North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-01-04
Obituary.
DEATH OF rx.vICE PRESIDENT DALLAS

better tines Of the republic passed away.
George Mtfiin Dallas, ex Vice President OF
the United States, died at his residence in !
his alive city Of PhilAdei phia at nine o'clock !
on Saturday morning. Mr. Dallas had outliv !
ed the Psalmst's term Of human life ; but, |
after nearly half century Of active public
service his eye was, not dmmed nor his nat
ural strength abated, and he seemed likely to
rival in his hale longevity those Nestors of
British craftsmanship and diplomacy among
whom he had moved in all other respects a.
their pesr.
Mr.. Dallas came Of family eminent in the
law both in England and in America, and
| was nearly connected with the poet Byron.-
The Philadelphia of his boyhood and early
youth was by far the courtliest and most pol
ished of American cities and he had barely
attained manhood when he WAS selected by
| Albert Gailatin to accompany him as his pri-
vate secretary in the commission for negotia-
| ting peace with England at Ghent. No
American, indeed, with the exception of the
second President Adams, ever enjoyed 80
many and such excellent opportunities IN his
youth for famiarizIng himself with the high
| er walks of political activity as Mr.. Dallas
| and none of those opportunities were thrown
away upon his clear intellect and his well,
| balarced nature.
After two years spent in travelling over
| Europe and as secretary of legation i'll Lon
| don, Mr.. Dallas returned to America and to
the practice Of the law. He had been called
| to the bar shortly after graduating at Nassau
| Hill, and just before his visit to the old
world. He preferred, however, the career Of
! politics to his profession, and after filling the
posts of mayor of Philadelphia, and Of dis
trict attorney 70" Penn, ,yvAnia, he was cleo
| ted a member Of the Senate of the United
! States at the age OF Ihirty-nine. In 1881
President Van Burer appointed him minister
70 Russia. He was received with distln-
guished courtesy by the Car Nicholas, who
came off in a boat to the frigatc in which the
env1y and his family arrived, and presented
himself on board in n semi official incognito.
Upon the election Of General Harrison, Mr..
Dallas returned to America and IN 1874 lie
was elevated to the vce-presidency on the
ticket with Mr. Polk. At the height Of the
excitement growing out of the ''Crmean en-
stments" in 1856, President Pierce request
ed Mr.. Dallas to accept the post of minister
to England in the place of Mr. Buchanan, who
had become extremely restjve and unmanage
able, and was in some danger ! complicatng
very dsaareesbIy our already complicated TT,
Iations with the British court.
No more fortunate selection could have
been made, and Mr.. Dallas had Mt been in
London SIX months before be had amply VIM
dicated Lord E,gin'S manly and sensible dec
laratIon that there was mo matter in dispute
between the two countries which could not
De arranged in ten minutes by TWO gentlemen
e common sense on steamer i'll the mid
Atlantic"
No American envoy since 1914 had been
charged with diplomatic functions in
England at a more critical moment than Mr.
Dallas IN 1856 and no American envoy in
any country At any time ever acquitted him
sef Of his duties with more grace, tact, firm
ness, and success than he. He continued t.
fill the position of American minister in
England after the election of Mr.. Buchanan
but since his return to this country, and the
outbreak of the civil war, be had taken Ec
active part in pubic affairs, excepting to give
his earnest aud cordial support to the cause
| Of the Constitution and the Union,
Mr.. Dallas, in politics, was a thorough and
conservative Democrat, tolerant and courte-
Gus toward his opponents, sk!lfull and con-
sderate in the assertion and defense of his
own opinions To the advantages OF q culti-
waited mind aud a winning manner he united
| those Of presence singularIy dignif fed and
attractive; and whether in his place as
presIden: of the Senate, or in foreign court
as the representative of the republic, all
men recognized in him the rare and admira
ble type Of the American statesman of the
| oldCn time.