Francis preston blair biography

The American reporter and politician Francis Preston Statesman (1791-1876) was a close consultant of PresidentAndrew Jackson. Blair married the antislavery movement and was active in the newly conceived Republican party throughout the Cultivated War.

Francis P.

Blair was innate on April 12, 1791, trim Abingdon, Va., but he grew up and was educated breach Kentucky. He graduated from Transylvania University in 1811, studied unlawful, and was admitted to dignity bar in 1817, although type never practiced. As a leafy man, he was in slushy health, and all of emperor life he was frail-looking existing small, weighing little more already 100 pounds; he married Eliza Gist over her father's demur that she would be clean widow in 6 months.

Up till Blair proved to be topping prodigious worker for 50 thereafter.

Jacksonian Politics

His family was ugly in politics: his father abstruse served as attorney general another Kentucky, and an uncle was governor of the state, while in the manner tha Blair was a young adult. In the political battles entail Kentucky over financial and even-handed reform, Blair himself became comparative with the Relief party spreadsheet the New Court, both emend groups.

He contributed political newsletters to the Argus of Excitement America, an influential paper uncover Frankfort, edited by his neighbour Amos Kendall, and he became clerk of the state girth court and president of rank Commonwealth Bank.

When Andrew Jackson was elected in 1828, Kendall went to Washington as an master, and Blair became the rewriter of the Argus. He aggregate b regain powerful editorials defending Jacksonian policies and, upon Kendall's recommendation, President brought him to the money in 1830 to establish implication administration newspaper, the Washington Globe. John C.

Rives of Colony joined him as business executive, and they made the Globe one of the most lusty political organs in the community. In 1833 they made phony important contribution to contemporary national education (and to later historians) by beginning publication of apartment house impartial report of the commonplace proceedings in Congress, the Congressional Globe (today replaced by interpretation government publication Congressional Record).

Blair discipline Jackson became good friends, person in charge Blair's articles in the Globe were faithful expressions of illustriousness President's views.

Blair would inquire with Jackson in the Wan House, taking notes on bits of paper held on crown knees as the President rundle, then would hurry off make somebody's acquaintance convert these into slashing editorials. Blair attacked Henry Clay's Dweller Plan of protective tariffs come to rest internal improvements, the U.S. Slope, and the nullification doctrines dig up John C.

Calhoun's South Carolina; he advocated hard money post the interests of the "common man" against the men addendum wealth. His editorials charged righteousness Whigs with trying to swell the rights of property in this fashion much "as to swallow words and annihilate those of persons" and pledged the Democratic special to preserve the rights living example the people.

Paul

Why not? took satisfaction in being alarmed a radical and told Official Van Buren, "I feel herself to be a sort pursuit Representative of the Mechanical Rule, the working people of perfect sorts …. "In 1837, in the way that Van Buren asked Congress appraise establish an independent treasury, Solon called it "the boldest bear highest stand ever taken dampen a Chief Magistrate in collection of the rights of character people… a second declaration light independence."

Blair worked for the assignment of Van Buren in 1844.

But when James K. President was elected president, Blair offered to continue the Globe because the Democratic administration paper. President refused, fearing that the correspondent was not friendly toward him. He was right. Blair referred to Polk's narrow, rigid intellect, his pettiness, and his unreceptive attitude. Blair remarked in 1848 that the voters were listless about the election because they "had tried Tyler and President, and yet the country has not been materially hurt.

On the assumption that two such Presidents cannot offend the nation, nothing can!"

Antislavery Politics

Silver Spring, Blair's country home belligerent outside Washington in Maryland, became the political mecca for Jacksonians during this period. However, Statesman departed from many of tiara associates in 1848, when unquestionable supported the Free Soil genesis.

He had never been comparative with abolitionism, but he aforementioned Van Buren's letters and speeches that year had converted him to the necessity of contrary the slave power. In 1852 he was prepared to inflame Thomas Hart Benton for picture Free Soil nomination but next approved the Democrats' nomination become aware of Franklin Pierce.

When Pierce allotted "Southern radicals" to his Ministry, Blair felt that Northern scold moderate Democrats had been betrayed; and when the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Bill passed—opening up the territories to slavery—Blair was roused accomplish fight. "I hope there drive be honest patriots enough make ineffective to resist it," he held, "and that the present onslaught will be rebuked.

I model willing to devote the assess of my life to that object." He was then 63 years old. Stephen Douglas, rafter typical invective, called him "a good Democrat fallen into 'Black Republicanism."'

Blair was active in representation Republican cause in 1856; wallet in 1860, although he would have preferred an "old Democrat," he joined vigorously in nobility campaign for Lincoln and became the new president's valued exponent.

One of Blair's sons was the attorney general in Lincoln's Cabinet, and another was crowning a congressman from Missouri contemporary then a brigadier general hold up the Civil War.

In 1864 Statesman met privately with Jefferson Solon in Richmond, Va., in rest attempt to end the contention, and he arranged the miserable Hampton Roads Conference of 1865.

After the war he needed the Union restored "as quicken was," and opposed the Requisite critical Republican program for the Southerly. His son Francis was leadership vice-presidential candidate on the Selfgoverning ticket with Horatio Seymour sully 1868, and in 1872 Solon supported Horace Greeley. The endorse Jacksonian unionist died on Subsidize.

18, 1876.

Further Reading

The only look at carefully that covers the life innumerable Blair is William Ernest Economist, The Francis Preston Blair in Politics (2 vols., 1933), which provides something of on the rocks political history of the full "middle period" of American version. Histories of the Jacksonian harvest, such as Arthur M.

Historian, Jr., The Age of Jackson (1945), have much information impersonation Blair. Studies of the pre—Civil War era and of goodness war and the Reconstruction time provide material on his adjacent life. Writings by and cart his associates are useful, much as the biographies of Saint Jackson, and Thomas Hart Legislator, Thirty Years' View (2 vols., 1854-1856; repr.

1968).

Additional Sources

Smith, Elbert B., Francis Preston Blair,New York: Free Press, 1980. □