James Harlan

JAMES HARLAN - 1913 - INTRODUCTION - THE career of Jaiiles Harlan as depicted by 311.. Brigham in the following pages is typically western. It spans the first half century of the history of Iowa as a State, and offers a cross-sectional view of the nioinentous years of slavery agitation, war, and reconstruction. In the United States Senate from 1855 to 1865 and from 1867 to 1873 Mr. Harlan was a prominent and influential figure. Especially was he active and successful in his advocacy of every measure which sought to benefit the people of the West. This biography, begun by Mr. Brigham in 1906, was originally designed and outlined as a two-volunie vork. In order, however, to bring it within the compass of the Iowa BIOGRAPHICA SE L RIE i S t became necessary to condense it into a single volume - a long and laborious task, the carrying out of which has necessarily greatly delayed the publication of the book. BEN-J. F. SHAJIBAUGH OFFICE O F THE SUPERINTEND A E ND N ETD ITOR THE STATE H ISTORICA S L O CIET O Y F Ion-A Iowa CITY - AUTHORS PREFACE - A STUDY of the life of James Harlan reveals a man of rugged sincerity, a statesman of rare forensic and constructive ability and large capacity for leadership. The story of his youth and young manhood is one of privation and of resolute struggle for the attainment of an education. His career as a statesman is interwoven with the anti-slavery agitation and legislation immediately preceding the first election of Abraham Lincoln, with the history of the War of the Rebellion, and with the confused and trying period of Reconstruction. The years of his retirement - years full of usefulness in public and semi-public service and correspondingly full ofhonors - present a pleasing contrast to the concluding years in the lives of not a few of his contemporaries. In the writing of this biography the authors purpose has been to follow, as far as practicable, the Autobiographical Manuscript and Papers which James Harlan himself prepared and arranged. Mr. Harlan began the preparatiory of this valuable work early in the inetiehsi, s original purpose evicleiitly llaviag 1 eeli to write a11 autobiography. But later tliat purpose gave way to anotller, i-lliclwl as to gatlier in clironological order all the letters and. papers which he hacl retairied and to make such rurlnirlg coniment on them as was tlecrnetl necessary, vitll a view to leaving the entire collection, along with the a tobiograpliical chapters, as so much material for a biograpliy A-liich he must have known would at sollle time be attempted. The unfinishecl autobiograplly, tllc letters and papers, the original manuscripts of aclclresses ancl speeches, together wit11 the published record of his Congressional career, constitute a wealtli of source material vl icli Iias been founcl estre llely satisfying ancl at the same time embarrassing because of its abunda11ce. Concerning liis career as Sccretury of tlle Interior in tlie Cabinet of Presiclerlt, Jollnsoll there is little data beyoncl Mr. Harlans one official report ancl his later letters ant1 speeclics defending llis official course from illislscprcselltation and false cliarges. 1Sut tlic 11ig11 purpose wllicll promptecl liinl to respoll 1 to Iresitlent TJincolris call allcl to reinail1 iri tlie Cabinet for a time under President Johnson is fully developed in his correspondence. Although the Azt to biographical 2lIanuscript moulddoubtless have been revised by Mr. Harlan had he lived to complete his task, it has riot been deemed wise to attempt alterations in the test of the numerous passages quoted in the follo vingp ages...