Representative John Jasiel Perry

John Jasiel Perry (August 2, 1811 – May 2, 1897) was a U.S. Representative from Maine, lawyer, journalist, and state legislator whose public career spanned much of the mid-nineteenth century. He was born in Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, on August 2, 1811. In 1812 he moved with his parents to Hebron, in what later became Oxford, Oxford County, Maine. Raised in rural Maine, he attended the common schools and later pursued further studies at the Maine Wesleyan Seminary. During one of his school terms in Hebron, his teacher was Franklin Pierce, who would later become the fourteenth President of the United States, a connection that placed Perry in contact with national political figures from an early age.

Perry’s early professional life was rooted in local public service and the law. He became deputy sheriff of Oxford County, gaining experience in law enforcement and county administration. At the same time, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1844, commencing practice in Oxford, Maine. His legal training and growing reputation in the community led to his election to the Maine House of Representatives, where he served multiple nonconsecutive terms in 1840, 1842, and 1843. He later returned for another term in 1872, reflecting his long-standing influence in state politics. In addition to his service in the lower house, he was elected to the Maine State Senate, serving in 1846 and 1847. Perry also held the position of clerk of the Maine House of Representatives in 1854, a role that placed him at the administrative center of the legislative process.

Perry’s state-level experience prepared him for national office during a period of intense political realignment. He was elected as an Opposition Party candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress, serving from March 4, 1855, to March 3, 1857, representing Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Opposition Party, a loose coalition of anti-Democratic forces in the 1850s, reflected the shifting partisan landscape in the years preceding the Civil War. Perry chose not to be a candidate for renomination in 1856 and returned to Maine after his first term. As the Republican Party emerged as the principal anti-slavery party in the North, he aligned with the new organization and was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-sixth Congress, serving from March 4, 1859, to March 3, 1861. Again he declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1860, concluding his formal congressional service at the outset of the secession crisis.

In addition to his legislative duties, Perry played a role in the final efforts to avert civil war. He served as a member of the Peace Conference of 1861, a gathering of delegates from various states held in Washington, D.C., in February 1861. The conference sought to devise a compromise that might prevent the outbreak of the American Civil War by addressing sectional tensions over slavery and states’ rights. Although the conference ultimately failed to halt the secession of Southern states or the onset of hostilities, Perry’s participation underscored his engagement with national issues at a critical moment in American history.

Following his congressional service, Perry expanded his career into journalism while continuing his involvement in public affairs. He became editor of the Oxford Democrat, a newspaper published in Oxford County, and held that position from 1860 to 1875. In this capacity he was extensively connected with newspapers both within Maine and beyond the state as a correspondent, using the press to comment on political developments and public policy. His editorial work coincided with the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, giving him a platform to influence public opinion during a transformative period in the nation’s history.

Perry also remained active in Maine state government after the war. He served as a member of the state executive council in 1866 and 1867, advising the governor and participating in the oversight of state administration during the early Reconstruction years. His return to the Maine House of Representatives in 1872 further demonstrated his continued engagement with legislative work and his enduring standing among voters in his region.

In 1875 Perry moved to Portland, Cumberland County, Maine, the state’s principal commercial and political center. There he resumed and continued the practice of law, drawing on the legal expertise and political experience he had accumulated over several decades. He lived in Portland for the remainder of his life, remaining a respected figure in legal and political circles. John Jasiel Perry died in Portland on May 2, 1897. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery in that city, closing a long career of service to both the State of Maine and the United States.