I am writing a book, a dictionary or encyclopedia of politics, tentatively titled “LIARS, CROOKS & THIEVES: Politically Important People In History”. And it occurred that you, my dear readers, might enjoy a little taste of that work And so today I begin with the great Amos Kendall, the Karl Rove of his day, the first great “diabolical genius” in American history; a puritanical hypochondriac workaholic with a real talent for venom. Yes, he was emotionally unstable, but he had one of the best minds of his generation.
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AMOS KENDALL was born in Dunstable, Massachusetts in 1879. In 1814, at 35, an age when most men of that day were at the peak of their profession, Kendall was tall, thin and prematurely white haired. He was also a puritanical workaholic hypochondriac with a talent for venom. He moved to the frontier of Kentucky to officially become the tutor for the children of Henry Clay. But in 1816, with Clay’s political and financial backing, he became editor of the Frankfurt, Kentucky, Argus of Western America and crafted it into one of the most influential newspapers of the day, thanks largely to its editor’s poison pen. In 1824 he threw his paper’s support behind Henry Clay for president, even though Clay had not supported the Reform Party – see PANIC OF 1819. But Clay’s subsequent deal with John Quincy Adams – See JOHN Q. – angered so many of Kendall’s readers he reluctantly shifted his support to Andrew Jackson.
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In 1827 Kendall, along with his assistant editor Francis P. Blair, proved himself invaluable to candidate Andrew Jackson. Kendall became the center of a public relations machine that spread innuendo and smear throughout western newspapers so expertly that Martin van Buren, Jackson’s official campaign manager, took notice. It was the first time such a nationwide media campaign had ever been attempted, and the first time a political party coordinated their talking points nationwide. Kendall and his fellow political journalists thus helped found the DEMOCRATIC PARTY which elected Andrew Jackson President in 1828. Kendall was rewarded with a Federal job - Fourth Auditor of the Treasury, which was a cover for his real work in Washington. According to Rep. Henry Wise, (W – Virginia), Kendall was…the President’s thinking machine and writing machine and his lying machine…chief adviser, chief reporter, amanuenis, scribe…Nothing was well done without (him). He was the Karl Rove of the second quarter of the 19th century.
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In 1834 a grateful President Jackson named Kendall the Postmaster General. Kendall then proceeded to perfect the spoils system. There were wholesale firings of workers who were not Jacksonian Democrats, and they were replaced them with loyal Jacksonians. In an eerie pre-echo of Tom Delay’s “K” street project, Kendall even decreed that any company that had Post Office contracts had to hire Democrats exclusively, or just need not bother to apply for any future Post Office contracts. He even fired companies that already had contracts but kept Whigs on their payroll an action which was clearly illegal. One such stage line, Stockton & Stokes, sued when Kendall cancelled their contract to carry mail, but Government (i.e. Kendall’s) lawyers tied the case up with delaying motion after motion.
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When Martian van Buren replaced Jackson as President in 1836, Kendall stayed on as a powerful advisor. But Van Buren had lost his passion for politics, and when he proved considerably less popular than Jackson, Kendall was forced to resign his job as a Postmaster and return to P.R. work for his party. He started up a new newspaper in Washington, Kendall’s Expositor, which supported van Buren for a second term. But van Buren was a lost cause. Van Buren had lost his interest in politics, and when he lost the election to William Henry Harrison (who died sixth weeks later) both the paper and Kendall went bankrupt. Worse, for Kendall, in 1841 Stockton & Stokes finally got their case heard before the U.S. Supreme Court, which awarded them $162,000 in public money for their illegally cancelled contracts, and an additional $11,000 to be paid personally by Kendall.
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But Kendall was too connected to stay broke for long. In 1845 he became Samuel F. B. Morse’s business manager, helping that paranoid lunatic to create and run the International Telegraph (which would later become International Telephone and Telegraph – or I.T.& T company.) Kendall retired in 1860, fabulously wealthy, but disgusted that the Democratic Party he had help found was supporting successions. He died on November 12, 1869, with the party he had helped to create in ruins.
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AMOS KENDALL was born in Dunstable, Massachusetts in 1879. In 1814, at 35, an age when most men of that day were at the peak of their profession, Kendall was tall, thin and prematurely white haired. He was also a puritanical workaholic hypochondriac with a talent for venom. He moved to the frontier of Kentucky to officially become the tutor for the children of Henry Clay. But in 1816, with Clay’s political and financial backing, he became editor of the Frankfurt, Kentucky, Argus of Western America and crafted it into one of the most influential newspapers of the day, thanks largely to its editor’s poison pen. In 1824 he threw his paper’s support behind Henry Clay for president, even though Clay had not supported the Reform Party – see PANIC OF 1819. But Clay’s subsequent deal with John Quincy Adams – See JOHN Q. – angered so many of Kendall’s readers he reluctantly shifted his support to Andrew Jackson.
*
In 1827 Kendall, along with his assistant editor Francis P. Blair, proved himself invaluable to candidate Andrew Jackson. Kendall became the center of a public relations machine that spread innuendo and smear throughout western newspapers so expertly that Martin van Buren, Jackson’s official campaign manager, took notice. It was the first time such a nationwide media campaign had ever been attempted, and the first time a political party coordinated their talking points nationwide. Kendall and his fellow political journalists thus helped found the DEMOCRATIC PARTY which elected Andrew Jackson President in 1828. Kendall was rewarded with a Federal job - Fourth Auditor of the Treasury, which was a cover for his real work in Washington. According to Rep. Henry Wise, (W – Virginia), Kendall was…the President’s thinking machine and writing machine and his lying machine…chief adviser, chief reporter, amanuenis, scribe…Nothing was well done without (him). He was the Karl Rove of the second quarter of the 19th century.
*
In 1834 a grateful President Jackson named Kendall the Postmaster General. Kendall then proceeded to perfect the spoils system. There were wholesale firings of workers who were not Jacksonian Democrats, and they were replaced them with loyal Jacksonians. In an eerie pre-echo of Tom Delay’s “K” street project, Kendall even decreed that any company that had Post Office contracts had to hire Democrats exclusively, or just need not bother to apply for any future Post Office contracts. He even fired companies that already had contracts but kept Whigs on their payroll an action which was clearly illegal. One such stage line, Stockton & Stokes, sued when Kendall cancelled their contract to carry mail, but Government (i.e. Kendall’s) lawyers tied the case up with delaying motion after motion.
*
When Martian van Buren replaced Jackson as President in 1836, Kendall stayed on as a powerful advisor. But Van Buren had lost his passion for politics, and when he proved considerably less popular than Jackson, Kendall was forced to resign his job as a Postmaster and return to P.R. work for his party. He started up a new newspaper in Washington, Kendall’s Expositor, which supported van Buren for a second term. But van Buren was a lost cause. Van Buren had lost his interest in politics, and when he lost the election to William Henry Harrison (who died sixth weeks later) both the paper and Kendall went bankrupt. Worse, for Kendall, in 1841 Stockton & Stokes finally got their case heard before the U.S. Supreme Court, which awarded them $162,000 in public money for their illegally cancelled contracts, and an additional $11,000 to be paid personally by Kendall.
*
But Kendall was too connected to stay broke for long. In 1845 he became Samuel F. B. Morse’s business manager, helping that paranoid lunatic to create and run the International Telegraph (which would later become International Telephone and Telegraph – or I.T.& T company.) Kendall retired in 1860, fabulously wealthy, but disgusted that the Democratic Party he had help found was supporting successions. He died on November 12, 1869, with the party he had helped to create in ruins.
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