The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-30 00:00:00

MEMOIR OF

MR. 111ARCY.

Willia•n L. Marcy was born at Sturbridge,
Worcester county, Massachusetts, December 12,
1.786. His parents were in comfortable circum-
stances and gave him a gocd education, which was
completed at Boston University, whence he gra-
duated with honour in 1808. He soon after set-
tled in Troy as a lawyer, but devoted himself
mainly to politics, which were then beginning to
be of absorbing interest. Imbued with the poli-
tical faith of Jefferson he ardently supported the
policy of which President Madison and Governor
Tompkins were the leading exponents. He ar-
dently supported the declaration of war against
Great Britain, volunteered to serve in said war,
and is said to have captured a British flag in some
skirmish on our northern frontier. We believe,
however, that his services in council were deem-ed
more valuable than any ho could render in the
field. In 1816 he was appointed Recorder of the
city of Troy, but identifying himself with the
‘ Bucktail" opposition to Governor Clinton he
was
accededremovedt
opow in
power
18 0
180.
thel electionnlB2.l theof
Governorßuo kt rs. ils
Yates, and made Mr. Marcy, Adjutant-Genera],
from which post he was transferred to the more
responsible one of Controller in 1823. He there-
upon removed from Troy to Albany, which
city he has ever since considered his home. He
soon be,:anie a member of the famed " Albany.
Regency," an association of able and energetic poli-
ticians, by whom the politics of our State we-e
mainly directed for a number of years. In 1829
he was appointed a justice of our Supreme Court,
and in 1831 transterred thence to the United
Stites' Senate, wherein he served with distinction
until the close of 1832, when be was elected
Governor over Francis Granger, at the same time
that General Jackson was re-chosen to the Presi-
dency. In 1834 his re-election for Governor was
opposed by William H. Seward, but he was re-
elected, as he had been first chosen, by about
12,000 majority. In 1836 he was opposed by
Jesse Buel, whom he beat by nearly 30,000 majo-
rity. In 1838 be was supported for the fourth
and last time, but was for a second time opposed
by W. H. Seward, who was now elected by over
10,000 majority after a most spirited contest.
Tho election now turned on the financial policy
which had culminated in the specie circular, sub-
treasury, and introduction of small bills ; and we
believe there is no dispute as to the fact that Go-
vernor Marcy, while he had heartily co-operated in
the war on the United States' Bank, would havecho-
sen to stand aloof from these measures of quasihost;-
lity to the State banks. He has not since been acan-
didate for popular election. Governor Marcy re-
turned to office in 1845, on the accession of Presi-
dent Polk, who appointed him Secretary of War.
We believe it to be generally conceded that he dis-
charged the duties of this import .nt post with
energy and marked ability, and that he signaliy
contributed therein to the general vigour and suc-
cess of the war on Mexico. He retired, of course,
with his super:or, ou the accession of General
Taylor to the Presidency. He had supported Gen.
Caps for President in 1848, without sundering his
personal relations with the Van Berens, Cambre-
ling, Dix, and other leaders of the Free-soil Demo-
cracy, and he became an early and efficient negot;a-
tor for that reunion of the party which was so com-
pletely consummated in the contest of 1852. Gen.
Pierce, on assuming the Presidency, offered him the
portfolio of the State Department, which he ac-
cepted, though his tastes and pursui, s had hitherto
led him away from the field of foreign po-
litics. Probably, no greener Secretary of State
ever entered upon the duties of that post ; yet
few or none ever filled it more effectively. Seve-
ral of his State papers will long b 3 treasured and
admired, and he may be said to have reflected hon-
our even on the administration of General Pierce
—an achievement to which few men would have
proved equal. • That he was its geod genius was
very generally realised. That he never approved
nor countenanced the violation of the Missouri
Compact is beyond doubt ; and this is all the
foundation there ever was for the Southern report
that he was about to join the " Black Republi-
oans." Had he 3ielded to his natural impulse in
1854, res'gried his seat in the Cabinet, and placed
himself at the head of the opposition to Douglas's
Nebraska policy, he might, perhaps, have died
President of the United States. But Governor
Marcy was !rained in that mi,t tken political school.
which holds it better to be wrong in the Democra-
tic party than right out of it, and he lived and died
in conformity with that error. In person, Gover-
nor Marcy was tall and strongly built, though
stooping in his gait, with a head and face which
bole unmistakeably the stamp of power. His
manners were frank and unceremonious. We be-
lieve be leaves a widow and children.—New York
Tribune.

It is reported that the English, Scottish, and A.ustra-
lieu Chartered Bank will exhibit, at the approaching
meeting of the proprietors, profits equal to a dividend at
the rate of 6 per cent. per annum.
A FRENCII -RE IF/ILL—The Court of Assizes of the
Doubs was on. -Viday and Saturday occupied in trying
M. Monnot, cashier of the branch of the Bank of France
at Besancon, for embezzlement and forgery ; and M.
Vital Preval, banker in that city, as his accomplice.
The case excited great interest. Monnot, it appeared,
who is the son of Baron Monnot, a distinguished colo-
nel in the army of Napoleon 1., was in 1841 appointed
cashier of the branch bank established at Besan-
con. Unlimited confidence was placed in him, and
ho wit,: charged to receive all the sums paid in, to
effea. all payment., and to keep the accounts. Some
time back it was discovered that for 10 years he lead
been in the habit of committing embezzlements, and that
their'total amounted to the enormous sum of 420,0001. ;
alao that he had falsified his accounts, and fabricated or
suppressed receipts and other documents, so as to disguise
his frauds. The greater part of this sum he had
employed in carrying on a bank in the name of his
wife, who had been a widow named Prevel, and on her
death, which took place in 1853, in that of her son, the
other accused ; and it was alleged that this young man
knew perfectly well that the sums supplied by his father-
in-law were not honestly come by ; also that he (Prevel)
had spent a not inconsiderable portion of them in keep-
ing a mistress and horses, and that he had indulged in
extravagant luxury. The jury acquitted Prevel and con-
victed Monnot, though with extenuating circumstances.
The court sentenced him to eight years' hard labour.
WITCHCRAFT IN BRISTOL.—An elderly man named
Skinner, residing at St. Philip's was charged yesterday
before the Bristol magistrates with an assault on a
person named Finch. From the evidence of the com-
plainant it appeared that on Sunday evening he was
told that Skinner ve,shed to speak to him. He went
out to him, upon which the defendant, without giv-
ing him time to say anything, struck him a heavy
blow over the head with a walking stick, saying at the
same time. " You —, see what you have put on me.'
Finch at first denied any knowledge of the cause o'
the assault, but upon cross examination by Mr f
Tucker, who appeared for, the defendant, and
from the evidence of Miss Skinner, the true state of the
case seemed to be that Finch, in conjunction with two
other men named M'Culloch and Brown, had succeeded
in persuading the old man (Skinner) that he was suffering
from " witchcraft," and that they could remove or in-
crease his auctions at their pleasure, they being adepts
in the " black art." On one occasion they prevailed on
him to go out and purchase a heart, which was to be
stuck full of pins, and then roasted, he being assured
that if this were done he would recover. The heart
was bought by the defendant, but Mrs. Skinner, with
more sense than her husband, would not allow
the process to be pursued in her house. So great had
been the effect of these practices on Skinner's mind that
his intellect had failed him, and it was evident from his
demeanour before the magistrates that he was verging
on
costs of the
lunacy,andthseoymtmheoroes.
therefore merely
complainantrelyfine thedwefesendealsnot
the
cautioned that in pursuing the practices alleged heti:light
render himself liable to be committed as a rogue and
vagabond. intimatedttd hisitwa inten-
tionosomhipssoions
to Mr.
preferooTheurcgkee
against
Finch
as soon as he had procured the necessary evidence.
asratthbeeren numerous manifested
in
ANTI-MORMON RIOT IN BIBISINGZIABL—A feeling of
tgorewaatrdlisos ttilhie Mormon?,ty basforsomwe
htoimaerep
Birmingham. On Sunday evening matters reached a
climax. The Mormons have a chapel in a narrow
thoroughfar, called Thorpe-street, and nearly opposite
this building, Dr. Brindley, the master of a scholastic
establishment at Leamington, and who recently
conducted a school near Liverpool, lectured upon
the abominations of Joseph Smith's followers to between
omoonrcelurdeesdp
eaebtaobulte go
kh tin 3
go coLof chki.B
hTehaoreurgshleaftfetwhe
fifteen hundred and two thousand people. His discourse
ofa t street
when he did, the great majority remained, and shortly
afterwards a rush was made to the chapel where "Pre-
sident" A übrey was preaching at the time. The.aisles
and unoccupied seats were speedily filled, and then
a running fire of comment on the sermon was cons
menced and carried on by the intruders for seine five
or ten minutes. It is stated that much of the language
used was of the lowest and most disgraceful kind.
At last Aubrey abruptly closed his discourse, annd dis-
missed his congregation. It was with great difficult'
that they forced their way through the crowds in the
chapel yard and the street. The females were bustled,.
de Th
hats knocked off and. were struck on evieryesstoi
y red. A.
insulted and bespattered with mud ; the men bad their
police were sent for, and quiet
Phiftid °retired, the door.
the crowd rushed
soon, however,
ehowcheavperel, awsatshe
op
in, and the Bible
in, the front windows were e
The interior of the
chapel several other books stolen.
the utmost riot. A body o
chapel was a scene of .
d d.
moment, andispersed the mob,
buret
tstabvilaess
police arrived at this.. _
hints of. an intention to
e 'one result', as burn the
or in all probability there would have been very
schriSpel were freely. circulated. No other disturbance
took place that ght • but on Monday morning the
chapel doors were again broken open ; lockfait closets
entered and ransacked, and a large number of school
and music books were torn in pieces and strewn about
the yard. Except when a policeman made his appear-
ance, the crowd remained in possession of the building
during the day. In the evening, showers of stones were
hurled through the smashed windows. Yesterday, how-
ever, the police took active measures to prevent a repeal.
tion of these scenes.—Mattapter guardian'