USA > Iowa > Cherokee County > Biographical history of Cherokoe County, Iowa : Containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Harrison, with accompanying biographies of each ; a condensed history of Iowa, with portraits and biographies of the governors of the state ; engravings of prominent citizens in Cherokee County, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families. A concise history of the county, the cities, and townships > Part 1
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HAROLD B. LEE LIBRARY BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERNTY PROVO, UTAH
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Brigham Young University
https://archive.org/details/biographicalhist1889chic
F 627 C47 B6
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 1
-OF-
CHEROKEE COUNTY, IOWA,
CONTAINING PORTRAITS OF ALL THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES FROM WASHINGTON TO HARRISON, WITH ACCOMPANYING BIOGRAPIIIES OF EACH; A' CONDENSED HISTORY OF IOWA, WITH PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF THE GOVERNORS OF THE STATE ; ENGRAVINGS OF PROMINENT CITIZENS IN CHEROKEE COUNTY, WITHI PERSONAL HISTORIES OF MANY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS AND LEADING FAMILIES. A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY, THE CITIES, AND TOWNSHIPS.
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS, 113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO, 1889,
THE LIBRARY BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY PROVO, UTAH
1
CONTENTS.
PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
/ George Washington 9
John Adams. 14
. Thomas Jefferson
20
James Madison
26
James Monroe.
32
. John Quincy Adams 38
- Andrew Jackson
47
Martin Van Buren 52
William Henry Harrison 56
John Tyler ..
60
James K. Polk
64
Zachary Taylor
68
Millard Filmore
72
Franklin Pierce. 76
James Buchanan . 80
Andrew Johnson
93
Ulysses S. Grant.
96
Geology
· 158
Rutherford B. Hayes 102
James A. Garfield 109
Chester A. Arthur.
113
Grover Cleveland.
117
Benjamin Harrison
120
GOVERNORS OF IOWA.
Robert Lucas
171
John Chambers
178
James Clarke.
175
Ansel Briggs
179
Stephen Hempstead.
183
James W. Grimes 187
Ralph P. Lowe. .
191
Samuel J. Kirk wood 195
William M. Stone 199
Iowa Since the War
151
Samuel Merrill
203
Cyrus C. Carpenter.
207
Joshua G. Newbold.
.211
Buren R. Sherman
219
William Larrabee
223
HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTION
229
Location, Topography and Geology. 230
CHAPTER II.
EARLY SETTLEMENT. Early Settlement-The New England Colony. 233
The First Stake Driven. .
233
CHAPTER III.
FIRST EVENTS
239
CHAPTER IV.
INDIAN TROUBLES
241
A Terrible Experience
243
Pioneer James A. Brown's Experience.
244
CHAPTER V.
ORGANIZATION.
Creation and Organization of the County.
246
The County Seat .
247
Organization of Townships ...
215
CHAPTER VI.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
County Court. .
250
Board of Supervisors
251
Court-house.
255
Taxes Levied, etc
255
CHAPTER VII
MISCELLANEOUS.
Population by Townships
257
Church Property in 1855
257
Recorded Plats. ..
258
Climate.
163
Census of Iowa .. 164
Territorial Officers
164
State Officers.
165
HISTORY OF IOWA.
Aboriginal 123
Caucasian.
124
Pioneer Life
133
Louisiana Territory
137
Iowa Territory.
189
State Organization and Subse- quent History 141
Patriotism.
146
State Institutions.
151
Educational
154
Abraham Lincoln
84
Statistical
157
John H. Gear ..
215
Physical Features
.158
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
POLITICAL. ..
261
Official Vote. 262
CHAPTER IX.
EDUCATIONAL.
271
School Report for 1888.
272
The Normal Institute ..
273
CHAPTER X.
AGRICULTURAL.
Agriculture and Stock-raising.
274
Farm Statistics in 1885. 276
The County Fair .. 276
CHAPTER XI.
RAILROADS
277
Laud Grants 277
279
CHAPTER XII.
THE BAR
281
CHAPTER XIII.
MEDICAL PROFESSION 284
Physicians of Cherokee County. 285
Cherokee County Medical Association 287
Willow
342
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CIVIL WAR
288
CHAPTER XV.
NEWSPAPERS.
The Newspaper Press 290
CHAPTER XVI.
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
296
Severe Storms.
298
The Grasshopper Plague.
301
CHAPTER XVII.
TOWNSHIP HISTORY.
Afton. 303
Amherst
305
Cedar 307
Village of Larrabee. 309
Diamond.
310
Grand Meadow
311
Liberty 312
Marcus 315
Town of Marcus 318
Pilot
324
Pitcher. Village of Aurelia
329
Rock
332
Silver.
333
Spring
335
Sheridan
337
Village of Meriden
339
Tilden
341
Village of Washta 344
Village of Quimby 347
Cherokee .
318
The City of Cherokee.
349
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Archer, James.
.461
Bruce, Nathaniel. .509
Arnold, F. D.
475
Bruce, William
.477
Crippen, N. W
. 608
Austin, W. H
.534
Bailey, A. C.
636
Bailey, E. B.
.440
Bailey, E. E ..
493
Baker, J. H.
Banister, G. W .624
.382
Barnes, F. S ..
.395
Barnes, James
.454
Barr, G. MI
517
Barr, John
528
Beal, L. W.
387
Beckwith, Charles. .467
Bejasch. Henry
.620
Bejasch, Tobias .621
Clark, A. J.
536
Belew. A. L. 415
Cleaves, R. L
426 .561
Blomburg, Andrew
592
Bowers, A. W
.500
Briggs. H. S
474
Brookfield, H. L
.513
Brown, J. A
.593
Brown, P. N
.408
Corbett, Carlton 379
Ferrin, H. M 524
Ferris, W. L
Cottingham, Anthony. .487
Cowles, Eugene 401
Asman, Henry
577
Bunn, Caleb
.483
Crippen, T. T. . 608
Cushman, A. J 524
Dailey, J. W 578
Davis, Charles 454
Davis, W. E. 580
Dawson, S. N ..
.620
Delaney, Thomas. .574
De Vore, E. L .422
Deyo, L. S.
.533
Dickey, J. P.
446
Dingman, P. W
488
Dixon, C. K. .565
Dorr, John 409
Dorr, P. A .. .410
Dowding, J. C.
449
Bell, Robert ... .591 Bierman, Joseplı 618
Cline, Philip
Clow, W. H. .519
Cobb, J. L 457
Cook, I. C. 619
Coburn, G. F. .525
Coombs, W. M. 631
Farr, J. C
610
Dubes, Elias 399
Durkee, C. A. .506
Elford, W. H. 582
Fairweather, John .601
545
Carnalian, H. H.
638
Casey, W. F.
.564
Castor, C. L
Chapin, J. L. 549
Chapman, D. A. .456
.562
Charlton, E. R. 603
Chick, W. B .399
Bush, C. B .. .
.558
Butterfield, Nathaniel. 520
Carmen, A. J
Bunting, W. J. 481
Burroughs, N. T. .429
Burdge, S. W. .598
325
Cherokee & Dakota Railway.
CONTENTS.
Fletcher, John .563
Fobes, G. M. .507
Fobes, O. B .423
Foote, A. J .504
Fraser, Alexander . 486
French, John 396
Furgason, N. W 476
Lauer, Jacob .. 521
Laughlin, J. M.
.557
Gage, Orson 420
Gates, R. S 563
Gick, Robert .. 505
Le Barron, J. O.
.542
Parkhurst, S. B. .392
Gifford, E. W. .564
Gifford, William
628
Gillett, F. H
602
Gilman Bros
451
Gilmore, A. C. .600
Gleason, A. B.
572
Gleason, A. J
573
Libby, S. A.
Like, William.
Gleason, N. D
568
Goldie, W. P
441
Golden, W. T.
541
Gracey, Robert
527
Greer, Thomas 567
Gregg, E. W. 433
Gregg, Nilcs .623
Groves, J. H 395
Groves, M. V
600
Grundy, Dan 637
Grundy, Henry. .617
Hadenfeldt, Hans. .535
Hall, J. C. 466
Hartley, G. W
458
Hawn, J. M 544
Hawn, R. C. 401
Hayes, N. H .. 483
Hayward, Jr., S. W 546
Heaton, L. E.
635
Henderson, James 499
Hinman, F. M 594
Hiscox, T. P. 482
Hitchcock, J. J. 436
Hobart, C. E. P. .501
Hobart, N. E ... 597
Hoffman, H. F. 494
Hogan, John. . 470
Holly, W. D. F. .547
Hornibrook, Edward .419
Huntsinger, H. E. 469
Huxford, C. B.
442
Ingels, J. B. 412
Jackson, I. M
384
James, S. G
.632
Jay, E. E. .512
Johnson, Amon .418
Johnson, Andrew .628
Montagne, J. C ...
473
Johnson, G. A .502
Montagne, J. G.
472
Johnson, James. .627
Montgomery, James. 548 Simpson, B. O.
Montgomery, Joseph .547 Skavlen, II. A
Morgan, E. F 414
Morrison, Edward .596
Morrison, H. A. 617
Mueller, C. .519
Mummert, Moses.
.626
Mundy, George. .544
Kellogg, H. C. .404
Kennedy, T. D. .576
Kircher, J. II .638
, Nelson, P. B.
518
Neville, S. W . . 607
Newcomb, W. F. 578
Newhart, F. P .461
Nicholson, Charles. 465
Nordstrom, C. J.
.609
Oakes, W. L. .479
Olmstead, O. R.
591
Parker, E. W. .397
Parkinson, J. D. .614
Patton, W. J.
531
Peavey, R. H. .476
Pelton, Watson .582
Perry, Robert. .381
Phelan, Daniel . 588
Phipps, Albert. .389
Phipps, H. L .. 485
Phipps, J. A. 485
Pingrey, Asaph. .598
Pitcher, Horatio. .385
Polkinghorn, Arthur .566
Potter, J. F. .449
Prescott, G. W 383
Prosser, C. A. S. 439
Quinn, C. F 457
Radcliffe, Benjamin. 516
Radeka, F. O .629
Reed, A. D. 606
Rees, Josiah .554
Rice, J. N.
605
Rickard, J. B .. .548
Ricker, Joseph. 529
Riddle, John 602
Riegel, J. G 589
Risley, J. A. 444
Roberts, W. W
.595
McGee, J. E. 530 Ross, A. B. 445
Rowe, J. B .
437
Rutherford, R. B. 453
Sanborn, J. A. 611
Sanger, J. T. .574
Saunders, J. T 442
Scott, David.
614
Scott, Samuel
549
Scurlock, Thomas 484
Sellers, George. 553
Shelden, J. F. 439
Shelden, J. II 441
Shell, Theron 490
Siegel, J. F.
616
Silver, B. F. 530 Simmons, D. S. 492
Simons, W. E
522
Smith, A. C. 413
Smith, A. J.
556
Smith, Cade 556
Smith, C. M. .560
Smith, J. D. F .590
Smith, J. K. .539
Smith, Matthias .581
Smith, R. M.
595
Smith, W. P ..
526
Kircher, Jacob .636
Kludas, Fred. 509
Lamoreux, II. H. 435
Lane, H. M. 478
Lane, Isaac 559
Layton, D. .480
Lea, R. E. .530
Lebourveau, G. W. .391
Lee, H. K.
Leeds, Henry.
Lehman, H. B.
Lewis, F. A.
.517
Lewis, R. A.
.505
513
Linquist, Peter.
633
Littell, J. C.
495
Little, W. P.
.469
Lockin, J. C.
386
Lord, Hiram. .635
Lowell, David. 637
Lyman, S. W. 480
MacAllister, J. 432
Maltby, H. A. 437
Mapes, A. M 599
Marsh, W. C. 486
Martin, E. E. 515
Matthew, Peter 510
Mayer, Jacob .. 526
McConnell, J. M .412
McCoun, Joseph
.541
McCready, R. T ..
489
McCulla, L. J 631
McCulla, Thomas 394
McDonald, John 566
Mckinney, A. 603
McNeal, D. W .496
Melter, Daniel .. .533
Menefee, Robert. 612
Metcalfe, J. A. . 587
Miles, Robert.
.462
Millard, J. S. .
629
Miller, Edward.
.586
Miller, G. M. 461
Miller, John . 613
Miller, Wireman 411 Shaul, A. J 416
Miller, W. L.
Miller, W. P ..
460
Minor, O. P .. 417
Mitchell, H. C .. 606
Molyneux, F. H. 579
Johnson, Nathan. .626
Jones, G. S. .634
Jones, J. E. .459
Jones, J. W .. .576
Jones, William .503
Jordan, William . .511
Nelson, L. D
482
543
.467
.528
Gleason, Elisha 571
.623
434
593
592
CONTENTS.
Smyth, R. J.
.594
Umhoefer, J. H. .463
Williams, S. T. .491
Snyder, G. D. .545
Unger, Daniel. 568
Wilson, E. L 523
Sones, J. T.
.520
Soyster, S. J.
540
Vandercook, Mordecai 585
Wilson, N. W 521
Spanton, John
550
Wirt, J. D. 621
Spencer, N. W
471
Spinharney, Blasius 532
Stanford, Rev. D. R
615
Stanford, J. H.
615
Starbuck, J. M .425
Stevens, C. H. .508
Stewart, A. G
.561
Whisman, A. J
554
Burroughs, N. T 428
Clark, A. J ... 537
Corbett, Carlton 378
Templeman, 604
Whitehouse, E. HI 511
Gleason, Elisha . .570
Thompson, Adam 531
Whitmore, F. E. 402
Henderson, James 498
Thompson, J. P. .543
468
Whitney, John. 630
Potter, J. F 448
Sellers, George. 552
Ulstad, L. M
535
Willett, E. C. 473
Vandercook, MI
.585
Ward, George 516
Yaw, F. D. 443
Warren, N. S. 514
Weaver, G. E. 514
Weintz, P. H 575
Weis, Joseph. 622
Weise, Henry 478
Stiles, C. A. .589
White, D. W
579
Stiles, F. T.
572
White, T. J.
.618
Whitney, C. E. 455
Kellogg. H. C. 495
Thurber, P. F.
Wight, O. S. .450
Wilson, J. C. 463
Ward, Abraham. 610
Yocum, O. E. 416
Zimmer, John .. 471
PORTRAITS.
1
H
9
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
EORGE WASHING- TON, the " Father of his Country" and its first President, 1789- '97, was born Febru- ary 22, 1732, in Wash- ington Parish, West- moreland County, Virginia. His father, Augustine Wash- ington, first married Jane But- ler, who bore him four chil- dren, and March 6, 1730, he married Mary Ball. Of six children by his second mar- riage, George was the eldest, the others being Betty, Samuel, John, Au- gustine, Charles and Mildred, of whom the youngest died in infancy. Little is known of the early years of Washington, beyond the fact that the house in which he was born was burned during his early child- hood, and that his father thereupon moved to another farm, inherited from his paternal ancestors, situated in Stafford County, on the north bank of the Rappahannock, where he acted as agent of the Principio Iron Works in the immediate vicinity, and died there in 1743.
From earliest childhood George devel- oped a noble character. He had a vigorous constitution, a fine form, and great bodily strength. His education was somewhat de-
fective, being confined to the elementary branches taught him by his mother and at a neighboring school. He developed, how- ever, a fondness for mathematics, and en- joyed in that branch the instructions of a private teacher. On leaving school he re- sided for some time at Mount Vernon with his half brother, Lawrence, who acted as his guardian, and who had married a daugh- ter of his neighbor at Belvoir on the Poto- mac, the wealthy William Fairfax, for some time president of the executive council of the colony. Both Fairfax and his son-in-law, Lawrence Washington, had served with dis- tinction in 1740 as officers of an American battalion at the siege of Carthagena, and were friends and correspondents of Admiral Vernon, for whom the latter's residence on the Potomac has been named. George's inclinations were for a similar career, and a midshipman's warrant was procured for him, probably through the influence of the Admiral; but through the opposition of his mother the project was abandoned. The family connection with the Fairfaxes, how- ever, opened another career for the young man, who, at the age of sixteen, was ap- pointed surveyor to the immense estates of the eccentric Lord Fairfax, who was then on a visit at Belvoir, and who shortly after- ward established his baronial residence at Greenway Court, in the Shenandoah Valley.
70
PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Three years were passed by young Wash- ington in a rough frontier life, gaining ex- perience which afterward proved very es- sential to him.
In 1751, when the Virginia militia were put under training with a view to active service against France, Washington, though only nineteen years of age, was appointed Adjutant with the rank of Major. In Sep- tember of that year the failing health of Lawrence Washington rendered it neces- sary for him to seek a warmer climate, and George accompanied him in a voyage to Barbadoes. They returned early in 1752, and Lawrence shortly afterward died, leav- ing his large property to an infant daughter. In his will George was named one of the executors and as eventual heir to Mount Vernon, and by the death of the infant niece soon succeeded to that estate.
On the arrival of Robert Dinwiddie as Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia in 1752 the militia was reorganized, and the prov- ince divided into four districts. Washing- ton was commissioned by Dinwiddie Adju- tant-General of the Northern District in 1753, and in November of that year a most important as well as hazardous mission was assigned him. This was to proceed to the Canadian posts recently established on French Creek, near Lake Erie, to demand in the name of the King of England the withdrawal of the French from a territory claimed by Virginia. This enterprise had been declined by more than one officer, since it involved a journey through an ex- tensive and almost unexplored wilderness in the occupancy of savage Indian tribes, either hostile to the English, or of doubtful attachment. Major Washington, however, accepted the commission with alacrity ; and, accompanied by Captain Gist, he reached Fort Le Bœuf on French Creek, delivered his dispatches and received reply, which, of course, was a polite refusal to surrender the posts. This reply was of such a character
as to induce the Assembly of Virginia to authorize the executive to raise a regiment of 300 men for the purpose of maintaining the asserted rights of the British crown over the territory claimed. As Washing- ton declined to be a candidate for that post, the command of this regiment was given to Colonel Joshua Fry, and Major Washing- ton, at his own request, was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel. On the march to Ohio, news was received that a party previously sent to build a fort at the confluence of the Monongahela with the Ohio had been driven back by a considerable French force, which had completed the work there be- gun, and named it Fort Duquesne, in honor of the Marquis Duquesne, then Governor of Canada. This was the beginning of the great "French and Indian war," which con- tinued seven years. On the death of Colonel Fry, Washington succeeded to the com- mand of the regiment, and so well did he fulfill his trust that the Virginia Assembly commissioned him as Commander-in-Chief of all the forces raised in the colony.
A cessation of all Indian hostility on the frontier having followed the expulsion of the French from the Ohio, the object of Washington was accomplished and he re- signed his commission as Commander-in- Chief of the Virginia forces. He then pro- ceeded to Williamsburg to take his seat in the General Assembly, of which he had been elected a member.
January 17, 1759. Washington married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Custis, a young and beautiful widow of great wealth, and de- voted himself for the ensuing fifteen years to the quiet pursuits of agriculture, inter- rupted only by his annual attendance in winter upon the Colonial Legislature at Williamsburg, until summoned by his country to enter upon that other arena in which his fame was to become world wide.
It is unnecessary here to trace the details of the struggle upon the question of local
ト
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
self-government, which, after ten years, cul- minated by act of Parliament of the port of Boston. It was at the instance of Virginia that a congress of all the colonies was called to meet at Philadelphia September 5, 1774, to secure their common liberties-if possible by peaceful means. To this Congress Colonel Washington was sent as a dele- gate. On dissolving in October, it recom- mended the colonies to send deputies to another Congress the following spring. In the meantime several of the colonies felt impelled to raise local forces to repel in- sults and aggressions on the part of British troops, so that on the assembling of the next Congress, May 10, 1775, the war prepara- tions of the mother country were unmis- takable. The battles of Concord and Lex- ington had been fought. Among the earliest acts, therefore, of the Congress was the selection of a commander-in-chief of the colonial forces. This office was unani- mously conferred upon Washington, still a member of the Congress. He accepted it on June 19, but on the express condition he should receive no salary.
He immediately repaired to the vicinity of Boston, against which point the British ministry had concentrated their forces. As early as April General Gage had 3,000 troops in and around this proscribed city. During the fall and winter the British policy clearly indicated a purpose to divide pub- lic sentiment and to build up a British party in the colonies. Those who sided with the ministry were stigmatized by the patriots as " Tories," while the patriots took to them- selves the name of " Whigs."
As early as 1776 the leading men had come to the conclusion that there was no hope except in separation and indepen- dence. In May of that year Washington wrote from the head of the army in New York: " A reconciliation with Great Brit- ain is impossible. When I took command of the army, I abhorred the idea
of independence ; but I am now fully satis- fied that nothing else will save us."
It is not the object of this sketch to trace the military acts of the patriot hero, to whose hands the fortunes and liberties of the United States were confided during the seven years' bloody struggle that ensued until the treaty of 1783, in which England acknowledged the independence of each of the thirteen States, and negotiated with them, jointly, as separate sovereignties. The merits of Washington as a military chief- tain have been considerably discussed, espe- cially by writers in his own country. Dur- ing the war he was most bitterly assailed for incompetency, and great efforts were made to displace him ; but he never for a moment lost the confidence of either the Congress or the people. December 4, 1783, the great commander took leave of his offi- cers in most affectionate and patriotic terms, and went to Annapolis, Maryland, where the Congress of the States was in session, and to that body, when peace and order prevailed everywhere, resigned his com- mission and retired to Mount Vernon.
It was in 1788 that Washington was called to the chief magistracy of the nation. He received every electoral vote cast in all the colleges of the States voting for the office of President. The 4th of March, 1789, was the time appointed for the Government of the United States to begin its operations, but several weeks elapsed before quorums of both the newly constituted houses of the Congress were assembled. The city of New York was the place where the Congress then met. April 16 Washington left his home to enter upon the discharge of his new duties. He set out with a purpose of traveling privately, and without attracting any public attention ; but this was impossi- ble. Everywhere on his way he was met with thronging crowds, eager to see the man whom they regarded as the chief de- fender of their liberties, and everywhere
12
PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
he was hailed with those public manifesta- tions of joy, regard and love which spring spontaneously from the hearts of an affec- tionate and grateful people. His reception in New York was marked by a grandeur and an enthusiasm never before witnessed in that metropolis. The inauguration took place April 30, in the presence of an immense multitude which had assembled to witness the new and imposing ceremony. The oath of office was administered by Robert R. Livingston, Chancellor of the State. When this sacred pledge was given, he retired with the other officials into the Senate chamber, where he delivered his inaugural address to both houses of the newly con- stituted Congress in joint assembly.
In the manifold details of his civil ad- ministration, Washington proved himself equal to the requirements of his position. The greater portion of the first session of the first Congress was occupied in passing the necessary statutes for putting the new organization into complete operation. In the discussions brought up in the course of this legislation the nature and character of the new system came under general review. On no one of them did any decided antago- nism of opinion arise. All held it to be a limited government, clothed only with spe- cific powers conferred by delegation from the States. There was no change in the name of the legislative department ; it still remained "the Congress of the United States of America." There was no change in the original flag of the country, and none in the seal, which still remains with the Grecian escutcheon borne by the eagle, with other emblems, under the great and expressive motto, " E Pluribus Unum."
The first division of parties arose upon the manner of construing the powers dele- gated, and they were first styled "strict constructionists" and " latitudinarian con- structionists." The former were for con- fining the action of the Government strictly
within its specific and limited sphere, while the others were for enlarging its powers by inference and implication. Hamilton and Jefferson, both members of the first cabinet. were regarded as the chief leaders, respect ively, of these rising antagonistic parties, which have existed, under different names from that day to this. Washington was re. garded as holding a neutral position between them, though, by mature deliberation, he vetoed the first apportionment bill, in 1790, passed by the party headed by Hamilton, which was based upon a principle construct- ively leading to centralization or consoli- dation. This was the first exercise of the veto power under the present Constitution. It created considerable excitement at the time. Another bill was soon passed in pur- suance of Mr. Jefferson's views, which has been adhered to in principle in every ap- portionment act passed since.
At the second session of the new Con- gress, Washington announced the gratify- ing fact of " the accession of North Caro- lina" to the Constitution of 1787, and June I of the same year he announced by special message the like " accession of the State of Rhode Island," with his congratulations on the happy event which " united under the general Government" all the States which were originally confederated.
In 1792, at the second Presidential elec- tion, Washington was desirous to retire; but he yielded to the general wish of the country, and was again chosen President by the unanimous vote of every electoral college. At the third election, 1796, he was again most urgently entreated to consent to remain in the executive chair. This he positively refused. In September, before the election, he gave to his countrymen his memorable Farewell Address, which in lan- guage, sentiment and patriotism was a fit and crowning glory of his illustrious life. After March 4, 1797, he again retired to Mount Vernon for peace, quiet and repose.
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GEORGE WASHINGTON.
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His administration for the two terms had been successful beyond the expectation and hopes of even the most sanguine of his friends. The finances of the country were no longer in an embarrassed condition, the public credit was fully restored, life was given to every department of industry, the workings of the new system in allowing Congress to raise revenue from duties on imports proved to be not only harmonious in its federal action, but astonishing in its results upon the commerce and trade of all the States. The exports from the Union increased from $19,000,000 to over $55,000,- 000 per annum, while the imports increased in about the same proportion. Three new members had been added to the Union. The progress of the States in their new career under their new organization thus far was exceedingly encouraging, not only to the friends of liberty within their own limits, but to their sympathizing allies in all climes and countries.
chief to quit his repose at Mount Vernon and take command of all the United States forces, with the rank of Lieutenant-General, when war was threatened with France in 1798, nothing need here be stated, except to note the fact as an unmistakable testimo- nial of the high regard in which he was still held by his countrymen, of all shades of po- litical opinion. He patriotically accepted this trust, but a treaty of peace put a stop to all action under it. He again retired to Mount Vernon, where, after a short and severe illness, he died December 14, 1799, in the sixty-eighth year of his age. The whole country was filled with gloom by this sad intelligence. Men of all parties in poli- tics and creeds in religion, in every State in the Union, united with Congress in " pay- ing honor to the man, first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his country- men."
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