Rutherford B. Hayes: The Young Whig
Historians like to call the political period from roughly 1828 to 1852 the “Second Party System,” which is an academic way of saying, “the era when the Democrats and Whigs were the major parties.” We might have some knowledge of the Democratic party since it still exists (although we should be careful of bringing our preconceived notions of the current political party to that of the nineteenth century), but the Whigs were a party that have been defunct for over 160 years. It was, nonetheless, the party from which Henry Clay, Abraham Lincoln, and (most famously) Millard Fillmore originated. Image: Henry Clay - The standard bearer for the majority of the Whig Party's existence.
In its origin the Whig party was simply the “we don’t like Andrew Jackson” party. As it evolved, it became clear that Whigs preferred protective tariffs, infrastructural improvements, and a national bank.
These political objectives resonated with Sardis Birchard, who was a consummate businessman with a constant eye on improvements through the canal system and the railroad. While Rutherford never met his dad, who died months before Rutherford was born, Sardis seemed to have patterned his life off of Rutherford’s father’s business acumen. Moreover, while Sardis may have disagreed with his brother over abolition, Austin Birchard and the New England wing of the family were also Whigs. This political tradition sunk deep into young Rutherford.
As highlighted in previous posts, Rutherford took an interest in politics as early as 13 years old (and annoyed his mother in the process). As Hayes grew older, we see Sardis’s influence in Hayes’s anti-abolitionism, but we also see it in his shared reverence for prominent Whig elected officials. He even expressed, “I would start in the world without a penny if by my sacrifice Clay could be chosen President:” a rather generous offer. I can’t think of any politician I would sacrifice my vast wealth to benefit. In 1838, there was a Whig convention in Columbus, Ohio, and Hayes’s mother took note of it, mostly because she was excited when it finally ended. She, nonetheless, thought Rutherford would have enjoyed the excitement. As did his sister Fanny, who attended. She was so determined to take part that Fanny even endured such conditions as lodging “four in a bed spoon fashion.”
This love of the Whigs definitely infected Hayes. Just like an ambitious college student neglecting his studies for something of more interest, Rutherford dedicated multiple pages of his journal to lay out the history leading up to the 1840 election, providing special attention to this Columbus convention. We have all decided to do this at some point, right!?
He was most interested with economics and the banks, and he says little of the issue of slavery. After showing his excitement for the Harrison victory (short-lived as he’d find out), he mentions that “[James G.] Birney and Van Buren run about alike.” This is a curious statement. Martin Van Buren was the incumbent candidate who lost to Harrison, and Birney was the candidate for the Liberty Party. The cheeky 17-year old Hayes was, most likely, joking that Van Buren was as feeble as this third-party candidate, but considering Birney was an abolitionist (who eventually worked on fugitive slave cases with Rutherford), we should ask ourselves what did Hayes’s adherence to the Whig party mean for his views on slavery?
The next entries will delve into Hayes’s developing views on politics and slavery throughout his years at Kenyon College.