Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-02-26
Gen. Hrr,son', casin.,-Tuo,,. F.

The selection Of his Official advisers !, olw,,.
delicate task for a Chief Magistrate. On III. or0
manu- Is Seylia' and the other Charybdis. He has
not only TO select individuals possessed nj ,t;;.
a"u '"'ue-'hat were an easy undertaking. in .
country aooundins as ours does in such characterS-
out he has to discriminate with great ncetv and
Iect those who possess peculiar and pre-em;,.D,
qualifications for their respective stations ua 49,,
have an eye TO all the great interests NJ H.. D.
hc' and pick out the man best ftted to repre.so,
each and every one.
!" 'ne execution OF this delicate and highly re.
spons'oie task, we hazard nothing in ayerrng tina,
GENERAL Harrison has succeeded bevond the s,.
PeeatIons OF his warmest friends. He asd;s,l.v
ed sasacity and know ledge OF men rar.Iv 1o,nd
IN the closet politician, and seldom exhibited b,,
any not used TO the camp-a school, by the w,v
em'nenuy hted for acquiring an intimate and dis,
cfitninaung knowledge of human character TIL.
general sentiment of the country pronounces the
CAonei, IN the aggregate, the abest since the d,v.
OF Washington. In the detail, the popul,r onn,o.
0Auon equally warm and decided. In word, 50
e"urey uneHeePuonable has it proved upon inoui-
~ uat even the Faciionlsts, who did clamor in m.
0es'"n'ng' ana VINO never fail TO clamor on such oe
eisiohS' nave been disoomftIed, and forced 10 81.
ienee-a triumph OF Truth and Justice over F,lss.
hood and Passion as signal as any recorded in the
annals Of history.
Dut passing by Tor the present the-other eminent
men who compose the Cabinet, we would brin, n
the more Intimate acquaintance OF our readers m.
history OF Thomas Ewing-the future Secre,a,v n,
the Treasury. MIR Ewing is a self. made msn-o,.
Of thoSe who, sPringng from obscuriiy and pov.,,v
by dini OF genius, illustrate the benign ioHn.
ences Of Republican institutions and constitute
ornament and support. We delight TO contempl,,e
such characters, and see them elevated 10 N.
stations of dignity and responsibility in the Renub
c' ne appointment IN this instance is alike credi
table TO the Chief Magistrate who conferred and n.
worthy Individual who received it. And in a more
extended sense, 1t IS deserved compliment TO IN.
genius OF free institutions which engenders s,cb
men-and by giving assurance that the bi,b.,,
post is within the reach Of the humbes, citizen i,
fuses generous and noble ambition into every cor.
dilion Of society.
The following sketch of Mr. Ew;n, :. ,,t..
from Watterson's Gallery of American Po,,,a;,.
The sketch was written in 1886, when Mr. Fw;na
was IN the Senate OF the United States 4, III
serve to give the reader idea of the eb,,,c,o
ana inteiieeiuai power OF this gentleman. who has
been named as the Secretary of the Treasure nnJas
General Harrison N"'''
MIR. Ewing was born in Virginia. in I7se-u;,
father was revolutionary soldier and soon 90,
the birth OF young Ewing, removed TO tho S,o,s
Of Ohio. Mr. Ewing Is indie b;ed Tor his elements y,
kno"leose, 10 he cate, and attention Of his eldest
sister, who taught hun to read, and the onIv 10
tiona education he received iii he was % ys,rs n
age, wastwo quarters tuition, under two suSc,o,ve
teachers. But he bad acquired a love of reading
! and al hrs leisure hours we're devoted to IT, Bis
father being in humble circpms,ance. -.
Ewing's lie was necessarily n laborious one i'm,
obliged he was 10 toll daily. he neve,,6.l...
ayaied himself OF every opportunity TO improve nj,
mind, and 10 he what his highest ambition tb.n lei
hImto become-a scholar. But poverty seemed "a
oppose an insuperabe barrier TO his career and he
was about yielding up 10 dependency. when !
| young man, who had seen something oftbe world
| and who was hired by his father as an assistan
reused him from his apathy and prevailed upon him
70 accompany him 20 the kaUawhn Saliues vybers i,
procured employment as q common Ia borer After an
absence OF three or four months he returned ,y,,t
eighty doilsrs in his pocket, which he gsrer
ousy gave 20 his father 70 his land from beios
forfeited. Ia the following spring. Mr. Ewing ag,is
returned to the Kanawha Salines, where he Ibo,,,
assiduously I'LL November, and suce eedsd in re- liz
! ing about four hundred doilnrs-out Of which az.
paying balance Of sixty dollars, still due on I'M
fathers property, he was enabled 10 indulge I'M
T VofIte propensity, by spend ng the winter nj a,
academy nj Athens y here he was encouraged I,
make additional efforts 10 prosecute his studies an
! acquire the power which knowledge bestowa. U
returned once moro 10 his former labors and eontiu
ued NJ them fortWo years. These severe tolls sfF.c
ted bis health; which, however, a short resi- enee a
home restored and he again entered the neadenn
/ which he had leit about two years before and ORC
ceeded TO labor mentally, with tie samelsrIor and in
tensty that he had n bored corpore,ll,
iIis progress is said 10 have been very rapid, ba
being satisfied that his funds, which were daiiv al
mdishng, would be insufficient 10 enable him ,
complete his education, he opened a school in Ga
liapolis, which IN the course Of a quarter he thre-
r up, not liking the employment, and returned 10 n
1 former occupation Of the salt works.
lie now hired furnace, and by extraordintr
I labor he acquired sum IN the course Of = monu
70 enable him, he believed, TO complete his str
dies. lie wns right; and in the spring Of 1915
received the degree Of A. b., and was the first
I receive thar aeademical honor in Ohio. lie Wi
. now 26 years Of age, and commenced the study
the law, w the Office Of General Beecher, Who, az
= he had finished his legal studies, from high opir
ion Ofhis powers, took him into partnership, and
his new and favohte profession he rose rapidly
distinction. A. proof Of his ardor and assiduit
he praclIeed in tight ferent counties in the Sta
IN which he lived. Hla hial affection was aga
manifested in the purchase Of fno tract Of land
lndiana, with The proceeds Of his profession,
Of which he placed his father and family. He h
ss nov acquired 20 high feputat on for ability Al
III talent Of the bar, that the Legislature ofOho ses
"a ed him IN 1887, 70 represent that State IN the Sc
ate OF the u. States; and IN this distinguished bo
/. lac has continued ever since, with an increase