John jordan crittenden biography

Throughout his five separate terms in the Senate, Crittenden was affiliated with the Whigs. With the whig party, he opposed the annexation of Texas, discouraged animosity toward Great Britain over the Oregon boundary, and refused to give enthusiastic support to the Mexican War. In while still a U. His return to Kentucky brought renewed contact with Clay, who was again running for the presidency.

Crittenden, convinced that Clay was not a viable candidate, threw his support to zachary taylor, and caused a permanent rift between himself and Clay. Following the death of President Taylor and the succession of Vice President Fillmore, Crittenden was offered his old cabinet post as attorney general. He again accepted, and through this office he authored an opinion upholding the constitutionality of fugitive slave laws.

Though many of Crittenden's writings were controversial, he agreed with the view that attorney general opinions were only advisory and could be ignored by the president. In Crittenden was elected to another term in the U. There, he vigorously opposed the kansas-nebraska act of When the issue led to the breakup of the Whig party , he joined the know-nothing party in Two years later, he joined the Constitutional Union party , and campaigned on behalf of john bell and Edward Everett in the presidential election that brought abraham lincoln to the White House.

Although Crittenden did not agree with Lincoln on all matters of policy, he did oppose secession of the Southern states and he did support Lincoln's efforts to preserve the Union. As a prominent political figure in both the North and the South , Crittenden worked hard to effect a compromise that would avert a civil war.

John jordan crittenden biography

In December , he proposed an amendment to the Constitution that has come to be known as the Crittenden Resolution. To bring the Union together, he suggested that the Missouri Compromise line be restored and continued to California, that slavery be guaranteed indefinitely in the District of Columbia, and that slaveholders be reimbursed for runaway slaves.

Crittenden's compromise effort was defeated by Lincoln's strong stand against any extension of slavery into the territories, and by opposition from strong Republican leaders in Congress. Nevertheless, Crittenden stood with the government and continued to support Lincoln's position that it was the right and duty of the government to maintain the Union.

Returning to Kentucky in early , Crittenden traveled the state urging citizens to support the Union cause and to remain neutral in the escalating conflict. On May 27, , he acted as chairman of the Frankfort Convention and successfully argued against leaders who encouraged Kentucky to join the Southern secessionists. For his efforts, Crittenden was returned to Congress, but this time to the U.

House of Representatives. As a representative, he opposed the confiscation acts, the emancipation proclamation, the military regime in Kentucky, the employment of slaves as soldiers, and the war in general. On July 19, , he offered a resolution that was adopted with only two dissenting votes:. Resolved by the house of representatives of the congress of the united states, That the present deplorable civil war has been forced upon the country by the disunionists of the southern states, now in arms against the constitutional government, and in arms around the capital; that in this national emergency congress, banishing all feelings of mere passion or resentment, will recollect its only duty to the whole country; this war is not waged on their part in any spirit of oppression, or for any purpose of conquest or subjugation, or purpose of overthrowing or interfering with the rights of established institutions of those states, but to defend and maintain the supremacy of the constitution, and to preserve the Union with all the dignity, equality, and rights of the several states unimpaired; and that as soon as these objects are accomplished the war ought to cease.

By Crittenden had held political office for almost forty-five years. He had served two presidents as attorney general, completed five terms as a U. He was preparing to run for another term in the House when he died. He was remembered at his funeral as a man with fine personal qualities, a gift for public speaking, and a firm commitment to the Union.

Thomas Benton. Archibald Dixon. John Breckinridge. Thomas Clingman. Preston King. Lewis Sanders. James Pickett. William Owsley. Henry Gilpin. Reverdy Johnson. Caleb Cushing. William Simms. William Randall. Thomas Corwin. Henry Winter Davis. Articles related to John J. United States senators from Kentucky. Edwards Marshall J. United States attorneys general.

Clark J. Governors of Kentucky. Italics indicate Confederate governors. Breathitt J. Morehead Magoffin G. Beshear Bevin A. List of governors of Kentucky. Williams Troup J. Hale Trammell Walsh. National Republican and Whig Parties. Taylor — Hunter — White — Winthrop — Banks — Upshur — John M. Clayton — Daniel Webster — Edward Everett — Spencer — George M.

Bibb — William M. Meredith — Thomas Corwin — James Barbour — Peter B. Porter — John Bell John C. Spencer — James M. Porter — George W. Crawford — Charles M. Conrad — William Wirt — John J. Crittenden — Samuel L. Southard — George E. Badger Abel P. Upshur — William B. Preston — William A. Graham — John P. Kennedy — Thomas Ewing — Thomas M. McKennan Alexander H.

Stuart — Cabinet of President William Henry Harrison Daniel Webster Thomas Ewing John Bell Crittenden Francis Granger George Edmund Badger Cabinet of President John Tyler — Daniel Webster — Abel P. Upshur — John C. Calhoun — Bibb — Crittenden Hugh S. Francis Granger Charles A. Wickliffe — George Edmund Badger Abel P. Mason — Cabinet of President Millard Fillmore — John M.

Clayton Daniel Webster — Edward Everett — William M. Meredith Thomas Corwin — George W. Crawford Charles Magill Conrad — Reverdy Johnson John J. Jacob Collamer Nathan K. Hall — Samuel Dickinson Hubbard — Thomas Ewing Thomas M. Douglas William L. Crittenden Millard Fillmore incumbent Daniel Webster. President: John P. Hale Vice President: George W.

Other elections : House Senate. Chase William L. Seward Benjamin Wade. President: John C. Daniel S. Crittenden William A. Graham Sam Houston William C. President: Stephen A. Douglas Vice President: Herschel V. Dickinson James Guthrie Robert M. Hunter Andrew Johnson. Kentucky 's delegation s to the 15th—37th United States Congress ordered by seniority.

Crittenden DR. Anderson Jr. Walker DR. Talbot DR. Johnson DR. Breckinridge DR. Wickliffe DR. Rowan J. McHatton J. Chambers NR. Bibb J. Kincaid J. Clay NR. Tompkins NR. Pope J. Crittenden NR. Williams NR. Crittenden W. Southgate W. Thompson W. Sprigg W. Tibbatts D. Young W. Metcalfe W. Peyton D. Clay W. Stanton D. Dixon W. Preston W.

Thompson KN. Bristow W. Underwood KN. Crittenden KN. The amendments—one of which declared the others "unrepealable"—would have compensated masters for unrecovered fugitive slaves and given permanent protection to slavery where it already existed and in all existing territories or those "hereafter acquired" which were south of the missouri compromise line.

Crittenden's only concession to northern sentiments was to propose the permanent prohibition of slavery north of the Missouri Compromise line; however, many Northerners read "hereafter acquired" as an invitation for proslavery filibustering in Latin America. Furthermore, Republicans opposed any western extension of slavery. Southern extremists, on the other hand, wanted secession, and not compromise.

Thus, only the amendment permanently protecting slavery in the existing states was approved by Congress. From to Crittenden worked to prevent Kentucky's secession and limit the war to preserving the Union. Thus, he opposed the emancipation proclamation, the confiscation acts, the use of black troops, West Virginia statehood, and other administration policies.

Kirwan, Albert D. Crittenden: The Struggle for the Union. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Maria died in , and Crittenden married his third wife, Elizabeth Moss Ashley in A brief service in the War of heightened Crittenden's political standing, and he was offered a U.

Senate seat in but had to decline because he was not yet of legal age to occupy it. He finally assumed a Senate seat for one term from to , after which he moved to Frankfort where his law practice became exceptionally prosperous. He served again at various times in the state legislature between and , was appointed district attorney by John Quincy Adams in , but lost the office in with the election of Andrew Jackson.

Governor James T. Morehead appointed him Kentucky's secretary of state before Crittenden returned to the U.