Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-06-20
LEWIS CASS.


part of the century, while his life reached
back TO the Revolution. He was the
compeer not only of Clay and Webster,
but of Monroe and Adams, and his death
is an important event in our political his
tory. -H7 -
He was born in Exeter, New Hamp-
shire, October 9Th, 1852, and died at the
age of So years. His parents belonged to
the rugged class of New England farmers
of the revolutionary period, and he was
brought up to their regular course of hard
labor and %virtuous conduct. His educa-
ton was gained at the somewhat famous
Academy al Exeter, where he was a fellow
student for some time with DanielW ebster
In 1899 he went to Wilmington, Della
ware, where he taught school,. He after
wards lived at Harper's Ferry, and in
October, 1900, vent to Mariette, Ohio, and
became q law student under Gov
ernor Meigs. In 1902 he was ad-
mitted to the practice of law, and for sew
eral years before his death he WAS the
only survivor of the Ohio bar of that
period. He was q hard student, q man of
sound mind, and a good speaker, and
diligent labor soon made him one of the
foremost men of Southern Ohio. He was
very popular, and his reputation rap
idly extended throughout the entire West.
In 1906 he was elected 10 the Legisla-
- IL H. L., was -cda 4ho At ,,,b
lie arraignment of Aaron Burr's loyalty,
in a syeech delivered soon after to the
House of Representatives. 7
In 1907 be was appointed U. S. Mar
shall for Ohio, by President jefferson, in
compliment for his service to the Govern
ment in denouncing Burr'sscheme, though
he still continued the practice Of his pro-
fession. cE
In 1912 he was among the first TO favor
a war with England, and volunteer
ing for service upon the call for
troops, he was made Colonel of the
Sd Ohio regiment. He was after
wards made a colonel and promoted
TO a brigadiership in the regular army, and
in the war achieved q brilliant reputation.
He was engaged under General Hull, near
Detroit, and afterwards with General
Harrison, in his successful Northwestern
and Canada campaigns.
During the continuance of the war,
late in 1883, he was appointed by Presi-
dent Madison, Governor of the North
western Territory. He then resigned his
Marshslship, and soon after removed his
family to Detroit where he afterwards re-
sided. He was also appointed Superin-
tendent of Indian Affairs, in which office
his tact and energy were tested 10 their
full extent. When the territory of Mich
igan was created, no was retained in the
chair of Governor. In July, 1881, he re-
signed his Executive duties, after nearly
Is years of service, during which time,
he had built up a national reputation as a
man of strong will and forceof character,
of uncommon judgment and administra-
tive abilities, as an eloquent orator, a wise
thinker and writer, and q patriot of I'M
finching courage and integrity. His con-
duct of Indian Affsirs-involving the ne
gotiation of nineteen different treaties.
some of them very important-and his Or
ganization of every branch of the Mich
igan government, had given him a name
among our noblest statesmen.
In August 1881, President Jackson ap-
pointed General Cass Secretary of War
and he entered the Cabinet with such COL
leagues as Edward Livingston, Levi Wood
bury and Roger B. fancy. 1t was during
his five years of service at the head of the
War Department that we had the Black I
hawk and Florida wars and notification
troubles with South Carolina, and the per-
Torrance of his duties at those periods
was highly satisfactory. The Cherokee
outbreak in Georgia also happened during J
his term, but his course therein, while I
fully in accordance with President Jack ! !
sons idea, has not been generally approx !
ed by the people. He stood by the State 8
authorities in their refusal TO obey the de- q
cree of the National courts. 6
Failing in health, in 1886, he resigned =,
his Seat and was sent out TO France as r
Minister. The latter office he filed c
with dignity until 1912, when he asked t
TO be recalled. His course toward the "
close of his ministry was not approved in !
all respects by our Government and the I
disagreement led to a spirited cores u
.pondence between Mr.. Webster, then Sec a.
rotary of State, and General Cass. The +
after, was, however, heartily sustained b,
BY the Democratic party. s.s.a
In 1874 he was a prominent candidate
for the Presidential nomination, and it is W
aid TO nave been through the influence Of ia
lis friends that his principal competitor. :.
Van Buren,, was defeated, and Folks Sc n
ection brought about. In ls45 he was tn
almost unanimously elected United States bt
from Michigan, and soon after M
Ook his seat among the great men Of that q
Congress. His celebrated Nicholson let C
err" proclaiming the Democratic doc g
rine of "Squstter Sovereignty, was writ ID
in December, ls4T. In Is4s, after a
warm contest between Cass, Buchanan =,
nd Woodbury. the former received his \,
,srty nomination for the Presidency. At q
he election he polled nearly million Us
nd a quarter of votes-the entire Demo- N
ratio strength-but was defeated by Cen NJ
raj Taylor. 70
In 1850 he wa the second member on 81
Ir. Clay's famous COMMITTEES of Thirteen
nd did substantial service in the prepar-
ton and passage of the Compromise n
leasures-though declining to vote for Sc
be Fugitive Slave Bill That the enact az
tent of that Aeomprcmise was wholly s.,
seems now to be generally con ~
sded, but the motives of such of its sup ex
as Clay, Cas- and Dickinson have pc
ever been impeached. In 1851 he was III
to the Senate, and in 1851 WAS
nong the leading men of his party who 20,
ere defeated for the Executive nonins- q,
IN by that man hitherto unknown is
fame and fortune, Franklin Pierce on
that year, too. he delivered n
logy on Henry Clay. perhaps the most th,
ished and eloquent effort of his life.
In 1854, when Mr.. Douglas introduced ca,