Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-03-17
The New Secretaries.


egraph to make the people familiar with al
the distinguished representative men who
are called to high positions in the govern
ment. by furnishing brief sketches OF theii
antecedents. President GrInt having set
tied his cabinet on a permanent oasis, by
the appointment of Hamilton Fish, of New
York, to the Secretaryship of State, and OF
George S. Boutwell,. of Massachusetts,. to
the Secretaryship of the Treasury, and the
Senate having confirmed the appointments,
it is proper that We should Introduce these
high ,unctionaries to our readers, with such
reHaoie information as will enable each of
'neiii % Iorm as correct judgement of the
merits and probable qualifications of these
honored and honorable gentlemen as we can
ourselves. We are of opinion that the Sc
lection of Messrs. Fish aud Boutwell, was di-
rected by the same wisdom which has char
acterIzed most of the public acts. military
and civil, of President Grant He is an ex-
ceilent Judge of men, and in this case we
think 1t will be found, as it has in Others,
that he has not been mistaken in his choice,
and that Mr.. Fish, for the State Depart
ment, as Mr.. Boutwell,, for the Treasury,
will be found to be ''the right man in the
right place.
Hon. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State,
was born in New York city in 1909, and is
consequently now about sixty years of age.
He graduated at Columbia College, in his
native city, studied law was admitted to
practice in 1880, which he followed with
distinction and success until 1887, when he
was elected to the Legislature by the Wing
| party of which he was a prominent member
In the fall of 1912 he was elected by the
same party to a seat in Congress, and served
during the term. In 1S4S he was elected
| Governor of the State by the same party, in
which capacity he served two years, when
| he was elected by the Legislature to the
! United States Senate, IN which capacity he
served six years after being possessed of
ample means, he retired from public life and
has since devoted himself to travel arts, lit
erature and charities His contributions to
benevolent institutions and his charities to
Individuals have been frequent and liberal,
but have been done quietly and without
boasting or parade. He was one of those
Wings who were earliest in embracing the
Republican cause. lie was a warm friend
OF Mr.. Lincoln; is a man of great dignity
and hne presence a trustee of the Peabody
/ Fund; was one of the forty citizens of New
| ork who early issued circular recommen-
| ding General Grant for the Presidency. All
| his antecedents convince US that he will fill
the first office in the cabinet with great abil-
| ity and to the credit and entire satisfaction
| of the country.
Hon. George S. Boutwell, is native of
| Broekline, Massachusetts,, where he was
| born in 1918. He received no other than
common school education, working on farm
IN summer and attending school in winter.
He went at carly age to Groton. where
he became clerk and finally proprietor of
grocery store lie was fond Of reading and
a close student, deyoting much of his time
to the theory of government In his poli-
ties he was Democrat. He had studied
law with some attention as early a. 1857 ,bu.
did lot enter into practice until sixteen
years later. For eight years-from 1912
to lS50-he was member of the IIesisla-
ture- lnthe fall of the latter year the Dem
oerats and Free Soilers formed coalition
against the old dominant Wing party of the
! State. Mr.. Boutwell, and Mr.. Banks. of the
| former, and Mr.. Hoar, John A. Andrews
aud Mr. Sumner were leaders of the latter
| party. The coalition triumphed, which
| elected Boutwell, Governor and sent Sumner
/ to the United States Senate for the first
| time. Mr. Boutwell, was elected in 1859
and all parties acknowledge that he made an
excellent Governor. In 1858 he represented
the town of Berlin in the great convention
to revise the constitution of the State This
! was looked upon as the ablest body of men
/ ever assembled in Massachusetts,, and by
common consent Mr.. Boutwell, was ranked
| among the most able and eloquent of its
members. His reputation for scholarly at
tainments was SO high that he was chosen to
succeed Horace Mann as Secretary of the
Board of Education, which position he held
for SIX years. He was amember of the Peace
Congress which was held in Washington in
1861, and was, under Mr. Lincoln, appoip-
ted first Commissioner of Internal Reyenue
The Office being newly created. the task Of
setting 1t IN operation under the law was a
difficult one, and in accomplishing this task.
which he did to the entire satisfaction of tbe
President, Congress and the public, Mr..
boutwell, gave evidence of the possession of
extraordinary executive talent Having been
elected to the 3Sth Congress, Mr.. B. resig-
ned the Office of Commissioner His career
in Congress since then is as well known to
the public as to us. He has been a leading
man in the House ever since he entered it,
with few equals and probably not superi-
or He never went back to the Democrat
ic party after the coalition formed with the
Free Soilers. was an early and always ar
dent member of the Republican party, aud
Possesses to-day, as he ever has, its entire
confidence. He is a hard worker temper.
ate, robust of constitution, and in every
way equal 10 the duties of Secretary, which |
he viii discharge with ability, and no doubt !