VT BIO - Franklin Co - ARTHUR, Chester Allen

Men of Vermont: an Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters and Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro, VT: Transcript Pub. Co., 1894, Part III, Sons 
of Vermonters, pp 6-9 (Portrait p 6)

Chester A. ARTHUR, late President of the United States, was born in Fairfield 
[Franklin County, Vermont], 05 October 1830, the son of Rev. Dr. William [and 
Malvina (STONE)] ARTHUR. The father, William ARTHUR had immigrated at age 
eighteen from County Antrim, Ireland, and died in 1875 in Newtonville, near 
Albany [Albany County], New York. The mother, Malvina (STONE) ARTHUR was 
born in New Hampshire. Chester Allen ARTHUR was the eldest of seven 
children, two boys and five girls.] The educational antecedents and 
scholarly tastes of Dr. ARTHUR induced him to give his elder son, Chester A., 
a thorough course of instruction in the best schools of Union Village [now 
Greenwich, Washington County, New York] and Schenectady [Schenectady County], 
New York. Classical preparation for college he made his own especial care, 
and with such success that the future President was fitted for [p 7] 
matriculation at Union College [Schenectady, New York] when only fifteen 
years old. Honorably graduating with the class of 1848, young Arthur [who 
first taught school in Vermont for about two years] selected the profession 
of law for his future activities, and began the requisite studies in Fowler's 
Law School at Ballston Spa [Saratoga County, New York]. In 1853 he repaired 
to the city of New York, entered the law office of ex-Judge E. D. CULVER 
[CULVEY?], was admitted to the bar in the same year [1853], and commenced 
professional practice. [Chester Allen ARTHUR formed a law partnership with 
Henry D. GARDINER, his close friend and former roommate.]

Mr. ARTHUR's earliest opportunity of legal distinction was in connection with 
the famous slave case of Jonathan LEMMON of Virginia. LEMMON had attempted 
to carry eight slaves through New York on his way to Texas. His right to do 
this was disputed on the ground that they were free because of his 
voluntarily bringing them into free territory. The case was tried on a case 
of habeas corpus before Judge PAYNE [in the Superior Court of New York City], 
who ordered the slaves to be released. [Retained by Jonathan G. LEMMON to 
recover the slaves was Charles O'CONOR, who was nominated for President in 
1872 by the "Straight Democrats." Chester Allen ARTHUR was assisted in this 
case by William M. EVARTS, who later became a United States Senator.] The 
judge affirmed that they could neither be held to servitude in New York, nor 
relegated to slavery under the provisions of the fugitive slave act. The 
Supreme Court of New York sustained his decision, as did the Court of 
Appeals. Not less honorable to Mr. ARTHUR was the defense of the legal 
rights of the colored people in 1856, when he was counsel for Lizzie 
JENNINGS, a colored girl who had been forcibly ejected [for not giving her 
seat to a white passenger] from a street car [in New York City] after she had 
paid her fare. A verdict against the company was obtained. [Lizzie JENNINGS 
received $500 in damages.]

Mr. ARTHUR's genius was naturally inclined to the science and art of 
politics, in the true sense of that much abused phrase. His first active 
associations were with the Henry Clay Whigs. He was a member of the Saratoga 
convention, which founded the Republican party in New York. Military affairs 
also interested him. Prior to the outburst of the secessionist rebellion he 
held the office of judge-advocate of the second brigade of the state militia. 
Under Governor MORGAN he was raised, in 1860, to the position of 
engineer-in-chief of the staff. Subsequently he was made inspector-general, 
and next quartermaster-general of the state militia. This latter office he 
held until the close of Governor MORGAN's magistracy in 1863. In performance 
of his official functions he equipped, supplied and forwarded the immense 
number of troops demanded from his state. Intelligent, sagacious, vigorous 
and always incorruptible, his military administration was notably brilliant 
and successful.

General ARTHUR returned to legal practice in 1863. [He first formed a 
partnership with a Mr. RANSOM, later adding a Mr. PHELPS to the firm.] His 
business was largely that of collecting claims against the government. In 
legislative affairs he was also greatly influential. Many important 
enactments were drafted by him, and to his labors their adoption at Albany 
[Albany County, New York] and Washington [D. C.] was mainly due. For a brief 
period he acted as counsel of the New York board of commissioners. In local 
politics he soon became an efficient factor. By President GRANT he was 
appointed collector of customs at the port of New York on 20 November 1871 
[21 November 1872?]. A second appointment to the same office followed in 
1875, and was at once confirmed by the Senate, without the customary 
formality of reference to a committee. [He held that office until 20 July 
1878.] Difficulties between himself and President HAYES occurred in 1877, in 
consequence of an order issued by the latter, which prohibited persons in the 
civil service of the general government from personal activity in political 
management. This injunction was specially onerous on General ARTHUR, who was 
then chairman of the Republican central committee of New York City, and also 
on Naval Office A. R. CORNELL, who was chairman of the state central 
committee. Both refused to comply, and both were suspended from office in 
July 1878. The successor to General ARTHUR, appointed under his suspension, 
was confirmed in the ensuing session of the U. S. Senate. A previous attempt 
to effect ARTHUR's removal had failed, through refusal on the part of the 
Senate to confirm the nominee of President HAYES. No official dereliction 
could be detected by either of two special committees who investigated the 
administration of the office. The probity of his official acts was 
unquestionable, and was freely acknowledged by the superiors who sought to 
oust him from office. The public desired his retention. All the judges of 
the New York courts, most of the leading members of the bar, and nearly all 
the mercantile importers in the city signed a petition asking that he might 
be continued in office. But he himself suppressed the petition. The only 
accusation against him was that he had disregarded the President's injunction 
to refrain, in common with all civil servants of the public, from active 
political management. [President Rutherford B. HAYES was also a Republican.] 
In a letter addressed to Secretary SHERMAN he showed that during the six 
years of his administration as collector at New York he had removed only two 
and three-fourths percent of the whole number of subordinate officials, while 
the percentage of removals under his three immediate predecessors average no 
less than twenty-eight percent. He also showed that in ninety-seven out of 
one hundred appointments to important positions, having a salary of $2,000 or 
more, he had raised the incumbents from the lower grades of the service on 
the recommendation of the heads of the several bureaus. His fidelity to the 
best interests of the public could scarcely have been more apparent.

Returning to private life, General ARTHUR again resumed the practice of law 
in the city of New York. He also zealously guided the [p 8] movements of his 
political associates, and assisted in the nomination and election of Mr. A. 
B. CORNELL to the gubernatorial chair of the state. He and Roscoe CONKLING 
were closely allied in the effort to secure the nomination of General GRANT 
to a third term in the presidency of the national Republican convention held 
at Chicago in [June] 1880. Their lack of success, singularly enough, 
prepared the way for his own nomination to the vice presidency. James A. 
GARFIELD was nominated by acclamation. In the exciting canvass that followed 
he was one of the principal managers. In his own state, as chairman of the 
Republican central committee, he was particularly effective. His presidency 
of the Senate of the U. S., during the special session which began 04 March 
1881, was characterized by great personal dignity. In the contest between 
President GARFIELD and U. S. Senator CONKLING over civil appointments in the 
state of New York, and particularly over the nomination of Judge William H. 
ROBERTSON to the collectorship of New York, he declined to participate. He 
did, however, in harmony with that faithfulness to private friendships, which 
was one of his most conspicuous and attractive traits, repair to Albany after 
the New York senators has resigned, in order to cooperate in their 
re-election. While the issue was yet undetermined, President GARFIELD was 
assassinated. The pistol of [Charles J.] GUITEAU prevented further 
electioneering in behalf of Mr. CONKLING. [President James Abram GARFIELD 
was shot 02 July 1881.] General ARTHUR was overwhelmed by the deepest grief 
over the terrible tragedy.

The death of President GARFIELD [19 September 1881] was announced to General 
ARTHUR by telegraph at New York. The members of the cabinet expressed the 
wish that he would repair to Long Branch [Monmouth County, New Jersey] on the 
following morning. This he did. But before his departure, and in harmony 
with the advice of his friends, he took the oath of office as President of 
the United States in his own house, about 2 a. m. of 20 September [1881] 
before one of the judges of the Supreme Court of New York. From Long Branch 
he accompanied the remains of his deceased predecessor to Washington. There 
he was formally sworn into office before the chief justice of the Supreme 
Court of the United States on 22 September [1881], and briefly stated his own 
appreciation of the grave possibilities devolved upon him. His first 
official act on the same day was to proclaim a day of general mourning for 
the lamented GARFIELD. A special session of the Senate was convoked, to 
begin on 10 October [1881], for the purpose of choosing a presiding officer 
and of confirming such appointments as might be submitted. The members of 
the cabinet were requested to retain their portfolios under the regular 
meeting of Congress in December. All of these consented to do so with the 
exception of Secretary [William] WINDOM of the Treasury Department, who 
insisted on resigning in order that he might become a candidate for the 
Senate from Minnesota. Ex-Gov. E. D. MORGAN, of New York, was nominated and 
promptly confirmed as his successor. On the declinture of the latter 
gentleman to serve, Chief Judge [Charles J.] FOLGER, of the New York Court of 
Appeals, was chosen and confirmed in his room.

After his accession to the presidency, General ARTHUR made official changes 
in a gradual and cautious manner. Robert T. [Robert Todd] LINCOLN, of 
Illinois, son of the martyr President, was retained in the secretaryship of 
war. All the other members of the cabinet were replaced by different 
statesmen. In February 1882 he nominated Roscoe CONKLING to the vacancy on 
the bench of the Supreme Court, but after that gentleman had been confirmed 
by the Senate he respectfully declined to accept the elevation. In August 
[1882] President ARTHUR nominated General U. S. GRANT as one of two 
commissioners to be appointed to negotiate a commercial treaty with Mexico. 
In all the legislation of that and the following year he was a wise and 
judicious factor. The foreign relations of the government were undisturbed 
and satisfactory. The "Monroe Doctrine" was again asserted by him in 
relation to the canal across the Isthmus of Panama, the neutrality of which 
naturally and rightfully falls under the protectorate of the United States, 
in correspondence with the British government. On 09 May 1883, he approved 
and promulgated the rules of the civil service [Pendleton Act], under which 
demonstrated fitness is the only condition of continuance in office.

President ARTHUR's administration was attended by the unexampled prosperity 
of the people. Whether in meetings of his cabinet, at his weekly receptions, 
or in Sabbath worship at the church, he was ever the same gentle and 
unobtrusive gentleman. But beneath this quietude of aspect was an enormous 
reserve of power. Holding an office to which he was only indirectly elected, 
he exercised its functions in a manner that challenged the unfeigned 
admiration of all observers. None of the fears entertained by some at the 
epoch of his accession were realized. He fulfilled the highest hopes of 
those who knew him best. The respect and gratitude of the nation were justly 
and freely accorded to him. The simplicity, the strength, the dignity, the 
wisdom of his patriotic service are acknowledged on all hands. [p 9] 
[Chester Allen ARTHUR's successor as President was Grover CLEVELAND. Upon 
retirement from the Presidency on 18 March 1885, former President ARTHUR 
returned to the practice of law at New York City.]

Chester A. ARTHUR was married [25 October] 1859 to Ellen Lewis, daughter of 
Captain William Lewis HERNDON, of Fredericksburg, Virginia. [The City of 
Fredericksburg, politically independent, is actually located in Spotsylvania 
County. The father of Ellen Lewis HERNDON served on the "Central America," 
and died when it sank during a storm off Cape Hatteras on 12 September 1857. 
His uncle of the same name was also a Captain, and was lost at sea in 1815.] 
Mrs. [Ellen Lewis] ARTHUR died in January 1880 [shortly before Chester Allen 
ARTHUR was nominated as Vice President], leaving two children: Chester A. 
[Chester Alan], aged fifteen [who was born in 1864 and died in 1937]; and 
Ellen Herndon, aged eight years [who was born in 1871 and died in 1915]. 
[The first child of Chester A. and Ellen Lewis (HERNDON) ARTHUR, William 
Lewis Herndon ARTHUR, was born 10 December 1860 and died 08 July 1863.] 
President [Chester A.] ARTHUR died in New York City [of Bright's disease] on 
18 November 1886.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly