Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 June 1888 — JOHN M. PALMER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

JOHN M. PALMER

Portrait and Sketch of the Democratic Nominee for Governor of Illinois. John M. Palmer was born in Scott County, Kentucky, in September, 1817, and went to Madison County, Illinois, in 1831, where he studied law and was elected Probate Judge. He was a disciple of Stephen A. Douglas, was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1847, and was elected to the State Senate five years later. He broke with his party

on the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and went back to the Senate as an anti-Nebraska Democrat. In the Legislature he was one of the five who voted for Lyman Trumbull and ultimately forced the Whig members to take him up and elect him. Palmer presided over the Republican State Convention at Bloomington in 1856, and henceforth took an active part in promulgating the principles of the party. He was beaten for Congress in 1859, was a Republican elector in 1860, and the next year was one of the five Illinois delegates to the Peace Congress at Washington. When the war broke out Palmer entered the service as Colonel of the Fourteenth Illinois Infantry, and soon became a Major General of volunteers, ending his army career in charge of the military administration of Kentucky in 1865. He had several quarrels with Gen. Sherman. Gen. Palmer was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Senator in 1867, but the following year was made the choice of the party for Governor. It was his lot to call a special session of the Legislature after the great Chicago fire. Later his protest was made against the military occupation of the city under General Sheridan. It was under Gov. Palmer’s administration that the new Constitution of 1870 was adopted. In 1872 Palmer strayed off into the Liberal fMd as a supporter of Horace Greeley, and soon was in full fellowship with the Democratic party, where he has ever since remained. His latest appearance in public affairs was as a dele-gate-at-large to the Democratic National Convention, where he was an ardent supporter of McDonald of Indiana. April 4 last the General was married to Mrs. H. L. Kimball.