The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-08-31
Snma el 4. Dfce.i

Ten years ago 10 afss bssomo acquaintet
with the gentleman whose name stands ~ th,
! head of this article, and who IL nov the Repub
! l,can candidate iVF Attorney General of Iowa
short sketch Of his personal history AZ ven q.
political antecedcnis will Interest our readers.
Mr.. Rice WA born ir western New York, and
| . nor, wo believe, in his 2Dth year. In early
life ~ removed, siotg Nids iis fathers family,
to Belmont county lDNsD, where he continued
70 reside until be securedfor himself home In
Iowa. IL was there we made his acquaintance.
At time when he was fitting himself for the
duties ne has since 20 honorabiy DISCHARGED
His facilities for acquiring the education he was
determined TO secure, were extremely limited,
and 1t u ~ at oil creditabc to be self ma de
man, that credit 10 it, fullest sense belongs 70
Samuel a. Rice. Rejecting IN favor OF others.
the assistance his family could render him, he
entered upon bis purpose dependant ON himself
alone. That purpose be achieved. By enga.
ging in snch manual employment as he could
obtain, and thus defrayng the expenses Of his
tuition out of the earnings Of his own hard la
Dor, he succeeded in acquiring liberal educa
ton, and finally graduated with high honors at
Union College, N. Y, in ;s49.
Alter two years more Of close application to
The study OF the law, he was admitted to prac-
tice in 1851, and the same year removed to
Iowa and settled at Oskaloosa. Since tha, time
his practice has steadily increased, and he nov
ranks a. one Of the foremost lawyers of the
State.
In the canvass OF 1854 Mr.. Rice was one Of
the firmest and most active opponents Of the
Kansas Nebraska iniqaity, and did much to re-
deem Iowa from the thraldom of Locoioco mis-.
rule N which she had 50 long been sunk. In
the fall OF the same year he was elected Prose.
cutting Attorney of Mahaska county.
The lrst Republican State Convention i'm
Iowa was held in February, 1856. BY that time
Mr.. Rice had become well and favoraby known
to the southern part Of the State, and his name
was brought forward by the delegates from that
section, for the Office of Attorney General On
the first ballot he was nominated by an almost
unanimous vote, and was elected in August fol.
lowing, BY majority Of thousands over james
Baker, the Democratic nominee. The duties
devolvng upon the Attorney General OF lbs
State have been much greater during bic term H
than previously, but have all been disc argei
wi Ii an ability and feithtulness before unknown
to the office. His official opinions have been /
given without regard TO friend or foe, and We
believe IN every case where doubted, have been 1
confirmed. So ably and satisfactorily has be I
hled the office, that ut the late State Conver- I
lion he'was, after an informal ballot, renomina.
Ted hy acciaInation. And such nomination he I
we'll deserved.
Few men have affirmed, at Mr.. Rce's age, SO
'nviable position, but to US 1t is not nnexpect-
ID. When he was struggling unaided, wears
'go, We frequently heard it said tha. be would
et win distinction, and scti.eyr an honorable
aine. The predictions of his friends have thus
ar been fally verified, and We have a sure CON
ldence they will be more fully confirmed In
uture. We confidently expect the voters Of
owa to roll up in October next, as in 1856,
majority of thousands for Samuel A. Rice
Tintnn Fagfa