Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-02-22
non. 1DWARD BATES.

HON. 80WA6O BATES.
A - nsns 4 this gentleman is frsqssnsl.
nefsiossd b eenaession With The Presidency 0
the Uaiild States. brief sketch Of his life vii
NOT be sninaersssine 70 the readers Of the rIrgis
sss. Va ars indsbssd p the warreuton HAig FOL
the following:
Epwakp Barrs was bora ,the 4th Of Septem'
Der, liza, On tho basks or J4nss River. In the
county II 1oochland. Virginia aboat.thirty miles
above Richmonl. lie was the seventh son and
yoansess child II family Of twelve children, all
Of whan lived % amature age. Of Thomas Batsa
and Caroline n. Woodson. Both Of his parents
were dcscendenis Of Quaker families which had
livel for some generations in the lower counties
Of the peninsuIar between james aud York rivers.
They were married in the Quaker meeting, &C.
cording TO the forms Of that people. in the year
It'll. But IN 1881 the athcr lost his membership
in the Society Of Friends. by bearing arms at tho
siege Of York, volunteer, private soldier under
La Fayette.
In 1905. Thomas r., the father, died, leaving
very small estate and very large family. Left
at an early age an orphan and poor. the son was
fortunate 10 what is better than patrimopy,
heart and win to labor diligently Tor promotion.
Besides several Of his brothers were industrious
and prosperous men, and treated the helpless
with generous affection. One of them, Fleming
Bates Of Northumberland. Virginia, took him In
to his family as a son, and did fathers part by
him.
lie had not the benefit Of n collegiate education.
hc;ng prevented BY an acct ient tihe breaking ola
leg,) which stopped lin in The middle Vi his
course # study, and confined him at home for
nearly two years. In childhood he WINS well
tsuch, by biz father. and afterwrrd had the leae-
cit # two ygaf.' instruction u his knsmnu, Ben
jamin Baes. .. Hanover, Virginia. mpst excel
leat mat. whn. living. left behind him none more
yirfuaus. AID iex more Intelligent
c ming under the protection Il his brother
Fipm iur 30 ~ns sent 10 the Fall Of 1906 to Char
lo;te Hall Academy. ST. Mary's county. Mary
land, where D. TBsained three years, aud then
left. BY ron Of the accident above mentioned,
v-i,h. at heinz. 3repared 10 enter PRINCETON Col
iess. r be-, n. h-aii.it intended to send him.
THUS bafiad in his hope. of Obtaining thor
ough ednaa no gave up the IDEA oi following
any learned rfne sion. and set his heart apen
nils,ipman's warrant in the Navy. In the mean
time he served as the vouage-t apprentice In the
oihee Of his brother who was a Court Clerk. EN-.
rioyins NIL his spare time in eagerly devouring
the eontess Of pretty god library, but without
direction advice.
IN the Winter III 1911 IL his kinsnan. Jas.
Plea. ants. then . member Of Congress, and after.
ward Governor Of Virginia. procured him the
ofer Of a warrant in the Navy, the special object
Of his ambition--the thing whirh above NIL others
he sired.
Here again he was uo"med 10 utsnnfoini meut.
His mother efusei her consent --remanstrated.
en,re. :. wept--~he was willing that all her sons
shoa,i mach. waoueycr needed. TO ropel an inya
sion hut s'iil too rood Quaker 10 agree THAT
any child Of hers should follow arms profess
sion and war ~ a livelihood. lle declined the
wrrrsnt; with what feelings we'll imagine.
AMI it is doubtful whether he has been called
uPen for great an effort of moral courage tho
rejection ~ that warrant required.
Ia Aap, n,.al nrSir i'm ika
and with no plan Of lille settled. his brother Fred.
erick twhe was Secretary OF the Territory Of Mis-
souri, from 1907 70 1870 wbcn the State was lorm
ed, by successive appointments nnder Jefferson,
Madison aud Monroe. ard was secnnd Governor
of the STATED invited him to out to 81. Louis
and follow The Law, oferr's to see him safely
through his Course of study.
lie accepted the invita- lion and was TO have star
ted in the Spring Of 1873 hut mn unlocked for
event detained Him for year, Being in his ma
tive county Of Gosehland, a sudden Gull was made
for volunteers to march for Norfolk 10 iepel All
unprecedented attack by the British feet, and hs
joined company in February, marched to Nor
folk, and served till October Of that ycnr, as pri
vate, corporal, and sergeant, successfully.
The next Spring he set ont for st, Louis, and
crossed the Mississippi, Tor the first time, on tho
Goth Of April 1914. Here he studied very dill
gently, in the, office Of Rufus Easton, n Connecti-
cut men, . good lawyer, regularly educated ut
Li,ch6eld. and sometime Delegate IN Congress
from Missouri Ter .itory. lie came to the bar in
the Winter Of lsio-l1, ard practiced with fair
success as beginner.
In the Fall ol 1890, the State Government Icing
put into immediate action, without waiting to be
told by any other power whether no il was
State, or bad Constitution, he was appointed tho
first Attorney General of the State, aud exercised
the Office both before and after its admission into
the Union. lie resigned the Office Of Attorney
General, in 1922, and was chosen member of the
ilouse OF Representatives Of Missouri, and served
as such. In 1924. he was appointed by Presi-
dent Monroe, United States Attsrney for the Mis-
souri, District. -E
He was elected a member Of the United States
House Of Representatives in 1926, and served
through the XXth Congress a. sole Representative
Of the State. la 1880 ie was elected to the State
Senate aud served four years; and in 1884 he was
again elected to the house, and took active
part in the revision Of tho State laws.
From that time till.the present lie has held nc
political Office, and Sought none, taking little or nc
part ia local politics. but cite, freely expressing
his views upon constitutional questions and na
tional politics. in public speeches and in newspa
per essays.
In 1858. he was elected Judge Of the Lane
Court Of ST Louis County, and after serving il
tho Office about three years. he resigned, and re
turned again To the prartice &c fav. He acted
President Of the River aud Hartor improvement
Convention which sat at ,ChIcaEe; and in 1883
acted as P. Asidspt Of the Why National Conven
uon which mel at Baltimore.
In 1850. lie WINS appointed Try President Fill
more. and confirmed by the Senate, Secretary a
War. but declined the appointment for persona
and domestic reasons.
! Mr.. Bates was co,nplimenied with the honorar
degree Of Ii d. in 1858, by the Harvard Cellegt
some years before he had been honored with tn
same degree by Shurtlef College, .Iiliseis.
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