Caleb Cushing: A Statesman's Odyssey
An in-depth exploration of the multifaceted career and enduring impact of a pivotal figure in 19th-century American diplomacy and law.
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Caleb Cushing: An Overview
A Life of Public Service
Caleb Cushing (January 17, 1800 โ January 2, 1879) was a prominent American Democratic politician and diplomat whose career spanned much of the 19th century. Born in Salisbury, Massachusetts, and later residing in Newburyport, he held numerous significant positions, including a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts and the 23rd United States Attorney General under President Franklin Pierce.[2]
Architect of Expansion and Diplomacy
Cushing was a fervent advocate for American territorial and commercial expansion, particularly concerning the acquisition of Texas, Oregon, and Cuba. He articulated a vision for enlarging the American sphere, believing it would fulfill "the great destiny reserved for this exemplar American Republic."[3] His diplomatic achievements include securing the first American treaty with China, the Treaty of Wangxia, in 1844.[4]
Resolving International Tensions
Beyond his expansionist views, Cushing played a crucial role in resolving complex international disputes. After the Civil War, he negotiated a treaty with Colombia to secure a right-of-way for a trans-oceanic Canal. He was instrumental in obtaining a favorable settlement of the contentious Alabama Claims and, as the ambassador to Spain in the 1870s, successfully defused the troublesome Virginius Affair.
Early Life & Education
Formative Years in Massachusetts
Caleb Cushing was born in Salisbury, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1800. His father, John Newmarch Cushing, was a prosperous shipbuilder and merchant, while his mother, Lydia Dow, hailed from Seabrook, New Hampshire, and passed away when Caleb was ten. In 1802, his family relocated across the Merrimack River to Newburyport, Massachusetts, a thriving shipping town that would become his lifelong home.[5]
Harvard and Legal Beginnings
A precocious student, Cushing entered Harvard University at the remarkably young age of 13, graduating in 1817. He briefly served as a mathematics teacher at Harvard from 1820 to 1821. His legal career commenced swiftly; he was admitted to practice in the Massachusetts Court of Common Pleas in December 1821 and established his law practice in Newburyport by 1824.[6]
Personal Life
On November 23, 1824, Cushing married Caroline Elizabeth Wilde, the daughter of Judge Samuel Sumner Wilde of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Tragically, his wife passed away approximately a decade later, leaving him without children. He never remarried, dedicating his life primarily to his extensive public and legal career.
Political Career
State and Federal Legislator
Cushing's political journey began in the Massachusetts state legislature, serving as a Democratic-Republican member of the House of Representatives in 1825, then in the Massachusetts Senate from 1826 to 1828, and returning to the House in 1828. After a two-year sojourn in Europe (1829-1831), he again served in the state House in 1833 and 1834. In late 1834, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served from 1835 to 1843, chairing the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs during the 27th Congress.[6]
Political Shifts and Setbacks
Cushing's public life was marked by notable political flexibility. When John Tyler became president and was expelled from the Whig party, vetoing Whig measures that Cushing had previously supported, Cushing initially defended the vetoes before ultimately voting for the very bills he had defended against. In 1843, President Tyler nominated Cushing for U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, but the U.S. Senate famously refused to confirm him, rejecting his nomination three times in a single day.[6][7]
Local Leadership and Judicial Role
Despite his national prominence, Cushing remained engaged in local governance, serving as Mayor of Newburyport in 1851 and 1852. He also briefly held a significant judicial post as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1852 to 1853.[12] His deep understanding of law and governance was further demonstrated by his authorship of a major history of Newburyport at the age of 26.
Key Diplomatic Missions
The Groundbreaking China Mission
In 1843, President Tyler appointed Cushing as Commissioner and the first United States Ambassador to China, a position he held until March 4, 1845.[6] His mission was designed to impress the Chinese court, arriving in Macau in February 1844 with four American warships and an array of scientific gifts, including revolvers, a telescope, and an encyclopedia. Despite initial reluctance from the Chinese government to grant "most favored nation" status, Cushing skillfully employed a mix of diplomacy and veiled threats, asserting that refusing an envoy was a national insult and threatening direct appeal to the Emperor.[8]
Minister to Spain and Crisis Resolution
From January 6, 1874, to April 9, 1877, Cushing served as the United States Minister to Spain. In this role, he skillfully navigated and defused tensions arising from the Virginius Affair, a diplomatic crisis involving the capture of an American-flagged ship by Spanish authorities. His diplomatic acumen earned him considerable popularity within Spain.[6]
Canal Negotiations and International Arbitration
Cushing's diplomatic efforts extended to infrastructure and international law. In 1868, alongside the Minister Resident to Colombia, he was dispatched to Bogotรก to negotiate a right-of-way treaty for a ship canal across the Isthmus of Panama. Furthermore, at the Geneva conference for the settlement of the Alabama Claims in 1871โ1872, he served as one of the counsels appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant to represent the United States before the Geneva Tribunal of Arbitration.[6]
Civil War & Later Career
Service in the Mexican-American War
In 1847, while again a representative in the Massachusetts state legislature, Cushing championed a bill to appropriate funds for a regiment to serve in the Mexican-American War. Although the bill was defeated, he personally raised the necessary funds. He then served in the Army as colonel of the 1st Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment, taking command on January 15, 1847, and was promoted to brigadier-general of volunteers on April 14 of the same year. He did not engage in combat but entered Mexico City with his reserve battalion after the city's pacification, being discharged on July 20, 1848.[6]
Navigating the Civil War Era
The tumultuous period leading up to and during the Civil War saw Cushing in complex political positions. In 1860, he presided over the Democratic National Convention, first in Charleston and then in Baltimore. He subsequently joined and presided over the convention of seceding delegates, who nominated John C. Breckinridge for the Presidency.[6] That same year, President James Buchanan dispatched him to Charleston as a Confidential Commissioner to the South Carolina Secessionists. Despite his prior leanings towards states' rights and opposition to the abolition of slavery, Cushing ultimately supported the Union during the Civil War.
Legal Codification and Land Ventures
Following the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson appointed Cushing as one of three commissioners tasked with revising and codifying the laws of the United States Congress, a role he fulfilled from 1866 to 1870. During this broader period, he also founded the Cushing Land Agency in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, the building of which is now recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
Supreme Court Nomination
A Surprising Nomination
On January 9, 1874, President Ulysses S. Grant nominated Caleb Cushing to be Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. This nomination came shortly after Grant had withdrawn the controversial nomination of George Henry Williams for the same position.[14] The selection of Cushing caught many by surprise, including Cushing himself, given his complex political history and shifts in party allegiance.[15]
Opposition and Withdrawal
The nomination immediately faced strong opposition from Radical Republicans in the U.S. Senate. Their distrust stemmed from Cushing's earlier close personal relationship with President Andrew Johnson and his alleged "Copperhead" sympathies prior to the Civil War. The furor intensified dramatically when a non-political letter, written by Cushing in 1861 to Jefferson Davis, who would become President of the Confederacy, was discovered and made public. As a direct result of this escalating controversy, Cushing's nomination was withdrawn on January 13, 1874, just four days after it was made.[16][17]
Legacy & Works
A Name in History
Caleb Cushing passed away in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on January 2, 1879, and was laid to rest in the town's Highland Cemetery. His name lives on in various historical contexts, notably through the United States Revenue Cutter Caleb Cushing, a vessel named in his honor. This cutter served during the American Civil War but was tragically destroyed by Confederate raiders during the Battle of Portland Harbor on June 27, 1863.[18]
Published Contributions
Beyond his political and diplomatic endeavors, Cushing was a prolific writer and orator, contributing significantly to public discourse and historical record. His published works reflect his diverse interests and intellectual depth.
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References
References
- Eldon Griffin (1938) Clippers and Consuls: American consular and commercial relations with eastern Asia, 1845-1860.
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