Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-07-07
MIR. MAOIHON.

ed in an eminent degree by his gifted and im-
mortal successor. The writer's opportunl-
ties were such of knowing Intimately the
facts relating to Mr.. Madson's parentage and
the events of his life, that the utmost reliance
may be placed on the sketch here presented
of the Great Founder and most enlightened
Interpreter Of the Constitution.
lFor the II, raid Of tho Times.
TO The Editor:
( Having seen several very erroneous state
mcnts in relation to the great and good Mad
ison, am, as his particular friend, induced To
furnish you with the following hasty and very
brief statement of facts and datcs
) JAMES MADISON, late President Of the
u. s., was the son of James Madison, Of Or
ungc County, Virginia, and Nelly Conway
hls wife-and could trace back his paternal
ancestors as inhabitants of Virginia, for about
one hundred years previous to his birth
which took place at the house of his maternal
grand mother in por. Conway, Oh the Kappa
hammock liver, March lG, 1851. lie was ed
ucated by Mr.. Robertson, 4 Scotchman, IN
King & Queen county, and by the Rev. Mr..
Martin, a Jcrscynlan, at his fathers house IN
Orange county. With these two learned and
accomplished teachers, he studied English,
Latin, Greek, French, Italian, &c. and pre-
pared himself to enter College, which lie did
at Princeton, NewJerscy, in l769.-lic
graduated in l77l--haviutg studied the Junior
and Senior Glasses in one year-bnt was in-
duced to continue AT Princeton till l772, from
a desire To learn Hebrew, and to extend his
studies under the suprrintcndcnce OF Dr.
Withcrspoon then President Of the College,
and to whom he was much attached. Nav
inp delicate frame, his close and excessive
studies impaired his constitution, and he con-
tinucd in bad health for many years. In the
Spring of l77G he was ecctedb by the people
of Orange county, Member Of the General
Assembly of Virginia; but in l717 he failod
in his election in consequence "f his refusing
to treat and clec,ioneer. In the following
winter he was elected by the General As
scmby a member of the Executive Council
where he continued TO serve until the winter
Of I770-SO, when he was elected by the Gen.
Assembly n member of The Continental Con-
gress, of which body he RENAME member
until the autumn of 1888 .Ile was elected IA
member of the General Assembly of Virginia
m the Spring of 1884, and again in 1855.
lie was elected by the General Assembly
member of Congress in list. and in the
same year to the Annapolis Convention, and
also in I7F t" the Philadelphia Convention,
which made the present Constitution of the
United States. lie was elected nv the pco-
pie of his county. iu I1SS, member of tho
Virginia Convention which ratified that Con-
stitution. lie remained in Congress from
l7S6 to March. 1877, the cnd of Gen. WASH
ington's Administration. He was elected
member of the General Assembly of Virginia
in the spring OF l79s-and An Elscior ofPrrsi-
dent mud Vice President Of the L. $. in 100.
On the accession of Mr.. Jefferson TO the
Presidency in March, 1901, Mr.. Madison was
appointed Secretary of State: and eight years
thereafter he succeeded his great friend and
coadjutor as President of the u. S., to which
high station he was reelected for a second
term, at the end Of which he retired in March,
1917, to his scat called Montpelier, in Or
ange county, Virginia; where he has ever
since rcsidcd--eNcept when attending an Ag-
Society, Of which he was long Pre-
sident-as a visitor and Rector Of the Uni
vcrsiiy Of Vir2inia-and as member of the
State Convention to amend the Constitution
OF Virginia, to which the people of his conn-
ty elected him in lS29:-un,'l he took his de-
parturc on the 2Sth ultino in the St;tl year of
his age, from the theatre of his usefulness to
that Of his rewards.
CoNGREss.-Tho first session Of tho
Twenty third Congress closed on Mon
day last. 1t appears by the " Washington
papers that great amount Of important
4