The Civil War Presidents: Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland's civil war career is atypical of most of the 19th century presidents. He was not an abolitionist, he did not serve in the Union army, and in fact he paid a substitute to fight for him in the war. He was not an advocate of civil rights for African-Americans, and as the first President elected from the Democratic Party after a string of Republicans, his policies as President were tailored to keep white southerners in his party's camp. If he had been born earlier, and had been President before the war, it is likely that he would have been a Democrat in the mold of Franklin Pierce or James Buchanan.
Grover Cleveland was born in Caldwell, New Jersey in 1837. His father was a Presbyterian minister who died in 1853 when Grover was 16. Cleveland went to Buffalo where an uncle of his gave him a clerical job and introduced him to some of the city's leading citizens. He took a clerkship at a local law firm and was admitted to the state bar in 1859. When the war broke out, Cleveland did not enlist. His law firm had Democratic leanings and Cleveland was not a supporter of Abraham Lincoln. Cleveland worked for the Rogers firm for three years, and then left the firm in 1862 to start his own practice. In January 1863, he was appointed assistant district attorney of Erie County.
In 1863 Congress passed the Conscription Act, which required all able-bodied men to serve in the army if called upon. They also had the option of hiring a substitute to join the army in their place. Cleveland paid George Benninsky, a thirty-two year-old Polish immigrant, $150 to serve in his place. He continued to practice law and in 1866, he successfully defended some participants in the Fenian raid, acting pro bono.
Cleveland served in a number of political offices as a Democrat, commencing with his election to the position of Sheriff of Buffalo in 1870. According to his biographer Rexford Tugwell, there was a lot of graft in the sheriff's office during his time as sheriff, but Cleveland chose to ignore it. In 1881 Cleveland ran for Mayor of Buffalo and was elected to the position. From there his career advanced rapidly, and he was elected Governor of New York the following year. According to Doris Kearns Goodwin in her recent book The Bully Pulpit, Theodore Roosevelt, then a Republican state assemblyman, was able to work well with Cleveland despite their opposing political stripes. As Governor, Cleveland obtained a reputation for fighting political corruption, and in 1884 the Democrats selected him as their candidate for President. He defeated James G. Blaine in the election, breaking a string of 24 years of Republican presidential election victories.
As President, Cleveland did nothing to protect the rights of African-Americans in the south. He viewed Reconstruction as a failed experiment, and would not use federal power to enforce the 15th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed voting rights to African Americans.He did not appoint any African-Americans to patronage jobs, although he did allow Frederick Douglass to keep his job as recorder of deeds in Washington, D.C.
Cleveland is unique for being the only President to be elected to non-consecutive terms. He lost his bid for re-election in 1888 despite winning the popular vote in the election, but he was returned to the White House in 1892. In his second term he continued to be adverse to protecting the rights of African-Americans. In the election of 1892, he campaigned against the Force Bill, which would have strengthened the voting rights protections of the Enforcement Act of 1871. That law provided for a detailed federal supervision of the electoral process, at all stages from registration to the certification of returns. Cleveland brought about its repeal in 1894.
The Democratic party split over the issue of gold vs. silver as the basis for American currency. Cleveland was for the gold standard, but those in favor of bimetallism gained control of the Democratic party in 1896. They nominated William Jennings Bryan as their candidate in the election of 1896 and lost the election. After leaving the White House on March 4, 1897, Cleveland retired to his estate, Westland Mansion, in Princeton, New Jersey. He served as a trustee of Princeton University, and also spoke out against the women's suffrage movement, writing that "sensible and responsible women do not want to vote. The relative positions to be assumed by men and women in the working out of our civilization were assigned long ago by a higher intelligence."
Cleveland's health had been declining for several years, and in the autumn of 1907 he fell seriously ill. In 1908, he suffered a heart attack and died. His last words were said to be "I have tried so hard to do right."
Grover Cleveland was born in Caldwell, New Jersey in 1837. His father was a Presbyterian minister who died in 1853 when Grover was 16. Cleveland went to Buffalo where an uncle of his gave him a clerical job and introduced him to some of the city's leading citizens. He took a clerkship at a local law firm and was admitted to the state bar in 1859. When the war broke out, Cleveland did not enlist. His law firm had Democratic leanings and Cleveland was not a supporter of Abraham Lincoln. Cleveland worked for the Rogers firm for three years, and then left the firm in 1862 to start his own practice. In January 1863, he was appointed assistant district attorney of Erie County.
In 1863 Congress passed the Conscription Act, which required all able-bodied men to serve in the army if called upon. They also had the option of hiring a substitute to join the army in their place. Cleveland paid George Benninsky, a thirty-two year-old Polish immigrant, $150 to serve in his place. He continued to practice law and in 1866, he successfully defended some participants in the Fenian raid, acting pro bono.
Cleveland served in a number of political offices as a Democrat, commencing with his election to the position of Sheriff of Buffalo in 1870. According to his biographer Rexford Tugwell, there was a lot of graft in the sheriff's office during his time as sheriff, but Cleveland chose to ignore it. In 1881 Cleveland ran for Mayor of Buffalo and was elected to the position. From there his career advanced rapidly, and he was elected Governor of New York the following year. According to Doris Kearns Goodwin in her recent book The Bully Pulpit, Theodore Roosevelt, then a Republican state assemblyman, was able to work well with Cleveland despite their opposing political stripes. As Governor, Cleveland obtained a reputation for fighting political corruption, and in 1884 the Democrats selected him as their candidate for President. He defeated James G. Blaine in the election, breaking a string of 24 years of Republican presidential election victories.
As President, Cleveland did nothing to protect the rights of African-Americans in the south. He viewed Reconstruction as a failed experiment, and would not use federal power to enforce the 15th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed voting rights to African Americans.He did not appoint any African-Americans to patronage jobs, although he did allow Frederick Douglass to keep his job as recorder of deeds in Washington, D.C.
Cleveland is unique for being the only President to be elected to non-consecutive terms. He lost his bid for re-election in 1888 despite winning the popular vote in the election, but he was returned to the White House in 1892. In his second term he continued to be adverse to protecting the rights of African-Americans. In the election of 1892, he campaigned against the Force Bill, which would have strengthened the voting rights protections of the Enforcement Act of 1871. That law provided for a detailed federal supervision of the electoral process, at all stages from registration to the certification of returns. Cleveland brought about its repeal in 1894.
The Democratic party split over the issue of gold vs. silver as the basis for American currency. Cleveland was for the gold standard, but those in favor of bimetallism gained control of the Democratic party in 1896. They nominated William Jennings Bryan as their candidate in the election of 1896 and lost the election. After leaving the White House on March 4, 1897, Cleveland retired to his estate, Westland Mansion, in Princeton, New Jersey. He served as a trustee of Princeton University, and also spoke out against the women's suffrage movement, writing that "sensible and responsible women do not want to vote. The relative positions to be assumed by men and women in the working out of our civilization were assigned long ago by a higher intelligence."
Cleveland's health had been declining for several years, and in the autumn of 1907 he fell seriously ill. In 1908, he suffered a heart attack and died. His last words were said to be "I have tried so hard to do right."