Origin of the Term Doughface – At an Anti-Nebraska meeting held at Delhi, New York, says the Gazette of that place, Judge Hathaway, who was one of the speakers, mentioned an anecdote showing the origin of the term “doughface,” so commonly applied to Northern men with Southern principles. —
When a young man he was present at an interview between General Root, and one Dr. Clarke, at that time representing Delaware and Green counties in Congress. Dr. Clarke was a supporter of the Missouri Compromise, and advocated and voted for the admission of Missouri into the Union under the compromise. In the conversation with General Root, he was related some incidents which transpired during the debate upon the hill. Dr. Clarke stated that he addressed the House in fever of the passage of the hill, and, said he, “all the time that I was speaking, John Randolph, of Virginia, sat and sneeringly pointed his long, bony finger at me, and made up faces at me, and just as I sat down, he screamed out at me, in his shrill, speaking voice: “<em>Doughface, doughface</em>.” Judge Hathaway remarked that this Dr. Clarke seemed proud of the appellation.
Originally published in the Belmont Chronicle, and Farmers, Mechanics, and Manufacturers Advocate of St. Clairsville, OH on 29 Sep 1854 pg 3.
