753:
498:, a fellow attorney and Whig, wrote of Arnold's courtroom tactics: "By ridicule on the one hand, and impassioned appeals on the other, he constantly excited laughter or tears, while his power of invective was simply terrible." Temple noted that Arnold occasionally won cases when facts and evidence were against him by stubbornly seizing on a trivial circumstance of the case and focusing the jury's attention on it.
457:, where Grundy spoke at the courthouse the following day. Still wearing the nankeen suit, which had been soaked and ruined by rain the night before, Arnold burst into the courthouse and shouted, "Here I am again!" After being denied entry, he led Whig supporters in a noisy sing-along until the Democratic crowd dispersed and Grundy hurried to the next stop.
518:
and others proposed a milder set of resolutions (which were eventually adopted) that petitioned the state legislature to let East
Tennessee secede, but removed the resolution threatening violent force. Temple later recalled that Arnold mocked these resolutions as cowardly, and "poured a perfect broadside of ridicule and sarcasm."
464:, who was irritated that Arnold had ignored the rules laid out at the local party convention when declaring his candidacy. After the two attacked each other in respective editorials, Arnold circulated a 48-page pamphlet in which he accused Nelson of trying to split the party, and went so far as to make fun of Nelson's
388:, initially attempting to club him with a large stick. After Arnold batted the stick away, Heard drew a sawed-off dueling pistol and fired one shot, grazing Arnold's shoulder. Arnold then proceeded to beat Heard with a sword cane, and was preparing to spear Heard with the cane when he was disarmed by Congressman
517:
At the convention's
Greeneville session in June (which met after Tennessee had seceded from the Union), Arnold "warmly advocated" a series of resolutions that called for East Tennessee to break away from Tennessee and form a separate Union-aligned state, and to use violent force if necessary. Temple
341:
In 1829, Arnold again opposed Lea for the 2nd district seat, and was again narrowly defeated, 4,713 votes to 4,496. Arnold charged Lea with voter fraud, alleging that bribery and perjury had occurred, and suggesting that pro-Jackson state election officials had "prostituted and trampled under foot"
509:
In the years leading up to the Civil War, Arnold, like many of East
Tennessee's Whigs, remained staunchly pro-Union. Throughout the first half of 1861, Arnold, Brownlow, Temple, Nelson, and other Whig leaders relentlessly canvassed East Tennessee to rally support for the Union cause. At the first
330:, losing by a vote of 4,770 to 3,343. When he again ran for the seat in 1827, he circulated a pamphlet in the 2nd district that assailed Jackson's character, and rehashed an oft-repeated accusation that Jackson was an adulterer. He was narrowly defeated by the pro-Jackson candidate,
521:
Arnold spent most of the war at his home in
Greeneville, ignoring threats to Union supporters who remained in the region while it was under Confederate control. His family was divided during the war, with two of his sons serving as officers in the Confederate Army.
505:
in what Temple described as the "bitterest and most taunting manner." Brownlow, who was in attendance, waited quietly for Arnold to finish, and then delivered an equally long retort. Brownlow subsequently entitled this speech, "Reply to Thomas 'Dog' Arnold, Ass."
250:
Described as "one of the most erratic politicians ever produced by East
Tennessee," Arnold was remembered by his peers for his impassioned and unpredictable speeches, unwavering dedication to his positions, and ruthless use of wit and sarcasm. His attacks against
365:'s bill calling for a sale of the government's stock in the bank, and was the only Tennessee representative to support a bill declaring the bank's deposits safe. He was also the only Tennessee representative to vote in favor of building a federal road connecting
953:
310:. During the war, he became horrified when General Andrew Jackson ordered a soldier court-martialed and shot for straggling, and developed a negative view of Jackson that he would retain for the rest of his life. After the war, he taught school in Knox and
282:, which met following Tennessee's secession from the Union in June 1861, Arnold advocated the separation of East Tennessee from the rest of the state, and called for the use of force if necessary. He remained openly defiant of the
958:
361:, an institution Jackson had long sought to eliminate, scoffing at the "obfuscated farragoes" of the bank's enemies, who had threatened him. He was the only Tennessee representative to vote against Congressman
325:
In the mid-1820s, Arnold was one of the few
Tennessee politicians who opposed the initiatives of Jackson. In 1825, he unsuccessfully ran for Congress against Jackson ally and three-term 2nd district incumbent
988:
824:
Speech, Being a Reply to Thomas Dog Arnold, Ass, who
Appeared Before the Invitation, on Saturday Night, the 18th of September, 1852, in the Hearing of a Large Audience, and Assailed Said Brownlow
479:
bill calling for the establishment of a new national bank, Arnold dismissed Tyler as an "unfortunate miserable wretch." In 1842, Arnold came to the defense of John Quincy Adams when
Congressman
460:
Fueled by the regional fame he had acquired as an elector, Arnold again sought the 1st district seat in 1841. In April of that year, he engaged in a war of words with local Whig attorney,
442:. In this role, Arnold canvassed relentlessly, confronting any Democratic speaker who ventured into the district, and following them from campaign stop to campaign stop until they left.
494:
After leaving
Congress, Arnold returned to the practice of law. Using the aggressive, emotional style that had made him successful in politics, he gradually built a sizable clientele.
759:
415:, Arnold placed third, winning just 1,747 votes to 3,236 for Blair and 2,642 for Carter. He ran for the 1st district seat in 1835 and 1837, but each time lost to Carter.
354:, as the mountainous region's isolation was stalling its economic development. In 1831, Arnold was finally elected to Congress, edging Lea by a vote of 4,935 to 4,702.
384:(an anti-Jacksonite), but had drawn only a reprimand for the attack. In May, a friend of Houston's, Morgan A. Heard, attacked Arnold as he descended the steps of the
471:
In spite of his feud with Nelson, Arnold easily won the election in 1841. Like many of his fellow Whigs in
Congress, he grew increasingly frustrated with President
978:
453:. Arnold continuously interrupted Grundy's speech, prompting Grundy to quip, "you are the noisiest man I ever met." Arnold followed Grundy's entourage to
903:
868:
660:
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681:
735:
475:, who had run with Harrison on the Whig ticket, but was proving hostile to many of the party's core initiatives. Following Tyler's veto of a
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963:
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After the state legislature again redrew his district, Arnold, realizing had little chance of being reelected, declined to run in 1843.
909:
874:
228:
224:
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41:
235:, he spent his first term in Congress trying to thwart the Jackson Administration's agenda, and subsequently helped establish the
809:
851:
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216:
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35:
255:
in Congress provoked an assassination attempt from a Houston supporter in 1832. While Arnold provided vigorous opposition to
468:. In a May 1841 editorial, Nelson wrote of Arnold, "I feel constrained to publish him as a liar, a scoundrel and a Coward."
501:
In 1852, Arnold spoke at a Whig convention in Knoxville. For nearly an hour, he thrashed radical Whig newspaper editor
973:
357:
During his first term in Congress, Arnold was the lone Anti-Jacksonite in the Tennessee delegation. He supported the
435:
419:
408:
342:
the state's election laws. The House Committee on Elections dismissed his claim, however, citing lack of evidence.
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358:
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in May 1861, Arnold delivered a two-hour speech that, according to Temple, was the "finest effort of his life."
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295:
283:
156:
380:
In 1832, Arnold blasted former Congressman Sam Houston, who had been found guilty of assaulting Congressman
396:
350:
By the early 1830s, many East Tennesseans had grown frustrated with Lea's opposition to federally funded
395:
Fed up with Arnold, Jackson's allies in the Tennessee General Assembly redrew Arnold's district, moving
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311:
244:
236:
184:
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After the war, Arnold resumed his practice of law. He died on May 26, 1870, while attending court in
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502:
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279:
268:
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counties, where Arnold had his strongest support, to the 1st district. Undaunted, Arnold moved to
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954:
National Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee
562:
412:
385:
351:
116:
943:
938:
791:
Thomas B. Alexander, "Thomas A.R. Nelson as an Example of Whig Conservatism in Tennessee,"
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319:
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from 1841 to 1843. Arnold, reportedly a slave owner, was pro-Union. A staunch opponent of
215:(May 3, 1798 – May 26, 1870) was an American politician who served two terms in the
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804:
275:
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610:
366:
335:
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823:
543:
426:, and was thus frequently referred to as "General Arnold" by his contemporaries.
315:
959:
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee
920:
722:
Cases of Contested Elections in Congress: From the Year 1789 to 1834, Inclusive
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240:
232:
128:
635:
Vanquished Volunteers: East Tennessee Sectionalism from Statehood to Secession
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accused Adams of conspiring with the British to break up the United States.
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suit with blue, yellow and white stripes, debated an elegantly dressed
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989:
Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves
860:
331:
220:
65:
637:(East Tennessee State University Press, 1965), pp. 92-96, 96n, 119.
407:, in the 1st district, and challenged the 1st district incumbent,
373:, and the only Tennessee representative to vote against Jackson's
446:
423:
263:, he frequently clashed with leaders of his own party, such as
842:(Johnson City, Tenn.: Overmountain Press, 1995), pp. 341-351.
465:
429:
411:, in the 1833 election. In a three-way race that included
810:
Disunion!: The Coming of the American Civil War, 1789–1859
653:
813:(University of North Carolina Press, 2008), p. 150-151.
908:
873:
661:
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
617:(New York: The Cosmopolitan Press, 1912), pp. 56-65.
445:
At a stop in Greeneville, Arnold, wearing a bizarre
302:, in 1808. At the age of fourteen, he enlisted as a
685:(University Press of Kentucky, 1981), pp. 698-699n.
334:, 3,688 votes to 3,316. In 1828, Arnold endorsed
930:
782:(Tennessee Historical Commission, 1956), p. 34.
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298:, on May 3, 1798. He moved with his parents to
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697:
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314:counties. He studied law, was admitted to the
434:In 1840, Arnold was named the 1st district's
979:Southern Unionists in the American Civil War
904:U.S. House of Representatives
869:U.S. House of Representatives
629:
627:
625:
623:
278:, Arnold remained solidly pro-Union. At the
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647:
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949:People from Spotsylvania County, Virginia
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243:out of office by Jackson's allies in the
87:U.S. House of Representatives
36:U.S. House of Representatives
430:1840 election and 2nd congressional term
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832:
742:, Vol. 6, No. 9 (May 21, 1832), p. 261.
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931:
910:Tennessee's 1st congressional district
875:Tennessee's 2nd congressional district
826:," Entry at Google Books (No Preview).
765:The Biographical Dictionary of America
725:(Gales and Seaton, 1834), pp. 601-605.
670:
579:
217:United States House of Representatives
106:March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843
55:March 4, 1831 – March 3, 1833
795:, Vol. 15, No. 1 (March 1956), p. 24.
656:"Thomas Dickens Arnold (id: A000297)"
829:
780:Thomas A.R. Nelson of East Tennessee
679:Henry Clay, James F. Hopkins (ed.),
719:U.S. House Committee on Elections,
318:in 1822, and commenced practice in
13:
969:People from Greeneville, Tennessee
964:19th-century Tennessee politicians
14:
1000:
768:. Vol. 1. 1906. p. 145.
840:East Tennessee and the Civil War
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816:
798:
785:
772:
710:. Retrieved: 23 February 2013.
793:Tennessee Historical Quarterly
745:
740:United States Weekly Telegraph
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713:
555:
1:
902:Member of the
867:Member of the
852:U.S. House of Representatives
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296:Spotsylvania County, Virginia
289:
286:for the duration of the war.
157:Spotsylvania County, Virginia
490:Later life and the Civil War
418:In 1836, Arnold was elected
239:in Tennessee. He was twice
7:
704:Candidate: Thomas D. Arnold
532:
438:for presidential candidate
227:from 1831 to 1833, and the
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1005:
974:American militia generals
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512:East Tennessee Convention
503:William "Parson" Brownlow
280:East Tennessee Convention
265:William "Parson" Brownlow
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736:Attempt at Assassination
682:The Papers of Henry Clay
654:United States Congress.
615:Notable Men of Tennessee
174:Jonesborough, Tennessee
760:Arnold, Thomas Dickens
563:"Congress slaveowners"
440:William Henry Harrison
346:1st congressional term
300:Knox County, Tennessee
838:Oliver Perry Temple,
778:Thomas B. Alexander,
413:William Blount Carter
352:internal improvements
213:Thomas Dickens Arnold
984:Burials in Tennessee
392:, ending the melee.
320:Knoxville, Tennessee
633:Eric Russell Lacy,
607:Oliver Perry Temple
567:The Washington Post
496:Oliver Perry Temple
294:Arnold was born in
194:Loretta Rose Arnold
16:American politician
805:Elizabeth R. Varon
274:On the eve of the
927:
926:
918:Succeeded by
896:William B. Carter
883:Succeeded by
611:Mary Boyce Temple
422:of the Tennessee
420:brigadier general
336:John Quincy Adams
245:state legislature
210:
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117:William B. Carter
91:from Tennessee's
40:from Tennessee's
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613:(compiler),
571:, retrieved
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527:Jonesborough
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451:Felix Grundy
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229:1st district
225:2nd district
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169:(1870-05-26)
167:May 26, 1870
124:Succeeded by
101:
78:Samuel Bunch
73:Succeeded by
50:
944:1870 deaths
939:1798 births
455:Rogersville
405:Greeneville
371:New Orleans
308:War of 1812
304:drummer boy
284:Confederacy
253:Sam Houston
154:May 3, 1798
112:Preceded by
61:Preceded by
933:Categories
915:1841-1843
880:1831-1833
573:2022-01-15
550:References
477:Henry Clay
473:John Tyler
409:John Blair
375:Force Bill
328:John Cocke
290:Early life
237:Whig Party
199:Profession
150:1798-05-03
861:Pryor Lea
539:John Bell
397:Jefferson
332:Pryor Lea
276:Civil War
257:Democrats
221:Tennessee
102:In office
66:Pryor Lea
51:In office
533:See also
312:Grainger
259:such as
202:Attorney
95:district
44:district
447:nankeen
436:elector
424:militia
386:Capitol
367:Buffalo
306:in the
907:from
872:from
756:
191:Spouse
176:, U.S.
159:, U.S.
401:Cocke
466:limp
399:and
369:and
267:and
185:Whig
164:Died
144:Born
762:".
738:,"
529:.
316:bar
223:'s
93:1st
42:2nd
935::
831:^
807:,
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690:^
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581:^
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271:.
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758:"
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