CHAPTER VI.

THE FIRST GOVERNOR.

Wisconsin was admitted into the Union on an equality with the other States on the 29th of May, 1848. On the 5th day of June, 1848, the new State government was organized with the installation of the State officers: Governor, Nelson Dewey; Lieutenant Governor, John E. Holmes; Secretary of State, Thomas McHugh; State Treasurer, Jarius C. Fairchild; Attorney General, James S. Brown. On the third day of the session ex-Gov. Henry Dodge and Isaac P. Walker were elected to represent the new State in the United States Senate. Walker drew the short term, and it expired on the 4th of March, 1849, when he was reëlected for a full term of six years. This first election of United States Senators was not brought about without some of the rivalry, jealousy, strife, heart-burning and disappointment that has characterized every similar election that has been held by the Wisconsin Legislature from that day to this. The early political struggles in Wisconsin were largely personal, and many men were seeking political advancement as soon as the State was organized. A portion of the Democrats were in favor of Dodge and Marshall M. Strong for Senators, and another large clique supported Judge Dunn and Isaac P. Walker. Doty, as usual, was a candidate on the Doty ticket. He had but a small following, however, on this occasion. The Dunn and Walker combination divided the vote about evenly, as against Dodge and Strong. An agreement was finally made whereby each of the factions got a candidate, the winning ticket being Dodge from the West, and Walker from the East, the latter receiving the support of the lake shore counties, and being greatly aided by his brother, George H. Walker, who was then a leading citizen and politician in Milwaukee. The anti-slavery sentiment then being much in evidence in the new State, both the Sena

tors were pledged beforehand to the freedom of the new territories. Henry Dodge was already one of the best known and most popular citizens of Wisconsin, but Walker did not come to the territory until 1842. Still he was not a total stranger. Walker was not a college graduate, and had no educational equipment except what he obtained in common schools. He was born in Virginia, and studied law in Danville, Ill. He was elected to the Legislature of Illinois before he was 25 years of age, and was one of the presidential electors in that State on the Van Buren ticket in the great defeat of 1840. He opened a law office in Milwaukee in 1842, and soon had a large practice. He served two terms in the Territorial Legislature from 1847, and attracted some public attention while a member of that body. He was Speaker of the House in 1847. The same Legislature that elected Mr. Walker adopted a joint resolution on the 8th day of February, 1849, instructing the Senators in Congress and the members of the House of Representatives to oppose any bills for the organization of New Mexico and California, or any other territory acquired from Mexico, unless they contained a clause forever prohibiting slavery. On the 31st of March the Legislature felt called upon to pass another joint resolution, to the following effect:

"Whereas, Hon. I. P. Walker, one of the Senators from this State in Congress, in presenting and voting for an amendment to the general appropriation bill, providing for a government in California and New Mexico, west of the Rio Grande, which did not contain a provision forever prohibiting the introduction of slavery or involuntary servitude in said territories, has violated his pledges given before his election on that subject, outraged the feelings of the people, misrepresented those who elected him, and has openly violated the instructions contained in the resolutions passed by this body on the subject of slavery at the present session; he is hereby requested to immediately resign his seat."

Senator Dodge's course was commended. It is needless to say that Walker did not resign. Dodge always voted to keep slavery out of the territories, and aimed to keep himself in touch with the people. Walker attended the next Democratic State Convention at Madison and tried to get himself reinstated in the party