The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-26
MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES SENATOR'S.
Our Boston Correspondence.


Fosta-Samud Derter- Theodore Sedg,oick-
John Quincy adams Timothy Pickering James
Lloyd-Nathanid Silsbee-Joseph b. Yarnmm-
CHRISTOPHER Gore-Harrison Gray Ot,s-Prentis'
Mdlen-E. J. MiHs-Ei p. Ashnrn-Dan'ef
Ws6a1-John Dav,s-Rufs' Choate-isaae c.
Bates-R. C.. Winthrop-Roh. Rantoia, IT,
Charles Summsr-Ed ,oard Everett
Massachusetts has contributed her full share Of
eminent men to the national Senate IL may De
doubted If any State has sent as many superior
to that body though she has occasionally sent small
men there and much fear that the breed is not ex-
tinct Enthusiastic admirers of Mr.. Webster say,
that to her belongs the honor of having sent the
greatest OF Senators to Washington With all defer
ence to their opinion, do not think that Mr. Web
ster was greater man than Mr. Calhoun or Mr..
Clay. We should not, in our admiration OF one
great man, be unjust to others And far as great
is to be judged of by results, by the efforts Of
human action on men and nations. Andrew jackson
was greater than all three Of them put together.
1t is the custom to call Massachusetts, federal
and whig State, yet it is fact that. for large
portion of the time since the existence Of national par
ties, she has had democratic administrations Among
her democratic Governors were Hancock, Samuel
Adams, Sullivan, Gerry, and Eustis. suppose that
great reason why she has the reputation of being
uniformly federal or wing State, throughout the
Union is to be found in the fact that her senatorial
delegations, with very few and those not marked
exceptions, have been composed of federalists or
wings. Whenever the nation has heard a great
Voice from the Senate, protesting to expound the
opinions Of Massachusetts, it has been that OF q
federal statesman Such democrats as have been
in the Senate have not been of the class that speaks
by authority. When Mr. ]. @. Adams, in the en-
barge times ventured to say something on the de-
mocratic side, his mouth was closed in q very sum-
mary manner, and he was made to feel his place so
unpleasant, that he forthwith resigned it. Mr. Var
num- the first democrat we elected to the United
States Senate from Massachusetts,, was not first
class man. Mr. Silsbee did not go into the Senate
until old party lines had become obiterated. Mr..
Rantoul was there but few days. and Mr. Sumner,
though no whig, is not exactly in full fellowship
with the democracy.
The first two Senators of the United States elected
by the Legislature Of Massachusetts,, were Tristram
Dalton, and Caleb Strong. There have been few
more remarkable men in Massachusetts, than Gov.
Strong. He was born in Northampton, in l744. He
belonged to the legal profession. He was an active
whig during the revolution, was member of the
convention that framed the national constitution,
and also Of the Massachusetts convention that adopt
ed it. At the age Of fory-ve he entered the United
States Senate, where he remained for seven years,
and Of which body he was conspicuous member
He resigned his seat in 1896. He was Governor OF
Massachusetts, from 1900 to 1907 when he beaten
by.Mr. Sullivan the democratic candidate, who had
been Attorney General. In 1872 Governor Strong
was run by the federalists, and defeated Elbridge
Gerry, whom he had previously beaten in 1900 and
lsOl. He was reelected in 1913, IA and '15 He
was eleven times chosen Governor by the people,
and defeated but once. Being chief magistrate of
the State during the war with England he was at
the head of those federasts of the ultra stamp who
acted as if they desired the success Of England,
though think there are few advocates of the
doctrine of State rights who would think of ques
tioning the accuracy of his position on the militia
question. During his terms Of service, from 1900
to 1907, he was moderate in his federalism /;
but from 1872 to 1916 he was rabid enough
to satisfy the most thorough-going of that doomed
party, which know neither how to maintain power or
10 gracefully abandon it. Previous to 1889 Governor
Strong had been several times a member Of the Lee
gisature and he received the appointment of Justice
of our Supreme Court. In the United States Senate
he was chairman of the committee that reported the
federaliss look back to the year when he Cover
nor as having been sort Of golden age, perhaps as
much from their having been the years of their youth
as from any other cause Some OF the more anti
quated Of their number-gentlemen who were IA
vored with sight of the proof sheets Of adams on
Liberty" more than half century ago-are, indeed,
odnaturedly accused by young America" of
voting for Mr.. Strong every year, under the impress
sion that be is still alive and the regular wing
didate' He was an honest man, possessed Of much
talent, and his intentions were good. Had the fede
raj party maintained its ascendancy he would have
figured on the stage Of national politics. and it
was he is the most prominent Of all old federal
leaders who held only State Offices, Mr.. Strong 9
career as national politician ceasing before the fe-
deraliss were destroyed and being confined to hold
ing Senatorship before that event He was in his
seventy second year when ne retired from public life,
and has been long dead.
Mr. Dalton was Governor Strong s colleague during
the first Congress- He was Of the first class OF
senators and went out Of the Senate in 1871 never
10 appear in the national legislature again. lie was
q man Of respectable talents but there was nothing
in his career that need detain IL seems strange
that, with so many able men at her command, Mas
sachusetts should have passed them over when Sc
Iecting her senatorial delegation, to confer one OF
Its places upon gentleman of no very great repu-
tation.
Mr.. Dalton was succeeded by George Cabot fede-
raj leader Of great and influence in his time,
but not particularly well known to the present gene
ration. Mr.. Cabot was a native Of Salem, where he
was born, in 1852. During the Revolution he was a
member Of the Provincial Congress ofMassachusetts
and he was afterwards member of the State
Convention that adopted the constitution of the
United States He remained in the Senate until
1896, when he resigned his seat On the organiza-
tion Of the Navy Department, Mr.. Cabot was offer
ed the place Of Secretary but he would not accept
it. He was a man Of very ardent feelings and a
thorough federalist-one Of those men who in po-
Itical warfare would have scorned TO accept quar-