Thomas Corwin
Encyclopedia
Thomas Corwin also known as Tom Corwin and The Wagon Boy, was a politician from the state of Ohio
who served as a prosecuting attorney, a member of the Ohio House of Representatives
, the United States House of Representatives
, and the United States Senate
, and as the 15th Governor of Ohio 20th Secretary of the Treasury
, and United States Ambassador to Mexico.
and nephew Franklin Corwin
were also U.S. Representatives, was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky
, and moved with his parents to Lebanon, Ohio
, in 1798. During the War of 1812
, he served as a wagon boy in General William Henry Harrison
's Army.
He studied law, and was admitted to the bar
in 1817, commencing practice in Lebanon; he was prosecuting attorney of Warren County
from 1818 to 1828.
In 1822-1823 and 1829, he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, where he made a spirited speech against the introduction of the whipping post into Ohio. In 1830 he was elected as a Whig
to the U.S. House of Representatives and served from March 4, 1831, until his resignation, effective May 30, 1840, having become a candidate for Governor of Ohio. Known for his sharp wit, debating skills and endless campaigning, he was elected Governor in 1840, defeating incumbent Wilson Shannon
. Shannon defeated Corwin in a rematch just two years later.
Corwin was a Presidential elector in 1844 for Clay
/Frelinghuysen
.
Corwin was also a member of the United States Senate, having been appointed by the Ohio General Assembly as a Whig
and served from March 4, 1845 to July 20, 1850. As a legislator he spoke seldom, but always with great ability, his most famous speech being that of the February 11, 1847, opposing the Mexican-American War.
Thomas Corwin, as quoted by Canadian humorist Stephen Leacock --
He resigned from the Senate to become President Millard Fillmore
's Secretary of the Treasury shortly after the death of President Zachary Taylor
. Like his immediate predecessor, William M. Meredith
, Corwin believed in a protective tariff, but he did not want to make sudden or drastic changes in the free-trade tariff law of 1846. He objected to that law's provisions, which taxed some imported raw materials at a higher rate than the imported manufactured goods made from those materials, stating in a report to Congress that such provisions certainly take from the manufacturer and artisan that encouragement which the present law was intended to afford. As a longtime Whig, however, Corwin was unsuccessful in passing any tariff legislation in a Congress controlled by Democrats. He retired as Secretary at the end of Filmore's administration.
In 1857, former Ohio Governor William Bebb
shot a man and was tried in 1858 for manslaughter in Winnebago County, Illinois
, where he lived. Corwin and co-council Judge William Johnston obtained an acquittal with an argument of self-defense.
He was again elected to the House of Representatives in 1858, and returned to that body as a Republican
and served from March 4, 1859 to March 12, 1861. In 1860, he was chairman of the House “Committee of Thirty-three,” consisting of one member from each state, and appointed to consider the condition of the nation and, if possible, to devise some scheme for reconciling the North and the South.
He resigned only a few days into the 37th Congress after being appointed by the newly inaugurated President Abraham Lincoln
to become Minister to Mexico
, where he served until 1864. Corwin, well regarded among the Mexican public for his opposition to the Mexican-American War while in the Senate, helped keep relations with the Mexicans friendly throughout the course of the Civil War, despite Confederate efforts to sway their allegiances.
After resigning from his post as Minister, he settled in Washington, D.C.
, and practiced law until his death at age 71. His interment was in Lebanon Cemetery, Lebanon, Ohio
.
Thomas Corwin is remembered chiefly as an orator. His speeches both on the stump and in debate were examples of remarkable eloquence. He is perhaps also remembered for his sponsorship during the 36th Congress in early 1861 of the proposed Corwin amendment
to the United States Constitution
which remains to this day technically still pending for ratification before the state legislatures. That amendment would have prohibited any amendments to the Constitution from interfering with slavery in the United States. When it was approved by Congress and sent out to the state legislatures for consideration, it was a last-ditch effort to avert the outbreak of the Civil War.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
who served as a prosecuting attorney, a member of the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
, the United States House of Representatives
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...
, and the United States Senate
United 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...
, and as the 15th Governor of Ohio 20th Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
, and United States Ambassador to Mexico.
Biography
Corwin, son of Matthias Corwin (1761-1829), and whose brother Moses Bledso CorwinMoses Bledso Corwin
Moses Bledso Corwin was a United States Representative from Ohio.Born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, he spent the early part of his life on a farm, and attended the rural schools...
and nephew Franklin Corwin
Franklin Corwin
Franklin Corwin was a United States Representative from Illinois.Born in Lebanon, Ohio, he attended private schools, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1839, practicing in Wilmington, Ohio...
were also U.S. Representatives, was born in Bourbon County, Kentucky
Bourbon County, Kentucky
Bourbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the remnant of what was previously a much larger Bourbon County, established as part of Virginia in 1785, and comprising what are now thirty-four modern Kentucky counties...
, and moved with his parents to Lebanon, Ohio
Lebanon, Ohio
The population at the 2010 census was 20,033. As of the census of 2000, there were 16,962 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,440.6 people per square mile . There were 6,218 housing units at an average density of 528.1 per square mile...
, in 1798. During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, he served as a wagon boy in General William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
's Army.
He studied law, and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1817, commencing practice in Lebanon; he was prosecuting attorney of Warren County
Warren County, Ohio
Warren County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 212,693 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Lebanon. Warren County was erected May 1, 1803, from Hamilton County, and named for Dr...
from 1818 to 1828.
In 1822-1823 and 1829, he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, where he made a spirited speech against the introduction of the whipping post into Ohio. In 1830 he was elected as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
to the U.S. House of Representatives and served from March 4, 1831, until his resignation, effective May 30, 1840, having become a candidate for Governor of Ohio. Known for his sharp wit, debating skills and endless campaigning, he was elected Governor in 1840, defeating incumbent Wilson Shannon
Wilson Shannon
Wilson Shannon was a Democratic politician from Ohio and Kansas. He served as the 14th and 16th Governor of Ohio, and was the first governor of Ohio born in the state...
. Shannon defeated Corwin in a rematch just two years later.
Corwin was a Presidential elector in 1844 for Clay
Henry Clay
Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
/Frelinghuysen
Theodore Frelinghuysen
Theodore Frelinghuysen was an American politician, serving as New Jersey Attorney General, United States Senator, and Mayor of Newark, New Jersey before running as a candidate for Vice President with Henry Clay on the Whig ticket in the election of 1844...
.
Corwin was also a member of the United States Senate, having been appointed by the Ohio General Assembly as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
and served from March 4, 1845 to July 20, 1850. As a legislator he spoke seldom, but always with great ability, his most famous speech being that of the February 11, 1847, opposing the Mexican-American War.
Thomas Corwin, as quoted by Canadian humorist Stephen Leacock --
He resigned from the Senate to become President Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States and the last member of the Whig Party to hold the office of president...
's Secretary of the Treasury shortly after the death of President Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
. Like his immediate predecessor, William M. Meredith
William M. Meredith
William Morris Meredith was an American lawyer and politician.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1812...
, Corwin believed in a protective tariff, but he did not want to make sudden or drastic changes in the free-trade tariff law of 1846. He objected to that law's provisions, which taxed some imported raw materials at a higher rate than the imported manufactured goods made from those materials, stating in a report to Congress that such provisions certainly take from the manufacturer and artisan that encouragement which the present law was intended to afford. As a longtime Whig, however, Corwin was unsuccessful in passing any tariff legislation in a Congress controlled by Democrats. He retired as Secretary at the end of Filmore's administration.
In 1857, former Ohio Governor William Bebb
William Bebb
William Bebb was a Whig politician from Ohio. He served as the 19th Governor of Ohio, he was the third native Ohioan to be elected to the office....
shot a man and was tried in 1858 for manslaughter in Winnebago County, Illinois
Winnebago County, Illinois
Winnebago County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 295,266, which is an increase of 6.1% from 278,418 in 2000...
, where he lived. Corwin and co-council Judge William Johnston obtained an acquittal with an argument of self-defense.
He was again elected to the House of Representatives in 1858, and returned to that body as a 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...
and served from March 4, 1859 to March 12, 1861. In 1860, he was chairman of the House “Committee of Thirty-three,” consisting of one member from each state, and appointed to consider the condition of the nation and, if possible, to devise some scheme for reconciling the North and the South.
He resigned only a few days into the 37th Congress after being appointed by the newly inaugurated President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
to become Minister to Mexico
United States Ambassador to Mexico
The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823, when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. Jackson declined the appointment, however, and Joel R. Poinsett became the first U.S. envoy to Mexico in 1825. The rank...
, where he served until 1864. Corwin, well regarded among the Mexican public for his opposition to the Mexican-American War while in the Senate, helped keep relations with the Mexicans friendly throughout the course of the Civil War, despite Confederate efforts to sway their allegiances.
After resigning from his post as Minister, he settled in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and practiced law until his death at age 71. His interment was in Lebanon Cemetery, Lebanon, Ohio
Lebanon, Ohio
The population at the 2010 census was 20,033. As of the census of 2000, there were 16,962 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,440.6 people per square mile . There were 6,218 housing units at an average density of 528.1 per square mile...
.
Thomas Corwin is remembered chiefly as an orator. His speeches both on the stump and in debate were examples of remarkable eloquence. He is perhaps also remembered for his sponsorship during the 36th Congress in early 1861 of the proposed Corwin amendment
Corwin amendment
The Corwin Amendment is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the 36th Congress, 2nd Session, on March 2, 1861, in the form of House Resolution No. 80...
to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
which remains to this day technically still pending for ratification before the state legislatures. That amendment would have prohibited any amendments to the Constitution from interfering with slavery in the United States. When it was approved by Congress and sent out to the state legislatures for consideration, it was a last-ditch effort to avert the outbreak of the Civil War.