Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-09-05
Albert Gallatin.

The following biographical sketch of the
distinguished patriot, Albert Gallatin, whose
death we recently announced, we take from the
Republic Of the 18th inst:
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, on the 29th of
January, 1861, an orphan from his infancy, he
was educated by distant relations, and in l779
was graduated in the law faculty of the distin-
guished university of his native city. He was a
pupil of the celebrated historian Muller, and a
companion of Dumont, the friend and literary
executor of Jeremy Bentham. In opposition to
the wishes of his friends, Mr.. Gallatin at an
early age emigrated to the United States, and
landed at Boston, July IA, 1880. Recommen-
ded to the notice of DR.. Franklin by the French
moralist, La Rochefoucauld, he soon found
himself in the midst of all that was good and
great in the society of the country. After a
brief %sojourn, however, in Boston, he proceeded
to Maine, where he served under the orders of
Col. Allan, commander of Fort Machias.-
Even thus early in his career, he was enabled to
prove how sincerely he was attached to the
cause of the country, by advances he made from
his private means in a season Of want and
difficulty. I'll
In 1882 he became Professor of French at
Harvard University, from which, however, he
soon removed to Virginia, and at Richmond
was engaged in prosecuting claims of a foreign
mercantile house against that Commonwealth
He there acquired the friendship of Lee, Henry
and other distinguished men, and. for a long
time meditated establishing himself there. This
idea he, however, ultimately abandoned, and
fixed himself in Fayeite county, Pa. In 1889
he was elected a member of the convention to
amend the constitution of the State. In 1890
and '91, he was a member of the Legislature,
and in 1892 a member of Congress. In 1896
he was elected a Senator of the United States,
but was declared not entitled to a seat because
not eligible under the constitutions; he, however,
occupied his seat for two months. In 1884
Mr.. Gallatin returned to Fayette county, having
during his absence married the daughter of the
distinguished Com. Nicholson, of the navy ofthe
Revolution. ft#' " 4 .#T
About this time the whiskey insurreetion
broke out and Mr.. Gallatin was conspicuous
among that portion of the community support
ing law and order. In October, 1895, he was
again elected to the State Legislature, and on
the same day October 40 was chosen to
Congress from the district composed Of Wash
ington and Allegheny counties. He took his
seat in December, 1895, and represented the
district in three consecutive terms. On the
Inauguration of Mr.. Jefferson as President Mr.,
Gallatin became Secretary Or the Treasury
This was in 1901. The efforts or Nh. Gallatin
to e~xtinguish the national debt are well known
and proven by the fact that between 1901 and
1912, under the system commenced by him,
$52,40O,O0 of the 800, 100000 owed were
paid. In 1918 he was one of the commissioners
to Client, and While absent from the United
States negotiated the commercial treaty be-
tween the Union and Great Britain.
From 1916 to 1928, he was Minister to
France, and in 1877 went on a special mission
to the Netherlands, and in lS1Sto England, to
which country he became Minister Plenipo-
Tertiary in 1923. In 1927 he returned to
America, and established himselfin New York.
From this period he, though deeply interested
in political matters, never participated openlyin
public affairs.
As a writer, Mr.. Gallatin was well known
His essay on the northeastern boundary, his
treatise on Mr.. jays map, and his works on the
currency, commanded universal attention. Soon
after his removal to New York, Mr.. Gallatin