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//■//// ///'• Compliuioits of 
 
 FRAXKI.IX /'. RICH. 
 
 •:tches 
 
 OF 
 
 THE PRESIDENTS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNITED STATES 
 
 From M^ashiugfou to Arflntr 
 
 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSi;Tr.S : 
 
 PRIVATE PRESS OF FRANKLIN P. RICE. 
 1882. 
 
cf 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 UiUL 
 
Preface. 
 
 \^V tlu; following Sketches, two copies have been printed upon large paper to 
 
 accompany sets of uniform portraits of the Presidents in the possession of my friend, 
 Mr. Samuel H. Putnam, and myself. Twenty-five copies with smaller margins were 
 also struck off. The notices were not written, but set uj) in type without preparation, 
 Drake's Biographical Dictionary being used for dates and main facts. Had more 
 pains been taken, some of the defects would not have appeared; as it is they should 
 not be paraded for criticism. The estimates of the acts and characters of the subjects 
 are entirely my own. F. P. R. 
 
 September, 18S2. 
 

George Washington. 
 
 G 
 
 EORGl': WASHINGTON, the First IVesident of the Uniteil States, was born 
 
 In Westmoreland Count)-, \ irginia, I'ebniary 22nd, 1732. He became a laml sur- 
 veyor; and in 1751 entered military lite as adjutant general, and attained the rank of 
 colonel. As aide to Hraddock, he was at the defeat ot that ill-tated officer. He was 
 a member of the House of Burgesses ol Virginia lor several years hom 1760, and of 
 tht,' first and second Continental Congresses in 1774 and 1775. He was chosen 
 Commander-in-chief of the army in the War of the Revolution, which he conducted 
 to a successful issue. He was President of the Convention that formed the Consti- 
 tution ; and in 1789 became; the First President of the United States, which office he 
 held eight years. Ht' died at Mount \'ernon, L^ecember 14th, 1799. 
 
 With due allowance (ov that [jropcMisity in human nature which exalts most 
 public characters to a position above their real merit, Washington is justly entitled 
 to a place among the great personages in history. His qualities were not of the 
 brilliant kind. Prudence, courage, firmness, and a spotless integrity were the strong 
 points in his character. He was endowed with a physical organization nearly perfect, 
 to which he owed much of his success. As President, while placed in situations of 
 great difficult)-, he maintainetl his |)osition with honor and credit to himselt. In j)ub- 
 lic life he was above party, and retired to [)rivate life with his re])Utation lor wistloni 
 and goodness umlinimed, — a destiny vouchsafed to none ol his successors. 
 
^ . ^, /; /^ 
 
 3^^z^ J^^ //^-^-^^^-^^e^^^^^L^.^ J^Zc^j^. /'///^i^ 
 
 
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 9> 
 
 '^ "^^J^^^^ ^/^^^^<^ ^^^^fe 
 
 
 
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 far^iiriiL of Hu ■"•tquuU i^tUr uuH^'niu-ainu^ I'mes I'artniil of Oaikuyton, 
 
drij(lii?n,) 
 
John Adams. 
 
 J OHN ADAMS, the ScxoihI President of the Ihiilctl States, was horn at lirain- 
 
 tree, Massaclniscits. ( )ct()lH-r iQtIi, 1735, <>. s. He j^raduatetl at Harvard College in 
 1755; taught school and studied law at Worcester; beuan practice in his native town ; 
 and in 176S, hax'ini^' become influential in the patriotic part)', he reino\'ed to Boston, 
 lilected a meinlier of the Re\-olutionar)- COnt^ress in 1774, lu' was continued in that 
 station until his ap|)ointnient as Commissioner to I-'rance thrcn- years later. In that 
 l)oil\' he was the h)remost atK'ocate ot indei)endence, and as one of a committee of 
 five, prepared the ilratt ot that instrument which L;ave Ireedom to these United States. 
 He was the birst Minist(;r to Great Britain; and on the iormation of the I'ederal Gov- 
 ernment, became \'ice-President. He succeetled Washington as President in 1797, 
 iiis term closiiiir in 1801. He died on the 4th of Jul)', 1826. 
 
 As a Statesman, John .Adams compares lavorabl)' with an)' ot his cotem[)oraries. 
 He was profound in his views, and in general, acuratt; in judgment. Vanity and 
 irritability of temper were his faults. Of indeijendeiit mind and enlargetl understand- 
 ing, his patriotism was for the ivliolc country. He iiad the mistortime to stantl as the 
 representative of a |)arty with which he had no real sympathy, — a parly whose prin- 
 cipal tenet was mutual admiration, and whose chit'f occu]jation was th(_- compositi(jn 
 of eulogies upon its memliers, — a practice religiously kept up 1))' tlH'ir descendants. 
 His political defeat was brought al)out principally by the machinations of Alexantler 
 Hamilton, a troublesome character then at large in the slate ot New York, whose 
 personal ambition ignored all considt^rations ot party, IriendNliij), and his own private 
 character, domestic peace and hajjpiness. 
 
 The time and circumstances of Adams's administration would have been un- 
 favorable to the reputation of any incumbent. The calm judgment of to-day vindi- 
 cates the wisdom of most of his measures, especially those in which he was opposed 
 to his associates. 
 

 
 '■*3fT^~^^rf?^ 
 
Thomas Jki'kerson. 
 
 1 llOMAS JI-;i-"l'ER.S()N. llu- Thinl, and most ahiiscd of all IVislilcnls, was horn 
 
 at Shaducll, X'irL^iiiia, April 2ml, 1743. lie L;i'a(liiat<-(1 at William and Mary C<;llcj^e ; 
 studied law and was admitted to the har in \'J(^']. h.lected in 1769 to the Virj^inia 
 AsscniliK . he hrnd) opposed the encroaihments ol (ireat Britain, and was tin- author 
 of several imjjortant jtajx-i-s put loilh hy the C'olon\' in detenct: ot its rights. In 1775 
 he became a member ol the Continental Congress, ami the next )car as chairman oi 
 the committee to prepare a Declaration ol Independi'iice, he tlralted that remarkable 
 document. He returned to the X'irs^inia Assembl)- where he introduccxl many rt;lornis; 
 and for two \'ears was ( iovernor ol the State. lie becam<: successivid)' Minister to 
 I'Vance, Secretar)' of State, V'ice-lVt'sitlent ; and in iSoi President ol the United States. 
 He was re-elected in 1804. Ills death occiu'red on the 4th ol Jid)', 1S26. 
 
 In those broad finalities which distint^uish the scholar, statesman and philos- 
 opher, Jefferson was far above most of thos(; with whom he had to ileal. In relii^ion 
 he was a freethinker. He was loremost in all matters pertaining; to education, art and 
 science, and introduced many improvements and nuKlilications ol the old s)slems. 
 He look threat interest in the developenunt ol the int( rnal resources oi the countr)', 
 and accomplishi"<l considerable in that direction. In some of his political theories 
 he went to extremes; but In practice these: were modilied. 
 
 In his atlministration ol public allairs he encountered the bitterest opposition 
 from a class unable to comprehend either his genius or character. To this class, 
 who believed in distinctions other than social, the idea was intolerable that the larmer, 
 the blacksmith, and the shoemaker should staml ujjon e(|ual political looting with the 
 minister, the lawyer or the i,M-ntl(;man of lamil\', though the one mii^Iu b(! a man of 
 sense and the other but an educated imbecile-. These men resided principally in New 
 Enj^land, where b)' their wealth and inlhience the\' controlled the pulpit, the torimi 
 and the press; and through these channels thej- poured a llood of slander and abuse. 
 But his fame has outlived detraction ; atid there are lew to-day who will deny Thomas 
 Jefferson the character of a j^^real and j^ood man. 
 
James Monroe. 
 
 I AMICS MOXROK, the iMlth Prcsi(k;nt, was liorn in WL-slmordand County, 
 \"iixiiiia, Ai-ril ^Sth, 1758. Was educated at William and Mary C(>llei,re. He entered 
 the Revolutionary anny, i)articii)ated in several hattles, was wounded at Trenton, and 
 attained the rank of captain. After the war he was c'lected successively to the \ ir- 
 o-inia Assembly, the (General Con-ress, and in 1790, the United States Senate. He 
 was abroad upon diplomatic missions from 1794 to 1808, excepting- three years when 
 he was Governor of X'iruinia. I le was a i)arty to tht- purchaser of Louisiana in 1802. 
 After serving- again as Governor, Monroe was, in 181 i, appointcxl Secretary of State 
 by Pr<;sident Madison, which office he held for si.x years. Me also acted for a time 
 as Secretary of War, discharging the duties with cMiergy and ability. In 1S17, Mr. 
 Monnu' became Presiilent of the United States, and in 1820 was re-elected by an 
 almost unanimous vote. He dietl in New York City, July 4th, 1831. 
 
 The "I'>a of Good Feeling" dawned upon Monroe's administration. Party 
 spirit was for the time, totally extinguished. During his term of office the prosperity 
 of the nation rapidly advanced. In 1819, the territory of Morida was acciuired from 
 Spain. The Monroe Doctrine — that Pan'opean interference in the affairs of American 
 States would not be tolerated— was asserted to the world. Much attention was given 
 to internal matters. Surrountk-d by abk; ad\ isers his conduct of public affairs was 
 creditable to himself and honorable to the country. 1 \v left the reputation of a "dis- 
 creet and successful statesman, more distinguished for ailministrati\-e talents than for 
 oratorical powers." 
 
j, S . cAoiuUW^ 
 
John Quincy Adams. 
 
 J. 
 
 ()II\ OUINCV ADAAIS, the Sixth President, was Iwrn at I!raintree, Mass., 
 Jul)- I ith, 1707. In 1778, h(^ acconi|janieil his fatiu-r to I'"rancc, and in 1 7S0 entered 
 the Uni\ersit\- at Lejden. lie was, soon after, apijolnted private secretary to Francis 
 Dana, Minister to Russia, ami [Kissed a \-ear in St. Petershurs^', alter which he rt'simied 
 his studies at the I la_oue. lie returned to the I'nited .States and completed his edu- 
 cation at Harvard, i^raduatint; in 1788. lie studied law and was adinittetl to the har 
 in 1791. I hree years later, President Washington, ajipointed him Minister to I lol- 
 land ; and he was afterwards translerri'd to Prussia. lie was electetl IJnitC-d .States 
 Senator Irom Massachusetts in 1803. Conxinced that the leatlers of th(; Federalists, 
 upon the principle that they would rule or ruin, were- determined to dissolve the 
 Union and break uj) the general i^'overnment, he gave his support to the mc^asiires of 
 Presitlent Jellerson, was censiu'i-d h\- the Pegislature, and rt'signed his seat in the 
 -Senate. He was Minister to Russia irom iSocj to 1813, and was one of the Com- 
 missioners to negotiate the tn-at)- of peace with Creat Pritain in 1814. He was Min- 
 ister to Fngland lor two years preceding his appointment as .Secretary of .State hy 
 Presitlent Monroe. In 1825 Mr. Adams became President, holding the office four 
 years. In 1830 he was elected t<^ Congress, and continueil a memlxn' of that body 
 the remainder ot his lile. He died at his ]K)st, lH-l>ruary 23d, 1848. 
 
 Mr. Adams was a thorough scholar, a profouiul statesman, anil an adroit dip- 
 lomat. Manly, indepentlent, and jiatriotic, he nexer in the: coiu'se of his long public 
 service, swerved Irom what hi; believed to be the i)ath ol dut\'. His sturcl)' battle in 
 defence; of thi; right ol petition, and his inllexilile resistance to the encroachments of 
 the slave power, entitle him to the veneration of excry lover of human freedom. His 
 versatilit)' was wondc/rlul, and his voice was heard upon nearl\- e\-ei-y important ques- 
 tion before tin; House. 1 lis pcnver as a ilebater gained lor him the name of "the Old 
 Man Floquent." In the combination of those ([ualities which lorm true greatness, his 
 will ever remain a sublime; character in American history. 
 
> 
 
 .^^¥%\S^ 
 
 
 ■■-■ A ^ 
 
 0f. 
 
1 
 
 \ni)ri-;\\' Jackson. 
 
 A: 
 
 XDRl'.W J.\e'l\S()\, the Scxciuh I'lrsidciU, was born ;U Waxhaw, South 
 Carolina, .March 15th, 1767. I lis opportunities for ('(hicalicMi were few. At tlic ai'c 
 ot iourtt'cn ht: t-ntcrt'ii the l\c\-ohilionar)- arnn and scrxcd until the war iloscd. In 
 17SS \\v. removed to Nashville, 'rennessee, and ix'oan the praetire of the law. lie 
 was United -States .Senator in 1797, and Jud>;c ol' the .Supreme Coiu't of d'ennesscc 
 Irom 1 79S to 1804. As Major (General of the stati- militia he took i)art in the War 
 of 1S12, and was oi\-cn the same rank in the arm_\ of the Tniled .States, lie >;ained 
 a signal \-ictor)' o\cr the liritish at New ( )i-Ieans in januar\-, 18:5. It Ts upon this 
 event thai his lame ihiell\- rests. 1 le was engagc'd in the .Seminole War in 1S17. 
 In 1820 he was (ioNcrnor ol Idorida, and aL;ain a Senator in iSj^. I le was (fleeted 
 Presiilent of the I'nitcxl .Slates in i8j8, and held the olTiee eight years. He ilied at 
 the I lermita^■(^ near Xaslnille, 'rennessee. June 8th, 1845. 
 
 (jeneral Jackson possessc-d hut lew (|ualilications for the high office to which 
 he was elevated. lie had no learning and hut meagre information. Of stalesman- 
 shi[) he had no conception. I lis disposition was arbitrary and his tempii- ungo\-ei'n- 
 able. Hut he possessed executive abilit}-, and in an emergenc)- never hesitated to 
 "take the res|)Mnsil)ility." I lis integrity and patriotism .u'e un(|uestioned. I lis atl- 
 niinisli'ation was storm)', inconsisti-nt and undi^nilied in the exlreme. lie was sur- 
 rounded by unscrupulous men, who arllull)' humored his notions and useil him as a 
 tool to lurlher their own ad\ancement. Mis teian ofoflice was principalK' pass(jd in 
 petty bickering, alike discreditable to himsell and iIk; nation. In him the transition 
 from the; subliuK' to the ridiculous was easy: he exerted his determination with ecpial 
 power in crushing the bank combination, sup|)ressing nullification, and in forcing the 
 .sociel)' ol a disreputable woman njion the wi\'es ol his (abinet ministers. Mis per- 
 sona! ])opularit\', notwithstanding, was great, and sufficed to establish for him a lasting 
 name. 
 
5iii A-irmBTf) 
 
 ( I T l-l i', l^, 
 
 MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED. 
 
7 
 
 /a 7/// Jj///^/. 
 
Martin \'an Buren. 
 
 M 
 
 ARTIN VAN BUREN, the I'j-lith rrrsidciu, was l,orn at Kiiidcrhook, New 
 ^'()rk, 1 )cccinl)cr 51I1, i 7S2. He was educaled at the academy of his native town, aiul 
 studieil law. Wit served in the State Senatt; in 1S12 and icSi6, and was Attorney 
 (uMieral ot New \\)vk in 1S15. IK; was a itrominent acKocatc; of the War of 1812. 
 .Mr. \'an IJuren was a United .States .Senator from 1820 to 1828, and was then 
 chosen (iovernor. Cieneral Jackson appointed him Secretary of .State in 1829; and 
 two years lat(;r nominated him Minister to Un^hind. To spite; tlie President, the 
 Senate refust'd to conhrm the last ajipointment. In 1833 he was electe-d \'ice Presitlent, 
 and in 1837 succeetled Jackson as President, llis r(;-cdeclion was defeated in 1841. 
 He had a majorit}' ol the votes in the National Democratic Con\-ention of 1844. f)ut 
 was rejectetl because he opposed th(; ailmission ol lexas. I'lu; Free Soil Part)' nom- 
 inated him as their candidate in 1848. He died July 24th, 1862. 
 
 Mr. \'an lUiren was an eminentl)- successlul [)olitician. As a manager he has 
 liad few eijuals. His ambition for the Presidenc\' was nianilest in earl\' life, and 
 he pursued an unileviatin^" and almost unobstructetl course to that end. In liis 
 methods he was non-commital rather than trick)'. .\s a ])ul)lic jViiin he ranks well, and 
 his administration was resjK;ctabl(;. His private lite was abo\'e reproach. lie re- 
 mained faithful to the Democratic Part)' throu^l1 life, and votetl for Pierce ant! P)U- 
 chanan, but at the breaking;' out of th(; Rebellion uave in's supj^ort to the Governnu;nt. 
 While in acti\'e lite he commanded iiiort; attention, jierhaps, than any other man of 
 his time, General Jackson e.\cej)teil; but to-ilay his name is failed almost out of re- 
 membrance. 
 
WIM.IAM lli;XK^ IIAKKISIIX 
 
 .^^./^'fit-^ 
 
 C /^^ 
 
\\ iLLiAM IIenrv Harrison. 
 
 V\ II.I.IAM IlI'-XRY HARRISON, the Xlnth IV.-sidrnt, was l.orn at Berkeley, 
 Charles Couiuy, X'ir-iiiia, l''cl)niar\- 9lh, 1773. His failuT, Benjamin Harrison, was 
 a man ol prominence, a siu;ner ot tlu; l)(;clarati()n of Indeiiendence, and (Governor of 
 X'irginia. William Henry received his education at Hampden-Sitlne)- Collci^c. He 
 entered th(- arm_\- in 1791, served as aiile to (ien. \\'a\ne diirinu- the Indian War, re- 
 ceived a captain's cummission, antl resiuned in 1797. He was a[)|)ointed Secretary 
 of the Xorth-west Territor)' and became its Delegate in Congress. He was (Governor 
 of the Territor)- of Indiana from iSoi to 1813, and also Superintendent of Indian af- 
 fairs. The famous batth- of Tip])ecanoe was fought November 7th, 181 1, in which he 
 gained a decisive victory over Tecumseh, and broke the power of the Indian tribes. 
 He served with distinction during the War with Great Britain; was a member of 
 Congress in 1816; a Senator in 1825; and in 1S28 Minister to Colombia. In 1840, 
 after an (^\citing contest he was elected President of the United .States. He assiuned 
 the office at an age when most men seek the retiremcMit of the gra\e, and his worn- 
 out Irame (|uickl\- succumbed to the o\er-e.\ertion and e.xcitement attendinc- his resur- 
 rection into pulilic life. He died Ajiril 4th, 1841. 
 
 Of William Ib^nry Harrison it can be said that he was honest, simpk; minded 
 and faithful to his iluty. .Solid or brilliant qualities he ditl not possess. His was the 
 first instance; ol the triumph of e.xpeditnic)- over merit in prc-sitlential nonu'nalions; and 
 it furnished a precedent the following of which has become the rule rather than the' 
 exception. IJuffoonery was an inijiortant factor to his election, and the cry of "'J"i|)pe- 
 canoe and T) ler too," and the paratling of Log Cabins with hard cider barrels and 
 coon skins proved more effective than would have the most emincint personal (luali- 
 fications. 
 
^B^ PKESlDEj^.^ 
 
 F T H e; 
 
 ^^XTED STAT£5 
 
 
John I ^'IJ•.R. 
 
 j OIIX 'r\I.l'.R, the Tenth rrcsidciit of lli(- rnilcd Slates, was horn in Cliarlcs- 
 City Count), X'ir-inia, Mairh 291)1, 1790. I Ic graduated at William and Mary Col- 
 lege, studied law an 1 s())n tuitered u[)')n a lari;e practia;. In iSi i he was elected to 
 the State Legislature, ami in 1S16 to Congress. lie was (iovcrnor of X'irginia in 
 1S25, and Senator in 1.S27. ( )n account of a dilTt-rence with Trcsidcnt Jackson he 
 resigned his seat in 1836. lie was elected Vice President in 1S40, and In'came 
 President by the death of Harrison in i S4 1 . He was President of ihe Peace Con- 
 vention in 1S61, and a member of the- Confederate Congress, and died a rc'ijel, Jan- 
 uary 17th, 1862. 
 
 Mr. Tyler's political course ai)|)ears to have been chang(;able antl erratic. He 
 supported the measures of Jefferson an<l Madison, ant! later those of (leneral Jackson; 
 but h(; abandoned tlie latter (.n the removal of tlie deposits and joined ihv. Whig 
 Partv. After h(; became President his Democratic tendencies were ai)i)arent, l)Ut he 
 attempted to jjlease both parties an<l form by this method, as he hoped, a universal 
 Tyler party. Thi' pet [.roject of the Whigs was the re-establishment of the national 
 bank, and although Tylc:r at first favored the scheme, he vetoed one bill that did 
 not suit him and another one that did; and he was soon in an op<-n cpiarrcd with 
 these to whom he was indebted f<.r his ofhce. He was d<-serted 1.) all his former 
 political friends, and at the end of his term stooil alone uithout a follower. At the 
 Peace Convention he professed great attachment for the- Union, but on his return 
 home e.xerted his inlluence to destroy it. 
 

 o^ 
 
James Knox Polk. 
 
 I AMi:S KN( )X I'OLK, the Eleventh President of the United States, was born 
 in Mecklenhuru- County, North Carohna, November 2d, 1795, and removed with his 
 father to Middle Tennessee in 1806. He was educated in the University of North 
 Carolina, studied law and soon took a high position at the bar. He entered the 
 Lecrislature of Tennessee in 1823; and was elected to Congress for seven successive 
 terms from 1825, serving as Speaker from 1835 to 1839. In 1840 he was Governor 
 of Tennessee. At the Democratic Convention of 1844 he was given the nomination 
 which by right and precedent belonged to Martin Van P.uren, and in the ensuing 
 election was chosen President. He died at Nashville, June 15th, 1849. 
 
 President Polk's talents were above the common order. In Congress he was 
 an animated si^eaker and ready debater; and during his administration, which was one 
 of the most important in our history, he e.xhibited some elements of statesmanship, 
 particularly in relation to tinancial and commercial affairs. He was thoroughly loyal 
 to the South, and involved the country in an agressive war against Mexico to extend 
 the power of the Slaveholders. During his term of office the Oregon l)oundary dis- 
 pute was settled ; Texas and Wisconsin admitted as States; New Mexico and Cal- 
 ifornia acquired; and the Department of the Interior establisheil. His administration 
 in g(;neral, might be contemplated with satisfaction had \u- not labored in a sc-ctional 
 interest, and stood as a representative of the Soutluirn idea. 
 
'i^i-^i^-^^-f^D'z:. 
 
Zachary Taylor. 
 
 Z 
 
 ^XCIIARV TAYLOR, the Twcirtli President of the United States, was born in 
 Orange County, \iruinia, September 24tli, i 7S4. He received little education, and 
 remaint'd upon liis lather's plantation until his t\vent)--fourth year. lie was Com- 
 missioned as lirst lieutenant in 180S; and was made cajjtain in iSio. b'or his service 
 in the War of 18 12, he received the rank of major; and he continued witli the army 
 until his election as President, taking [jart in several Imlian wars and in the Mexican 
 war. I le was made a Major General in 1S46. b'or his successes in Mexico he re- 
 ceived the thanks of Congress and a gold medal; antl was j)resented by the WhitJ- 
 Convention of 1S48 as an available candidate, and triumphantly elected. He became 
 President .March 4th 1S49, and died in office Jul)- 9th, 1S50. 
 
 Zachary Taylor was elevated to the Presidency by popularity acquired in a war 
 which had been unjjopular with his party. His personal fitness for civil atlministration 
 was questioned even by his supporters, for he knew nothing of political matters, had 
 never cast a vote in his life, and probably could have given no satisfactory reason for 
 being a Whig rather than a Democrat. The duties of his office were, however, dis- 
 charged in a creditable manner, and his popularity increased, es|)eciall_\- in the P>ee 
 States. His term is memorable as the ])eriod when the antagonism between the free 
 and sla\'e sections reached a crisis, which was averted by measures he ditl not live to 
 see consummated. .Simplicity and straightforwartlness were his prominent character- 
 istics, and he evidently inttMidetl to do his tluty to the whole country. His character 
 as a military man is indicatc;d by the term, "Rough and Ready," applied to him by his 
 soldiers. 
 
'(yC/'i^t^y 
 
 -J-t^l^^HyC) 
 
Millard Fillmore. 
 
 IVllLLARP FII.I.MORF., the 'I'liirtccnth I'rcsidcnt ot" tlic Tnitc-cl States, was 
 
 horn in Cayuj^a County, New \'ork, on tlie seventh of Janiiar)-, 1800. lie was not 
 liberally echicated ; Ijut, alter learniiiL; the trade of a fuller, he studied law, and sup- 
 porte'tl hiniselt for si'\-eral \cars by teachinj^ school. 1 le nMno\-ed to lu'ie County 
 antl practised law for some \'ears with success. In 1S29, hi' was electt-d to the As- 
 seml)ly, where he distinguished himself by his advocacy of the act to abolish im[jris()n- 
 ment for ilebt. lie was a Member of Congress from 1S33 to iJ^35; and again from 
 1837 t*^ ''^4'. antl took a i)romincMit part in the businc'ss of the I louse. lie support- 
 e(_l John Ouincy Adams in his struggle for the right of petition; opj)osetl the annc^xa- 
 tion of Te.xas; favoreil the abolition of the slave trade, and of slavery in the District 
 of Columliia; and sustainetl all the important measures of the N\ hig Part)-. He was 
 elected \'ice PresidcMit on the ticket with Zachary Taylor in 1848, and 1)\' tin; ck'ath of 
 th(; latter became I'resitlent in 1850. In 1856, he was the candidate of the American 
 Party. His last years were passed in (juiet and dignified retirement, lie tlietl at his 
 home in Buffalo, March 8th, 1874. 
 
 Presiilent I'"illmore discharged the duties of his high position with dignit)' and 
 propriety; and ^luring his administration the .American People had no reason to feel 
 ashametl of the personal conduct of their Presitlent. The signing of tht; I-'ugitive 
 Slave Hill appi;ars to have been his onl}' political sin; antl in this, undoubtedly, he felt 
 that he was acting for the best inten-st of tht- country. 
 
;^ .?7^///tc7^u: ^Cc 
 
 P' 
 
Franklin Pierce. 
 
 1^^ R.WKl.IX IMl'.RC"!-:, the Foiirtccnth IVrsiilcnt of the rnitcd States, was born 
 
 at Hillsborough, New Hampshire, on the 23d otNo\ ember, 1S04. He was educatetl 
 at P)OUil()in Colle_<4'e, and studied law with i,e\i W'oodbur)-. In 1S33, he was elected 
 a Member ot Conj^ress by the Democrats; and was chosen I'nited States Senator in 
 1837. in 1S42 \u- resigned his seat and resumetl the [jraclice ol the law. PresitUmt 
 Polk tendered him the- olfices ot Attorney (General and Secretar) of War, which he 
 declined. .\n ardent supporter ot the annexation ot Te.xas, he entered the Mexican 
 War and was made a Hrigadier (k-neral. In the Democratic Con\ention of 1852, 
 after fort)-eight ballots, he received the nomination for President, and was elected. 
 Daniel W'ebster was one of his supporters, (leneral Pierce began his administration 
 by denouncing the slavery agitation; and he gathered around him as ad\isers the 
 representatives of the extreme .southttrn o|)inion, who took advantage of their position 
 to plot tin; ruin of the countr)'. The repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the 
 consecjuent trouljles lolloweil. He used his official ])ower to promote the designs of 
 the prosla\er\- party in Kansas. The Ostend Manitesto was one ol the curiosities of 
 his administration. He was a competitor tor the nomination in 1856. During the 
 Rebellion he sympathizetl with the .South, and delivered a secession oration at Con- 
 cord on the 4th of Jul)-, 1863. He died October 81)1, 1869. 
 
 Franklin Pierce was not a Doughface, but a Northern Man with Southern 
 Principles. He early atlopted the views ot the proslaver)' leaders, and adhered to 
 them with pertinacit)' to the end of his life. With Jefferson Davis as the master- 
 spirit of his cabinet, it is not remarkable that his administration was discreditable, anil 
 injurious to the welfare of the country. The Kansas iniquities lett a stain iijion his 
 name which can never be effaced. After his policy as President was developed, he 
 was generally repudiatetl in the North; and wlu:n ln' retired from office, he found him- 
 self as a stranger among his own people. 
 
James Buchanan. 
 
 u 
 
 James UUCIIANAN, the iMflccmh I'rcsidcnt of the Unit(-cl States, was born 
 
 in I'raiikhn Coiintw Pciins\lvania, April 23(1, 1791. He graduated at Dickinson 
 College in 1S09. and was aihiiitted to tlie l)ar in 1S12. In a few years he accjuired a 
 coin|)etency and retired from [jractice. He served in Congress from 1821 to 1S31, 
 when he was appointed Minister to Russia hy (General [ackson, where he remained 
 two )ears. lie was a Senator from 1S34 to 1845, and Secretary of State under Pres- 
 ident Polk. In 1S53 he was appointetl Minister to ICngland, and was a part)' to the 
 Ostend Manifesto. He was nominated for the Presidenc\- in 1856. There are reasons 
 lor the belief that a fair \-ote would have given the office to John C. Fremont; but ac- 
 cording to the returns Buchanan was electtnl. He scdected for his cabinet a number 
 of the most unjjrincipletl of the disunionists — men who were afterwards notorious for 
 their villainies — and with the aid of this parly of worthies, he carried th(' nation to the 
 verge of destruction. The President contemplated with indifference and helplessness 
 the acts of the conspirators, until, appalled by the; ruin the)- had wrought, he made 
 near the end of his term, a feeble eficjrt to retrieve the power of the governmtmt. 
 After his retirement he published a vindicatory volume. His death occurred at Wheat- 
 land on the first of June, 1868. 
 
 James Buchanan passed nearly forty years of his life in pul)lic service. He 
 was during that time, a prominent jjersonage before the country, and occupied many 
 ])laces of honor and trust. Circumstances rather than talents were responsible for 
 this, for his abilities were not of a high order. He yielded himself to the influence of 
 the worst elements in American politics, antl forfeited his character and independence 
 for the sake of position. I le was weak rather than wickeil, and his desire for office 
 overcame every other consideration. 
 
'^^OC'Vt^ 
 
 \r31-:A.l!AM I.lNr.vJl.K 
 
Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 Ai 
 
 I'.kAI I AM l.I\C( )LX. tlu- SiNtucntli IVcsulcnt of the Tnitcd Stales, was born 
 in Ilanlin County. Kentucky, on the 12th of I'ehruary, 1809. He received about a 
 year's schooh'n^-, and worked for some time; as a hired hanti on a Mississippi Riven- 
 llat-boat. In 1S30, he removed to Ilhnois, studietl law, and was admitted to practice 
 in 1836. He was captain of a compan\- in tiie Black Hawk War. His hnv ijractice 
 was successtul, and lu- took a prominent part in the poh'tics of Illinois on the side of 
 the W'hi^s. He served in the Legislature Ironi 1834 to 1841, and was a member of 
 Congress from 1847 to 1849. In 1858, as candidate for Senator in ojjjxisition to 
 Stephen A. Douglas, he engaged in a series of remarkable debates with that person- 
 age; and the ability dis[)layed in this canvass led to his nomination for the Presid(Micy 
 in i860. He received the vote of all the I'Vee States e.xcept New Jersey. W'lu-n he 
 assumed his olhce, he foiuid the powers of the government crippled, its energies re- 
 stricted, and a large section in open rebellion. His administration was jxissed in a 
 tierce struggle to maintain the integritj- of the L'nion, and he fmall\- fell a martyr to 
 the cause. I le was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, and died on the 15th of .April, 
 1865. 
 
 Al)raham Lincoln was one of the best re]:)resentatives of .American Democracy. 
 He rose trom obscurity to the highest position, and enrolled his name with those of 
 the benefactors ol mankind. The qualities of his mind were solid rather than bril- 
 liant: h(.' hail a larg<; heart, and a shrewd if not cultivated understanding. Benevo- 
 lence was a distinguishing trait. His mannt;rs had little of polish, and his appearance 
 was uncouth, and often excited ridicule; yet tlu^re were occasions when his efforts 
 reached the jjoint of sublimity. 'Hk- bLmancipation Proclamation was the great act ol 
 his life, antl established the principle for which he died. 1 le occupies a place in the 
 hearts of the AmtM'ican People second only to that of Washington. 
 
r q//^a^c 
 
 ^^^'^^i^-^^j^ 
 
Andrkw Johnson. 
 
 /\nDR1':\V JOHNSOX, tlic SevcMUcciith IVrsidiMil of the I'nitcd Slates, was 
 horn at l\aK'iL;h, Xorth Carohiia, Deccmhcr 29th, 1S08. lie learned tlie trade of a 
 iaih)r. In his youth lie recei\ed no education; anil it is said that he was taught to 
 lead and write !))■ his wife. lie removed to Greenvilk-, Tennessee, where he was 
 elected .\lilernian in iS28,antl Mayor in 1S31. He became successivcdy State Senator, 
 Member of Con<;ress, and (lovernor. In i 85 7 he was elected to the United States 
 Senate, and ilistin^uished himself by his resolute opuosition to secession. \li: made, 
 in I'"ebruar\-, 1861, a powi'rful speech of two da\-s, in which he d(-nounced the dis- 
 unionists as traitors, and exposed th(;ir schemes with s^reat force and elor|uence. In 
 1862 Presid(Mit Lincoln appointed him Military (Governor of Tenneissce. He was 
 nominated for \'ice President b)- the Republicans in 1864, and assunnnl the office in 
 March, 1865. On the death of Lincoln he Ixxame President. His views on recon- 
 struction were witlely dif(ert;nt from those of a majority of Congress, and a discrrace- 
 ful (|uarrel ensued which lasted through his administration. 'rh(Mlignit\- of each ])arty 
 was sacrificed in the determination to thwart the other; and the legitimate iluties of 
 the government wcrv for the time; neglected. In the heat of the contest, the Presi- 
 dent was impeached; but alter a long trial, was actjuitted. After he retired from the 
 Presidency, he was several times a candidate for office, and was finally chosen Sen- 
 ator from Tennessee in 1874. He dietl July 31st, 1875. 
 
 Antlr(^w Johnson probably possessed more indi\iduality, persistenc)- and pluck 
 than any other President ol the L'nitt-d .States. Although he was far from ri'dit in 
 many oi his itleas, his honesty is uncpK.-stionetl, and his jirivate character is above re- 
 proach. In gi\ing his support to the I'nion before the Rebellion, he placed life, 
 property and position in the balance; and in his later acts which brought him in op- 
 position to the .sentiment ol the people, it cannot be said that he was moved by con- 
 siderations oi perstKial interest. 
 
Ulysses Simpson Grant. 
 
 U lA'SSES SIMPSON GRANT, the Eighteenth IVesidc-nt of the I'nilcd States, 
 
 was born at Point Pleasant, Ohio, April 2jth. 1822. Me was educated at West I'oint, 
 and served in the' Mexican War. I-"rom 1S53 to 1S61 he was in prixatt' life;. When 
 the Rebellion broke out he offereil his stM'vices to the country, and was commissioned 
 as Colonel. He was made a P)rigadier Oeneral, May 17th, 1S61, and a Major Gen- 
 eral in 1S62. lie captunxl Port P)onelson, and repulsed tlu; Rebels at Pittsburg 
 Landing. He began the siege of \'icksl)urg in N()\-ember, 1862; and the fall of this 
 stronghold the following Jul)- broke tht; power of the Confedt'rates in the West. 
 The Chattanooga campaign add(;d to his alread)' brilliant rejnitation, and earned for 
 him th(; rank of Lieutenant Gen(;ral. Summoned to the command of the armies in 
 the East, he finally, after several bloody cam])aigns, Ijrought the Reljellion to a close. 
 As a reward for his services. Congress conferred on him the title of (jeneral; antl in 
 1869, the Republican Party matle him President of the Unitc^d .States. He held the 
 office eight years. 
 
 As a militar)- man. Grant relied more upon lorce than skill; and in some of his 
 battles he sacrificed more men than any other general of ancient or modern times. 
 In temi)erament he was persevering, and not easily discouraged. In his administra- 
 tion as President he displaj'ed no especial ability, except in his determination to make 
 the most he could out of the office for himself and his friends. He was the first Pres- 
 ident that entertained hopes of a third term; ami at the last Republican Convention 
 a frantic effort was made by his sujjjiorters to secure for him the nomination. No 
 other man in the history of our country has been so amply rewardetl, or has received 
 so much from the i)eople as General Grant; and still he cries for more. He isn't 
 dead yet! 
 
^./2 - ^<^y<LJ. 
 
RU'IIIERIORD BlRCIIARD HaYES. 
 
 Jvrrill'.Rl'OKL) RIRCHARD HAYES was horn at Delaware, Ohio, on the 
 4th of October, 1S22. He graduated at Kenyon Colli'.^e in 1S42, and at the Harvard 
 Law School in 1S45. He practisetl law in Cincinnati, and was City Solicitor from 
 1858 to 1861. At the Ijeuinnino- of the Rebellion he became Major of thi; 23d Ohio 
 Regiment, and served in West X'irginia. He was woimck^d at South Mountain; and 
 with the rank of Colonel was for some time in command of a brioade. October 19th, 
 1S64, he was made a Brigadier General; and retired at the end of the War as Brevet 
 Major General. He was a Member of Congress from 1865 to 1868, ami Governor of 
 Ohio from 1868 to 1877. At the Rebubllcan Convention of 1876 he was nominatc-d 
 for President, and took the chair the following March. Mr. Hayes was not elected to 
 the office, but helil it in trust for Samuel J. Tilden, a dilapidated Democrat, who re- 
 ceived the popular vote. 
 
 After a canvass in which the Blood)- Shirt was the onl)- argument, Mr. Hayes 
 astounded the coiuitry by in\-iting to his cabinet an ex-rebel officer, and giving offi- 
 cial recognition to tissue ballot elections in the South — offences for which Andrew 
 Johnson would have been drawn and cjuartered. After this he committed no overt 
 act; and the sins of his ailministration, if any, are those of omission. He deserves 
 credit for having, in defiance of custom, run the presiilential mansion as a temiK^rance 
 house; and for his refusal to attend cock fights antl horse races, as had been the habit 
 of some of his predecessors. Further than this he diil nothing to distinguish himself 
 during his term of office. 
 
j^" 
 
 /- 
 
 '^ cX^.^-£-^ 
 
James Abram Garfield. 
 
 J AMES Al^RAM GARFIELD, the Twcntinli PrcsidtMit of the; United States, 
 
 was born at Orange, Ohio, November 19th, 1831. At first a tla}' laborer, he was af- 
 terwards a driver, ami tln;n a boatman on the' Pennsylvania antl Ohio Canal. In 1S49 
 he attended an acade-m)', and taught a tlistrict school the following winter. He entered 
 Williams College' and was graduated in 1856. .Soon alter he became teacher of lan- 
 yuaofes at Hiram ColleL^'e, and was made President o( the institution. He was ad- 
 mitted to the bar in i860. In 1861 he was appointed Colonel of the 42d Ohio Reg- 
 iment, and gained a victory over the rebels at Prestonburg in January, 1862, for which 
 he was given the rank of Brigadier General. "For gallant and meritorious services 
 in the battle of Chickamauga," he was made a Major General. Having been elected 
 a Representative, General Garfield resigned his commission in 1S63 and entered Con- 
 gress, where he remained for the next eighteen years. He was chosen a Senator to 
 take his seat in March, 1881. In the meantime he was elected President of the 
 United States. Three months after his inauguration, on the 2d of July, 188 i, he was 
 assassinated, and died after much suffering on the i8th of the following .September. 
 
 President Garfield is said to have been more thoroughly learned than any of 
 his predecessors, John Ouincy Adams excepted. His election was a rej)ulse to Grant- 
 ism; and was considerexl to have been brought about by the better elements of the 
 party. He tlid not live long enough to clearly develop a polic)'; and the manner 
 of his death renders it difficult, at this time, to give any correct estimate ol his char- 
 acter. 
 

v«* 
 
Chester Alan Arthur. 
 
 ^ 
 
 i^^IIESTEK AI.AX ARTHUR, thr Twenty first IVLsideiU of the rnitcd States, 
 was born in Tairfickl, X'crnKjnt, on tlic 5th of ()ctolx;r, 1830. lie c-ntcrcd Union 
 Collejre at the at^^c of fifteen, and graduated in the class of 1848. In 1853 he was 
 admitt(;d to the bar antl be^an practice in the City of New York. Of strong anti- 
 slaver)' sentiments, he joinc'il the Rejjubhcan Party, and took a jjroniinent part in pol- 
 itics. He received tlie appointnnnit of luigineer-in-Ciiief on the staff of Go\c;rnor 
 Morgan in 1S60; and when the R(;beinon broke out, was made OuarUrrmaster-Gen- 
 eral. The duties of this position he discharged with marked ability and wonderful 
 energy; and during the two years that he was in office, he armed and equipped for 
 the war near!)- seven hundrcnl lliousand men. On the election of Go\ernor Seymour 
 m 1863, he returnctd to his law practice, to which he gave his attention until he re- 
 ceived the ai)pointment of Collector of tin; Port of New York in 1S71. So satisfactory 
 was his administration that he was n^-appointed at the end of his term. lie was 
 elected Vice President in 1880; and by the death of Garfield, became President Sep- 
 tember 1 8th, 1881. 
 
 President Arthur has thus far jiursued a dignified and manly course. Let us 
 hope that he will do nothing during his atlministralion to bring dishonor upon him- 
 self or his office. 
 
M 9 6 8 9 iiJ 
 
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