A Brother in Arms: Benjamin Tappan and the Antislavery Democracy

Abstract

In 1847 Benjamin Tappan, an Ohio politician and former United States senator, tried to persuade his younger brother Lewis Tappan to give up abolitionism and join Democratic party. Fifteen years Lewis's senior, Benjamin had been his childhood companion and tutor, and bond between them held even as their adult careers and convictions took divergent paths. Benjamin had become a lawyer, politician, scientist, and religious skeptic; Lewis an evangelical Christian merchant, philanthropist, and abolitionist. Yet despite what Benjamin called our totally different modes of thinking, they remained not only loving brothers but best friends. For forty years they had discussed their differences with a candor born of deep affection. Now Benjamin took up a question that had long divided them-how best to eliminate national scourge of slavery.1 You will find, he warned, if you live 40 years longer than I have, that there can be but two parties in this country, 'Aristocratic' & 'Democratic.' All factions and divisions must merge into them in end. The history of all republicks ancient & modern proves very clearly to my mind constant existence & antagonism of these two parties, one conservative other progressive. His own party, Democrats, were true antislavery party, for the Democratic principle is one of progressive improvement in condition of human race, while slavery is conservative & opposed to progress. You belong to progressives, Benjamin Tappan told his brother, for the natural equallity of man is a leading article in your creed. I belong to same party but while we