The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-10-27
HONORABLE JACOB THOMPSON.
sEcRErARY OF THE INTERIOR.


Communicates to that paper the following
| article:
Messrs. Editors At the commencement
of the year. we gave to our readers sketches
Of the President and the members of the
Cabinet. In this, without design. Mr..
| Thompson was omitted. We now endeavor
to supply this omission.
Mr.. Thompson is a native of yCasweli
| County, Nc. He was born III May 1910.
His father. Nicholas Thompson. was a res
pectable and excellent man, who belonged
to that enviable class of society. possessing
neither poverty or riches :" and conscious
of the value and Importance of education,
he bestowed upon his son every advantage
the country afforded. The early education
of Mr. Thompson was conducted by Mr.
Bingham, ST., at Hillsboro' the fidelity of
whose teachings have been proven by the
many "rare and ripe scholars" which he
sent to the University. and whose success
in life has proven how thorough were his
instructions. Mr. Thompson entered the
| University of North Carolina, ana gradual
ed with distinguished honors In 1891
Among his associates in college, and whom
he preceded by a year, were Hons. James
| G.. Dobbin, late Secretary of the Navy,
and Thos. L. ClDgman, at present a mem
| Der Of Congress from North Carolina Cad
wallader Jones, Esq, late Solicitor General
| of North Carolina, and others. On the
same day on-which he graduated, he was
elected by the Trustees and Faculty tutor
of the College, where, for eighteen months.
he strengthened and deepened the founda-
tons of knowledge already laid. After this
! service Mr. Thompson entered the law of
! flee of the Hon. John NJ. Dick, at G reens-
of North Carolina, and was licensed by the
Supreme Court in 1894. The next year he
emigrated to Mississippi, and settled at
Pontotoe, and at once entered into an ex-
tensive and lucrative practice. In 1888 he
| was married to Miss Jones in the follow
ing fall he was elected a member of the
House of Representatives in which he serv-
ed continuously until 1851, when he de-
| clined IA re- election.
| 1t belongs to the statesman and historian
to examine and discuss all the great ques-
! tions of public interest which aGitated the
! public mind during this excited period, and
to extract from the many speeches made
| by Mr. Thompson his views upon the diff
ferent questions of the day. Suffice for our
purpose to say that he proved himself
Democrat of "the stric:est Sect ON all
! these occasions-the determined foe of ali
corruptions or intrigues, the constant advo-
cate of truth and justice, the liberal ard
patriotic statesman, and the answering
! and fearless advocate of the honor and in
terest of Mississippi. He took his seat in
the House of Representatives, as a member
from Mississippi, on the I'd day of Deem
Der, 1889, with the Hon. A. G.. Brown, now
Senator in Congtcss, tho sole Representa-
tives at that day. This was period of ex-
treme political excitement, and the first
lessons which Mr. Thompson received in
the stormy school of politics were we'll cal
culated to try his consistency and his nerve.
The celebrated New Jersey case, where a
partizan Governor endeavored by the
broad seal'' to fix ''broad lies upon the
national records, and to place men in office
not elected by the people. The indepen-
dent Sub-Treasury system, the policy of
which was SO much questioned, and SO fe-
rociously assaulted by the advocates of cor
porations and banks, was then agitated.-.
The sagacity of Mr. Thompson perceived
its advantages, and opinion has proved its
Importance. But for this system, the gov
eminent would now be sad sharer of the
financial ruin that spreads through the ma
ton. In a speech made l4th January,
1912, he opposed the temporary expedient
of the issuing of Treasury notes, without
creating, at the same time, fund to meet
the debt. On the 2lst Feb. 1843, he made
noble and eloquent defence of the State
of Mississippi, in reply to the assaults of
Mr. Adams, u. o. and Granger.
In the defence of the Administration of
Mr. Polk. on the Mexican war, and other
questions, he was the right arm of power in
the House, always ready, frm,. able and
devoted; in the subsequent administration
he was "a terror to evil doers," by his fear
less denunciations on the public Treasury
He then declined a reelection to Congress
to attend to his private affairs, necessarily
much neglected by. so long service in Con-
giess. We learn that the same ability and
sagacity has led to similar success. He is
said to be one of the wealthest men in the
State. The alluring and elevated post of
Senator in Congress, vacated by the ap-
pointment of Hon. Robt ]. Walker to the
Treasury Department, was offered to him
in S45, which he declined. His appointment
as Secretary of the Interior by Mr. Buch-
| anan was hailed by the whole country as
one peculiarly fit to have been .made.''-
The laborious services of Mr. Thompson on
the Committees of Public Lands, and on
Indian Affairs, in tho House of Represen-
tatiyes have rendered the RESPONSIBLE duties