Willard Saulsbury Sr. (June 2, 1820 – April 6, 1892) was an American lawyer and politician from
Georgetown, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served as
Attorney General of Delaware
The attorney general of Delaware is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Delaware, and is the chief law officer and the head of the State Department of Justice. On January 1, 2019, Kathy Jennings was sworn in as the 46th attorney general o ...
, U.S. Senator from Delaware and Chancellor of Delaware.
Early life and family
Saulsbury was born in Mispillion Hundred,
Kent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851, making it the least populous county in Delaware. The county seat is Dover, the state capital of Delaware. It i ...
, son of William & Margaret Ann Smith Saulsbury. He was a younger brother of Governor
Gove Saulsbury
Gove Saulsbury (May 29, 1815 – July 31, 1881) was an American physician and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and he served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Delaware. ...
and U.S. Senator
Eli M. Saulsbury
Eli May Saulsbury (December 29, 1817 – March 22, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician from Dover, in Kent County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as U.S. Senator from Del ...
. He married Annie Ponder, sister of Governor
James Ponder
James Ponder (October 31, 1819 – November 5, 1897) was an American merchant and politician from Milton in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as Governor of Dela ...
, and they had three children, John Ponder, Margaret, and
Willard Jr. They were members of the Episcopal Church. Saulsbury was educated at
Dickinson College
, mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning
, established =
, type = Private liberal arts college
, endowment = $645.5 million (2022)
, president = J ...
and Delaware College, which is now the
University of Delaware, studied law, was admitted to the Delaware Bar, and began his practice in Georgetown, Delaware. He was a
slaveholder.
Political career
Saulsbury was the
Delaware Attorney General from 1850 until 1855, and was elected to the United States Senate in 1858, defeating incumbent U.S. Senator Martin W. Bates. Saulsbury was reelected in 1864, but was defeated for a third term in 1870 by his older brother, Eli M. Saulsbury. He served two full terms from March 4, 1859, to March 4, 1871. He then continued his law practice and served as Chancellor of Delaware from 1873 until his death in 1892.
In 1863, Saulsbury was a vehement critic of President Abraham Lincoln's administration. Opposing the war in general and the suspension of habeas corpus specifically, Saulsbury attempted to prevent a vote sustaining that controversial executive order. Apparently intoxicated, Saulsbury verbally attacked the President on the Senate floor in what
John Hay
John Milton Hay (October 8, 1838July 1, 1905) was an American statesman and official whose career in government stretched over almost half a century. Beginning as a private secretary and assistant to Abraham Lincoln, Hay's highest office was Un ...
described as "language fit only for a drunken fishwife". Senator Saulsbury called Lincoln "an imbecile" and stated that the President was "the weakest man ever placed in a high office". When Vice President
Hannibal Hamlin called Saulsbury to order, the Senator refused to take his seat. Finally, the Senate's sergeant-at-arms approached to remove Saulsbury from the Senate floor when the Senator suddenly brandished a revolver, placed it against the sergeant's head and said, "Damn you, if you touch me I'll shoot you dead!" Eventually, Saulsbury was calmed and removed from the Senate floor.
[)]
Death and legacy
Saulsbury died at Dover and is buried there in the Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery. His son
Willard Saulsbury Jr.
Willard Saulsbury Jr. (April 17, 1861 – February 20, 1927) was an American lawyer and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party who served as U.S. Senator from Delaware and Preside ...
was also a U.S. Senator.
Almanac
The General Assembly chose the U.S. Senators, who took office March 4 for a six-year term.
References
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Images
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
External links
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress*
Places with more information
*
Delaware Historical Societywebsite; 505 Market St, Wilmington, Delaware; (302) 655-7161
*
University of DelawareLibrary website 181 South College Ave, Newark, Delaware; (302) 831-2965
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saulsbury, Willard Sr.
1820 births
1893 deaths
19th-century American Episcopalians
People from Georgetown, Delaware
People of Delaware in the American Civil War
University of Delaware alumni
Dickinson College alumni
Delaware lawyers
Delaware Democrats
Delaware Attorneys General
Democratic Party United States senators from Delaware
Chancellors of Delaware
Burials in Dover, Delaware
Saulsbury family
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American judges
19th-century American lawyers
American slave owners