John Hutchins

As printed in 1879

JOHN HUTCHINS.

John Hutchins was born in Vienna, Trumbull county, Ohio, July 25, 1812. His father, Samuel Hutchins, and his mother, whose maiden name was Flower, were natives of Connecticut, and among the earliest settlers in the Western Reserve. Samuel. Hutchins first came to Ohio in the year 1798, and in 1800 drove an ox-team from Connecticut to Vienna, where he then settled. He had a family of three sons and four daughters, the subject of this notice being the fourth child. He was educated in the common schools of the county until about twenty years of age, when he pursued his studies with a private tutor, and subsequently entered the preparatory department of Western Reserve College. He commenced the study of law at Warren, Ohio, in 1835, in the office.of David Tod, afterwards well known as one of Ohio's ablest war governors, and was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1838, at New Lisbon.

After about one year's practice of his profession he was appointed clerk of the court of common pleas of Trumbull county, in which capacity he served five years. He then resigned and entered the law firm of Tod & Hoffman, which became Tod, Hoffman & Hutchins. He afterward became connected with J. D. Cox, since Governor Cox, and was his partner at the breaking out of the rebellion. In 1868 he removed to Cleveland and formed a partncrsliip with J. E. & G. L. IngersoU, under the firm name of Hutchins & IngersoU. Subsequently he became associated with his son, John C, now prosecuting attorney, and 0. J. Campbell, as Hutchins & Campbell, which connection he has maintained to the present time. In 1849 and 1850 he was a member of the legislature. This legislature called the convention which formed the constitution of 1851.

In the year 1858 he was elected a representative to the thirty-sixth Congress, as successor to the Hon. Josiiua E. Giddings, and two years afterwards was re-elected to the thirty-seventh Congress from the same district. The territory of the district was then changed, and from the new district Gen. Garfield was chosen to succeed him. In Congress Mr. Hutchins took an active part in the advanced measures for the prosecution of the war against the rebellion, including the abolition of slavery and the employment of colored soldier's.

He had also advocated and voted for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, and indeed had espoused the anti-slavery cause as early as the year 1833, and was an active woi-ker till slavery was abolished. He belonged to the old Liberty party, and was mobbed in Trumbull, his native county, for declaring his convictions on the subject of slavery. In an antislavery meeting in Hudson, Ohio, about the year 1841, in criticizing what he regarded as the pro-slavery position of the Western Reserve College, he used language which was distasteful to the faculty and students, and he was thoroughly hissed by the latter.

In giving the history of the anti-slavery cause on the Western Reserve, and in reference to the anti-slavery efforts of President Storer and Professors Beriah Green and E. Wright, Jr., when connected with the college, he said, "Then an anti-slavery light blazed from College Hill, but where is that light now?" when the hissing continued for severalmmutes, but was finally drowned in cheers.

We quote from the remarks of Mr. Hutchins in the thirty-seventh Congress, as published in the American Annual Cyclopedia, on the subject of using colored troops to put down the Rebellion: "If we can take for soldiers minor apprentices and minor sous, wc have the same right to take slaves; for they are either persons or property. If they are persons we are entitled to their services to save the Government, and the fact that they are not citizens does not change the right of the Government to their services as subjects, unless they owe allegiance to a foreign government. If colored persons are property we may certainly use that property to put down the rebellion."

In Congress he also took up the subject of postal reform, introduced a bill and made an able and carefully prepared speech in its favor, in which he advocated a reduction of postage on letters, and a uniform rate for all distances, as well as a uniformity of postage on printed matter; and in addition especially urged the advantages of the carrier delivery system. These measures have since been substantially adopted by the government. Mr. Hutchins received special mention from the Postmaster General for his able and persistent efforts in this direction. He is at present occupied in the practice of his profession as a member of the firm of Hutchins & Campbell. As a lawyer he occupies a high rank and has ever been esteemed by the members of the bar for his integrity, and for the ability with which he discharges the duties devolving upon him.

He married Ilhoda M. Andrews, by whom he has five children, three sons and two daughters; Horace A. and John C, living in Cleveland; Albert E., re. siding in Chicago; Mary H., who is with her parents in Cleveland; and Helen K. who died of typhoid fever, at the age of twenty-two.

As printed in History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. With portraits and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers (1879). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.