The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-08
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Celebrities Sailing for Euroue To-day.

Celebrities Sailing fog Europe To-day.
OUR MINISTER'S TO sPAN AND AUsrRIA-sKErCHRs
or THEIR LIVES, ETC., ETC.
Among the passengers who sail IN the Fulton to-day
for Davrc number of quite distinguished person
ages There Mr. Preston, our Minister TO Spain
bis family and attaches Mr. Jones, Amer' Minister to
Austria and his family. Also, NJ 20 Lev, Secretary
OF Legation Spain; and Major j. dc wi and, at,chs
Of the Legation to Spain.
HON. WILLIAM PRESTON, MINISTER TO SPAIN.
The family from which Mr. Preston descended settled
in Virginia al very early date. VIM. c. Preston, Of
South Carolina, Gov. Floyd, and John c. Brecknridge
Vice President Of the United states all descended
from it.
The Hon. WIN. Preston, who departs to-day Minister
TO Spain, is the only of Major William Preston, Of the
United States army, who shortly after the 1872
emgraed to Kentucky. Mr. Preston, the subject OF this
sketch, born in 1914 He educated for the bar
and graduated in law with high honors at Harvard Col
ege. Shortly alter he entered into partnership with
the Hon. VIM Graves and praetsed for years at
Louisville, Kentucky
Wien the Mexican war broke out two regiments
raised in his State. he appointed Lieut.. Colonel Of
one Of them, and Vice President Breckenridge was ap
pointed Major of the other Col Preston served under
General with marked distinction until the tefmna-
tion Of the
After the conclusion Of the treaty OF peace between Mexi
and the United States he returned home and entered
into political fe He elected the same ticket
with the Hon James Guthrie late Secretary of the Trea
sury, Of the members from Louisville TO the
ton called for the purpose of adopting ccnsttu
ton for the State of Kentucky. The contest very
excited one, and the ticket elected by unexpected
majority After serving that convention Colonel Pres
ton was elected member Of the Kentucky Legislature
from the city Of Louisville and subsequently returned
to the State Senate He continued actively engaged p0
lcal life, concdng with General Scott political feeling
well as being united to him by ties Of personal friend
ship In 1852 he placed the State tcke. as an
eector for the State at large and embarked warmly
the Afterwards, being nominated for Congress-
he elected his district 1854 by an Unprecedented
| majority.
He was among the earliest friends of the KansasNe-
braska bill and among the first consulted in regard its
passage; be Of the Southern wings who warmly
| supported that measure.
When the Know Nothing organization was formed Mr.
Preston became of the earliest and most vehement
opponents Of the party and, refusing to go into any ALI
ance, made very embttered canvass Independent
candidate against the regular nominee Of the Know
Nothing party, Mr.. Marshall The election resulted in
great violence and bloodshed and atrocities dsgracea
Lousvle-the foreign born citizens having been driven
from the polls and many persons killed Mr.. Preston
| was defeated.
Afterwards Col Preston sent a delegate from
the State at large by the democracy With whom he a
ated, the Cincinnati Convention he bore prominent
part in the proceedings Of the Convention On Tuesday
the second day Of the session. he announced friend
Of Mr.. Douglas, the withdrawal Of his name whereupou
| Mr. Buchanan was nominated, and afterwards elected
Recently Mr. Preston was about being nominated for
Governor Of Kentucky his friends had placed his name
before the State for Governor and before the Convention
that sits today in Kentucky, and it was generally con-
ceded that he would have received the nomination with
out struggles but in the meantime having been offered
by the Executive the mission to Span he accepted the
trust, and is now route to Madrid.
Mr.. Preston is urbane, accomplished aud learned
Southern gentleman, familiar with European tongues
SO much SO that OF the Continental Ian
guages is habualy spoken by all the members OF -
family when they alone together. He ia well bun
fine looking gentleman, more than sx feet high supe
ror conversationaist courteous, dgnied and asstive
in manners and blessed with independent fortune
While in Congress he acted as the friend Of Breckinridge
| in his difficulty with Mr. Cutting
Mr. Preston married in 1910, to a daughter of Ro
bert WicISliHe family distinguished in the legal and Do
| ltical history OF the State.
Mrs. Preston is represented as being very beautiful
and accomplished lady. While Mr.. Preston was a mem
Der Of Congress- her entertainments Washington were
always gotten up and conducted with the taste and
indeed surpassed by those of any other family
| there while they equalled by but very few Mr.
Preston takes out with him all his family, consisting Of
his wife, three daughersyoung ladies-and two chill
| dren, servants, &c.
Mr.. Preston succeeds the Hon Augustus c. Dodge, Of
| Iowa, Minister TO spain.
HON. JONATHAN CLANCY JONES, MINISTER TO
AUSTRIA.
Mr. Jones is Berks county by birth, his family
being settled there since the of 1920 Ills grand
in the Pennsylvania line during the Revolutionary war
and fought at conderoga where he contracted disease
which he shortly afterwards died. Before his death
however he received oolones commission as q reward
for his bravery Mr. Jones father educated for the
bar, but pracsed; he took his stand in Bcrks
county a democrat in 1901 poed his first vote for
Thomas Jefferson In 1912 he volunteered served as
private in the with Great Britain. He ls s.l living
and has failed for fifty six years vote the demo
cratic ticket His first Presidential vote was cast for
Jeferson--his last for Buchanan.
The subject of present sketch was born and edu
Gated in these associations and political doctrines He
| was originally educated for the church; but feeling
strong preference for the legal profession for which
| he deemed himself much better dtted he applied
| himself to the study Of the law and was
admitted TO the bar He married daughter OF late
Hon W. Rodman, of Bucks county, Pa who was elected
to Congress from that district in 1872 by the democratic
party. Mr.. Jones practised law for several years in
Easton, Northampton county but being still warmly at
tached to the place of his birth, he returned to Berks
county and just entering into large and lucrative
practice when he brought out for Congress in 1880
and nominated by overwhelming majority. Owing to
split in the party at the election, Mr. jones' majority
greatly reduced But before he had served half his
term he succeeded in gaining the general confidence Of
the constituency and he had not declined wouli have
been returned to Congress- probably without opposition
Mr. Jones was elected to Congress from his district at
the general election Of 1856 by majority of 200 votes
He went in for the Iecompton constitution BILL AMI there
by lost many friends He again last fall for Congress
the district, and defeated by Mr. John schwartz,
the anti Iecompton candidate, by majority Of nineteen
He the Chairman Of the Committee Ways and