Benjamin Franklin Perry
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Franklin Perry (November 20, 1805 December 3, 1886) was the 72nd Governor
of South Carolina
, appointed by President Andrew Johnson
in 1865 after the end of the American Civil War
.
. He was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1827, but pursued journalism and became the editor
of the Greenville Mountaineer in 1832. The paper was adamantly against nullification
and Perry was able to parlay his influence by being elected as a delegate to both the Union Convention and the Nullification Convention. Turner Bynum, who was editor of the pro-Calhoun
Greenville Sentinel newspaper, met Perry in a duel
. The duel was staged on an island in the Tugaloo River
near Hatton's Ford on August 17, 1832. Perry fatally wounded Bynum who died that night.
and served for six years until 1842, he had lost to Warren R. Davis
in 1834. He gained election to the South Carolina Senate
in 1844, but returned to the House of Representatives in 1849 and remained a member until 1860. As the secession movement was sweeping the state in the years prior to the Civil War, Perry founded The Southern Patriot in 1851 to counter and spread a unionist message. Even though Perry was adamantly against secession, he embraced the state when it did secede and rallied the residents in the Upstate
in favor of the Confederate
cause. He was again elected to the House of Representatives in 1862 and served until being appointed as a Confederate States District Judge in 1864.
After the war in 1865, President Andrew Johnson
appointed Perry as the provisional Governor of South Carolina
because of the strong unionist views he had held prior to the war. Perry was directed by the president to enroll voters and to lead the state in the writing of a new state constitution. The delegates at the constitutional convention largely followed Perry's guidelines for the constitution, but they strayed by adopting the black codes to prevent black suffrage. President Johnson, as well as several leading statesmen of South Carolina, urged the granting of suffrage to blacks while also including a property qualification clause. A property qualification would essentially disenfranchise all blacks without giving the appearance of impropriety towards blacks and prevent the imposition of harsh terms by the Radical Republicans.
. He was elected along with John Lawrence Manning
, but the Radical Republicans in charge of Congress
refused to seat them. In 1872, he unsuccessfully ran for the 4th congressional district
House
seat against Republican
Alexander S. Wallace
. His son, William Hayne Perry, did successfully gain election to the House and was a member from 1885 to 1891. Perry died in Greenville
on December 3, 1886 and was interred at Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery
.
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, appointed by President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
in 1865 after the end of the 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...
.
Early life and career
Perry was born in Pickens District and educated at preparatory schools in Asheville, North CarolinaAsheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
. He was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1827, but pursued journalism and became the editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the Greenville Mountaineer in 1832. The paper was adamantly against nullification
Nullification Crisis
The Nullification Crisis was a sectional crisis during the presidency of Andrew Jackson created by South Carolina's 1832 Ordinance of Nullification. This ordinance declared by the power of the State that the federal Tariff of 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and therefore null and void within...
and Perry was able to parlay his influence by being elected as a delegate to both the Union Convention and the Nullification Convention. Turner Bynum, who was editor of the pro-Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun was a leading politician and political theorist from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. Calhoun eloquently spoke out on every issue of his day, but often changed positions. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent...
Greenville Sentinel newspaper, met Perry in a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
. The duel was staged on an island in the Tugaloo River
Tugaloo River
The Tugaloo River is a river bordering the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina. It is fed by the Tallulah River and the Chattooga River, which each form an arm of Lake Tugalo, on the edge of Georgia's Tallulah Gorge State Park. The Tugaloo then flows out of the lake via Tugaloo Dam,...
near Hatton's Ford on August 17, 1832. Perry fatally wounded Bynum who died that night.
Political career
In 1836, Perry was elected to the South Carolina House of RepresentativesSouth Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...
and served for six years until 1842, he had lost to Warren R. Davis
Warren R. Davis
Warren Ransom Davis was an American attorney and Representative from South Carolina's 6th congressional district from 1827-35....
in 1834. He gained election to the South Carolina Senate
South Carolina Senate
The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives...
in 1844, but returned to the House of Representatives in 1849 and remained a member until 1860. As the secession movement was sweeping the state in the years prior to the Civil War, Perry founded The Southern Patriot in 1851 to counter and spread a unionist message. Even though Perry was adamantly against secession, he embraced the state when it did secede and rallied the residents in the Upstate
The Upstate
The Upstate is the region in northwestern South Carolina, United States, also known as The Upcountry, which is the historical term. Although loosely defined among locals, the general definition includes the 10 counties of the commerce-rich I-85 corridor in the northwest corner of South Carolina. ...
in favor of the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
cause. He was again elected to the House of Representatives in 1862 and served until being appointed as a Confederate States District Judge in 1864.
After the war in 1865, President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
appointed Perry as the provisional Governor of South Carolina
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
because of the strong unionist views he had held prior to the war. Perry was directed by the president to enroll voters and to lead the state in the writing of a new state constitution. The delegates at the constitutional convention largely followed Perry's guidelines for the constitution, but they strayed by adopting the black codes to prevent black suffrage. President Johnson, as well as several leading statesmen of South Carolina, urged the granting of suffrage to blacks while also including a property qualification clause. A property qualification would essentially disenfranchise all blacks without giving the appearance of impropriety towards blacks and prevent the imposition of harsh terms by the Radical Republicans.
Later life
Upon the completion of the constitution, elections were called and Perry sought election to the U.S. SenateUnited 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...
. He was elected along with John Lawrence Manning
John Lawrence Manning
John Laurence ManningJohn Laurence Manning, was the 65th Governor of South Carolina from 1852 to 1854.In 1838, John L...
, but the Radical Republicans in charge of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
refused to seat them. In 1872, he unsuccessfully ran for the 4th congressional district
South Carolina's 4th congressional district
The 4th Congressional District of South Carolina is a congressional district in upstate South Carolina bordering North Carolina. It includes all of Greenville, Spartanburg and Union counties and a part of Laurens county. The district is characterized by the two major cities of Greenville and...
House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
seat against Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Alexander S. Wallace
Alexander S. Wallace
Alexander Stuart Wallace was a U.S. Representative from South Carolina.Born near York, South Carolina, the son of an American immigrant, McCasland Wallace, born on the Atlantic Ocean in 1773, to a Scots-Irish family on their way to the port of Charleston, South Carolina, Wallace received a limited...
. His son, William Hayne Perry, did successfully gain election to the House and was a member from 1885 to 1891. Perry died in Greenville
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
on December 3, 1886 and was interred at Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery
Christ Church (Greenville, South Carolina)
Christ Church is an Episcopal church in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. which was consecrated in 1854. The church and its courtyard are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Christ Church and Churchyard...
.