing is a system whereby two members of parliament from opposing political parties may agree to abstain where one member is unable to vote, due to other commitments, illness, travel problems, etc...
). Thus the Assembly was organized to begin the session of 1863, three weeks late but in time for the U.S. Senate election.
Candidates
The caucus of Republican State legislators met on February 2, State Senator Alexander H. BaileyAlexander H. Bailey
Alexander Hamilton Bailey was a United States Representative and judge from New York.Bailey was born in Minisink, Orange County, New York on August 14, 1817. He graduated from Princeton College in 1837, where he studied law. Bailey was admitted to the bar and commenced practice of law...
presided. They nominated Ex-Governor Edwin D. Morgan (in office 1859-1862) for the U.S. Senate. The incumbent Senator Preston King
Preston King
Preston King was a United States Representative and Senator from New York.- Biography :Born in Ogdensburg, New York, he pursued classical studies and graduated from Union College in 1827, where he was an early member of The Kappa Alpha Society. He studied law and was admitted to the bar. He...
was voted down.
| Office | Candidate | Informal ballot |
First ballot |
Second ballot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | Edwin D. Morgan Edwin D. Morgan Edwin Denison Morgan was the 21st Governor of New York from 1859 to 1862 and served in the United States Senate from 1863 to 1869. He was the first and longest-serving chairman of the Republican National Committee... |
25 | 39 | 50 |
| Preston King Preston King Preston King was a United States Representative and Senator from New York.- Biography :Born in Ogdensburg, New York, he pursued classical studies and graduated from Union College in 1827, where he was an early member of The Kappa Alpha Society. He studied law and was admitted to the bar. He... |
19 | 16 | 11 | |
| Daniel S. Dickinson Daniel S. Dickinson Daniel Stevens Dickinson was a New York politician, most notable as a United States Senator from 1844 to 1851.-Biography:... |
15 | 11 | 13 | |
| Charles B. Sedgwick Charles B. Sedgwick Charles Baldwin Sedgwick was a U.S. Representative from New York during the American Civil War.-Biography:Sedgwick was born in Pompey, New York, and attended Pompey Hill Academy, and Hamilton College, Clinton, New York... |
11 | 7 | 1 | |
| David Dudley Field | 7 | 5 | 2 | |
| Henry J. Raymond Henry Jarvis Raymond Henry Jarvis Raymond was an American journalist and politician and founder of The New York Times.-Early life and ancestors:... |
6 | 8 | 9 | |
| Ward Hunt Ward Hunt Ward Hunt , was an American jurist and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1868 to 1869, and an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1873 to 1882.-Life:... |
4 | |||
| Henry R. Selden Henry R. Selden Henry Rogers Selden was an American lawyer and politician. He was Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1857 to 1858. He defended Susan B. Anthony in her 1873 trial for unlawfully voting as a woman.-Life:He was the son of Calvin Selden and Phebe Selden... |
1 | |||
| blank | 1 | |||
The caucus of the Democratic State legislators met on the evening of February 2, State Senator John V. L. Pruyn
John Van S. L. Pruyn
John Van Schaick Lansing Pruyn was a United States Representative from New York during the latter half of the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. His last name is pronounced to rhyme with "shine."...
presided. They did not nominate any candidate, instead adopting a resolution that "each Democratic member of the Legislature be requested to name for that office such person as he deems proper." They met again on the morning of February 3, and nominated Congressman Erastus Corning
Erastus Corning
Erastus Corning I , American businessman and politician, was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Corning moved to Troy, New York at the age of 13 to clerk in the hardware store of an uncle; six years later he moved to Albany, New York, where he joined the mercantile business under James Spencer...
. The vote in an informal ballot stood: 28 for Corning, 21 for Fernando Wood, and 18 scattering. Wood's name was however withdrawn and Cornings nomination was made unanimous.
Election
In the Assembly, Edwin D. Morgan received the votes of the 64 Republicans, and Erastus Corning the votes of 62 Democrats. Bernard Hughes (Dem.), of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, voted for Ex-Mayor of New York Fernando Wood
Fernando Wood
Fernando Wood was an American politician of the Democratic Party and mayor of New York City; he also served as a United States Representative and as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means in both the 45th and 46th Congress .A successful shipping merchant who became Grand Sachem of the...
, and Speaker Callicot voted for John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix
John Adams Dix was an American politician from New York. He served as Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, and the 24th Governor of New York. He was also a Union major general during the Civil War.-Early life and career:...
. Thus the vote was tied, and no choice made. Speaker Callicot, although elected by the Republicans, refused to vote for the Republican caucus nominee, insisting in his vote for Dix who had been U.S. Senator and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury as a Democrat, but was now a Union General in the Civil War. A second ballot was then taken, and the Republicans took Callicot's hint, and voted for Dix who was nominated by the Assembly. Thus Callicot kept his part of the bargain, knowing that, on joint ballot, the Republican State Senate majority will outvote the Democrats, and elect their candidate. It was just necessary that the Assembly nominate anybody, so that it became possible to proceed to a joint ballot.
In the State Senate, Edwin D. Morgan was nominated.
Both Houses of the Legislature then proceeded to a joint ballot.
Result
Edwin D. Morgan was declared elected after a joint ballot of the State Legislature.| Office | House | Republican | Democrat | Also ran | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Senator | State Senate New York State Senate The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve... (32 members) |
Edwin D. Morgan Edwin D. Morgan Edwin Denison Morgan was the 21st Governor of New York from 1859 to 1862 and served in the United States Senate from 1863 to 1869. He was the first and longest-serving chairman of the Republican National Committee... |
23 | Erastus Corning Erastus Corning Erastus Corning I , American businessman and politician, was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Corning moved to Troy, New York at the age of 13 to clerk in the hardware store of an uncle; six years later he moved to Albany, New York, where he joined the mercantile business under James Spencer... |
7 | ||||
| State Assembly New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652... (128 members) first ballot |
Edwin D. Morgan Edwin D. Morgan Edwin Denison Morgan was the 21st Governor of New York from 1859 to 1862 and served in the United States Senate from 1863 to 1869. He was the first and longest-serving chairman of the Republican National Committee... |
64 | Erastus Corning Erastus Corning Erastus Corning I , American businessman and politician, was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Corning moved to Troy, New York at the age of 13 to clerk in the hardware store of an uncle; six years later he moved to Albany, New York, where he joined the mercantile business under James Spencer... |
62 | John Adams Dix John Adams Dix John Adams Dix was an American politician from New York. He served as Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, and the 24th Governor of New York. He was also a Union major general during the Civil War.-Early life and career:... |
1 | Fernando Wood Fernando Wood Fernando Wood was an American politician of the Democratic Party and mayor of New York City; he also served as a United States Representative and as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means in both the 45th and 46th Congress .A successful shipping merchant who became Grand Sachem of the... |
1 | |
| State Assembly New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652... (128 members) second ballot |
Erastus Corning Erastus Corning Erastus Corning I , American businessman and politician, was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Corning moved to Troy, New York at the age of 13 to clerk in the hardware store of an uncle; six years later he moved to Albany, New York, where he joined the mercantile business under James Spencer... |
63 | John Adams Dix John Adams Dix John Adams Dix was an American politician from New York. He served as Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, and the 24th Governor of New York. He was also a Union major general during the Civil War.-Early life and career:... |
65 | |||||
| State Legislature (160 members) joint ballot |
Edwin D. Morgan Edwin D. Morgan Edwin Denison Morgan was the 21st Governor of New York from 1859 to 1862 and served in the United States Senate from 1863 to 1869. He was the first and longest-serving chairman of the Republican National Committee... |
86 | Erastus Corning Erastus Corning Erastus Corning I , American businessman and politician, was born in Norwich, Connecticut. Corning moved to Troy, New York at the age of 13 to clerk in the hardware store of an uncle; six years later he moved to Albany, New York, where he joined the mercantile business under James Spencer... |
70 | John Adams Dix John Adams Dix John Adams Dix was an American politician from New York. He served as Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, and the 24th Governor of New York. He was also a Union major general during the Civil War.-Early life and career:... |
1 | Daniel S. Dickinson Daniel S. Dickinson Daniel Stevens Dickinson was a New York politician, most notable as a United States Senator from 1844 to 1851.-Biography:... |
1 | |
Sources
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Stephen C. Hutchins and Edgar Albert Werner, 1867 (see pg. 568 for U. S. Senators; pg. 443 for State Senators 1863; pg. 496ff for Members of Assembly 1863)
- Members of the 38th United States Congress
- Result state election 1861 in The Tribune Almanac for 1862 compiled by Horace GreeleyHorace GreeleyHorace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
of the New York TribuneNew York TribuneThe New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States... - Result state election 1862 in The Tribune Almanac for 1863 compiled by Horace GreeleyHorace GreeleyHorace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
of the New York TribuneNew York TribuneThe New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States... - IMPORTANT FROM ALBANY.; Nomination of Ex-Governor Morgan for United States Senator by the Union Caucus. The Democrats Decline to Make a Nomination in NYT on February 3, 1863
- PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE; SENATE; ...The Adjourned Democratic Caucus in NYT on February 4, 1863
- IMPORTANT FROM ALBANY.; EX-Governor Morgan Elected U.S. Senator in NYT on February 4, 1863