] THE NINETEENTH CENTURY SERIES EDITOR : justin McCarthy. associate editors: w. p. trent, ll.d. t. g. marquis, b.a. charles g. d. roberts, m.a., f.r.c.i. Rev. W. H. WITHROW, M.A., D.D., F.R.S.C. PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES FROM pierce to Mckinley BY T. G. MARQUIS Author of "Stories of New France," "Marguerite de Roberval, "Life of Earl Roberts" Etc THE LINSCOTT PUBLISHING COMPANY TORONTO AND PHILADELPHIA LONDON : 47 Paternoster Row W. & R. CHAMBERS, Limited EDINBURGH : 339 High Street 1907 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the Year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Three, by the Bradley-Garfetson Co., Limited, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. Entered, according to Act of Parliament of Canada, in the Year One Thousand Nine Hundred and Three, by the Bradley-Garret son Co,. Limited, in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture. 411 Bights Reserved. PREFACE, In attempting to write the story of the lives of the presidents of the latter half of the nineteenth century, several difficulties have to be faced. In the first place it is almost impossible to get trust- worthy material. The lives of these great public men have been written by friends, often for party purposes, when their faults have been concealed and their mistakes made to appear as fine qualities. Time, the greatest of all critics, has not yet had the opportunity of sifting the wheat from the chaff in their lives. It has been my aim in this book as far as possible to let the presidents speak for themselves. Where I could I have quoted freely from their letters and speeches, and from the utterances of their immediate friends. In each case considerable space has been given to the early life of the subject under discus- sion. It must be an inspiration to a nation such as the United States, as it considers the men it has raised to sit in authority at Washington to guide its destinies, to know that the majority of these men have risen from the very humblest origin. It only needs the study of the lives of the presidents to see that the child of the most obscure citizen of the 437101 VI PREFACE. Union has a chance of reaching the most exalted office in the gift of his country. It is fitting at the beginning of the new century to take stock of the one that has just passed away, and there is no better way in which a country can sum up its achievements than by closely following the lives of its kings, or emperors, or presidents. In this volume the incidents of the private lives of the Presidents of the United States and their pub- lic acts have been mainly dealt with. There has been no attempt at an exhaustive discussion of any of the great questions that mark the progress of the United States in the century, — that work will be found ably done in another volume of this series. Again, only the points in the great Civil war and the Spanish-American war absolutely necessary for bring- ing out the character of the president concerned are dealt with. The task of describing these momentous struggles has been left to the brilliant pen of Mr. Oscar Browning, Professor of History in Cambridge University, who has contributed Wars in the Nine- teenth Century to this series. T. G. Marquis. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. PAGB Carlyle and Green True Historians. — To Know History Necessary to Know the Makers of History. — Two Great Periods in the History of United States.— First Great Period Closes with Defeat of Whig Party.— The Rise of the Republican Party. — Marvellous Progress of United States in Last Fifty Years. — The Importance of the Pres- idents in This Progress. — Civil War a Clearing of Polit- ical Air. — Great Periods of National Growth Ushered in by War. — Problems of American History Interwoven with the Lives of the Presidents. — Franklin Pierce an Example of This. — Abraham Lincoln Representative of Spirit of the North. — Democracy Embodied in Grover Cleveland. — President McKinley Characteristic of the Nation at Close of Century. — The Marvels Wrought by Machinery. — The Age in the Light of its Great Men. ... 1 CHAPTER II. PRESIDENT FRANKLIN PIERCE. (One Administration, 1853-1857.) Strong Men in the United States at Middle of Century. — Civil Strife in the Distance. — An Able and Large- Hearted President Needed.— Franklin Pierce a Man of Integrity and Noble Character.— His Father a Veteran viii CONTENTS. PAGE of the Revolutionary War. — Settles on New Hampshire Grants.— His Son Franklin, Born November 22, 1804.— Father Prominent in New Hampshire. — Sent to the Legislature. — Appointed Sheriff of the County. — A Brigadier-General of the New Hampshire Militia. — Franklin at School and at College. — Not a Diligent Student. — His Companions Longfellow and Hawthorne. — Teaches School. — Captain of a Military Company at Bowdoin College. — Begins the Study of Law. — Fails in His First Case. — A Successful Stump Orator. — Elected to the New Hampshire Legislature. — Speaker of the House. — Elected to Congress at the Age of Twenty- Nine. — A Strong Supporter of President Jackson. — Speaks Against the Abolition of Slavery in the District of Columbia. — Opposed to Military Academy at West Point. — Described by His Fellow-Senator, James Bu- chanan. — Dreaded the Influence of the Extreme Aboli- tionists. — His Strange Attitude on the Right of Petition. — Leaves Washington on Account of His Wife's Health. — Still Interested in Politics. — The Mexican War. — Franklin Pierce Enlists as a Private. — Given a Colonel's Commission. — At the Seat of War. — Wounded in Battle. — General Grant's Opinion of Him as a Soldier. — Be- lieves Himself Fighting in a Just Cause. — Honored by New Hampshire on Return from Mexico. — His Name Mentioned for President. — The Democratic Convention at Baltimore, June 1, 1852. — Chosen by the Convention for President. — Frederick Bancroft's Reasons for This Choice.— Scott Selected by the Whig Party.— Passing of Daniel Webster. — Elected President. — James Bu- chanan's Eulogy of Franklin Pierce 9 CHAPTER III. PRESIDENT FRANKLIN PIERCE (CONCLUDED). Franklin Pierce Makes Preparations to Go to Washing- ton. — The Tragic Death of his Son. — His Inauguration. — Opposes the Abolitionists.— A Consistent President. CONTENTS. ix PAGE — Appoints his Cabinet.— His Sympathies Decidedly with the South. — Stephen A. Douglas on the Scene. — Introduces the Kansas-Nebraska Bill. — The President Signs this Bill. — The Struggle in Kansas. — Pro-Slavery Leaders Look on Pierce as Their Friend. — Stephen A. Douglas Speaks on the Kansas Situation. — Mr. Cramp- ton and the United States.— -The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty in Evidence.— War Threatening with Britain.— Trouble with Spain over Cuba. — The Ostend Letter. — A Re- ciprocity Treaty with Canada Signed.— Franklin Pierce Takes his Stand in all Matters on the Constitution. — Democratic Convention meets at Cincinnati, June, 1856. — Buchanan Declared the Nominee of the Democrats. — Pierce Retires to his Concord Home. — When Secession Begins Stands with the Union and the North.— His Death, October 8, 1869 82 CHAPTER IV. PRESIDENT JAMES BUCHANAN. (One Administration, 1857-1861. ) President Buchanan in many Ways Like President Pierce. — Of Scotch-Irish Descent. — His Account of his Parents and their Life in America. — Given a Good Education. — Graduates from Dickinson College in 1809. — Enters on the Study of Law. — A Pronounced Feder- alist.— Opposed to the War of 1812.— Serves in the Ranks in 1814.— Elected to the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania.— A Romance Clouds his Life.— Elected to Congress.— Succeeds John Randolph as Minister to Russia.— On his Return Elected by State Legislature to Senate— A Strong Supporter of President Jackson.— Con- siders the Abolitionists " Desperate Fanatics."— On Elec- tion of President Taylor Retires to " Wheatlands."— In 1853 Appointed Minister to England by President Pierce. — Discussion as to How an American Minister should Appear at Court.— Proves himself an Able Minister.— An Enthusiastic Welcome on His Return to America... 48 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. PRESIDENT JAMES BUCHANAN (CONCLUDED). PAG 3 The National Democratic Convention Meets in Cincinnati in 1856. — Buchanan, Pierce, Douglas and Cass in the Field for President. — Buchanan Nominee of the Party. — Millard Fillmore Nominee of the Whig Party. — John C. Fremont Nominee of the People's Party.— Buchanan Elected President. — Platform of the Democratic Party. — President Buchanan's Inaugural Address. — Indigna- tion Growing against Sla.very. — Buchanan Selects his Cabinet. — The Dred Scott Case. — Buchanan Recognizes " Mob-elected " Legislature of Kansas. — The New Haven Memorial. — President Buchanan Replies to Memorial. — Takes His Stand on the Letter of the Constitution. — Proves Himself Able in International Affairs. — Bu- chanan Denies England's Right to Search American Ves- sels Supposed to be Slavers. — Handles all other Foreign Questions with Ability.— Unable to Check Corruption in Public Affairs.— The Covode Committee.— The Storm- Cloud Growing Blacker in Kansas. — Abraham Lincoln on the Scene.— The North Rallies about Him.— The Pro- Slavery Party Divided.— The Southern States Threaten Secession. — Buchanan a Weakling at this Crisis. — His Whole Prejudices with the South. — Plays into the Hands of His Southern Friends.— The Rebel Flag Float- ing over Charleston. — Confederate Government meets under Presidency of Jefferson Davis. — President Bu- chanan Gladly lays down Office. — Contrasted with Abra- ham Lincoln.— Death of Buchanan June 1, 1868 61 CHAPTER VI. PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN. (Two Administrations 1861-1865, 1865-) A Strong Man Needed to Grapple with Slavery. — Abraham Lincoln One of the World's Truly Great Men.— Of Virginian Stock. — His Ancestors Settle In Kentucky.— CONTENTS. xi pAau His Father Marries Nancy Hanks.— The Family Move to Indiana.— Rude Life in the Wilderness.— The Death of Nancy Hanks. His Father Marries Sarah Bush. — Lin- coln's Early Education.— The Bare-Foot Lad at Work in the Fields. — The Yearnings of an Ambitious Heart. — The Lincoln Family Move to Illinois. — A Trip to New Orleans.— Horrified by Slavery.— River-Pilot and Busi- ness-Manager.— In the Black Hawk War. — A Pro- nounced Whig. — His Odd Appearance on the Political Platform.— Conducts a General Store.— Begins the Study of Law. — Elected to the Legislature. — In Love with Anne Rutledge.— Her Death and Lincoln's Melan- choly.—" A Man with a heart Full of Kindness and a Head Full of Sense." 79 CHAPTER VII. PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CONTINUED). Lincoln's First Session in the Legislature. — Recognized as an Able " Log-Roller." — Re-Elected to the Legislature. — The Ambitious Schemes cf the "Long Nine." — The Seat of Government Moved from Vandalia to Spring- field. — Lincoln's Resolution on the Slavery Question. — Licensed to Practise Law. — Stephen A. Douglas Be- comes Lincoln's Great Rival. — Lincoln Dislikes the Drudgery of Law. — Nominated for Speaker in the Legis- lature. — An Elector on the Harrison Ticket for Pres- ident. — Mary Todd Enters Lincoln's Life. — Married to Mary Todd. — Elected to Congress. — His Speech on Be- half of General Taylor.—" Lone Star of Illinois."— The Boston Advertiser's Estimation of Lincoln. — Beginning to See Need of Grappling with Slavery Question. — Of- fered the Governorship of the Territory of Oregon. — His Speech on the Kansas-Nebraska Bill against Douglas. — His Challenge to Douglas. — Kills Douglas's Chances for the Presidency. — Extract from his Speech at Free- port. — Recognized as one of the Great Anti-Slavery Leaders. — Brilliant Speeches in the New England States. 92 x ii CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CONTINUED). PAQK The Republican Convention of I860.—" Honest Old Abe" Nominated on the Third Ballot.— Northern Democrats Nominate Stephen A. Douglas, the Southern John C. Breckinridge.— John Bell Nominated by Constitutional Union Party. — Lincoln Elected President. — The Southern States Secede. — Lincoln Tormented by Office Seekers.— His Farewell to his Springfield Friends.— A Plot to Assassinate Him at Baltimore.— The Inaugura- tion Ceremonies. — His Inaugural Address. — Seward and Lincoln. — Lincoln Forms his Cabinet. — Fort Sumter Threatened.— Lincoln Calls for 75,000 men.— Relative Strength of the North and South. — Stephen A. Douglas Stands by the Union. — Opening Months of the War. — Disastrous Battle of Bull Run. — General George B. McClellan in Command. — Grant, " a Sledge Hammer of War," Gains Victories on the Mississippi. — The Seiz- ing of Mason and Slidell almost Precipitates War with England. — France takes Advantage of War to Assert Herself in Mexico. — Lincoln's Admiration for Grant. — The Struggle at Sea between North and South. — Lin- coln's Paramount Desire to Save the Union. — Makes Enemies among the Abolitionists. — Preliminary Pro- clamation Freeing the Slaves. — Louis Napoleon's offer to Mediate between North and South Refused by Lin- coln. — Lincoln's Famous Gettysburg Speech. — Grant's Continued Successes. — Appointed General-in-Chief 107 CHAPTER IX. PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CONCLUDED). The Battles in " the Wilderness." — Lincoln Renominated by the Republicans for President. — His Opponent General George B. McClellan. — Lincoln Re-elected President. — The South Begins to Weaken. — Efforts to Bring About Peace.— The Conference at Hampton CONTENTS. xiii PAGB Roads.— Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address.— The War Nearing its End. — Lee Surrenders at Appomattox Court House. — Lincoln's Last Great Speech. — The Cost of the War. — Lee's Farewell to his Army. — The Charac- ter of Lee. — A Plot to Assassinate the Republican Leaders. — The Attempt on Seward's Life. — The Assas- sination of Lincoln in Ford's Theatre. — A Cruel Blow to the South.— The North Stricken with Grief.— Walt Whitman's Tribute to the Great Statesman. — Beecher's Noble Words. — Lincoln's Place in the Hearts of the American People 129 CHAPTER X. PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON. (One Administration 1865-1869.) Andrew Johnson Raised to the Presidency. — Like Lincoln of Poor Parentage. — His Illiterate Earlier Years. — A Tailor by Trade. — Self-Educated. — Marries Eliza Mc- Cardle. — Takes an Active Interest in Politics. — Elected to the State Legislature. — A Presidential Elector on the Democratic Ticket. — Sent to the State Senate. — Elected to Congress. — An Advocate of the Annexation of Texas. — Governor of Tennessee. — Elected to the United States Senate. — A Southerner, but Opposed to the South on Slavery Question. — Speaks for the Union. — Wins the Hatred of the South. — His Property Destroyed by His Enemies. — Appointed Military Governor of Tennessee. — His Able Administration Wins Admiration of Lincoln. — Nominated for the Vice-Presidency in 1864.— Speaks with Energy against the Secessionists. — Sworn in as President.— His Inaugural Address.— The Work of Re- constructing the South Begins— Office of President too Much for Johnson. — Struggle between Congress and the President. — The Tenure of Office Bill. — Suspends Secre- tary of War Stanton. — " Swinging Round the Circle." — Effort to Impeach him in Congress. — His Undignified Speeches against Congress. — Narrowly escapes Impeach- Xlv CONTENTS. PAOK ment. — Loses the Respect of the Nation. — His Death July 30, 1875 149 CHAPTER XI. PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT. (Two Administrations, 1869-1873, 1873-1877.) Grant One of the Greatest Soldiers in History. — His Family among the Oldest in America. — Of Puritan An- cestry. — Mathew Grant Arrives at Boston on the " Mary and John." — General Grant in Many Ways like Crom- well. — His Grandfather a Veteran of the Revolution. — His Father, Jesse Grant, Born in Pennsylvania. — Jesse Grant moves to Ohio. — Hiram Ulysses Grant born at Point Pleasant. — How he Became Known as Ulysses S. Grant. — His Early Education. — A Boy Accustomed to Toil. — Appointed a Cadet at West Point. — His Letters Home. — A Careless Student. — An Expert Horseman. — His Course Far from a Brilliant One. — A Lieutenant in the 4th United States Infantry. — A Man whom but Few would Suspect of Possible Greatness 177 CHAPTER XII. PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT (CONTINUED). Stationed at Jefferson Barracks. — Applies for a Teacher- ship in Mathematics at West Point. — In Love with Julia Dent. — War Threatening with Mexico. — Conflict be- tween Taylor's " Army of Occupation " and the Mexi- cans. — Grant's Regiment sent to Texas. — Lieutenant Grant does Gallant Service. — A Daring Ride. — Not in Sympathy with Mexican War. — Married on His Return from War.— Stationed at Detroit, at Sackett's Harbor, and on the Pacific Coast. — Leaves the Army in Disgust. — Settles on a Small and Poor Farm near St. Louis. — A Struggle for Existence. — A Clerk in Galena. — The Civil War Rouses his Military Ardor. — Given Command of a Regiment.— Proves himself a Fine Organizer.— Raised CONTENTS. xv PAGE to the Rank of Brigadier-General. — His First Military- Success at Paducah. — His Narrow Escape at Belmont. — Captures Fort Henry. — Lays Siege to Fort Donelson. — Captures Fort after Brilliant Fighting. — His Victories Electrify the North.— Grant Under a Cloud.— The Con- federates Hope to Crush Grant's Army. — The Battle of Shiloh. — Grant's Description of the Field of Battle. — Shiloh a Magnificent Victory for the North. — General Halleck's Incomprehensible Treatment of Grant. — The Delay before Corinth. — Grant Requests Leave of Ab- sence.— Induced by Sherman to Remain on the Scene of Conflict. — Military Administrator at Memphis. — Wins a Victory over the Confederates at Corinth.— Plans to Capture Vicksburg. — A Protracted Siege. — The Surrender of Vicksburg. — His Plans once more Thwarted by Halleck. — Severely Injured at New Orleans. — Ordered to Report at Cairo. — Wins a Great Victory at Chattanooga. — His Congratulations to his Soldiers. — Honoured for his Victory. — Grant Raised to the Rank of Lieutenant-General. — Appointed to the Command of all the Union Armies. — Faces the Forces of Robert E. Lee. —Lincoln Absolutely Confides in Grant. — The Battles in the "Wilderness." — Meets with Reverses at Cold Har- bour.— Lays Siege to Petersburg.— Lee Unable to Hold out Longer. — Grant Demands Surrender of Army of Confederate States. — Lee Flees from Richmond. — Sur- renders to Grant at Appomattox. — Grant's Description of Lee. — His Noble Treatment of His Vanquished Foe.— Grant Proceeds to Washington. — Looks upon the Death of Lincoln as a Calamity for the South. — The Grand Review of the Troops in Washington at Close of War. — Grant's Farewell Address to his Soldiers 188 CHAPTER XIII. PRESIDENT ULYSSES S. GRANT (CONCLUDED). The United States Government Turns its Attention to Mexican Matters.— The French Army Withdraws from xvi CONTENTS. PAGE Mexico. — Lee and Others Indicted for Rebellion. — Grant Differs with President Johnson as to Treatment of Con- federate Leaders. — At Close of War Gifts and Honours Showered upon Grant. — Grant Visits the South. — Ap- pointed General of the Army of the United States. — Appointed Secretary Ad Interim. — Grant stands by Sheridan in Opposition to the President. — The People Consider Grant for the Presidency. — Nominated by the Republican Convention in May, 1868. — His Words on Accepting the Nomination. — His One Desire Peace. — Elected President. — Favours the Annexation of Santo Domingo. — Reconstructing the South. — The Difficulties with Britain Settled.— Much Official Corruption during his Presidency.— Re-nominated for a Second Term.— A Bitter Campaign. — Elected President by a Large Ma- jority. — The Men who Served in his Cabinets. — His Second Inaugural Address. — War Threatening with Spain over Cuba.— Vetoes the "Inflation Bill." — The Whiskey-Ring Frauds.— His Opinions on Education. — Rutherford B. Hayes' Inauguration. — Grant's Great Jour- ney round the World.— Urged to Stand for a Third Term.— General Garfield Receives the Nomination.— Grant Financially Ruined.— The Writing of his Memoirs. —His Heroic Death.— President Cleveland's Words in his Praise 228 CHAPTER XIV. PRESIDENT RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. (One Administration 1877-1881). Rutherford B. Hayes Born in 1822.— His Father a Well-to- do Merchant from Brattleboro, Vermont.— The Hayes Family move to Ohio.— Settle in Delaware, Where Rutherford was Born.— As a Child his Life was Despaired of.— A Model Boy.— Studies at Kenyon College.— Be- gins the Study of Law.— In the Law School of Harvard University.— Admitted to the Bar, March, 1845.— Mar- ries Miss Lucy M. Webb.— In Early Life a Whig.— Joins CONTENTS. xvii PAGE the Republican Party.— In Civil War Stands by the North. — Opposed to Compromise with the Secessionists. —Determines to Enlist.— Appointed Major of the 23d Regiment. — Operates in Virginia. — At the Battle of South Mountain. — Major Hayes Wounded. — On Recov- ery Detailed to act as Brigadier-General of Kanawha Division. — Materially Aids in Capture of John Morgan. — His Heroic Work at Cloyd Mountain. — At Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek. — In the Battle of Winchester. — Sheridan's Famous Ride. — General Crook congratulates Hayes on Battlefield. — General Grant praises his Work. 249 CHAPTER XV. PRESIDENT RUTHERFORD B. HAYES (CONTINUED) . The Republicans Nominate Hayes for Congress in 1864.— Refuses to leave the Field to Stump his Constituency. — His Soldiers' Estimate of Him. — An Energetic Worker in House of Representatives. — His Attitude towards the South after the War. — Severely Criticises President Johnson's Re-construction Plan. — Votes for the Im- peachment of President Johnson. — Calls Johnson " the Traitor who Fills the White House." — Selected by the Republican Party for Governor of Ohio. — Favors Grant- ing the Suffrage to the Negroes. — Elected Governor. — Candidate for Congress in 1872 but Defeated by the Democrats. — Retires to his Home at Fremont. — In 1875 Once More Stands for Governorship. — Opposes Irre- deemable Paper-Money. — Favors Free-School. — His Campaign for Governor Makes Him a National Figure. — Talked about in Ohio as a Candidate for the Presidency. 265 CHAPTER XVI. PRESIDENT RUTHERFORD B. HAYES (CONCLUDED). Rutherford B. Hayes the Nominee for the Presidency. — Advocates Civil Service Reform. — Desires to Bring about Peace with the South. — An Unsatisfactory Elec- tion. — The Democrats Claim the Presidency for Tilden.— ■> b xviii CONTENTS. PAGS Bryce's View on the Situation.— Hayes Elected President of the United States by a Majority of One. — His Inau- guration. — For Civil Service Reform and Sound Money. — His Cabinet Chosen. — Withdraws the Troops from the State Houses in South. — Begins Civil Service Reforms. — Suspends Chester A. Arthur and Alonzo B. Cornell. — His Reasons for this Step. — His First Annual Message. — Silver Bill Passes both Houses. — The President Vetoes this Bill.— Handles Well the International Affairs of his Country. — Vetoes Bill Restricting the Immigration of Chinese. — Maintains " American Control over the Pan- ama Canal." — His Last Annual Message to Congress. — Retires to Private Life. — A Man of Unbending Will and of Great Integrity.. . . 276 CHAPTER XVII. PRESIDENT JAMES A. GARFIELD. (One Administration, 1881 — .) General Garfield Born at Orange, Ohio.— His Father of Puritan Stock ; his Mother Descended from the Hugue- nots. — A Precocious Child. — Infatuated by Tales of the Sea.— At Work on a Canal Boat. — Attends School at Chester. — Becomes a Campbellite. — Enters Hiram Col- lege. — Studies at William College under Mark Hopkins. — An Able Student. — Teaches in Hiram College. — Begins the Study of Law.— Elected to the Senate of Ohio.— Pre- pares Himself for the Impending Civil War. — Ap- pointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the 42d Regiment of Ohio Volunteers — Operates against Gen. Marshall in Eastern Kentucky. — Appointed Brigadier-General for his Work at Battle of Middle Creek.— At Battle of Shiloh. — Worn out by the Campaign. — On Court- Martial Duty at Washington. — At the Battle of Chick- amauga. — Called to Washington. — James G. Blaine Speaks Enthusiastically of his Military Career. — One of the Ablest Members of Congress. — Chosen as Senator- Elect from the State of Ohio.— Nominated for Pres* CONTENTS. six PAGE ident by the Republican Party in 1880.— Elected en the Tariff Issue.— Garfield's Cabinet.— The Collector of the Port of New York. — Senators Conkling and Piatt Resign. — The President Assassinated by Guiteau. — His Noble Struggle with Death. — Mourned by the Nation. — Much Promise in his Short Career as President. — An Eloquent and Able Speaker. — A Consistent Life from Log-Cabin to White House 289 CHAPTER XVIII. PRESIDENT CHESTER A. ARTHUR. (One Administration, 1881-1885.) Chester A. Arthur Twenty-First President of the United States. — Son of a Baptist Clergyman. — Educated at Union College. — Begins the Study of Law.— Interested in the Anti-Slavery Movemeut. — A Henry Clay Whig. — A Member of the First New York Republican Con- vention. — Appointed Engineer-in-Chief on the Staff of Governor Edwin D. Morgan. — Inspector-General of the New York Troops. — Returns to the Practice of Law. — Appointed Collector of the Port of New York by Pres- ident Grant.— Suspended by President Hayes for Par- tisanship. — Had Conducted his Office with Integrity and Ability. — Resumes his Law. Practice. — A Delegate for Grant at Republican Convention, 1880. — Nominated for Vice-Presidency. — The Vice-Presidency too Lightly Considered by the American People.— Garfield and Arthur Elected. — William H. Robertson Appointed Col- lector of the Port of New York. — Vice-President Arthur Takes Stand against the President. — Garfield Assas- sinated. — Arthur Devoted to his Dying President.— Sworn in as President. — His Inaugural Address. — His Diplomatic Words at the Dedication of the Yorktown Monument.— Arthur's Cabinet.— The War between Chili, and Peru and Bolivia. — The Nicaragua Canal Con- sidered. — Vetoes a Bill Prohibiting Chinese Immigra- tion,— Does Much to Create Modern United States Navy. xx CONTENTS. TAOS — Encourages Expenditure for Defence and Modern Guns. — Advocates a High Protective Policy. — Reduction in Price of Letter-Postage.— An Advocate of Civil Ser- vice Reform.— Expedition for the Rescue of Lieutenant Greely.— His Term a Link between the Reconstruction Period and the Period of Rapid Development. — Supports James G. Blaine for President, 1884.— Dies, November 18, 1886 305 CHAPTER XIX. PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND. (Two Administrations, 1885-1889, 1893-1897). The Republican Party in Power for Twenty-Four Years. — Grover Cleveland to the Rescue of the Democratic Party.— Born in New Jersey, March 18, 1837.— His Family one of the Oldest in America. — His Father a Clergyman ; his Mother of Southern Birth. — Leaves School at an Early Age. — At Work in a General Store. — Employed in an Institution for the Blind in New York. — Characteristic Letter. — Journeys West. — Assists in the Making of a Herd Book. — Admitted to the Bar in 1859. — Appointed District Attorney of the County of Erie. — In Sympathy with the Union during the War. — Elected Sheriff of Erie County. — Elected Mayor of Buffalo. — His Inaugural Address. — Earns the Name of the "Veto-Mayor." — Reforms Civic Affairs. — Fearless in his Office. — Wins the Respect of New York 320 CHAPTER XX. PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND (CONTINUED) . Much Corruption in State Affairs. — Grover Cleveland tho Democratic Nominee for Governor. — His Speech at Manhattan Club. — Fair to Labour and to Capital. — Vetoes Bill Reducing the Manhattan Railway Fare. — Favours Just Taxation and Civil Service Reform. — His Second Message to the Legislature. — An Advocate of the CONTENTS. xxi PAOK Rights of Labour.— Supports Theodore Roosevelt in his Reform Efforts in New York City.— His Rule as Gov- ernor of New York Makes him a National Figure. — A Possible Democratic Candidate for the Presidency 340 CHAPTER XXI. PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND (CONTINUED). G rover Cleveland Presidential Choice of Democratic National Convention. — His Letter of Acceptance. — Many of the Best Republicans Support Him. — Harper's Weekly Speaks on his Behalf. — Defeats James G. Blaine. — Rejoicing in the South over his Election. — His In- augural Address. — His Cabinet an Able One. — Endeav- ours to Reform the Civil Service. — Recklessly Distri- buted Land in the West Restored to the People. — Advises the Reduction of Import Duties. — Not a Free- Trader.— A Marriage in the White House. — Vetoes many Fraudulent Claims for Pensions. — Visits the South and West. — Vetoes the Texas Seed Bill. — Pronounces Himself in Favour of Ultimate Free Trade. — The Fisheries Ques- tion between England and United States Causes Trouble. — Re-nominated at the National Democratic Convention, 1888. — His Acceptance of the Nomination. — A President on Whom there was no Blot 350 CHAPTER XXII. PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND (CONCLUDED). Defeated for the Presidency by General Harrison. — Be- gins the Practice of Law in New York City. — Writes Letter against Free and Unlimited Coinage of Silver. — In 1890 Congressional Elections go Democratic. — Grover Cleveland Nominated for the Presidency at Chicago, 1892. — His Letter of Acceptance. — The First President Re-Elected after an Interim. — Chooses His Cabinet. — A Time of General Depression in the Country. — The Hawaii Situation. — Mr. Dole President of Hawaii. — The Cuban Situation Attracts the Attention of the United xxii CONTENTS. PAGB States. — The Venezuela Boundary Question. — President Cleveland Advocates Arbitration. — War Threatening between Great Britain and the United States. — The President's Startling Message.— The United States Com- mission Appointed. — The Venezuela Boundary Treaty Signed. — The Columbian Exposition at Chicago. — Hard Times in the United States. — Sherman Act Repealed.— The President Advocates Tariff Revision.— The Wilson Bill Passes the House. — Passes the Senate in a Greatly Altered Condition. — President Cleveland Feels the Sit- uation Keenly. — The Riots* in Chicago Firmly Dealt with by the President. — William J. Bryan Nominated for the Presidency. — Bryan Defeated by William Mc- Kinley. — Cleveland Still a Force for Good in the United States 362 CHAPTER XXIII. PRESIDENT BENJAMIN HARRISON. (One Administration 1889-1893.) Benjamin Harrison of Viginian Stock. — His Ancestors Puritans of Cromwell's Time. — The Dying Words of the Regicide Harrison. — Related to the Churchills. — Ben- jamin Harrison of the Revolution. — William Henry Harrison (Tippecanoe), President of the United States, Grandfather of Benjamin Harrison. — Benjamin Harri- son. Born in Ohio in 1833. — In Early Life an Admirer of Webster.— Educated at Farmers College.— On De- feat of Whig Party Becomes a Republican. — Marries Carolina L. Scott. — His Struggle for Existence in In- dianapolis. — Recruits the 70th Regiment for the Civil War.— Takes the Field as Colonel of the Regiment.— Hero of Many Battles.— His Gallant Charge at the Battle of Peach Tree Creek.— Promoted to the Rank of Brigadier- General.— General Hooker's Words in his Praise. — Smitten Down with Fever. — Recognized as a Man of Force and Character in his State 379 CONTENTS. xxiii CHAPTER XXIV. PRESIDENT BENJAMIN HARRISON (CONCLUDED). PAGE General Harrison Nominated for the Governorship of Indiana. — Though Defeated a Strong Candidate. — A Friend of the Workmen. — A Member of the Mississippi River Commission. — Supports Garfield at Republican Convention in Chicago. — Offered a Place in Garfield's Cabinet. — Appointed to the Senate. — A Severe Critic of President's Cleveland's Administration. — Talked of in Ohio for Presidency. — Nominated at Chicago, June 19, 1888. — Accepts the Nomination. — Favours a Protective Tariff. — Opposed to Chinese Immigration. — Favours In- creased Naval Expenditure. — His Antipathy to Britain. — Addresses Delegates at his Indianapolis Home. — Elected President.— His Inaugural Address. — The Behr- ing Sea Question. — The McKinley Bill. — Approves of Sherman's Silver Bill. — Points out the Necessity of Tariff Revision. — Civil War in Chili. — Italians Lynched by Mob in New Orleans. — Italian Minister Recalled from Washington. — Harrison Renominated for President. — Defeated by Grover Cleveland. — The Hawaiian Situa- tion. — President's Harrison's Prophetic Words with Re- gard to American Progress. — In Private Life Once more. — His Death in Opening Year of Twentieth Century.. .. 392 CHAPTER XXV. PRESIDENT WILLIAM MCKINLEY. (Two Administrations, 1897-1901, 1901—). The Last President of the Nineteenth Century a Victim of the Anarchists. — William McKinley, Born in Ohio, 1843. — His Ancestors Veterans of the Revolutionary War and of the War of 1812.— His Early Education.— Answers Lincoln's Call for Volunteers when Sumter was Fired upon. — A Private in the Ranks. — Sees Much Fighting. — Whitelaw Reid's Account of his Regiment's Work at South Mountain and Antietam. — McKinley 's xx iy CONTENTS. PAGB Heroic Work on Latter Occasion.— His Rapid Promotion. —Fighting in the Shenandoah Valley.— A Captain at the Battle of Opequan. — Appointed a Brevet-Major by- President Lincoln for Gallant Services.— Receives a Staff Appointment at Washington. — On Close of War Begins the Study of Law. — A Republican and a Pro- tectionist.— Elected District-Attorney.— Marries Miss Ida Saxton 406 CHAPTER XXVI. PRESIDENT MCKINLEY (CONTINUED). Major McKinley an Active Politician in Ohio. — Elected to Congress in 1876. — Meets Mr. James G. Blaine. — Becomes the Great Apostle of a High Protective Tariff. — An Attempt to Gerrymander him out of Congress. — Rec- ognized as one of the Ablest Republicans in the House. — His Attitude on the Money Question. — Prefers " a Tariff for Protection with Incidental Revenue." — A Brilliant Speech on Protection. — A Practical Politician. — A Supporter of John Sherman for the Presidency. — An Attempt made to Nominate McKinley in 1888. — Re- fuses to Accept the Nomination. — Supports General Harrison at the Convention in 1892. — Attacks the Mills Tariff Bill.— Constructs the McKinley Tariff Bill. — Elected Governor of Ohio. — An Able Governor and a Friend to the Toilers. — In His Second Campaign for the Governorship Takes Stand against Free Trade and Free Silver. — An Upholder of Law and Order. — Speaks Vig- orously against the Wilson-Gorman Law. — Meets with Financial Disaster. — His Heroic Conduct under Mis- fortune. — His Friends to the Rescue 418 CHAPTER XXVII. PRESIDENT WILLIAM MCKINLEY (CONTINUED). Governor McKinley Speaks before Vast Audiences. — The Republican Platform in 189G. — Nominated for the Pres- idency. — William Jennings Bryan Nominated by Dem- CONTENTS. xxv PAGE ocrats. — McKinley Elected President.— Selects his Cabi- net.— Trade in a Depressed Condition. — The President's First Message to Congress. — Reviews the Condition of the Country.— The Tariff Bill of Nelson Dingley.— The Situation in Cuba. —The President asks Aid for Suffer- ing Americans in Cuba. — The Spanish Minister at Wash- ington Criticises the President. — The "Maine" Des- troyed in Havana Harbour. — Preparations for War. — The President Lays the Cuban Situation before Con- gress. — General Woodford, Minister to Spain, Given his Passports. — The Spanish-American War Begins. — The Relative Strength of the two Countries. — The Grounds on which United States Entered upon War. — Cuba Blockaded. — The Spanish Fleet Destroyed in Manila Harbour. — Admiral Cervera's Fleet Destroyed at San- tiago. — Peace Negotiations Begin. — War Ceases. — Liberal Terms Granted to Spain. — The Philippine Situa- tion. — Commission Appointed to Examine Philippine Question. — Hawaii Made a Territory of United States. — Situation in the Island of Samoa. — United States Enters on an Imperial Career.— The Boxer Movement in China. —Weighty Questions Ably Handled by President Mc- Kinley 431 CHAPTER XXVIII. PRESIDENT WILLIAM MCKINLEY (CONCLUDED). The Situation Demands a Return of President McKinley to the White House. — The Philadelphia Republican Con- vention.— SenatorWolcott Speaks on the Country's Sit- uation.— The Platform of the Republican Party.— Pres- ident McKinley Renominated.— Theodore Roosevelt Nominated for the Vice-Presidency.— Mark Hanna's Ap- peal to the Country.— William J. Bryan the Democratic Nominee.— Still Upholds Free Silver.— The Growth of the United States in the Century.— President McKinley Re-elected. — Makes an Extended Tour of the Country. — His Speech on the Battlefield of Antietam.— His Speech XXY i CONTENTS. PAOK at Memphis.— His Journey Through the South a Tri- umph.— Illness of Mrs. McKinley Stops Tour.— The Phil- ippine Situation. —The Billion Dollar Steel Trust.— Pres- ident's Day at the Pan-American Exposition.— The Ad- dress of President McKinley at the Pan-American.— A Thoroughly Cosmopolitan and Christian Ruler.— Takes a Holiday to Niagara.— Assassinated by Leon Czolgosz. —The President's Brave Struggle with Death.— His Dying Words.— Mourned by the Entire Nation.— Pres- ident Roosevelt Takes the Oath of Office.— Carries out the Policy of President McKinley 455 PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE CENTURY. FROM PIERCE TO McKINLEY. CHAPTEK I. INTRODUCTORY. Carlyle in his Cromwell, Frederick the Great and The French Revolution, and Green in his sober and picturesque History of England taught the modern Anglo-Saxon world both how to write and to read history. Facts are excellent things, and a writer should take the greatest care to sift his material, separating fact from fiction, well established information from mere traditions. Carlyle and Green, however, saw with clear vision that the living souls, about whom cluster the facts of history like the nerves and veins, the blood and flesh and bones about the human personality, were vastly more important than the mere dates on which they performed their deeds or the incidents in which they played their parts. The great Elizabethan age is made an open sesame to the twentieth century 2 PRESIDENTS OF THE CENTURY. reader by the strength of Green's drawing of Queen Elizabeth, with her patriotism and falsehood, her intellectual brilliancy and her feminine vanity, her strength as a ruler and her fondness for show and applause; and by the keen insight of the historian into the lives of the authors of her reign, the men who made the age immortal: the pen pictures given of Marlowe and Greene with their intellectual keen- ness and their animal impulses, — their strong men- tality bound within half savage shells, each a Cali- ban and a Prospero in one and the same body ; — these things reveal the age and make it live as no dry- as-dust treatment could do. In the same way to make the modern world live, it is necessary to know the men and women who have made its history. Disraeli and Gladstone and Chamberlain are modern England, Bismarck is modern Germany: and so with the United States; to know it thoroughly and well, to grasp the spirit that animates the nation, it is only necessary to study the lives of the presidents, who are at once typical Americans and embodiments of the popular mind. Roughly speaking, the history of the United States might be divided into two great periods, — the forma- tive period and the period of progress. It would not be unfitting to make the division between these two periods at 1852 when Eranklin Pierce was elected President. It is no easy matter in literature or in history to draw hard and fast lines separating one age from another, but certain great events in literature and history seem to distinctly mark epochs. In a sense the defeat of General Winfield Scott for the Presidency, and with that defeat the passing away forever from the stage of American politics of the great Whig party, ends a great period. Up to INTRODUCTORY. 3 this time the nation had been a struggling youth forming its character, strong and vigorous, but with- out definite ideals or that unity of aim that makes for true growth. It was without an ideal, and the party strife was bitter and cruel. The Whigs swept from the boards, the modern Republican party stepped on the scene and a battle royal began be- tween the Democrats and the Republicans which has marked the era of progress that is still going on and which is rapidly making the United States the first among the nations of the world, in enterprise, in achievement, in wealth, and in wisdom; and it looks very much as though the beginning of the twentieth century was the initial step in a movement that will make her first in literature and art. There had of course been exceptional progress made before 1852, but the second half of the nine- teenth century saw the nation advance by leaps and bounds without a parallel in the world's history. Carthage, Greece, Rome, Spain grew, it is true, rap- idly, but they grew " by conquest without representa- tion/' and while they became wealthy their influence throughout their Empire was the influence of a despot. It has been otherwise with the United States ; her boundaries broadened by peaceful means, and save for the Mexican war she acquired no terri- tory by the sword till the last years of the century when the Spanish islands at her doors and the Span- ish possessions in the Philippines came under her sway. In neither of these cases did the nation attack a foreign power for the sake of acquiring territory. It would be well in commencing the study of the lives of the men who have made the history of the last fifty years of the United States (and the President i3 more decidedly a history-maker than Czar, or 4; PRESIDENTS OF THE CENTURY. Kaiser, or King) to realise the significance of the Pierce-Scott campaign. A new era began with the election of Franklin Pierce. He came into power at what seemed to be a time of peace, but it was merely the calm before the storm; external peace gave time for the growth of internal strife, and the struggle over Kansas which began in 1854 and cul- minated under President Buchanan was the initial movement in the life of the Union as it exists to-day. It was well that this civil strife came when it did. It cleared the air at the time when commercial and industrial progress was about to enter on its modern stage, when miracle-working machinery was about to change the face of the earth, annihilating space, revealing the secrets of the heavens, the earth, and the waters under the earth, and making man's lot happier and more comfortable, giving him control over the powers of the air, enabling him to throw paths across roaring torrents and wide streams, to bore his way through mountain barriers, or to climb their steep sides with safety and speed. These things have made the latter half of the nineteenth century peculiarly an age of progress, and that the modern spirit has so decidedly found a home on this continent is due very largely to the shrewd and far- seeing men who have been placed in the presidential chair. Prom Pierce to McKinley is a short period in time, but in growth it is the greatest period in the world's history, and in fifty years more development has taken place in material prosperity, in spiritual growth and insight than in all the previous centuries of the Christian era. This may seem an extreme statement when the mind rapidly runs over in re- view the great philosophers, the painters, the sculp- INTRODUCTORY. 5 tors, the poets, and even the scientists of earlier times; but it must be remembered that in previous centuries knowledge and power were the property of the few and only here and there a choice spirit was to be found who seemed, as it were, to have snatched fire from the altars of the gods ; that while occasional brilliant minds rose above their environ- ment and illuminated the world with their trans- cendent genius they were but as beacons in a sea of ignorance and superstition. Now the ignorant man in America is the exception, and only in the most remote corners of the country or under abnormal circumstances of life and society is superstition to be found. It is noteworthy that great periods of growth have almost invariably been ushered in by wars. The great reforms at the beginning of the nineteenth century had as their fore-runners the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Napo- leonic wars; the mid-century movements, too, were conceived in blood, — the Crimean war, the Indian Mutiny, and the Civil war of the United States were the preludes of widespread progress and reform and loftier national ideals. It would seem that a new era is opening with the twentieth century, an era of arbi- tration, of peaceful modes of solving international problems, of philanthropy and altruism; the Span- ish-American war and the Great Boer war would almost seem to be the conflicts marking the transition between the period of ambition and progress among the nations and the period just opening up which it would be hard to name, but which will probably be marked among the nations by a wider realisation of the fundamentals of Christianity and an application cf Christian principles in international affairs, and 6 PRESIDENTS OF THE CENTURY. in the dealings of civilised powers with less civilised and barbarous peoples. For an understanding of the great problems that have occupied the minds of the American nation it is only necessary to study the lives of the presidents. Take for example the life of Pierce. It is often a source of wonder how the Southern Pro-slavery party made such headway aganst the Abolitionists in the opening years of the great Civil war. If the life of President Pierce is studied carefully the rea- son will be evident. The South was a unit; the North at the beginning of the strife was divided. Pierce, while a Northern man and no friend of slav- ery as such, held, like many others in the North, that the Constitution sanctioned slavery and on account of the vested interests it should be sustained. In his desire for justice, as he saw it, he gave a helping hand to the slavery party. Again, when he came into office his country was reaching out commercially, and the rehearsal of the part he played in opening the gates of Japan, in establishing a reciprocity treaty with Canada and more favourable terms with European powers, in helping on ocean traffic, etc., gives in a more living manner the progress of his country between 1853 and 1857 than could be done if volumes of bald facts on these questions were pre- sented to the reader. It is the same with the period between 1861 and 1865. To understand why the North triumphed over the South it is only necessary to live in spirit with Abraham Lincoln. The sturdy and typical Ameri- canism of which he was the embodiment, the indigna- tion caused by man's inhumanity to man which focussed in his heart, the determination that knew no defeat, — find expression in his life. The spirit INTRODUCTORY, 7 that animated Abraham Lincoln was the spirit of the Abolitionist party as a whole, and to know that party well and to know the spirit of the nation endur- ing a bloody war, making superhuman sacrifices for an ideal, it is only necessary to study carefully the life of Lincoln from his rude early surroundings in his Kentucky home to his martyrdom through the malice of the party he had crushed. There is another tendency in the nation, the tend- ency to marshal the forces of democracy against the plutocracy, the people against the trusts and com- bines. The true spirit of democracy can best be gathered from a perusal of the career of Grover Cleveland. He was, during his presidential life, a type of sober-minded democracy, a man free from the extreme points of view that are so often asso- ciated with the word Democrat, a man of sound judg- ment and great business capacity, — and to know his life is to know the history of his country between 1885 and 1889 and 1893 and 1897. But the nation was slowly but surely growing in sobriety of judgment, humanity, and spiritual life; and in the last great President, who has just fallen beneath the bullet of the assassin — the third Presi- dent to die by the hand of an assassin within a period of only thirty-six years — there was the high- est manifestation of the national life at the close of the nineteenth century. He possessed good judg- ment, fine business capacity, an unbending, though not stubborn, will, and a religious depth of feeling. He was but a type of the nation, on the one hand keenly awake to business, on the other desiring a life higher than this mundane one. The period covered by the lives of the eleven presidents included in this volume is one rich in c 8 PRESIDENTS OF THE CENTURY. material prosperity and national growth. In this period, for instance, the Atlantic cable has been laid chaining the old world to the new, Niagara has been spanned, and the thunder of the trains overhead mingles with the roar of the giant fall beneath them, the modern weapons of war have been invented, the great processes for manufacturing steel have been perfected, and electricity, the terror of the ancients, has been made the handmaid and the plaything of man. It is this age, in the most progressive of modern countries, we would study in the light of the men chosen from the nation by the nation to be their rulers. As Carlyle has said, " Great Men, taken up in any way, are profitable company," and it would be impossible among the rulers of the nineteenth cen- tury or of all preceding centuries to find more profitable subjects for study than the Presidents of the American people. FRANKLIN PIERCE. CHAPTER II. president franklin pierce. (One Administration, 1853-1857) During the first half of the nineteenth century a race of strong men swayed the wills of the people of the North and the South ; chief among these were Calhoun, Clay and Webster, — men keen to grasp a situation, quick to see a weak spot in the armour of their opponents and powerful in the presentation of their ideas. For the most part they were too bril- liant ; and though they were ambitious to occupy the chief place in the nation, they found themselves beaten in the race for presidential honours by such blunt soldiers as Jackson, Harrison, and Taylor and by such mediocre statesmen as Polk and Fillmore or such a smooth-tongued diplomat as Martin Van Buren. No nation was ever in greater need of a strong man in every sense of the word at the helm than was the United States at the middle of the nineteenth century. She had had a " crit- ical period " after the Revolution, and she was only saved by the wisdom of Washington; she was now approaching a still more critical period, and had there been a Washington in the Capital during the time of the Mexican war and in the days when 10 PRESIDENTS OF THE CENTURY. the Kansas struggle shook the nation she might have gained union and solidarity without the bloody struggle which would have sapped the resources and left bankrupt any country save one with such infinite sources of expansion and inexhaustible wealth. The country was drifting, drifting over a stormy sea, and stormy waves from the North met stormier waves from the South, and yet the captain seemed not to see the maelstrom towards which the vessel was being driven. In 1853, Franklin Pierce became President of the United States. While he was a man of great in- tegrity, noble character, of considerable breadth of mind, a politician trained by crossing swords with such men as Clay and Webster, he did little or nothing to avert the calamity that was rapidly approaching. Franklin Pierce like the majority of the presi- dents of the United States, could point with pride to the part his ancestors had played in the struggle that made his country a self-respecting and self- governing one. His father, Benjamin Pierce, was but a lad of seventeen at the time when the agi- tation against the tyranny of King George and his ministers culminated in the fight at Lexington. He was, however, not too young to handle a musket in his country's cause, and from the outbreak of the war until the Patriot Army disbanded in 1784 he fought almost continuously, winning the esteem of his officers and the confidence of his comrades in arms. That he had, although so young, more than ordinary military ability is shown by the fact that when the war was over he had attained the rank of captain and brevet major. He had seen enough of service through the trying years of the Eevolution FRANKLIN PIERCE. 11 to break his constitution, but his hard experiences only seemed to make him stronger, physically, men- tally and morally. His country was, however, too poor to give him fitting compensation for his years of arduous service, and he was forced to face life with but two hundred dollars in his pocket. The outlook was not a bright one. In his native State, Massachusetts, long settled and populous, land was dear and his wealth would go but a small way in obtaining a farm, and so he was forced to look else- where. The New Hampshire Grants were then attract- ing a good deal of attention, and to the wild woods on the borders of civilisation he went to carve out for himself a home in the almost unbroken wilder- ness. Other settlers had been before him, and near a rippling stream, which was alive with trout, he came upon a rude log cabin situated in a little clear- ing. The owner was rich in an estate of one hun- dred and fifty acres. It is true it was principally forest land, but the dozen or so acres that were par- tially cleared and the trout stream that delighted the young captain were a great temptation. Besides, he did not feel like beginning on the primeval forest, and so he offered the settler one hundred and fifty dollars for his one hundred and fifty acres, and the property became his, log hut and all. He married Elizabeth Andrews, but she died when only twenty- one years old. Shortly after her death he again married; his second wife's name was Anna Hen- drick. By this marriage he became the father of five sons and three daughters ; two of the boys died young, but the remaining three all became more or less distinguished and all inherited from their father his love of military life. The fourth son, 12 PRESIDENTS OF THE CENTURY. Franklin Pierce, the subject of this sketch, was born at Hillsborough, November 22, 1804. With the same energy that had made Benjamin Pierce a good soldier and won him rapid promotion in the army he entered into the life of the commu- nity in which he settled. He was not long in the Hillsborough district before he was recognised as a man of more than ordinary ability and integrity, and in 1789 his neighbors sent him to the Legislature; and so well did he acquit himself there that, until 1803, he continued to be their representative. In that year he became a member of the governor's council, and did such good work until 1809 that the people of Hillsborough thought it about time to re- ward him for his long years of unselfish service on their behalf, and chose him sheriff of the county. One of his first acts in his new office well illus- trates his character and will help the reader to un- derstand whence Franklin Pierce got his noble, sym- pathetic nature. He had under his jurisdiction as sheriff a number of prisoners for debt, among them three who were veterans of the Eevolution. He con- sidered the law which enabled creditors to imprison their debtors an iniquitous one, and the fact that three men who had on many well-fought fields risked their lives for their country's life, and who like him- self had probably received practically no remunera- tion for their long years of suffering and danger, should be in durance vile, stirred him deeply. He could not rest content in his new office and daily come in contact with these three veterans suffering as criminals for no crime but for a misfortune which, perchance, was quite as much their country's fault as their own. In the bigness of his heart he paid their debts, set them at liberty and spoke in the FRANKLIN PIERCE. 13 strongest terms against the iniquitous law which had incarcerated them. Such a man was the father of Franklin Pierce. Although sheriff of the county he still took an in- terest in the political life of his country and con- tinued to grow in the esteem of all who knew him; so much so that in 1827 he was elected governor of New Hampshire, and, although defeated by the energy of the Adams men in 1828, was again elected to the same office in 1829. Although young Ben Pierce had as he thought laid aside, in 1784, the sword for the axe and the hoe, his long years of military service had left their impress deep on his character, and when General Sullivan reorganised the New Hampshire Militia in 1786 he was one of the first to offer his services, and his abil- ity and experience was such that he rapidly rose to the rank of brigadier-general. Until his death in 1839 there was no man in New Hampshire who in military and political affairs did more for his State than Ben Pierce. That Franklin Pierce as a politician and, in a lesser degree, as a soldier was such a successful man was largely due to the example of his father and to the training he received at his hands. Benjamin early saw that his son Frank had more than ordinary ability, and deter- mined to give him the very best education his country afforded. As the schools in the immediate vicinity of his home were of the most primitive nature, he sent his son first to one at Hancock, then to one at Francestown and finally .to Exeter Academy, where he was prepared for Bowdoin College. At sixteen, by no means an early age for a matriculant of that day, he entered Bowdoin College. In every man there are two or even more distinct 14 PRESIDENTS OF THE CENTURY. characters. Pierce had an intellectual keenness which, however, was not vigorous enough to predomi- nate over a physical energy that drew him from his books. The first two years of his course were far from brilliant, and he seems to have dreamt away his time, barely passing on examinations that were, in the light of our present standards, ridiculously easy. It is said that he was a reckless, dissipated student ; but this has to be taken cum grano. He could not have gone very deep before his eighteenth year, and by that time he seems to have settled down into an earnest, industrious student. It should be remem- bered that his character at college was such as to win the esteem and lifelong admiration of his col- lege mate, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the love of the sweet and God-fearing daughter of the president of Bowdoin College, Jane Means Appleton. ISTo doubt his enthusiastic nature found more enjoyment out of the society of Longfellow, Hawthorne and others of his classmates who were to achieve distinction than out of the pages of his Euclid or Cicero. After two years' residence at college he found himself at the foot of his class, but the most popular student. He had won the friendship of a fellow student, Zeneas Cauldwell, a pious Methodist who, sorry for his brilliant friend's failure, determined to shape his character into new channels, and, what is more, by his persistence, succeeded. Due to the influence of Zeneas, Pierce became a serious Chris- tian man, and, although never a religious enthu- siast, his whole character was influenced by Christian- ity. At the close of his sophomore year he went with Zeneas to Hebron, Me., and, to fit himself for future work, tried his hand at school-teaching at fourteen dollars a month. He returned to college with ro- FRANKLIN PIERCE. 15 newed energy at the close of his vacation, and when he graduated in 1824 it was with honours, and he stood third in an exceptionally brilliant class. During his course the students of Bowdoin estab- lished a military company, and, both from his own popularity and the fact that his father was a briga- dier-general and had fought through the Revolution- ary war, he was unanimously elected captain, and much of the time that should have been given to his books was given to military tactics and drill. No doubt the college authorities deplored the way the promising young student was squandering his time, but it was well that he shaped his life after his own fashion. His military studies helped to fit him for his career in the Mexican war, and the time spent in discussion and reading gave him a wider view of life than he could have gained from sticking closely to his school texts. The ardent student too often is unable to think without a book or pen in his hand; Franklin Pierce for his career needed the quickness of wit that comes from living contact with men rather than from books. On leaving college he at once began the study of law, first in the office of the Hon. Edward Parker at Amherst, then under the Hon. Levi Woodbury at Portsmouth, and finally gave a finish to his study by attendance at the Law School at Xorth Hampton, Mass. He was admitted to the Bar in 1827, just as his father was entering on his campaign for the governorship of the State. This was the opening young Pierce needed, and he at once began his career as a politician by actively working in his father's interests. He was more successful as a stump orator than as a lawyer, however. Indeed, according to his bio- 16 PRESIDENTS OF THE CENTURY. grapher and friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne, he was never what could be called a brilliant pleader at the bar. His first case before a jury was at Am- herst. He failed, hopelessly failed. He was deeply chagrined at this defeat, and his friends felt keenly for him; but he was made of the right stuff. Like many another strong man he needed adversity to bring out all that was best in him. It was his fail- ure in his sophomore year that made him leave col- lege one of the best honour students of his class, and it was his failure in his Amherst case that finally made him a successful lawyer, if not a great one. He showed in a remark to a friend about this reverse wherein lay his true strength : " I will try," he said, " nine hundred and ninety-nine cases, if clients con- tinue to trust me, and if I fail just as I have to-day, I will try the thousandth. I shall live to argue cases in this court-house in a manner that will mor- tify neither myself nor my friends." In the following year he had an opportunity of testing his powers. There was a hot fight in New Hampshire between the friends of General Jackson and the supporters of John Quincy Adams, and into this fight Franklin Pierce entered as a Jackson man. But the Adams men were too strong, and even Governor Pierce, popular as he was, suffered defeat. In a year's time his son once more took the stump on his behalf, and his growth in 'power was so re- markable that his friends and even his enemies began to recognise that he had a future before him. In 1830, he was elected to the New Hampshire Legisla- ture and in 1832-33 was chosen Speaker of the House. He was slowly but surely winning his way upwards, and his supporters, recognising his strength and integrity, were willing to trust him still further. FRANKLIN PIERCE. 17 In 1833, he was elected to the Congress of the United States at the early age of twenty-nine. His career in Congress was not a remarkably bril- liant one. He proved himself an industrious worker. He was a most pronounced partisan and by his support of President Jackson won the lifelong esteem of that distinguished soldier. He stood by the President in his attacks on the United States- Bank, which extended from 1829 to 1836, and no doubt was as pleased as the President himself when the latter finally succeeded in taking " the strut out of this Biddle." Although he had proved himself a good stump orator in New Hampshire he was not a power on the floors of Congress. Debating was not his strong point, and he contented himself with do- ing the work he could do faithfully and well. He however could make himself listened to, and in 1834 delivered his first important speech. In it he dealt with the necessities of exercising the greatest care in the payment of Revolutionary claims. This was a subject on which he was no doubt at home as the son of a man who had fought through the entire Revolutionary war and who had received but scant reward for his services. During his career in Congress he commanded the attention of the House on at least two other im- portant occasions. His speech in 1835 against the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia showed his attitude on the slave question, and from the position he then took he never swerved. In the following year he spoke against the appropriations for the Military Academy at West Point. He was yet to go through the Mexican war, and what he then saw of the " citizen soldiers " convinced him that he was wrong, and that, though military insti- 18 PRESIDENTS OF THE CENTURY. tutions may have tlieir bad side, they are a necessity to any country and the greatest safeguard of peace. Soldiers are but the police of the world, and the more efficient they are the more steadfast will be peace. In 1836, Congressman Pierce was actively engaged in the Presidential campaign and did not a little to keep ISTew Hampshire strongly democratic. In the following year, when but thirty-three years old, the E~ew Hampshire Legislature elected him to the Senate of the United States, and he took his seat within those illustrious halls at a time when the air was heavy with change, and when some of the ablest speakers who ever charmed the ears of American audiences or stirred their hearts as with living fire, were his daily associates. Constantly coming under the influence of men like Calhoun, Buchanan, and Benton he could not but develop ; and, although dur- ing the years in the New Hampshire Legislature and Congress he had not proved himself a remarkable speaker, by perseverance and careful preparation he gained such a command over language, that, although the youngest member of the Senate, he was ever lis- tened to with pleasure. The following description of Pierce as a Senator, from the pen of his con- temporary, James Buchanan, gives a good idea of the man at that time: 3 JUN 2 2 1966 2 RECEIVED 0CT28'66-1PM LOAN DEPT. LD 21-50m-l,'3 43710.1 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY