Character or The Making of the Man — Carmack 1909

📗 Character or The Making of the Man is a 1909 posthumous essay on personal integrity, morality, and civic virtue by Edward Ward Carmack (1858–1908), a United States Senator from Tennessee and one of the most colorful political figures of the early twentieth-century South. Published by McQuiddy Printing Company in Nashville, Tennessee, this 66-page volume reflects Carmack’s oratorical style and the moral philosophy of the turn-of-the-century American South. This copy bears a handwritten inscription by Carmack himself on the frontispiece page.

Quick Facts

• Author: Edward Ward Carmack (1858–1908), U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1901–1907), editor of the Nashville Tennessean
• Title: Character or The Making of the Man
• Publisher: McQuiddy Printing Company, Nashville, Tennessee
• Year: 1909 (posthumous; Carmack was killed November 9, 1908)
• Edition: First edition, copyright 1909
• Format: Paperback, flexible limp red suede cover with gilt titling
• Pages: 66
• Size: Approximately 21 cm (8.25 inches)
• Illustration: Oval portrait frontispiece of the author
• Inscription: Handwritten “Your Friend, Ed. Carmack” on the frontispiece page
• Condition: Fair/Good — see full report below

About the Author

Edward Ward Carmack was born November 5, 1858, in Sumner County, Tennessee. Raised in hardship after his father’s early death, he became a lawyer, newspaper editor, and powerful political figure. Carmack served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1897–1901) and the U.S. Senate (1901–1907), where he served on the Lodge Committee investigating war crimes during the Philippine-American War. He was a leading voice in Tennessee’s temperance movement.

After losing a bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to incumbent Malcolm Patterson in 1908, Carmack became editor of the Nashville Tennessean. On November 9, 1908 — four days after his 50th birthday — Carmack was fatally shot on the streets of Nashville by Duncan Brown Cooper and his son Robin Cooper, following a bitter feud fueled by anti-Cooper editorials Carmack had published. A bronze statue of Carmack was erected on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol in 1927; it stood there until it was torn down during the George Floyd protests in May 2020.

Character or The Making of the Man was published posthumously in 1909, likely completed or in galley proofs at the time of Carmack’s assassination. The inscription — “Your Friend, Ed. Carmack” — on the frontispiece suggests this copy was personally signed by Carmack before his death, making it an uncommon association copy.

The Book

The volume opens with an “Introductory” section praising Carmack’s versatility and talents. The essay itself addresses themes of character building, moral integrity, and civic responsibility — subjects central to Carmack’s public career as a prohibitionist, political reformer, and newspaper editor. The text references Napoleon Bonaparte and explores the qualities that distinguish effective leaders and citizens, written in the direct, forceful rhetorical style for which Carmack was known on the Senate floor and in his editorial columns.

Carmack’s writings reflected early twentieth-century Southern political thought and the progressive-era temperance movement. His speeches and editorials were considered among the most eloquent of his generation in Tennessee politics, and this published essay represents one of the few standalone written works bearing his name.

Condition Report

Overall Grade: Fair (F)/Good (G)

Cover & Spine: Flexible limp red suede cover with gilt titling and ornate decorative frame. Fading and edge rubbing throughout; gilt front lettering remains clear and legible. Spine ends show rubbing. Inside cover exhibits cracking and leather peeling consistent with age.

Frontispiece & Title Page: Oval portrait of Carmack facing the title page. Handwritten inscription “Your Friend, Ed. Carmack” in ink beside the portrait. Title page confirms: CHARACTER or THE MAKING OF THE MAN by Edward Ward Carmack, Nashville, Tenn., McQuiddy Printing Company, 1909. Copyright page present.

Text Block & Pages: Lightly age-toned throughout with faint foxing spots on early pages. Notable paper tearing and edge loss to the rear blank flyleaves and margin of the final page leaves, though the main text body remains readable throughout. Sizeable loss to the front free endpaper near the hinge. See accompanying images for full condition details.

Binding: Softcover limp binding with tearing along the inner pastedowns and margin chipping at the rear leaves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a first edition? Yes. This is the first edition of Character or The Making of the Man, published by McQuiddy Printing Company in Nashville in 1909. The copyright page reads “COPYRIGHT, 1909, McQuiddy PRINTING COMPANY, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.”

What is the significance of the inscription? The handwritten “Your Friend, Ed. Carmack” on the frontispiece page indicates this copy was personally inscribed by Carmack. Since Carmack was killed on November 9, 1908 and the book was published in 1909, the inscription was almost certainly written from advance or galley copies before his death — making this a rare association copy.

Who was Edward Ward Carmack? Edward Ward Carmack (1858–1908) was a Tennessee attorney, newspaper editor, U.S. Representative (1897–1901), and U.S. Senator (1901–1907). He was a prominent temperance advocate and a powerful orator who was fatally shot in a political feud in Nashville in 1908. A statue of him stood at the Tennessee State Capitol from 1927 until 2020.

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