George G. Dunn
Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana
by William Wesley Woollen.Indianapolis.
Published by Hammond & Co., 1883.
Transcription by Howard Maxwell, 2002.
George G. Dunn, lawyer and statesman, was born in Washington county, Kentucky, in December, 1812. He came to Indiana when a boy, and settled in Monroe county, a county that has given the State several of her most eminent sons. Having acquired sufficient education to enter college, he became a student of the State University at Bloomington, and continued one until after he entered the junior class. While a member of this class he had trouble with the President, Dr. Wylie, which ended in his leaving college. Dr. Wylie said something Mr. Dunn did not relish, and he made a cutting retort. The Doctor then said to him, "Young man, do you see this cane?" shaking one he held in his hand. "Yes, sir," replied the young student, "but I don't feel it." He at once gathered his books and left the college, never to return as a student. He was then a boy, but was a brave and self-reliant one. He determined to strike out for himself, and at once went to Switzerland county and commenced teaching school. When he hack saved one hundred dollars out of his earnings he gave up his school and started back to his old home. On the way he lost his money, and when he reached home he was as poor as when he left, save in the knowledge he had gained of the world.
In 1833, when he was twenty-one years old, Mr. Dunn went to Bedford and taught school awhile, and occupied his spare hours in reading law. In due time he was admitted to the bar, and soon afterward formed a partnership with Colonel Richard W. Thompson, late Secretary of the Navy.
In 1843 he ran for Congress against Dr. John W. Davis, and was defeated. After this he was made prosecuting attorney of his circuit, and was a terror to the evil-doers of that section of the State. He prosecuted law-breakers as he did everything else, with the vim and energy of a great mind.
Traveling over the circuit, he became acquainted with its leading men, and in 1847 his party friends again determined to make him their candidate for Congress. His district two years before had given Dr. John W. Davis, Democrat, 2,930 majority but this fact did not deter Mr. Dunn from making the race. He was then thirty-five years old, was in good health and capable of great physical and mental labor. He mace a searching canvass of the district, speaking in all the townships, and defeated his competitor, Dr. John M. Dobson, twenty-two votes. This race and its result astonished everybody save the young Whig standard-bearer, who, from its beginning, believed he would win. He served his term in Congress with credit, and at its close intended to return to private life, but he was not permitted to do so, for his party friends nominated and elected him to the State Senate the year his term expired.
In the spring of 1852 he resigned his seat in the Senate while the Legislature was in session and went home to attend to his legal business. He continued in active practice until the summer of 1854, when he again entered the political field. During that year the Know-nothing party sprang into life. It was composed of former Whigs, sore-headed Democrats and Abolitionists. Captain John A. Hendricks, who, until then, had been a Democrat, was nominated for Congress by a convention of political mongrels, most of whom had been Democrats. He at once took the field and commenced his canvass. Soon, however, he learned that Mr. Dunn was also a candidate. The candidacy of the latter, so far as the world knew, was solely of his own volition. He had been nominated by no convention, but it was soon discovered that the mass of the new party was rallying to his support. Captain Hendricks was in a quandary what to do. He had long been an aspirant for congressional honors, and now when the cup of fruition was at his lips another snatched it from him. He saw his friends deserting him, and, knowing his race to be hopeless, he left the field.
Mr. Dunn entered the contest in 1854 somewhat as he had done that of 1847. Two years before the district had given
Cyrus L. Dunham a 931 majority over Joseph G. Marshall. But this had no terror for Mr. Dunn. He believed in his star, and went into the fight feeling confident of success. He visited all the townships in the distinct, sometimes speaking three times a clay. He was in bad health, but his great will and determination kept him up until the canvass closed. He was elected, beating Mr. Dunham 1,660 votes, but his success was a poor compensation for his broken health. The labor of this contest was so severe that it undermined his constitution and he was never afterward a strong man.
In Congress Mr. Dunn occupied a somewhat anomalous position. He was mainly elected by the Know-nothings, but the Whigs of the district who refused to assume the new party affiliations voted for him. It will be remembered that the Know-nothing party had but an ephemeral existence. Out of its ruins sprang the Republican party, a party with which Mr. Dunn did not identify himself. In Congress he occupied an independent position, but generally voted with the opposition to the Democracy. He had made his canvass mainly in insisting that the Missouri restriction, which had been repealed, should be restored, and he remained faithful to that position. The anti-Nebraska party in Congress nominated Mr. Banks for Speaker, but Mr. Dunn persistent]y opposed his election. Congress convened on the 3d day of December, 1855, and did not organize until the 2d day of February following. During this interval great excitement prevailed throughout the country. One hundred and twenty-nine ballots had been taken for Speaker, when Mr. Smith, of Tennessee, offered a resolution that the House proceed to vote three times, and if no one had a majority for Speaker, then "the roll shall again be called, and the member who shall then receive the largest number of votes, provided it shall be a majority of a quorum, shall be declared duly elected Speaker of the House of the Thirty-fourth Congress. The resolution passed, Mr. Dunn voting against it.
The final ballot was as follows:
For N. P. Banks, 103; William Aiken, 100; Henry M. Fuller, 6; Lewis D. Campbell, 4; Daniel Wills, 1.
On this ballot Mr. Dunn voted for Campbell. During the contest he voted for Mr. Etheridge, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Pennington and Mr. Eddie, but never for Mr. Banks. His course during the organization of the House, no doubt, cost him the chairmanship of a leading committee, a place he was well qualified to fill. His position in this Congress could not have been a pleasant one, for he was not in accord with those in control of the House, and it must have been with a feeling of relief that he left Washington for his home at the end of his term. His health was now so bad that he could do little else than remain at home with his family. He gradually grew worse until September of that year (1857), when he died.
As an advocate, Mr. Dunn was always ready. He took no notes of the testimony in his cases, relying entirely upon his memory for his facts. He made the cause of his client his own, and in conducting his cases he was aggressive and bold. If such a course involved him in trouble with opposing counsel he let the trouble come. He had a difficulty with the late Judge Hughes, which grew out of a trial in court, and came near ending in a duel. He called Judge Hughes a pettifogger, and, refusing to retract, was challenged by that gentleman. He accepted the hostile invitation, but before going upon the field friends interfered and the trouble was settled.
Mr. Dunn made more reputation in the State Senate than in congress. In the Senate he stood head and shoulders above his fellow members, with the single exception of Joseph G. Marshall, and in some respects he excelled that distinguished man. He was a better scholar and a greater master of ridicule and invective than the Senator from Jefferson, but he fell below him in breadth of comprehension and ability to move the passions of the people. The one was scholarly, argumentative and witty, she other impassioned, profound and convincing.
In an admirable portraiture of this subject by Miss Laura Ream, in 1875, that graphic writer, speaking of his oratory says: " His voice was clear and resonant as a silver bell. His :style of speaking was very impressive, enforced, as it was, by a personal magnetism which can scarcely be imagined in this age of tame leadership. His will was, invincible, and he inspired others with such confidence in his strength that any law case he undertook was considered- decided in his favor beforehand.'1 '
While in the Senate Mr. Dunn had a memorable debate with Colonel James H. Lane, then Lieutenant-Governor of Indiana, and afterwards a United States Senator from Kansas. David P. Holloway, a Senator from the county of Wayne, offered a resolution to present certain trophies of the Mexican war, then in the State Library, to a Catholic church in Indianapolis. In speaking on his resolution he animadverted on the Mexican war, and when he had concluded Colonel Lane took the floor and made a speech, in which he coarsely abused the Senator from Wayne. When he had taken his seat Mr. Dunn replied in a speech that will never be forgotten by those who heard it. He flayed the Lieutenant-Governor, taking off his hide, strip by strip; that is, if words can be made too do such a thing. Before taking his seat he said he wore no shad-bellied coat like the Senator from Wayne (Mr. Holloway was a Quaker), and that he was personally responsible for what he had said. It was supposed at the time that 'Colonel Lane, who recognized the code," would call Mr. Dunn to account for this speech, but he did not, letting it pass without notice.
The greatest speech Mr. Dunn ever delivered was at the Whig State Convention of 1852. A few days before the convention was held he resigned his seat in the Senate, and in this speech he gave his reasons for the act. The main one was the fact that his party being in a minority in the Senate, he was without influence and unable to shape legislation. He was not the man to have influence with his political opponents; he too bitter and choleric for that. He denounced the course of the Democratic Senators, and said, with a single exception he parted from them with the greatest pleasure. That exception he, declared to be the Senator from Clark, Dr. Athon, for whom he said he had the warmest feeling. Dr. Athon, who was present, arose and said he highly appreciated the kind expressions. of the speaker. He severely criticised the action of Governor Wright in appointing Messrs. March, Barbour and Carr commissioners to revise and simplify the Code. “When these men were appointed,” said Mr. Dunn,, “I was at a loss to know what place 'Squire Carr would fill in the commission. A little reflection, however, convinced me he had his place. March is to furnish the law, Barbour to read the version, and if Carr cane understand, it will be within the comprehension of all.” He took up the Democratic nominees for State offices one by one and thoroughly dissected them. He was particularly severe upon Governor Wright. Seeing the Governor in the hall, Mr. Dunn said: “I am glad you are here, Governor. Don't leave until I am done. I propose going through you with a lighted candle that all may see what a mass of putrefaction and political rottenness you are.” When he came to speak of Judge Davidson, he said: “My objection to Davidson is that his eyes are too close together. When you farmers buy a horse you don't choose one whose eyes are in the middle of his head. You know that such a horse would run against the first fence-corner he comes to. You should exercise as much care in voting for a Supreme Judge as you would in buying a horse.” But space forbids me further following Mr. Dunn in his criticisms of the Democratic candidates. When he was done with them he proceeded to speak of the Whig nominees. Mr. McCarty, who had just been nominated for Governor, was sitting but a few feet from the speaker. Mr. Dunn drew a dark picture of the condition of the Whig party until Mr. McCarty consented to be a candidate, and then, rising on tip-toe, and bending his body forward and pointing his finger at the nominee, he exclaimed with the power of a Booth:
"Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by the sun of York;
And all the clouds that lowered upon our house,
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried."
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It is a great pity that this speech was not taken down at the time and preserved. It embodied the wit and drollery of Car-win, the invective and sarcasm of Randolph, and the eloquence of Clay, in one symmetrical whole. It lives only in the recollection of those who heard it, and, happily for the author, he was one. These men will be gone after awhile, and then this great forensic effort will be forgotten, or remembered only as it is handed down from father-to son.
During the first State fair held in Indiana, just after the October election, 1852, the Democracy had a jollification meeting at the State capital. The Whigs, believing the time and occasion inopportune, and smarting under their recent defeat, created so much noise and confusion" that the speakers could not be heard. The speaking took place on Washington street, opposite the Wright House, where a large number of leading Whigs were staying. Joseph E. McDonald and Ashbel P. Willard, who had just been elected Lieutenant-Governor, attempted to speak, but their voices were drowned by the noise of the tumultuous crowd. During Willard's attempt to speak, Mr. Dunn, who was on the balcony of the Wright House, overlooking the crowd, appealed to those about him to stop their noise and let Mr. Willard speak. Some of those who saw him standing and gesticulating thought he was urging on the mob. The Democrats, after awhile, countermarched down Washington street, and stopped at the State-house square, where the speaking was resumed without further interruption. Both Colonel Gorman and Governor Willard charged Mr. Dunn with having incited the disturbance, and criticized him severely for it. The Sentinel next morning, had an account of the meeting and reported what the speakers had said. Mr. Dunn sought Messrs. Gorman and Willard and told them they were mistaken in attributing to him sympathy with the mob, that he had done all he could to quell it. Governor Willard expressed himself as entirely satisfied with Mr. Dunn's statements, and published a manly letter withdrawing his offensive language. Colonel Gorman also promised to retract the charge, and the next day he published a card in the Sentinel which, after giving an ac-count of what he had said, closed as follows: "In a personal conversation this morning with Mr. Dunn, he assures me that my information was incorrect, and that he tried to suppress the confusion and noise. I publish this to allow him the full benefit of his denial, and to place myself in the right." This card did not satisfy Mr. Dunn, but, on the contrary, incensed him the more. He addressed Colonel Gorman a letter, in which he asked to be informed if he was the author of the card signed with his name. Colonel Gorman replied in a somewhat lengthy letter acknowledging the genuineness of his card, and, after answering other questions propounded, he closed as follows:
If this is not satisfactory, it is out of my power to make it so on paper." That it was not satisfactory is evidenced by the following letter:
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"BEDFORD, Ind., November 8, 1852.
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"HON. W. A. Gorman: Sir--Yours of the 5th inst. is just received, and is, I regret to say, objectionable in several respects. It is my purpose now to take the advice of some experienced friend in regard to the whole matter, and adopt such steps as may be due to my obligations to society.
"Being called to Louisville, Ky., the last of this week, I shall be happy to find you at the Galt House, in that city, at 10 o'clock A.M., on Saturday next. Respectfully yours,
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To which letter Colonel Gorman made the following reply:
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"BLOOMINGTON Ind., November 9, 1852.
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"HON. GEORGE G. DUNN: Sir-Yours of this date is before me. I will be at the Galt House, in Louisville, agreeably, to your written request, on Saturday next, at 10 o'clock A. M., where my friend will receive any communication you may be pleased to make. Respectfully, your obedient servant,
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Messrs. Dunn and Gorman met at Louisville, as agreed upon, and referred their difficulty to Professor John H. Harney and Mr. George A. Caldwell, who, after examining the correspondence, published a card announcing a settlement on the following terms:
“We are of opinion that the note of Colonel Gorman to Mr. Dunn amply exonerates that gentleman from all participation in the disturbance of the meeting referred to, and sufficiently explains the purpose of the card published in the Sentinel, and that nothing remains to disturb the peaceful relations of the parties except the language in which the notes are couched and their general tone.
“Mr., Dunn objects to the concluding sentence of Colonel Gorman's note of the 3d instant, and to the language in other passages, as offensive.
“Colonel Gorman objects to the general tone of Mr. Dunn's previous note of the 30th ult., and especially to the call upon him to retract.
“Mr. Dunn cheerfully withdraws the word 'retract,' and substitutes the word 'correct,' or any other word not deemed offensive, and disavows any purpose of giving offense by his note of the 30th, his only object being to obtain a respectful vindication of himself from whatever was injurious in the matters referred to in the note. Whereupon, Colonel Gorman promptly with-draws anything offensive in his note of the 3d.
“Therefore, the whole difficulty, we are happy to announce, is amicably and honorably settled.
'JOHN H. HARNEY,
GEORGE A. CALDWELL."
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And thus the matter ended.
Mr. Dunn was fond of fine stock and did much to improve the strain of horses and sheep in his section of the State. He was one of a company which imported the first Norman Percheron horse brought to Indiana. He purchased in Ohio a flock of Cotswold and Southdown sheep at $27 a head, an enormous price for that day. He took good care of his stock, giving it his personal attention and spending much of his time in looking after its comfort.
One of Mr. Dunn's chief characteristics was his contempt for shams and a love of independent thought. On the leaf of an old Latin dictionary used by him while at college, he wrote, “I despise your opinion.” One day his oldest son, then a boy, put on his father's watch. Looking at the lad the father said: “If you go on the streets with that watch people will ask, as Caesar did of a small lieutenant, 'Who tied you to a sword ?'---or watch."
Again quoting Miss Ream, I give her description of his home, and also his death scene, as follows:
“Towards the latter part of his life he built a house in the country, in the center of a magnificent tract of land. The large domain abounded in rich and diversified scenery, especially on the line defined by a range of cliffs nearly two hundred feet in height and really picturesque, if not grand, in appearance. But Mr. Dunn built his house in the heart of a grove of royal growth, a bit of pasture land to the north, an orchard and the door yard the only clearing. The house that he built was a story and a half in height, but there its modest pretensions ended. There was a great hall as wide as an ordinary house, and the rooms opening out of it were fit for the audience chamber of a king. The ceilings were lofty and elegantly frescoed, the furniture of these rooms was in keeping, and the out-door complement, which the great windows added to their state, were views of the forest, meadow and sky. It was a home for a prince, for a poet; it proved the last earthly abiding place of a kingly soul. When it was noised abroad that George G. Dunn was dying the people from all the country round came to see him. The lane leading to the house was lined with the horses and wagons belonging to the friends who had come to bid him goodbye. Among the number was one Robert Rout, a man yet living, but weather tanned and wrinkled; why, you could not lay a pin-point any-where on his face that would not touch a wrinkle. Well, when Robert Rout heard that Mr. Dunn could not live long, he came and took up his abode near. He said little or nothing, and his presence was only noticed when his ready hand or step answered to the sick man's need. The very last day of Mr. Dunn's life he observed Rout hovering about the room, and said: 'Rout, take that glass pitcher and go to the well and bring me a drink. Draw it from the north side of the well, Rout; I want it cold and fresh.' The fond and faithful friend did his bidding, and when he came back into the room, the glass pitcher filled to the brim and running over with the drops of water sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight, the dying man looked at him for a moment with grateful, tender eyes, and said: 'Rout, 'tis well, 'tis very well. Rout, you shall be cup-bearer when I am king.' The voice which uttered these words had lost none of its melody, but the strength to swallow was gone, and the water was put down from his parched, feeble lips untasted. The act which followed was not less in character-as brave as it was human. He turned his face to the wall-himself shutting out and bidding farewell to the world, the day, sunlight and friendship."
Mr. Dunn's literary library was large. It was composed of standard classical historical works- and English political pamphlets and essays, and books treating on American history and politics.
Mr. Dunn left no manuscript copies of any of his speeches, nor, indeed, any manuscript whatever. He filed his letters carefully, leaving some five or six books of correspondence. He was a great lover of Shakespeare, and often quoted him in his speeches. He was also familiar with the Bible, and, in addressing juries, was in the habit of drawing largely from its pages.
In person, Mr. Dunn was tall and commanding. He had fair complexion, blue eyes and light hair. His talents were great and varied, and he is entitled to stand in the front rank of Indiana lawyers and statesmen.
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