Early Years
Political Career in Virginia
Faulkner's calculating side was never more evident than in his switch of parties. His decision had more to do with the changing fortunes of the Whig Party in general and the demographics of the lower Valley in particular than it did with any shift in philosophy or principle. In an era in which party loyalty was akin to family blood, the move cemented Faulkner's reputation among his enemies (both old and new) as a self-seeking opportunist. The party switch was a root cause of Boteler's challenging him to a duel in 1855, but after Faulkner refused to appoint a second to receive the challenge intermediaries worked out a settlement.
Later Years
Faulkner took a leading role in 1871 and 1872 in revising the West Virginia Constitution. Widely publicized resolutions that he introduced in a public meeting in Berkeley County in the summer of 1871 and a draft of revisions that he prepared at the end of the year and that was printed in many of the state's Democratic newspapers set the agenda for the convention. His proposals included removing political disabilities from West Virginians who had supported the Confederacy; allowing the voters to determine whether to discontinue voting by ballot in favor of the voice vote in use before 1863; limitations on the General Assembly's authority but with power lodged in the state to regulate railroads; granting the governor a veto and also a line-item veto of appropriations bills, subject to being overridden by the General Assembly; revisions to county government structure; and preservation of the public school system. As a member of the convention Faulkner was active and influential, although the convention did not adopt all of his proposals when modifying many of the progressive features of the state's first constitution.
In 1874 Faulkner once again defeated his old rival, Boteler, who by then had been a Republican for a decade, and returned to Congress for a final two-year term. Faulkner died at Boydville in Martinsburg, West Virginia, on November 1, 1884, and was buried in the family plot in the city's Norbourne Parish Cemetery.
Time Line
-
July 2, 1806 - Charles J. Faulkner is born in Martinsburg to James Faulkner and Sally (or Sarah) Mackey Faulkner. He is probably named James F. Faulkner.
-
1822 - Charles J. Faulkner earns an A.B. from Georgetown College (later Georgetown University).
-
Summer 1828 - James Madison chairs a meeting in Charlottesville to call on the General Assembly to develop Virginia's economic and transportation infrastructures. Charles J. Faulkner and others are in attendance.
-
1829 - Charles J. Faulkner wins election to a one-year term representing Berkeley County in the House of Delegates, where he serves on the Committees for Courts of Justice and on Claims.
-
1831–1833 - Charles J. Faulkner represents Berkeley County in the House of Delegates, where he serves on the Committee for Courts of Justice and on the joint committee on the library.
-
January 14, 1832 - Before the House of Delegates, Charles J. Faulkner makes a long speech describing slavery as an inherited evil institution that slows economic development and endangers the safety of white people.
-
1833 - Governor John Floyd appoints Charles J. Faulkner to a commission to resolve a boundary dispute with Maryland.
-
September 26, 1833 - Charles J. Faulkner and Mary Waggoner Boyd marry at Boydville, Boyd's family mansion in Martinsburg. They will have six daughters and two sons.
-
1837 - Charles J. Faulkner wins election to the Senate of Virginia for a four-year term representing Berkeley, Hampshire, and Morgan Counties. He will serve on the joint library committee and on the Committee on General Laws.
-
1841 - Charles J. Faulkner wins reelection to the Senate of Virginia but resigns before the end of the session.
-
1843 - Charles J. Faulkner is an unsuccessful Whig candidate for Congress.
-
1848 - Charles J. Faulkner wins election to the House of Delegates and resumes his service on the Committee for Courts of Justice and the joint library committee.
-
Summer 1850 - Charles J. Faulkner wins a seat representing the counties of Berkeley, Clarke, and Jefferson at the Convention of 1850–1851, where he serves on the Committee on the Basis and Appointment of Representation.
-
March 26–27, 1851 - At the Convention of 1850–1851, Charles J. Faulkner delivers a major speech endorsing retaining the property qualification for the franchise as a proper method of protecting the rights of owners of property as well as taxing slaves according to their market value.
-
October 1851 - Charles J. Faulkner wins the first of four consecutive two-year terms in the House of Representatives from the district consisting of the counties of Berkeley, Clarke, Frederick, Hampshire, Jefferson, Morgan, Page, and Warren.
-
1853 - Charles J. Faulkner changes his political affiliation to the Democratic Party and defeats Alexander Robinson Boteler, the Whig candidate, to maintain his seat in the House of Representatives.
-
1855 - Alexander Robinson Boteler challenges Charles J. Faulkner to a duel, in part because Faulkner had switched his party affiliation to the Democratic Party. Faulkner refuses to appoint a second to receive the challenge, and intermediaries work out a settlement.
-
1859 - Alexander Robinson Boteler wins election to the House of Representatives from the district consisting of the counties of Berkeley, Clarke, Frederick, Hampshire, Jefferson, Morgan, Page, and Warren, defeating the incumbent, Charles J. Faulkner.
-
January 9, 1860 - President James Buchanan appoints Charles J. Faulkner minister to France.
-
March 1861 - President Abraham Lincoln recalls Charles J. Faulkner as minister to France and appoints a Republican to succeed him.
-
August 1861 - The U.S. government imprisons Charles J. Faulkner and charges him with using his diplomatic post to negotiate arms sales to the Confederacy.
-
December 1861 - The U.S. government exchanges Charles J. Faulkner for New York representative Alfred Ely.
-
1862–1863 - Charles J. Faulkner writes battle reports as Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's chief of staff.
-
1870 - Charles J. Faulkner becomes president of the Martinsburg and Potomac Railroad Company.
-
1871–1872 - Charles J. Faulkner takes a leading role in revising the West Virginia Constitution.
-
1874 - Charles J. Faulkner wins election to the House of Representatives from West Virginia, defeating his old political rival Alexander Robinson Boteler.
-
November 1, 1884 - Charles J. Faulkner dies at Boydville in Martinsville, West Virginia.
References
External Links
Cite This Entry
- APA Citation:
Tarter, B., & the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Charles J. Faulkner (1806–1884). (2020, March 3). In Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved from http://www.EncyclopediaVirginia.org/Faulkner_Charles_J_1806-1884.
- MLA Citation:
Tarter, Brent and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. "Charles J. Faulkner (1806–1884)." Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, 3 Mar. 2020. Web. READ_DATE.
First published: January 17, 2020 | Last modified: March 3, 2020
Contributed by Brent Tarter and the Dictionary of Virginia Biography. Brent Tarter is founding editor of the Dictionary of Virginia Biography.