Charles O'Conor

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Charles O'Conor was an American lawyer who ran in the U.S. presidential election, 1872. He was born in New York City, the son of Thomas O'Connor, a member of the O'Conor Don family, who in 1801 emigrated from County Roscommon, Ireland, to New York, where he devoted himself chiefly to journalism. Charles O'Conor studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1824, and soon won high reputation in his profession. In 1852, he was a presidential elector on the Democratic ticket, voting for Franklin Pierce. He was United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1853 to 1854. In politics an extreme States' rights Democrat, he opposed the response with force to attacks by rebels on United States military institutions. After the American Civil War he became senior counsel for Jefferson Davis on his indictment for treason. These facts and O'Conor's connection with the Roman Catholic Church affected unfavourably his political fortunes