John W. Daniel
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John Warwick Daniel (September 5, 1842June 29, 1910) was an American lawyer, author, and Democratic politician from Lynchburg, Virginia who promoted the
Lost Cause of the Confederacy The Lost Cause of the Confederacy (or simply Lost Cause) is an American pseudohistorical negationist mythology that claims the cause of the Confederate States during the American Civil War was just, heroic, and not centered on slavery. Fir ...
. Daniel served in both houses of the
Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 16 ...
and both houses of the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
. He represented
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
the
U.S. House The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from 1885 to 1887, and in the
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
from 1887 until his death in 1910. Daniel was sometimes referred to as the "Lame Lion of Lynchburg", alluding to his permanent disability incurred during the Battle of the Wilderness, while serving as a major in the Confederate Army.


Early and family life

John W. Daniel was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, the son of Judge William Daniel (who served on what later would be called the
Virginia Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrativ ...
) and his wife Sarah Ann Warwick Daniel, the daughter of a wealthy Lynchburg tobacco merchant. His mother died after the birth of his sister Sarah (1845-1918), when John was three years old. Judge Daniel soon announced the sale of all or part of the former estate, which is now the Daniel's Hill Historic District. Young John was raised by his maternal grandparents and attended private schools, including Dr. Gessner Harrison's University School. Judge Daniel remarried well (to Elizabeth Cabell) and built another mansion nearby, Rivermont, which is now the name of a city park, although much of that estate was subdivided after the legislature allowed the city to expand in 1870 and the
Panic of 1873 The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered an economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two decades of stagnation known as the ...
affected. In 1869, John W. Daniel married Julia Elizabeth Murrell, and they had two daughters and three sons.


American Civil War

After Virginia seceded from the Union during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
, Daniel enlisted in a Lynchburg cavalry troop, but by early May secured a commission as a second lieutenant in the 27th Virginia Infantry. He was wounded during the
First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run (the name used by Union forces), also known as the Battle of First Manassas
. While convalescing, Daniel was transferred to the 11th Virginia Infantry, and earned promotions to first lieutenant and later adjutant. Daniel served in the Confederate Army until 1864, eventually attaining the rank of major. On March 24, 1863, he became a staff officer for fellow Lynchburger and Major General Jubal A. Early, under whom he served in the Gettysburg Campaign, among others. In May 1864, during the Battle of the Wilderness, a minie ball shattered Daniel's femur. He thereafter had to use a crutch to walk, and resigned his commission.


Postwar legal and state political career

Daniel studied law at the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
at
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and was admitted to the bar in 1866. He joined his father's practice at Lynchburg. Despite being crippled from his war injury, he enjoyed oratory, particularly memorializing the Confederate war effort and excoriating
Congressional Reconstruction The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
and Republicans. He entered politics and Campbell County voters elected him as a member of the
Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...
to represent (part-time) them alongside Rufus Murrell and Robert C. Burkholder in the House of Delegates from 1869–72. He did not seek re-election. Daniel unsuccessfully sought nomination to the U.S. House of Representatives for
Virginia's 6th congressional district Virginia's sixth congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It covers much of the west-central portion of the state, including Roanoke, Lynchburg and most of the Shenandoah Valley. The ...
in 1872 and 1874, between which elections he canvassed for Conservative Party candidates in the state elections in 1873. The Funding Act which the legislature had passed in 1871 (although Daniel did not vote for it at the time) proved a major campaign issue in Virginia for the next decade. Daniel became one of its main supporters (known as "Funders"). Others, known as
Readjusters The Readjuster Party was a bi-racial state-level political party formed in Virginia across party lines in the late 1870s during the turbulent period following the Reconstruction era that sought to reduce outstanding debt owed by the state. Readj ...
advocated reducing payments on the bonds issued in 1871 which reaffirmed the debts Virginia had acquired before the Civil War to construct railroads, bridges, etc. Although the bonds traded at far below face value, they could be used at face value to pay state taxes, so they significantly cut state tax revenues. Also, the interest rate was kept at the prewar level, which was much higher than postwar interest rates. In 1876, Daniel published his "A Treatise on the Law of Negotiable Instruments", which was reprinted several times. That year he also campaigned for Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic presidential candidate (who lost). However, Campbell county voters had elected Daniel to the state senate the previous year, and he was re-elected once before resigning the part-time position in 1881. In 1877, Daniel became one of the leading Conservative orators against the leading Readjuster candidate, former Confederate general turned railroad tycoon
William Mahone William Mahone (December 1, 1826October 8, 1895) was an American civil engineer, railroad executive, Confederate States Army general, and Virginia politician. As a young man, Mahone was prominent in the building of Virginia's roads and railroa ...
. Mahone ultimately withdrew his gubernatorial candidacy in favor of relatively unknown
Frederick W.M. Holliday Frederick William Mackey Holliday (February 22, 1828May 29, 1899) was a member of the Confederate Congress as well as an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He also became the 38th Governor of Virginia, serv ...
of Winchester, who was elected. Daniel was a
presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia app ...
in the 1876 presidential election. In 1880, Daniel spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio in favor of the candidacy of former Union General
Winfield Scott Hancock Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 – February 9, 1886) was a United States Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service ...
, whom he praised as offering the best hope for reconciliation between North and south. In 1881, Daniel was the Conservative Party's candidate for
Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...
, but lost by 12,000 votes (out of 211,000 cast) to
William E. Cameron William Evelyn Cameron (November 29, 1842January 25, 1927) was a Confederate soldier who became a Virginia lawyer, journalist, and politician. He served as the 39th Governor of Virginia from 1882–1886, elected as the candidate of the Rea ...
, the candidate of a coalition of Republicans and Readjusters. During one state senate debate, Daniel had orated it "were better to burn the schools" ... " than sustain them on money taken by force" from bondholders. Since public schools were a key innovation of the Virginia Constitution of 1869 (although
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was previously the natio ...
had proposed them a century earlier), Readjusters portrayed Daniel as putting the interests of bondholders (few of whom lived in Virginia) above all others. Although Daniel had easily won re-election to the state senate in 1879, the Readjusters swept to victory in those state elections. State revenues remained insufficient to pay both bondholders and ordinary but minimal state government activities, and many school construction debts had not been paid for years. After the 1882 election, the Virginia's Conservative Party reorganized as the state's Democratic party, guided by railroad tycoon and future U.S. Senator John S. Barbour (although his cousin James Barbour favored some readjustment). On June 28, 1883, Daniel delivered the three-hour long keynote oration in the dedication of a statute of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at
Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...
, which was republished by many newspapers, including outside the state. In the 1883 Virginia statewide election year, race and cronyism within the Readjuster and Republican ranks became major issues. Although Daniel was not running for office directly that year, he and Mahone were the leading candidates for the U.S. Senate seat that the General Assembly would soon select. Daniel summarized the Democratic platform, "I am a Democrat because I am a white man and a Virginian." Democrats won control of the General Assembly, which was then allowed to reapportion legislative districts pursuant to the completed 1880 census. Daniel successfully defended the partisan redistricting in the
Supreme Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative ...
over Republican challenge. He also benefited because Democrats nominated him as the 6th Congressional district (as he had long sought), after popular incumbent John Randolph Tucker was moved to the 10th Congressional district (which he also won). During his federal service as discussed below, Daniel was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1901. He had advocated such a convention since 1895, and was elected as Campbell County's representative without opposition. At that convention (in Richmond from June 12, 1901 until June 26, 1902), Daniel served on the suffrage committee and advocated requiring a voter to explain any section of the constitution, although some criticized his leadership. Future Senator
Carter Glass Carter Glass (January 4, 1858 – May 28, 1946) was an American newspaper publisher and Democratic politician from Lynchburg, Virginia. He represented Virginia in both houses of Congress and served as the United States Secretary of the Treas ...
of Lynchburg developed a compromise involving a poll tax and writing test which passed and became a means for disenfranchising African Americans and poor whites.


Federal political career

In 1884, voters in
Virginia's 6th congressional district Virginia's sixth congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It covers much of the west-central portion of the state, including Roanoke, Lynchburg and most of the Shenandoah Valley. The ...
elected Daniel as a Democrat to the Forty-ninth Congress to succeed fellow Democrat John Randolph Tucker, who due to congressional redistricting was elected to
Virginia's 10th congressional district Virginia's 10th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is currently represented by Democrat Jennifer Wexton, who was first elected in 2018. The district includes all of Clarke County, ...
. Daniel delivered a speech during dedication of the
Washington Monument The Washington Monument is an obelisk shaped building within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and th ...
on February 21, 1885 which extolled Virginia's central place in the nation, then served one congressional term, from March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1887, before elected to the U.S. Senate to replace Readjuster
William Mahone William Mahone (December 1, 1826October 8, 1895) was an American civil engineer, railroad executive, Confederate States Army general, and Virginia politician. As a young man, Mahone was prominent in the building of Virginia's roads and railroa ...
. Fellow Confederate veteran
Samuel I. Hopkins Samuel Isaac Hopkins (December 12, 1843 – January 15, 1914) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia. Biography Born near Owensville, Maryland, Hopkins moved to Anne Arundel County with his parents, who settled near Annapolis. He attended th ...
, a member of Labor party, succeeded Daniel, served a single term (the
Fiftieth Congress The 50th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1887, ...
), declined to run for re-election, and was succeeded by a Democrat. In 1887, Virginia's General Assembly elected Daniel as a Democrat to the United States Senate to succeed Readjuster
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
William Mahone William Mahone (December 1, 1826October 8, 1895) was an American civil engineer, railroad executive, Confederate States Army general, and Virginia politician. As a young man, Mahone was prominent in the building of Virginia's roads and railroa ...
. He was reelected four times: in 1891, 1897, 1904, and 1910. Thus, he served from March 4, 1887 until his death, largely cooperating with the Democratic organization created by his fellow U.S. Senator Thomas S. Martin. During his tenure, Daniel served as chairman of the Committee on Revision of the Laws of the United States (
Fifty-third Congress The 53rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893, ...
). He was also a member of several committees, including the Committee on Corporations Organized in the District of Columbia (
Fifty-fifth Congress The 55th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1897, to M ...
), the Committee on Public Health and National Quarantine (
Sixtieth Congress The 60th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1907, to M ...
), and the Committee on Private Land Claims (
Sixty-first Congress The 61st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1909, to ...
). Daniel staunchly supported American intervention into Cuba during the 1890s, and often spoke at length on Spanish cruelties. He also argued against repeal of the Sherman Silver Act and for Democratic Presidential candidate
William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President ...
, but by 1904 realized that was an ineffective campaign issue and helped remove it from the party's national platform. He also campaigned unsuccessfully for federal funding of schools. Always interested in veterans affairs, Senator Daniel was heavily involved in the initial planning of the Virginia Memorial on the
Gettysburg Battlefield The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the site of the first shot ...
, as years earlier he had helped organize Lynchburg's commemoration of General Robert E. Lee upon his death.


Death and legacy

Daniel suffered a stroke in Philadelphia in October 1909, but won re-election from the General Assembly the following January. However, he had another stroke (which paralyzed his left side) in Florida in March 1910. Daniel returned to convalesce in a Lynchburg sanitorium, where he died of a cerebral hemorrhage on June 29, 1910. His family refused an offer of a state funeral. He was survived by his wife, sister, two sons and a daughter, and buried in Lynchburg's Spring Hill Cemetery. Subscriptions were raised for a large bronze statue of Daniel, in a Confederate uniform and seated with a crutch leaning nearby. The statue by
Moses Ezekiel Moses Jacob Ezekiel, also known as Moses "Ritter von" Ezekiel (October 28, 1844 – March 27, 1917), was an American sculptor who lived and worked in Rome for the majority of his career. Ezekiel was "the first American-born Jewish artist to r ...
contains the inscription: "Foremost and best beloved Virginian of his time". It was dedicated in 1915 and stands near the intersection of Park Avenue and 9th Street in Lynchburg.Poole at p. 94 His father's home,
Point of Honor Point of Honor is an historic home, now a city museum, located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The property has commanding views of the city and the James River. Its name originated due to the land on which it is built being used as a clandestine due ...
, was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1970 and is currently operated as a house museum by the City of Lynchburg. His birthplace, the John Marshall Warwick House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.


Bibliography

*''The Character of Stonewall Jackson'' (1868, originally a lecture) *''The Law and Practice of Attachment, under the Code of Virginia'' (1869) *''A Treatise on the Law of Negotiable Instruments'' (1876, published in two volumes)


See also

* List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49)


References


External links


Bibliography of Daniel articles and booksVirginia wayside marker at Daniel's birthplace in Lynchburg
* , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Daniel, John W. 1842 births 1910 deaths 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians Confederate States Army officers Delegates to Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1901 Democratic Party United States senators from Virginia Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates People of Virginia in the American Civil War Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Virginia lawyers Neo-Confederates 19th-century American lawyers 1876 United States presidential electors