Samuel S. Cox
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Samuel Sullivan "Sunset" Cox (September 30, 1824 – September 10, 1889) was an American Congressman and diplomat. He represented both Ohio and
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in the United States House of Representatives and served as United States Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. During and before the American Civil War, Cox was a moderate member of the
Copperhead Copperhead may refer to: Snakes * ''Agkistrodon contortrix'', or copperhead, a venomous pit viper species found in parts of North America * ''Austrelaps'', or Australian copperhead, a genus of venomous elapids found in southern Australia and Tas ...
faction, who supported peace with the South at any cost. He voted against the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. After moving to New York, he focused his advocacy on trade liberalization, civil service reform, and railroad regulation.


Early life and education

Samuel Sullivan Cox was born on September 30, 1824 in Zanesville, Ohio to Ezekiel Taylor and Maria Matilda (née Sullivan) Cox.


Family

Ezekiel Taylor Cox was a journalist and politician in Zanesville, descended from a prominent New Jersey family. His ancestors include Thomas Cox, one of the original proprietors of the Province of East New Jersey, Congressman James Cox, who fought for George Washington's Continental Army, and Joseph Borden, the founder of Bordentown, New Jersey. Ezekiel Cox was a cousin by marriage of U.S. Senator
James J. Wilson James Jefferson Wilson (1775July 28, 1824) was a U.S. Senator from New Jersey from 1815 to 1821. Biography Wilson was born in Essex County, New Jersey, where he attended the common schools. He was editor and publisher of the ''True American'' of ...
. In politics, Ezekiel was an uncompromising
Jacksonian Democrat Jacksonian democracy was a 19th-century political philosophy in the United States that expanded suffrage to most white men over the age of 21, and restructured a number of federal institutions. Originating with the seventh U.S. president, Andr ...
. Cox was named for his maternal grandfather, Samuel Sullivan. Samuel Sullivan served as Ohio Treasurer from 1820–23 and, like Ezekiel Cox, represented Zanesville in the Ohio State Senate. At fourteen, Cox began serving as an assistant to his father, who was then clerk of the Ohio Supreme Court and of the Court of Common Pleas. As a child, Cox was described by neighbors as "bright, sunny, genial, fond of fun, sparkling with wit, always truthful, fearless, and generous, never hesitating to confess a fault of his own, and ever ready to defend the weak and oppressed." He was a star student and dreamed of traveling the world. Among his classmates at the academy in Zanesville were future Supreme Court Justice
William Burnham Woods William Burnham Woods (August 3, 1824 – May 14, 1887) was an American attorney and jurist who served as a United States circuit judge and an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court as well as an Ohio politician and soldier i ...
and geologist
James M. Safford James Merrill Safford (1822–1907) was an American geologist, chemist and university professor. Biography Early life James M. Safford was born in Putnam, Ohio on August 13, 1822. He received an M.D. and a PhD. He was trained as a chemist at Ya ...
.


Education

In 1842, Cox entered Ohio University at Athens, which was dominated by a rivalry between the locals and university students. In a memorable incident during his freshman year, the town won a court case against the university and Cox sabotaged a cannon scheduled to be fired in celebration. He soon became determined to leave Athens, which he referred to as a "scaly vale of mud." By 1844, he was re-enrolled at
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
in Providence, Rhode Island. There, he joined the fraternity Delta Phi and delivered speeches in support of temperance and
Fourierism Fourierism () is the systematic set of economic, political, and social beliefs first espoused by French intellectual Charles Fourier (1772–1837). Based upon a belief in the inevitability of communal associations of people who worked and lived to ...
and in opposition to abolition of slavery, once delivering a rebuttal to visiting lecturer Wendell Phillips. The subject and manner of his speeches were sometimes controversial, and Cox had some difficulty fitting in with Yankee society. He wrote home, "There are some monstrous mean fellows among the Yankees." In general, however, he was highly praised for his wit, work ethic, and energy. Among his friends were
Franklin J. Dickman Franklin J. Dickman (August 28, 1828 – February 12, 1908) was a Republican politician in the U.S. State of Ohio who was in the Ohio House of Representatives and was an Ohio Supreme Court Judge 1886–1895. Franklin Dickman was a native of ...
, James Burrill Angell, and future Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Thomas Durfee. He graduated in 1846 and returned to Ohio.


Early career


Legal career

As a student, Cox read legal treatises in his spare time, including Blackstone's ''Commentaries'' and William Cruise's ''Digest of the Laws of England Respecting Real Property''. Upon returning to Ohio, Cox continued his study of law, first in the offices of Judge C.W. Searle, and then with Judge Convers. In Judge Convers's office, Cox's fellow student was future Governor of Ohio George Hoadly. He completed his studies under Vachel Worthington in Cincinnati. After admittance to the Ohio bar, Cox formed a partnership with George E. Pugh, who later represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate.


Journalism

While on his honeymoon in Europe in 1851, Cox wrote "A Buckeye Abroad," a collection of letters about his travels. It was greeted with praise, leading Cox to abandon the law for the field of journalism. In 1853, he purchased a controlling interest in the ''Ohio Statesman'', a Democratic newspaper in
Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
. He became its editor and engaged, as was typical of newspaper men of the time, in political activity. As a young editor (and as an erstwhile writer at Brown), Cox expounded some of his political beliefs, including his opposition to the American System of the Whig Party and support for free trade.


Entry to politics

In 1853, Ohio Democratic State Committee chairman Washington McLean resigned on the condition that Cox be his successor. As Party chair, Cox was tasked with managing the 1853 campaign of
William Medill William Medill (February 1802September 2, 1865) was a Democratic politician from Ohio. He served as the 22nd governor of Ohio from 1853 to 1856. Biography Born in White Clay Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware, William was the son of Irish ...
for Governor. Medill was elected by an overwhelming majority, launching Cox as a rising star in Ohio politics. He was summoned to meet President
Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...
. In 1855, Pierce offered Cox the position of Secretary of Legation at the
Court of St. James's The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...
, but Cox declined and requested to join the legation to Peru. He set sail for Peru but fell ill, returned to the United States, and resigned his commission.


U.S. Representative from Ohio

In 1856, Cox accepted the Democratic nomination to represent the Columbus region in the U.S. House of Representatives. He narrowly defeated Republican
Samuel Galloway Samuel Galloway (March 20, 1811 – April 5, 1872) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Ohio. Born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Galloway attended local public schools. He moved to Ohio and settled in Highland Cou ...
to win the seat. In his first term, Cox chaired the committee on Revolutionary Claims. On December 16, 1857, Cox delivered the maiden speech in the newly completed House chamber in the south wing of the Capitol building. The bold speech positioned Cox squarely as a supporter of Senator
Stephen A. Douglas Stephen Arnold Douglas (April 23, 1813 – June 3, 1861) was an American politician and lawyer from Illinois. A senator, he was one of two nominees of the badly split Democratic Party for president in the 1860 presidential election, which wa ...
's "popular sovereignty," as opposed to President
James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...
and the proposed Lecompton constitution for Kansas. Cox's speech was credited as helping sink the Lecompton constitution and leading to the eventual admission of Kansas as a free state. Buchanan had his revenge by removing Cox's friend from the office of Postmaster of Columbus. Cox was re-elected in 1858 by a slightly larger majority. He remained an opponent of the Buchanan administration and an ally of Senator Douglas amid growing sectional and political divide in Congress. In 1860, despite growing divisions and the election of Abraham Lincoln, Cox expanded his majority again, in a rematch with Galloway. As Southern states began to secede in the winter of 1860–61, Cox issued a plea for unity and caution. When Senator Douglas died in 1861, Cox delivered a eulogy to him in the House.


Civil War

Initially, Cox resolved to sustain the Lincoln administration "in every constitutional endeavor to put down the rebellion." However, he opposed "that abolition policy which sought to convert this holy war for the defence of the government and the union into a mere anti-slavery party war." In 1862, Cox's already-Republican district was redrawn to become even more Republican, but he defeated
Samuel Shellabarger Samuel Shellabarger (18 May 1888 – 21 March 1954) was an American educator and author of both scholarly works and best-selling historical novels. Born 18 May 1888 in Washington, D.C., Shellabarger was orphaned in infancy, upon the death of bot ...
by a small majority. In 1863, Cox opposed the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution to abolish slavery, on the grounds that peace was near at hand and the amendment would scuttle negotiations. "As slavery was already dead by the bullet, I figured it would be better to stop the bloodshed," he told a crowd seven years later. That mattered more than "the mere empty, abstract ceremonial of burying the dead corpse of slavery." In 1864, Cox took an active part in the campaign against Lincoln's re-election, denouncing
Republicans 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 ...
for allegedly supporting miscegenation. He was defeated for reelection by Shellabarger in a landslide, largely by the vote of Union soldiers. Six weeks after he left Congress, the Civil War was over and President Lincoln was assassinated. Despite his steadfast opposition to abolition efforts, Cox remained on positive terms with Lincoln months before his assassination and was praised in later years by Lincoln's Secretary of State William H. Seward as a member of the loyal opposition.


U.S. Representative from New York

After leaving Congress, Cox moved to New York City to return to the practice of law, in partnership with
Charlton Thomas Lewis Charlton Thomas Lewis (February 25, 1834 – May 26, 1904) was a United States lawyer, author and lexicographer, who is particularly remembered as a compiler of several Latin–English dictionaries. Biography Lewis was born in West Chester, Penn ...
. Cox published memoirs of his time in Congress, titled ''Eight Years in Congress''. During the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson in the winter of 1867–68, Cox was summoned to Washington to lobby the decisive vote, Senator John B. Henderson of Missouri, against impeachment. Cox and Henderson were on close terms. Henderson did vote against impeachment, though Cox disclaimed any credit to his own influence.


Reconstruction

In 1868, the Democratic Party selected Cox as the nominee for Congress to represent Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and the West Village. He won the general election in a landslide. Tammany Hall elected Cox to Congress in New York, and it kept him there, but he was never the subject of serious accusations of corruption. "Mr. Cox is ... almost the only honest man I know who passed through a portion of the Tweed Ring period," another politician said later. After a second trip to Europe, limited to the Mediterranean coast by his ill health, Cox returned to find Congress dominated by the issue of Reconstruction. Cox supported reconciliation with the South and the restoration of voting rights for Confederate veterans. In 1869, he introduced a general amnesty bill to this effect, but failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority by two votes. In 1870, Cox defeated
Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressm ...
, the editor of the ''
New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s through the 1860s it was the domi ...
'', by 1,000 votes. Cox spent much of the next Congress in an effort to abolish the
test oath A loyalty oath is a pledge of allegiance to an organization, institution, or state of which an individual is a member. In the United States, such an oath has often indicated that the affiant has not been a member of a particular organization or ...
system, which required all civil servants and military officers to swear they had not engaged in disloyal conduct during the War. The effort succeeded as to members of Congress but not other offices. A complete repeal of the test oath was not passed un 1884. In 1872, Cox was nominated by a fusion ticket of Democrats and anti- Grant Republicans for U.S. Representative at-large. Horace Greeley, his opponent in 1870, was the ticket's presidential nominee, putting Cox in the unusual position of stumping for his most recent rival. Cox lost the election to Republican
Lyman Tremain Lyman Tremain (June 14, 1819, in Durham, Greene County, New York – November 30, 1878, in New York City) was a jurist and politician from New York. Biography He was admitted to the bar in 1840 and practiced in Durham, where he was elected ...
. In the lame duck session, Cox unsuccessfully opposed a salary increase for members of Congress and returned the excess salary ($4,812) he received to the Treasury. Soon after his departure from Congress, U.S. Representative James Brooks died, leaving a vacant seat along the East River, stretching from the
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...
to Murray Hill. Cox consented to be nominated in the special election, and won in a landslide. Ultimately, Cox did not miss a single day of the Congressional session. Along with Pennsylvania Representative
Samuel J. Randall Samuel Jackson Randall (October 10, 1828April 13, 1890) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who represented the Queen Village, Society Hill, and Northern Liberties neighborhoods of Philadelphia from 1863 to 1890 and served as the 29th ...
, he led the opposition to the civil rights for freedmen. He was returned to the House from a slightly redrawn
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...
district in a landslide in 1874.


House leadership

The 1874 House elections gave the Democrats their first post-War majority. Cox, who had been nominated for the position as a matter of party honors under Republican majorities, was one of three candidates for
Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
. The other candidates were Samuel Randall and Michael C. Kerr. Cox drew enthusiastic support from the West and South, but ultimately finished third behind Kerr and Randall. As consolation and in recognition of his years of service, Cox was named Chairman of the powerful Committee on Banking and Currency in 1875. Early in 1876, Speaker Kerr was seized with fatal illness and Cox served as acting Speaker on occasion. Cox was ultimately named Speaker ''pro tem'' on June 19. However, Cox left the capital to serve as a delegate to the
1876 Democratic National Convention The 1876 Democratic National Convention assembled in St. Louis just nine days after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati. This was the first political convention held west of the Mississippi River. St. Louis was noti ...
, and
Milton Sayler Milton Sayler (November 4, 1831 – November 17, 1892) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a three-term U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1873 to 1879. He was a cousin of Henry B. Sayler, who served in the U.S. Congress, re ...
was chosen to fill the Speakership. When Cox returned, Sayler did not relinquish the chair. After Kerr's death, Randall was elected his successor in the 45th Congress and Cox was additionally placed at the head of the committee on the Tenth Census. In the contested election of 1876, Cox loyally supported Democrat Samuel Tilden over Rutherford B. Hayes and implicitly gave his support to a special committee bill to investigate irregularities in Hayes states, but gave a speech urging the House to accept Hayes as the victor. In 1881, Cox took an extended global trip. He first visited London, attending the funeral of
Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...
and the House of Commons, where the debate over the Bradlaugh case further reinforced his opposition to the test oath. Later, he traveled to Constantinople and Jerusalem. Cox was in Tarsus when he learned of the assassination of President James A. Garfield via telegram. Upon his return to the United States, Cox became active in the movements for civil service reform and restrictions on foreign contract labor.


U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire

In 1884, New York Governor Grover Cleveland was elected President, the first Democrat since Buchanan. In May 1885, Cleveland nominated Cox as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Cox resigned his seat to accept appointment, citing the frantic pace of Congress and his continued minor role. Before departing for Constantinople, he published a second memoir, ''Three Decades of Federal Legislation''. Arriving in Constantinople on August 1, Cox was received by the Sultan's
Foreign Minister A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
. Cox spent much of his time touring the eastern Mediterranean, including the
Nile River The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest rive ...
and Princes' Islands.


Return to Congress

After serving for a year as Minister, Cox resigned in 1886, citing homesickness and a desire to return to domestic politics. He ran for Congress to fill the vacant seat left by Joseph Pulitzer, once again representing the
Lower East Side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...
(specifically the area known today as Alphabet City). He had, once again, missed a minimal amount of Congressional service, and Representative Cummings claimed that Cox was thus the first man elected twice to the same Congress (the 49th). During his last term, he was chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and once again served as chair of the Census Committee. He actively supported measures to irrigate the western United States, drawing on desert aridity he had witnessed as Minister. He broke with his party in supporting the annexation of new Western states in 1889. In 1888, Cox declined to run for Mayor of New York. He ran instead for Congress and won. However, he died before the 51st Congress met.


Politics and legacy

Cox was an advocate against the persecution of the Jews worldwide and in Russia and Germany in particular and of the Irish, working to free Irish prisoners of England. He advocated for the annexation of Cuba as early as 1859. He was a backer of the Life Saving Service, later merged into the United States Coast Guard. He was also known as the "letter carriers' friend" because of his support for paid benefits and a 40-hour work week for U.S. Post Office employees. In 1891, grateful postal workers raised $10,000 to erect a statue of Cox by sculptor
Louise Lawson Louise Lawson (1861NECROLOGY: Lawson, Louise, sculptor, 61 ...
in New York City. It was originally placed near his home on East 12th Street but was later moved to its present location in Tompkins Square Park. It depicts Cox orating and has been criticized as a poor likeness."Tompkins Square Park: Samuel Sullivan Cox"
New York City Department of Parks & Recreation website.
Wirth, Carolyn
"Louise Lawson"
''To Work As a Sculptor'', September 3, 2010.
The statue became controversial in 2020. Cox wrote several books including ''Why We Laugh,'' ''A Buckeye Abroad'' (1852), ''Eight years in Congress, from 1857 to 1865'' (1865) and ''Three Decades of Federal Legislation, 1855-1885'' (1885). His colleagues appreciated him most for his ready sense of humor, usually gentle rather than cutting. Indeed, some of them thought that his joking quality may have kept him from becoming Speaker of the House, because, for all his hard work and studious habits, he was not taken seriously. "In his political action he seemed more anxious to annoy his opponents than to extinguish them," Congressman
George S. Boutwell George Sewall Boutwell (January 28, 1818 – February 27, 1905) was an American politician, lawyer, and statesman from Massachusetts. He served as Secretary of the Treasury under U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, the 20th Governor of Massachuse ...
of Massachusetts wrote, in a typical dismissal. "His speeches were short, pointed and entertaining. He was a favorite with the House, but his influence upon its action was very slight. Those who acquire and retain power are the earnest and persistent men. When Cox had made his speech and expended his jokes he was content. The fate of a measure did not much disturb or even concern him." Cox once whimsically suggested that those supporting a high protective tariff duty on foreign coal should likewise lay a heavy duty on the sun, as a dangerous competitor in warming people up. Others who served longer with him realized that Cox also had the grit and parliamentary skill to make a formidable adversary in debate. Speaker of the House Thomas Brackett Reed said, "in action he was a whole skirmish line, and has covered more movements of the Democratic party, and led it out of more parliamentary pitfalls than any of its orators and all its leaders put together."


Personal life

Cox married Julia A. Buckingham on October 11, 1849. The two first met aboard a stage coach on Cox's way to Brown and became reacquainted upon his return to Zanesville as a lawyer. They honeymooned in Europe from May to September 1851 and saw the
Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...
. Julia wrote many of his speeches. Cox's nickname "Sunset" came from a florid description of the sunset he wrote as a young editor at the ''Ohio Statesman'', on May 19, 1853. The sobriquet was used by some to insinuate Cox was a chronic exaggerator. James H. Baker, then the editor of the ''Scioto Gazette'', a Whig newspaper in Chillicothe, gave him the title "by reason of a highly wrought and sophomoric editorial on a flaming sunset after a great storm." Cox was an avid traveler and kept detailed accounts of his trips abroad.


Publications

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See also

*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899) The following is a list of United States senators and representatives who died of natural or accidental causes, or who killed themselves, while serving their terms between 1790 and 1899. For a list of members of Congress who were killed while in ...


References


Bibliography

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External links

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New York City Parks & Recreation page for Cox statueMuseum of Hoaxes, "The Miscegenation Hoax"
*

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Samuel Sullivan 1824 births 1889 deaths Brown University alumni Ohio lawyers Ambassadors of the United States to the Ottoman Empire Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio Politicians from Zanesville, Ohio Editors of Ohio newspapers New York (state) lawyers Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery Ohio University alumni 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) 19th-century American diplomats Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American journalists American male journalists 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American politicians Journalists from Ohio 19th-century American lawyers