The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1860-11-29
Sketch OF Hon. James Harlan
United states Senator lr0m ~
IOVVO.

~
Iowa. *
F9ofh the October number Of the La
diss Repository, We take the following
sketch Of Mr.. Harlan:
All the elements Of the self-made
man arc found in the history and char
acter of Senator Harlan, whose portrai,
is herewith presented to our readers
The elevated place he has been called
at comparatively early age, to occu
ny, has been fairly and honorably won
He is an illustration Of what an Ameri
can youth may achieve by noble pur
pose, stcadiness Of aim, and ardor ol
continued effort, even without the ad
ventitlous favors of fortune or patron
age.
Senator Harlin is native ofthc State
Of Illinois, where he was born Angus,
26th, 1920. But Indiana has a claim
on him, for his parents early removed
to that State, and are still living upon a
farm in Park County. His early life
was spent in the midst Of agricultural
pursuits and labors, so invigorating to
the physical constitution.
The advantages offered by country
common school comprised his early ed
ucational resources. Rut as soon as he
had attained his majority, he entered
the preparatory school of the Indiana
4ssbnry University, then under the
Presidency ofRev. n. Simpson. Though,
repeatedly obliged to suspend his stud
les and resort to manual labor or school
teaching, to rcplenish his purse, his ar
dor suffered no Abatement In ls45 he
graduated to the first college degree.
His Alma Mater has since conferred
upon him the degrees first, Of A. NJ,
and then of l.. /. ID.
The religious element OF his character
and its connection with his early pur-
poses and aims, as well as its influence
upon his whole life, al e worthy of notice.
In a letter to friend, and from which
VIC are permitted to copy, he says:
In my eighteenth year ! joined the
Methodist Episcopal Church, as seek
er of religion. Three years afterward,
while listening to sermon delivered by
Father Havans, in Grcencastle, Indiana,
on the fullncss of the ransom offered for
sinners in the person Of Jesus of Naz-
arcth, l found "the pearl Of great price, .
not to be compared with earthly Jewels,
since which l have been striving, from
day to day, to be consistent, though
humble follower Of the Nazarene.
What a lesson is this to young man
just entering upon life! What cita-
del of defence; what an incentive to
noble enterprise; and what divine in
spiration may he find in the faith Of
Christ!
In the autumn of ls45, Mr.. Harlan
was elected Professor of Language in
"Iowa City College, and removed to
that place. Here he taught about a
year, during which time he was licensed
as local preacher in the Methodist
Episcopal Church. In these relations
he won for himself 50 good reputation
for integrity and ability, that in the
spring of ls47 he was elected by the
people of the new State Superintendent
Of Public Instruction. In the spring of
ls4s he was again candidate for the
same Office, but his competitor, Hon.
Thomas H. Benton, Jr., was elected by
majority of seventeen votes over him.
In the meantime, having completed his
preparatory studies, he was admitted to
the bar and commenced the practice Of
law in Iowa City.
During the summer of ls49, Mr.. Har-
Ian received another gratifying evidence
of the esteem and confidence Of The
public. He was nominated by the
Wing State Convention as a candidate
for Governor. But as he had not at
tanned the age required by the State
constitution he declined the nomination.
As the first common school Superin-
tendent, he had acquired a very GER
cral acquaintance in the State, and con-
tinued to practice law under very au-
spicious circumstances till the fall Of
1853.
At this time the Methodist Church in
the State, looking for the develoumcnt
ana enlargement Of her educational
plans, ixed her eye upon him as the
man, by The experience, ability and
reputation, to lead in the enterprise
He was then elected President Of the
"Mount Pleasant Collegiate Institute, =
which during the following winter, wa