The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-03-18
OFFICIAL SERVICE OF LEADING MEN.

/ Q Adams was Minister to the
Netherlands, under Washington Il
81 %, Minister to Portugal IL
96 81 was Minister to Prussia during
the administration of his father, II
9S-1S03 senator, 1S03-OS Minister
to Russia, under Madison, 1S0S -13 /;
Commissioner to Client, lS13-14; Min
lister to England. 1S15-17; Secretary
of State, under Monroe, 1Sl6-24
President, 1s24-2S; and member of
Congress from 1884 to 1917 the date
Of his death Thus, in period Of
ffty-three years, the intervals between
the laying down Of one Office and the
assumption Of another, amount, when
added together, to less than two years.
The official career Of Gen. Lewis
Cass has been even longer than that
OF Mr. Adams Commencing as a
member of the first State Legislature
OF Ohio, in 1903, he has been in high
public position until lately, a period
of hfty-eight years. Within that time
he has been Governor Of a Territory,
Indian Superintendent, Secretary Of
War, Ministerto France, United States
Senator for twelve years. candidate for
President, and Secretary Of State. He
is, indeed, the patriarch Of our states
men, SO far as length of official service
Is concerned.
Martin Van Buren,, while he has not
been in Office so long as some Of our
statesmen, is the only one who has
filed the four highest, most dignihed,
and powerful positions under the Amer
lean Constitution He has been Min
lister to England, Secretary Of State,
Vice President, and President His
public life commenced in 1908 as Sur
rogate of Columbia County, New York,
which he left for the State Senate, and
then, as Attorney General of the State,
United States Senator, Governor, Min
lister to England Secretary OF State,
Vice President, and President He
was constantly before the people as
an important parsonage down to
his retirment from the Presidency III
1871, a period Of thirty-threo years.
Perhaps we ought not to say that his
public career then closed, for he was a
prominent candidate for President be-
fore the Baltimore Convention in 1914,
and he ran as the Freesoil candidate
for President in 1918
Henry Clay's public career COM
mencedinl S07 AS member of the Senate
of the United States, and concludeda rs a
member Of the same body in 1852 an
interval of forty-tiyo years. He was
t. 5 Senator, member of the House,
Speaker of that body for twelve years
IA longer period than any other man
ever served in that capacity-Minister
to Client as one of the Commissioners,
to conclude the peace with Great Brit
ain in lSl4-and Secretary Of State
from 1925 to 1929
Thomas II. Benton served longer
time in Congress than amy other of
our public men. He entered the Z.
S. Senate when Missouri was admitted
in 1921, and continued there until 1851
IA period of thirty years. He never
held any other office
John G. Calhoun entered the House
of Representatives in 1911 served
there until 1877, when he became
Secretary of War under Monroe. In
1924 he was elected Vice President
and reelected in 1925 In 1881 he re-
signed the station of Vice President to
become "A [. S. Senator from South
Carolina The reason of this extra
ordinary step was that he might
champion the cause of Notification in
the Senate, and to reply to the argu-
nents of Mr.. Webster on that subject,
which were producing an extraor,lina-
ry effect on the country. He con-
timed in the Senate till 1914, when he