A. Oakley Hall

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A. Oakey Hall (1826 – 1898) was Mayor of New York from 1869 to 1872. He was alleged to have been part of the vilified "Tweed Ring". ^[1] Hall was called "Elegant Oakey" and it was said that he was a front of serenity and respectability.^[2] Later historians have questioned the depiction of Hall as corrupt or as a front man for a corrupt political order, even if the popular image has stuck.^[3]

[edit] Career

Mayor Hall. Want your place paved, you say? Certainly, Sir; how will you have it done, with good intentions or with broken promises? We will supply you with either at the City Hall. (Punchinello, April 1870.)

Hall was educated at New York University, becoming a practicing attorney before entering public service. His name has been the subject of confusion as he used a nom de plume for some of his earliest publishings and his given name in others; adding to the confusion was the fact that the two were distinguished by only a single letter. He authored a book prior to becoming mayor detailing the problems and challenges of large, ethnically diverse port cities, focusing on New Orleans. Hall also authored a formerly popular Christmas poem and song, "Old Whitey's Christmas Trot" (1857). Previously, Hall had served as New York City District Attorney from 1855 to 1858 prior to being elected to mayor.

He was unpopular for a myriad of reasons, partly due to the ongoing political clashes between Anglo "Nativists" and the Irish population. While Tweed, Hall and other Tammany leaders were Anglo, their power base rested largely upon Irish immigrants. This conflict boiled over in 1869 when Hall attempted to stop the Irish Orange Order (Irish of Anglo-Saxon and Scots-Irish descent) from holding a parade, perhaps provocatively celebrating the historic Orangemen (Anglo Protestant Irish) victory over ethnic Irish Catholics. Fearing that either banning the march or allowing it to continue would both lead to violence and mayhem, Mayor Hall allowed it to continue with increased policing. Nevertheless, riots did occur, cementing his negative image on both sides. Additionally, Hall, a Republican, backed away from supporting candidates from his party because of widespread dislike of the Nativists within the Party. He was seen as attempting to have it both ways rather than finding a middle ground.^[4] In particular, Thomas Nast, who had old-line Republican leanings, took aim at "Elegant Oakey" whom he considered to be the worst of the Tweed politicians because of his high standing, education and open presidential ambitions. Nast also felt that Hall got off lightly in the affair because of his continued personal connections with reformer and prosecutor Samuel Tilden.^[5] Nevertheless, Hall was entirely acquitted of all charges and, immediately following his mayoral tenure, he served as editor for the New York World, then a major daily newspaper. He then became a London correspondent to the paper and eventually resumed the practice of law in England.

In 1894, Hall defended Emma Goldman against charges of inciting to riot in New York City. He lost the case (she was sentenced to a year in prison) but she credited him with reducing the charges against her and providing her a platform to air her anarchist views. She described him as a great champion of free speech. (ref Emma Goldman, Living My Life, p. 128ff)

After the Tweed affair, Hall traveled to and from London and New York, involving himself in political issues, law, writing and business. In London he became an ardent spokesperson for municipal reform.^[6] He also was a London correspondent for the New York Herald and the Morning Journal. Hall successfully sued a New York-based political critic from London for defamation of character. His daughter, Carla DeLa Montaigne Hall, married Rear Admiral Thomas Holdup Stevens III, but maintained her name to honor her father.^[7] Mayor A. Oakey Hall was buried at Trinity Cemetery, as were other New York City mayors: Fernando Wood and Alfred Tennyson Dickens.

[edit] References

1. ^ Hamill, Pete (March 27, 2005). 'Boss Tweed': The Fellowship of the Ring. New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.
2. ^ Clinton, Henry Lauren (1897). Celebrated Trials. New York and London: Harper & Brothers Publishers. Retrieved on 2007-06-06. 
3. ^ Hoogenboom, Ari; Hoogenboom, Olive (September 1977). "Was Boss Tweed Really Snow White?". Reviews in American History 5 (3): 360–366. doi:10.2307/2701013. 
4. ^ O'Connell, Edward T.. Hibernian Chronicle: The second Orange riot. The Irish Echo Online. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.
5. ^ The Tammany Hall Corruption Cartoons of Thomas Nast. The Nevada Observer. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.
6. ^ The Week. The Nation (April 24, 1884). Retrieved on 2007-06-06.
7. ^ Thomas Holdup Stevens III. Arlington National Cemetery Website. Retrieved on 2007-06-06.

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