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Michael Crawford Kerr
32nd Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
In office December 6, 1875 – August 19, 1876
Preceded by	James G. Blaine
Succeeded by	Samuel J. Randall
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 2nd district
In office 1865 – 1872
Preceded by	James A. Cravens
Succeeded by	Simeon K. Wolfe
Born	March 15, 1827 Titusville, Pennsylvania
Died	April 13, 1890
Political party	Democratic

Painting by Charles A. Gray, 1912.

Michael Crawford Kerr (March 15, 1827–August 19, 1876) was an American legislator. He was born at Titusville, Pennsylvania, was educated at the Erie Academy and graduated at the law school of Louisville University in 1851. He removed to New Albany, Indiana, in 1852, and was a member of the State Legislature in 1856 to 1857. He was elected to Congress in 1864 as a "war" Democrat, having vigorously opposed the "Copperhead" element in his district. He served in the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat from Indiana from 1865 to 1873. In Congress he was looked upon as one of the leaders of the Democratic party. He strongly opposed the Republican policy of reconstruction in the Southern States. He was not reëlected in 1872. His views on financial questions did not meet with favor in his constituency, where he openly antagonized the inflationists and the "greenback" element and favored the resumption of specie payments. In 1874, however, after a sharp contest he was reëlected, and on his reëntry into Congress was elected to the speakership. He presided as Speaker at only the first session of the Forty-fourth Congress and died of consumption shortly after its adjournment.

In 1866, when Michael Kerr was running for office against http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/wqgresham.htm General Walter Q. Gresham, Kerr made the statement that he was not involved with the southern sympathizers, whose treason trial had been held in Indianapolis. General Henry L. Burnett had been the Judge Advocate at that trial, and had made the decisions which of those questioned had committed offenses great enough to cause them to be brought to trial, and which testimonies would be used only for information. Michael Kerr had been one of the smaller fishes in the conspiracy whom Burnett had decided not to bring to trial. Upon hearing that Kerr claimed to have had no part in the conspiracy, something which Burnett knew not to be true, Burnett had gone to a public square in New Albany and given a speech to a large crowd, the speech being afterwards printed as a newspaper broadsheet.

"In intent, in spirit, in purpose, he [Kerr] was a traitor. I say this, fellow citizens, dispassionately, and am responsible for what I say here or elsewhere. I KNOW MICHAEL C. KERR WAS A MEMBER OF THE ORDER, FOR HE CONFESSED IT TO ME HIMSELF TIME AND AGAIN when I had him in Indianapolis, trembling for his miserable life. I wish he were here now, that I might tell him to his teeth that he admitted to me -- and never thought of denying it -- making it the basis of all our conversation, that he was a Son of Liberty."

Although exposed as a member of the conspiracy by Burnett, Kerr was elected to Congress. General Burnett was one of the Special Judge Advocates at the trial of the assassins of Lincoln.

http://www.iment.com/maida/familytree/burnett/squarespeech.htm Original newspaper broadsheet in the collection of the State Archives in Indianapolis, IN.

This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.

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