Grover Cleveland and Thomas F. Bayard
Grover Cleveland and Thomas F. Bayard were both prominent Democratic politicians during the reconstruction era and the "golden age" of politics. Cleveland had been Governor of the Empire State from 1883 to 1885, while Bayard had considerably more political experience, having served as a Senator from Delaware from 1869 to 1885. The two men were among the front runners for the Democratic Party's nominee for President in 1884.
(Bayard is seated front row left in this picture, to Grover Cleveland's right)
Bayard had previously sought the nomination in 1876 and 1880, but was unsuccessful each time. He was again considered among the leading candidates for the nomination in 1884. Samuel Tilden, who had lost the controversial election, was seen as the front runner, but health issues and a lack of initiative seemed to deflate his chances. By 1883 Grover Cleveland was seen as a strong candidate. Many Tilden supporters moved their support to Bayard because they were concerned with Cleveland's ability to carry his home state. Cleveland, like Tilden before him, was embroiled in a feud with the powerful Tammany Hall wing of the party over the issue of civil service reform. The Tammany Democrats thought they could work with Bayard.
By the time the Democrats met in Chicago on July 8, 1884 for their convention, the Republicans had already picked their nominee: James G. Blaine of Maine. Blaine's nomination turned many reform-minded Republicans away from their party, and Bayard and Cleveland were most seen as most likely to attract those voters. Cleveland was seen as the more electable of the two and he was nominated on the second ballot. Cleveland won his home state by only 550 votes and the Democratic party elected a president for the first time since 1856. Cleveland recognized Bayard's status in the party and he offered him the top spot in his cabinet: Secretary of State. Bayard did not think himself an expert in foreign affairs and had enjoyed his sixteen years he had spent in the Senate, but he nevertheless accepted the post and joined the Cleveland show.
One of the first foreign policy challenges that Bayard and Cleveland faced concerned the Samoan Islands. The United States, Great Britain, and Germany all had treaties with the Samoan government that guaranteed their right to trade and establish naval bases there. In the 1880s, German chancellor Otto von Bismarck began to increase German influence in Samoa, and attempted to replace the Samoan king with a claimant to the throne who favored Germany. Bayard and Cleveland opposed any change that would undermine Samoan independence, as did the British government. The three powers met for a conference in Washington in June 1887, but they failed to reach an agreement. A rebellion ensured that led to the Samoan Civil War. Bismarck and sent warships to Samoa. Cleveland dispatched three American warships in response, and the British also sent a warship. As war threatened, Bismarck backed down and agreed to another conference in 1889. Two weeks later, a hurricane struck the harbor and all of the German and American warships were damaged or sunk. Tempers cooled and the parties met in conference in Berlin. By that time, Cleveland had been defeated for re-election and James G. Blaine took Bayard's place as Secretary of State. The three powers were able to reach a compromise which lasted until 1899, when renewed civil war led to the partitioning of the islands between Germany and the United States.
In what was then the Kingdom of Hawaii, Bayard and Cleveland pursued a similar goal of maintaining the Hawaiian kingdom's independence while expanding access for American trade. As a Senator, Bayard had voted for free trade with Hawaii, but the treaty was allowed to lapse in 1884. As Secretary of State, Bayard tried to again have free trade with Hawaii, and also endorsed the idea of establishing an American naval base there. A base was built at Pearl Harbor. A treaty to that effect passed the Senate in 1887 by a 43–11 vote.
Despite their agreement on Samoa, much of Bayard's term was taken up in settling disputes with Great Britain. The largest dispute concerned the Canadian fisheries off the Atlantic coasts of Canada and Newfoundland. The rights of American fisherman in Canadian waters had been disputed since American independence. Under a treaty signed in 1871, American fishermen had the right to fish in Canadian waters and in return, fishermen from Canada and Newfoundland had the right to export fish to the United States duty-free. Protectionists in Congress thought the arrangement hurt American fisherman, and convinced their colleagues to repeal the treaty. In response, Canadian authorities began to seize American vessels. Congress passed the Fisheries Retaliation Act, which empowered the president to bar Canadian ships from American ports if he thought Canadians were treating American fishermen "unjustly". Cleveland signed the bill, but did not enforce it and he and Bayard sought a diplomatic solution to the escalating trade war.
Britain agreed to negotiate, and a six-member commission met in Washington in June 1887. Bayard led the American delegation and Joseph Chamberlain, a leading statesman in Parliament, led the British delegation. Charles Tupper, who had briefly been Prime Minister of Canada, represented Canadian interests. In February 1888, the commission agreed on a new treaty, which would decide which bays were open to American fishermen. Americans could purchase provisions and bait in Canada if they purchased a license, but if Canadian fisherman were allowed to sell their catch in the United States duty-free, then the Americans' licenses to fish in Canada would be free. The Senate, controlled by Republicans, rejected the treaty. Following the defeat, Senate Republicans demanded Cleveland enforce the Retaliation Act, but he refused to do so.
A similar dispute with Britain arose in the Pacific, over the rights of Canadians to hunt seals in waters off the Pribilof Islands, a part of Alaska. Americans believed foreign sealers were depleting the herd too quickly. Bayard and Cleveland believed the waters around the islands to be exclusively American. Cleveland ordered the seizure of Canadian ships there, but Bayard tried to convince him to search for a diplomatic solution. The situation remained unresolved when the administration left office in 1889, until the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911.
During the 1888 election, a Republican, posing as a British immigrant to the United States, asked the British Ambassador whether voting for Cleveland or his Republican opponent, Benjamin Harrison, would best serve British interests. The Ambassador wrote that Cleveland was better for Britain. Republicans published the letter in October 1888, hoping to diminish Cleveland's popularity among Irish-Americans. Cleveland and Bayard decided to ask Britain to recall the ambassador. During the election campaign, Bayard gave a speech in Baltimore condemning Republicans for scheming to portray Cleveland as a British tool. Cleveland was defeated for re-election the following month, though this was not likely the determining issue.
Bayard spent four years in the private practice of law. In 1893, during the second administration of Grover Cleveland, Bayard was appointed the Ambassador to Great Britain. He served until 1897. Bayard is credited for building strong links between the United States and the Great Britain. As Ambassador, Bayard criticized the American policy of protectionism in trade, calling it "state socialism."
Thomas Bayard died at his daughter’s home in Dedham, Massachusetts, on September 29, 1898.
(Bayard is seated front row left in this picture, to Grover Cleveland's right)
Bayard had previously sought the nomination in 1876 and 1880, but was unsuccessful each time. He was again considered among the leading candidates for the nomination in 1884. Samuel Tilden, who had lost the controversial election, was seen as the front runner, but health issues and a lack of initiative seemed to deflate his chances. By 1883 Grover Cleveland was seen as a strong candidate. Many Tilden supporters moved their support to Bayard because they were concerned with Cleveland's ability to carry his home state. Cleveland, like Tilden before him, was embroiled in a feud with the powerful Tammany Hall wing of the party over the issue of civil service reform. The Tammany Democrats thought they could work with Bayard.
By the time the Democrats met in Chicago on July 8, 1884 for their convention, the Republicans had already picked their nominee: James G. Blaine of Maine. Blaine's nomination turned many reform-minded Republicans away from their party, and Bayard and Cleveland were most seen as most likely to attract those voters. Cleveland was seen as the more electable of the two and he was nominated on the second ballot. Cleveland won his home state by only 550 votes and the Democratic party elected a president for the first time since 1856. Cleveland recognized Bayard's status in the party and he offered him the top spot in his cabinet: Secretary of State. Bayard did not think himself an expert in foreign affairs and had enjoyed his sixteen years he had spent in the Senate, but he nevertheless accepted the post and joined the Cleveland show.
One of the first foreign policy challenges that Bayard and Cleveland faced concerned the Samoan Islands. The United States, Great Britain, and Germany all had treaties with the Samoan government that guaranteed their right to trade and establish naval bases there. In the 1880s, German chancellor Otto von Bismarck began to increase German influence in Samoa, and attempted to replace the Samoan king with a claimant to the throne who favored Germany. Bayard and Cleveland opposed any change that would undermine Samoan independence, as did the British government. The three powers met for a conference in Washington in June 1887, but they failed to reach an agreement. A rebellion ensured that led to the Samoan Civil War. Bismarck and sent warships to Samoa. Cleveland dispatched three American warships in response, and the British also sent a warship. As war threatened, Bismarck backed down and agreed to another conference in 1889. Two weeks later, a hurricane struck the harbor and all of the German and American warships were damaged or sunk. Tempers cooled and the parties met in conference in Berlin. By that time, Cleveland had been defeated for re-election and James G. Blaine took Bayard's place as Secretary of State. The three powers were able to reach a compromise which lasted until 1899, when renewed civil war led to the partitioning of the islands between Germany and the United States.
In what was then the Kingdom of Hawaii, Bayard and Cleveland pursued a similar goal of maintaining the Hawaiian kingdom's independence while expanding access for American trade. As a Senator, Bayard had voted for free trade with Hawaii, but the treaty was allowed to lapse in 1884. As Secretary of State, Bayard tried to again have free trade with Hawaii, and also endorsed the idea of establishing an American naval base there. A base was built at Pearl Harbor. A treaty to that effect passed the Senate in 1887 by a 43–11 vote.
Despite their agreement on Samoa, much of Bayard's term was taken up in settling disputes with Great Britain. The largest dispute concerned the Canadian fisheries off the Atlantic coasts of Canada and Newfoundland. The rights of American fisherman in Canadian waters had been disputed since American independence. Under a treaty signed in 1871, American fishermen had the right to fish in Canadian waters and in return, fishermen from Canada and Newfoundland had the right to export fish to the United States duty-free. Protectionists in Congress thought the arrangement hurt American fisherman, and convinced their colleagues to repeal the treaty. In response, Canadian authorities began to seize American vessels. Congress passed the Fisheries Retaliation Act, which empowered the president to bar Canadian ships from American ports if he thought Canadians were treating American fishermen "unjustly". Cleveland signed the bill, but did not enforce it and he and Bayard sought a diplomatic solution to the escalating trade war.
Britain agreed to negotiate, and a six-member commission met in Washington in June 1887. Bayard led the American delegation and Joseph Chamberlain, a leading statesman in Parliament, led the British delegation. Charles Tupper, who had briefly been Prime Minister of Canada, represented Canadian interests. In February 1888, the commission agreed on a new treaty, which would decide which bays were open to American fishermen. Americans could purchase provisions and bait in Canada if they purchased a license, but if Canadian fisherman were allowed to sell their catch in the United States duty-free, then the Americans' licenses to fish in Canada would be free. The Senate, controlled by Republicans, rejected the treaty. Following the defeat, Senate Republicans demanded Cleveland enforce the Retaliation Act, but he refused to do so.
A similar dispute with Britain arose in the Pacific, over the rights of Canadians to hunt seals in waters off the Pribilof Islands, a part of Alaska. Americans believed foreign sealers were depleting the herd too quickly. Bayard and Cleveland believed the waters around the islands to be exclusively American. Cleveland ordered the seizure of Canadian ships there, but Bayard tried to convince him to search for a diplomatic solution. The situation remained unresolved when the administration left office in 1889, until the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911.
During the 1888 election, a Republican, posing as a British immigrant to the United States, asked the British Ambassador whether voting for Cleveland or his Republican opponent, Benjamin Harrison, would best serve British interests. The Ambassador wrote that Cleveland was better for Britain. Republicans published the letter in October 1888, hoping to diminish Cleveland's popularity among Irish-Americans. Cleveland and Bayard decided to ask Britain to recall the ambassador. During the election campaign, Bayard gave a speech in Baltimore condemning Republicans for scheming to portray Cleveland as a British tool. Cleveland was defeated for re-election the following month, though this was not likely the determining issue.
Bayard spent four years in the private practice of law. In 1893, during the second administration of Grover Cleveland, Bayard was appointed the Ambassador to Great Britain. He served until 1897. Bayard is credited for building strong links between the United States and the Great Britain. As Ambassador, Bayard criticized the American policy of protectionism in trade, calling it "state socialism."
Thomas Bayard died at his daughter’s home in Dedham, Massachusetts, on September 29, 1898.