Patrick Cudmore was born in Ireland in June 1831, emigrated to New York in 1846, on to Wisconsin in 1853, and Minnesota in 1856. He served in the Civil War, practiced law in Southeastern Minnesota and wrote many books -- history, poetry, satires, sermons and much more. He usually published his own works. He died on February 14, 1916, at age eighty-four.
His history of "The Civil Government of the States, and the Constitutional History of the United States" was published in 1875 and reviewed in the "Manhattan and De La Salle Monthly" in November of that year:
"This work is evidently the result of much patient accumulation of legal, political and historical material bearing on the object of the author, which has been to condense into one volume the colonial, general and constitutional history of the United States. To effect this purpose, Mr. Cudmore has sought to digest the writings and other utterances of the fathers of the Constitution; the opinions of eminent jurists native and foreign on our system of government; the history and statutes of the several States as well as of the United States; decisions of the higher courts of the same; the Congressional records; with illustrations of, or commentaries bearing on any or all of these topics, or authorities.
"The volume also embraces the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the National Platforms of the great political parties since 1830, and a chapter on Soldiers' Bounties, Land Grants and the Homestead Law: but, while credit is given to General Shields, as it was proper, tor his efforts in passing the bill granting land warrants to soldiers of the Mexican war, no mention is made of the continuous labors in both houses of Congress of the late President Andrew Johnson, for years, in favor of the Homestead Law. There is really a great amount of interesting and useful matter in the volume, with thousands of references to authorities: but the plan is not all that might be desired, and fails to present the patience, reading and research of the author in their best aspect, or in the manner best calculated to carry out his admirable intention. For instance: The perfected form of the Constitution instead of being given in an isolated position (pp. 188-200) would more effectively and usefully appear in the chapter in which Constitutional Convention is discussed, and the propositions and ideas of some of its leading members presented.
"Again, the Declaration of Independence is out of place at the end of the chapter on Land Grants. Its position should accord with its historical precedence. The same may be said in regard to the articles of Confederation, which almost close the volume, instead of following the Declaration. This lack of order is very perplexing to a reader, and, as we stated, calculated to detract from the estimate which might be, otherwise, formed of the author's patience, perseverance and purpose. These drawbacks are more noticeable as the work is avowedly prepared for reference. And this brings us to the great deficiency of the volume as a work of reference. It has neither a Table of Contents giving the subjects of the chapters, nor an Index by which the politician, lawyer, or editor might be enabled to profit by its numberless details. The want of an index is an inexcusable defect in any historical or political work; but it is one which can, fortunately, be remedied in a future edition."
Other publications of Cudmore posted on the MLHP are:
1) "Autobiography." (1896).
2) "Territorial Bar: A Sketch of the Territorial Bar of Rice County, Steele County, and Waseca County." (1897).
(Posted MLHP: April 3, 2016)
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