The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-08-08

branch Of whom came first in Pennsylva.
mia in l772, and thence went into the
Western Districts Of North Carolina :;
that he was boln on the I'd Of November
1903, the son of an upright, intelligent,
and en,erprisng farmer; and that he was
the grandson of Ezekiel. and the grand
nephew Of Thomas Polk, two brothers,
who were among the first signers Of that
Declaration of American independence,
whose bold and impressive avowal OH the
20lh May, IT'S, has recently received
such interesting and irresistible authenti
cation by the researches Of Mr. Bancroft.
There would, indeed, seem to have
clustered in Mecklenburg county, imme.
diately prior to the revolutionary war, a
family group Of these liberty. loving Folks
and their near connexions. Under the
inspiring auspices and orders Of one Of
them, the Convention assembled at the
town Of Char!c!!e-i: was presided over
by another, (named Alcxander) an
other as recording Secretary, (also Of that
namc)- "a fourth penned the celebrated
manifesto ! have mentioned, (caled Bre-
varo)--and .GM recruited company Of
rebels, Of whom he retained the active
command DUNG The whole struggle.
When but eleven years Of nge, in
lSO6, his homestead was transferred 10
the banks of the Cumberland river, in
tennessee, u newly opened and thinly
settled field for agricultural industry, his
youthful education was, in consequence,
necessarily simple and contracted. Un.
der parental fear that his constitution
had been too seriously impaired by dis.
case for the scdcntary studies towards
which his inclination led him, he was at
first dedicated to mercantile pursuits; but,
ycarnng for mental exercise and acquire.
mcnt, the counting. room, in less than
month, became distastcful, and he ulli.
matcly succeeded in persuading his par.
ents TO place him, after a preparatory
schooling in Murfrecsburg, and ut the
age oftwenty, in the University Of North
Carolina. He left that seat of science
and learning in 1873, with physical
strength much diminished by the assidui-
,y and intensity Of his collegiate course +;
but with intellectual strength and rcpu,e
augmented to degree, implied by his
having at every periodical trial of his
class, received its highest distinctions.
In his twenty fourth year he entered
the office Of Felix Grundy, for many
years United States Senator from Ten
hesscc, but then lawyer Of extensive
practice, and, after the customary proba-
ton, procured his admission to The bar.
Mr.. P's legal career was one Of unsullicd
honor, of admitted ability, and of decided
him rapidly TO rcpu,a
lion and independence and also gave
ll'tn that extensive acquaintance which
demanded his services subsequently, in
political sphere. Persuaded by his neigh
borhood, he entered the General Assem-.
bly, i'll which he remained for two sessions,
when his transfer to the Hall o, Rcprc.
scntativcs at Washington was accomplish.
cd by general desire. Oh the 9th of Dc
cembcr, 1925.
Although, perhaps, the Youngest of 2Is
Representatives., there was no, upon the
floor OF that great chamber one whose
politics were more dcterminate and avow
ed. lie had inhaled a, every hour of his
lie opinions and sentiments respecting
the rights of humanity, and the only le-
gIlimnte foundations Of civil power which
his Judgment had approved, and which
now constituted as essential a portion of
his moral rs his arteries did Of his physi.
cal structure. Hc was impulsvcly,
ins,inctively, and irrcversubly Demo
crat-a Democrat in fundamental theory,
in uncompron,ising practice, in look,
word, thought, and motion. 1t was
impossible for him TO be anything else.
1t was his nature.
When he reached the Capitol, both
houses were illustrated by the presence of
citizens who had achieved distinguished
regulations. He was in the midst of such
associates as EDWARD Livingston, Jno.
Forsyth, Daniel Webster, Louis McLanc,
James Buchanan, George Mcdul1ic, Sam
ucl ID. lngham, Wm. c. Rivcs, Edward
Everett and Jas. Iami,on--while he
had but 10 pass through the Rolundo, into
the Senate Chamber, in order to minglc
with those equally conspicuous, as Van
Buren, Woodbury., Tazcwcll, Macon,
White, Benton, Harrison, Randolph,
Bcrrien, and llaync. Young as he was,
however. and unobtrusive as a debatcr,
Mr.. Polk promptly participated in the
leading discussion. His very first speech
related to the rclinquishmcn, of the titles
of public lands in Tcnncsscc--a topic
wholly devoid Of attraction, and yet it
manifested SO happy a faculty in lucidly
arranging and cxplaing dry and compli-
Gated fucts, that his character as an exact
and laborious man Of business, was at
once recognised and established.
For fourteen years he maintained
leading position in the House and, af-
ter dIscharging with signal ability the
arduous duties of chairman of the Conn