Biographical history of Clark and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each, and engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families, Part 1

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 436


USA > Wisconsin > Clark County > Biographical history of Clark and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each, and engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 1
USA > Wisconsin > Jackson County > Biographical history of Clark and Jackson Counties, Wisconsin : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States, with accompanying biographies of each, and engravings of prominent citizens of the counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44



Gc 977.501 C54b 412317


PUBLIC LIBRARY FORT WAYNE, & ALLEN DO. IND.


M. L.


GENEALOGY COLLECTION


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01076 9690


Ic. ٩٦٦٠٥٦١ 1. 52 ٢٥١٥٠١


-


BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY


1


一〇E-


Clark


Machen


1


Containing Portraits of all the Presidents of the United States, with accompanying Biographies of each, and Engravings of Prominent Citizens of the Coun- ties, with Personal Histories of many of the Early Settlers and Leading Families.


" Biography is the only true history." -- Emerson.


CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY,


1891.


OCT 1 0 1950


PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES.


George Washington 9


William Henry Harrison .. 56


Andrew Johnson. 93


John Adams .. . . 14


Jolin Tyler.


60


Ulysses S. Grant. 96


Thomas Jefferson 20 James K. Polk. . 64


James Madison ... 26 Zachary Taylor. 68


James Monroe. 32


Millard Fillmore 72


John Quincy Adams 38


Franklin Pierce. 76


Hndrew Jackson. 47


James Buchanan. 80


Grover Cleveland. 117


Martin Van Buren.


52


Abraham Lincoln. 81


Benjamin Harrison 120


412317


HISTORY OF CLARK AND JACKSON COUNTIES.


BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.


Allen, I. N. 285


Beilfuss, A.


201


Callender, H. C. .287


Alton, A. C 328


Berg, Balthasar


942


Cameron, Alex. A. .248


Anderson, Gunder. 143


Bergseth, Knud S 144


Canfield, R. W. 183


Anderson, H. F .259


Bever, Peter 215


Cannon, Dennis 209


Anderson, Knud


172


Boardman, E. A. 331


Carleton, C. F. 251


Anderson, S. M


156


Bolger, John. 191


Carleton, T. V. 234


Anderson, T. A.


.345


Boon, R. M. 164


Carpenter, David. 228


Andrews, G. C ..


213


Borden, E .. 168


Castner, John


154


Archer, Levi. .295


Braatz, Richard 162


Chandler, C. L.


339


Argyle, A. S.


.290


Brackett, H. I 203


Charles, John


271


Armitage, W. K ... 262


Bradford, C. M. .312


Chase, H. S


135


Christenson, O. C.


328


Christian, C. W


135


Clark, J. B


221


Baillet, J. H. 192


Brockway, E. L


172


Clark, J. H .. 340


Clark, Marcus. 249


Colburn, J. W. 169


Ballou, Alvalı. 186


Brown, B. J.


298


Collins, Sylvester .333


Barber, J. L. 142


Brown, J. I.


353 Cooper, Frank ..


281


Barnum, I. R. 153


Bruno, Benjamin.


.308


Cornwell, O. 360


Cornell, M .. 326


Covert, James A


332


Bates, R. J.


.205


Bullard, A. J.


.373


Covey, Joseph


131


Beardsley, S. D


134


Burke, George. 253


Cnrran, H. E.


.256


Begley, T. R. 265


Burt, W. E 155


Begley, W. H. .267


Buttery, Austin. .338


Dailey, J. M.


.373


Behm, F. W.


318 Button, J. L.


286


Dankemeyer, A. F


285


Bowerman, J. 346


Caves, Wm., Jr


150


Arquette, Joseph .378


Brasier, J. F.


311


Ayer, Cullen. . .369


Braulin, M. F. 228


Breakey, G. M.


.244


Baker, Jacob. 239


Brooks, E. F.


.372


Baker, Michael. .218


Brown, A. S.


365


Barr, I. C.


191


Bryden, James. .268


Bass, A. D.


371


Büker, Frederick


304


Beachwood, George .218


Bungea, Joseph .338


Cox, John. 150


Rutherford B. Hayes. 102


James A. Garfield. 109


Chester A. Arthur 113


Andrews, Nicholas


CONTENTS.


Davis, D. R. . 255


Heaslett, Maxwell. .346


Markham, Curtis. 171


Markham, M. S. 169


Decker, H. W 183


Heath, M. V. 268


Marsh, A. B. 176


De Lane, James 339


Hendrickson, V. 162


Marsh, J. C 141


Marsh, Nelson 303


Marshall, J. P. 260


Marx, John .363


Mason, M. 29


Douglas, Robert 231


174


Homsted, Augustus .237


Downer, F


137


Horr, R. J. 194


Mattson, J. E. 287


Maynard, G. E .252


McAdam, G. 239


McCaffery, M .306


McCalvy, R.


.263


McCarty, J. A.


358


McEwen, George E .333


McGillivray, J. J 273


McGrogan, J. .363


Mc Millan, J. B .234


Ebbe, C. II. .301


Eggett, Robert 131


Huntley, Win .362


Elle, E. A


307


Huntzicker, Henry .361


Emerson, Andrew 375


Esch, S. II. 189


Farning, Frank 352


Jahn, C. F 374


Farming, John T .330


Farning, Wm. M 272


Jensen, A. F. F.


.238


Fessenden, II. J. 211


Jensen, Chris.


.260


Fike, Ira . 154


Finch, A. O. .289


Fitzmaurice, T.


354


Johnson, J. A.


302


Johnson, Lewis. 157


Miller, J. C.


.280


Flick, Mrs. M. A 270


Foote, Charles 141


Frantz, George 147


Free, Thomas 343


Free, William 158


French, B. T. 352


Kennedy, Daniel .338


Kinne, D. J. 310


Klein, P. J.


197


Klopf, J. G. .210


Krupp, C. A.


Gallaher, L. W .225


Garfield, George 374


Gates, Jane. 194


Gates, S. L 320


Gaylord, E. 289


Gergen, William 148


297


Gilbertson, I. W 319


Gilbo, John 331


Gile, R. H. 197


Glidden, W. H. H 250


Goodvin, A. L. 216


Gower, E. G. 235


Green, J. J. 336


Green, Jane. 194


Griffin, Hiram 223


Hall, Elizabeth 245


Hank, Oren. .335


Hannah, C. J 132


Hansmann, August J. 334 Hardison, D. 201


HIarlow, F. M. 360


Mair, Alex .319


Peters, Ludwig 223


Peterson, Andrew 230


Hart, G. J . .270


Mantey, Albert.


.281


Peterson, C. C.


350


Haskin, C. T.


295


Marden, Wm. H


.364


Peterson, Elias. .


267


McTaggart, D 158


Mead, Philo .330


Mead, W. HI .. .265


Means, D. B. .276


Meek, George


215


Meier, Henry


253


Meinhold, T. E.


180


Merrill, A. 1) 341


Metcalfe, D. E. 380


Miles, Charles C. 174


Miller, Emma 192


Miller, J. B. 305


Miller, J. S 217


Mills, H. B .. 145


Mills, T. B 353


Moody, J. C. .206


Moon, Ole E. .259


Moore, Stephen 185


Morrison, Wm. .347


Mortiboy, E. 152


Mosher, T. (). .204


Murray, Wm. T 229


Neff, Alburtis 335


Neff, D). A. 170


Neville, M. .325


Newland, V. B. 204


Nichols, T. H . 221


Oderbalz, Ulrich .351


O'Hearn, Oliver .329


O'Hearn, W. R 321


Oldham, Aaron 188


('Neill, James .257


Owens, S. R. .342


Palmer, Hiram .301


Parkhill, G. B. .368


Partridge, Charles .244


Patterson, Wm. .317


Pederson, Bent. 292


Perry, James 139


Perry, J. D. .351


Peters, II. C .. .216


Mack, Erastus .140


376


Lee, F. A


.363


Lee, T. Fisk 349


Lehnerd, Jo-eph 149


Leslie, George. 136


Lewis, E. J 176


Limprecht, F. A. 182


Livingstone, James 161


Lucken, J. E. . 240


Ludington, G. A.


220


Lyman, Wm. B. 291


La Bossier, H .362


La Budde, Theo. .224


La Fleur, C. P 131


Lamb, Miles


245


Lantz, P. F .258


Larson, Anthony 164


Larson, Christian 163


Larson, L. W


Joseph, S. F .336


Justice, D. .345


Kapellen, Matt 212


Keach, C. M . .196


Fricke, William 347


Fuller, M. K. 166


Fults, F. M. 272


.327


Howden, Samuel 322


Huber, Wm 318


Hubbell, H. 152


Hubble, J. W


156


Dwyer, John 165


Hugoboom, S


236


Dykins, C. W. 195


Hunke, H. S.


324


Hummel. R. S.


159


Hunter, T. P. . 163


IFutchings, S. E 139


Hyslip, C. W 344


James, A. K. .374


Jerald, H. V 226


Jerard, Wm. 307


Flanagan, Wmn. J 190


Ilosley, G. D. . 277


Drinkwine, George


Drinkwine, Lary 327


Duxbury, Joseph. 341


Dwyer, Frank. 278


177


Holden, E. M. 224


Hollenbeck, C. E 181


Mathison, Ole. 190


Mathison, Martin .231


Downer, Ilomer 310


Horswill, Wm .316


Downer, Noble. 309


Hertel, J. T 332


Dingley, A. . 179


Hilton, W. H 167


Distelhorst, F. A 240


Hjerleid, Syver 133


Douglas, Mark.


Donse, Wm


Dewey, C. W. 326


Davis, H. W . 359


Hleath, Andrew 296


Mabie, James .247


Manes, N. B. .255


Harmer, P. I 251


Gibson. Joseph ..


McNab, J. S. .262


CONTENTS.


Peterson. John E. 290


Schwamb, Jacob


342


Varnum, G. F. .317


Peterson, Ole. . 165


Schwamb, John


.875


Vaughan, A. C. .293


Peterson, Ransom 196


Schwarze, H 181


Vine, Fred J 151


Philpott. T. B 146


Seif, F. J.


249


Vine, T. R 180


Poate, W. E 150


Selden, W. B. 261


Virch, A. N 357


Polleys, A. D. 214


Pope, C. C.


283


Sheehan, P. H


266


Volz, J. F


197


Pope, Jolın. 157


Sheldon, F. J


212


Popham, G. M.


246


Short, James. .376


Poppe, C. G. . 210


Sichler, Joseph


209


Poppe, Emil.


141


Sichler, Rupert. 219


Poppe, E. R.


214


Poppe, Gustav


334


Potter, P. A.


314


Pownder, W. A


323


Pratt, G. F.


264


Pray, H. H.


178


Smith, W. H


206


Pray, John K


366


Preston, Rolla


149


Pribbernow, A


366


Price, H. H. 193


Spaulding, D. J.


.241


Price, W. T.


129, 382


Pulling, F. H.


.283


Purnell, G. W. 242


Pynn, M. K.


.226


Quackenbuslı, E. 315


Ralston, George. . 233


Raether, Augusta .171


Redden, A. E .. 137


Reineking, Wm 185


Resebnrg, Wm. 299


Richard, G. W. 258


Richeleu, Carl. .359


Richmond, James


213


Ring, L. B. . .179


Ringrose, Joseph 232


Rodman, L. W 291


Rollins, O. F .381


Root, H. M. 139


Roy; A. L. 238


Rusch, B. F. 219


Samulson, Ole 259


Sanders, John. 188


Sargent, J. H. 343


Satterlee & Tift. 350


Schafer, Wm. 246


Schafer, John 237


Schmidt, A. F 235


Schmidt, G. F. .232


Schofield, Robert. .300


Varney, C. A. L.


202


Spaulding, D. J


.241


Schroeder, Peter. .309


Taplin, Wm. W 147


Taylor, H. E. 215


Douglas, Mark 177


Thiel, Herman


.335


Finch, A. O.


289


Gallaher, L. W. 225


Livingstone, James. 161


McGillivray, J. J. 273


Miller, J. B 305


Mills, H. B. 145


Mills, T. B.


.353


O'Hearne, Oliver. 329


O'Hearne, W. R .321


O'Neill, James .257


Price, Hugh H. 193


Price, W. T .. 129


Varney, H. W.


279


Spaulding, Jacob


241


Warner, M. B 323


Warner, S. S. 225


Welch, Stephen


Welsch, Henry, Sr. :248


Welsch, Henry, Jr. .314


247


Wendt, Henry J. 208


Wilding, George, Sr


.370


Wilding, George, Jr 371


Wildish, John 142


Williams, D. H. .300


Williams, George.


369


Wiltimore, B. C. 364


Winter, F. D. .308


Winter, O. G. .254


Winters, J. M. .340


Witsic, Tony. 182


Woodworth, L. J .315


Yankee, Henry W


.269


Youmans, C. A.


.278


Sturdevant, J. R. 294


Sturdevant, L. .186


Sufficool, Annie. 202


Sullivan, John 187


Syth, James .320


Syth, John. .167


Andrews, Nicholas. 337


Cannon, Dennis. .209


Thomas, W. A 355


Thompson, T. K. .334


Tift, J. H. 350


Tompkins, Ezra. 138


Tompkins, Jones 288


Travis, C. B. .381


Tufts, W. S. 274


Verkvitz, F. W. 274


Van Gorden, C. W.


.313


.217


Smith, J. O.


.367


Snyder, A. F 198


Snyder, E. L. 199


Sparks, R. W. 356


Spaulding, Jacob .. .241


Spencer, D.


175


Steinfeldt, John .354


Stephens, S. T. .243


Sterling, J. R. .367


Sterritsky, Charles .377


Stewart, John .264


Stine, Charles .317


Stow, C. G .160


Sturdevant, Helen 277


Zassenhaus, Wm.


.348


Zetsche, Frank.


.280


Ziglinske, Jolın


178


PORTRAITS.


Wage, F. C. 134


Wagner, Wm. 200


Walters, O. F. 304


Slosser, Jolın J .180


Smith, C. A. ... .379


Smith, Edward. 261


Smith, G. F


Welsh, Albert.


Shanks, Alex .151


Vollrath, Wmn 187


Flashingder.


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 lim.


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 Bar oadocs. 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 scat 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


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 płace 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 lis 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 escntcheon 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.


13


GEORGE WASHINGTON.


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 $56,000,- 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.


Of the call again made on this illustrious


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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