The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-03-23
President Grants Cabinet.
SECRETARY OF STATE,

was not until recently that this expecta-
ton was gratifed The resignation Of
Mr. Stewart consequent upon the unfor-
tunate complications which deprived the
country Of his services, andth subsequent
withdrawal Of Mr.. Washburne from the
State Department, made the appointment =,
OF MIR. Fish an accomplished fact when
that event was least expected. Mr.. Fish
Is native Of New Yoi k, and belongs to one
OIL what are called the "old families Of
! New York." not more on account of the
length Of their lineage than for their stans
ding, wealth, and respectabllity. He
was born in the year 1909, and was edu-
Gated at Columbia College, where be
graduated with an excellent record for
ability and attainments, After compIet-
ing his education Mr.. Fish pursued for
some time the study of the law, and was
admitted as an attorney in the Supreme
Court in 1880. As lawyer his business
was both large and lucrative, and it was
conducted with ability and promtitude,
but the management of his large estats
demanded more Of his time than was cone
sistent with his attaining to the highest
honors of his profession. Mr. Fish early
in his career took deep interest in poll
tics, and though never regarded as ex,
tremc in his views, he was generally found
TO act in unison with those holding the
most advanced opinions. In 1884 he was
candidate for the Assembly, but was
defeated in the election of that year, and
he was not again candidate until 1887,
! when ha wes alootod, In 1910 bo WAC
elected to Congress over John McKeon,
the Democratic candidate, and then the
Representative from the With District of
this city. Though serving only one term
he attained to creditable standing among
the distinguished Wing politicians of the
time which paved the way for future pol
itical preferments. He was The Whip
candidate for Lieutenant Governor of this
State in I S46, but was not successful
owing to the opposition of the action
known at that time as the anti.renters.
In 1881, consequent upon the resignation
OF the Lieutenant Governor, he was again
a candidate for the same office, and this
time he was successful. He presided over
the Senate at the session of lS4S. win
ming golden opinions from all parties, and
in the election Of that year he was elected
Governor Of the State. During his ad-
minstration the Slavery question was ag.
itated with much bitterness, but he was
carly committed to the provisions of the
] Wilmot Proviso, and in his annual mes
sages took strong ground against the ex-
tension Of slave territory. He was SUBJ
sequently elected United States Senator,
serving from 1851 to 1857, when he
retired to private life and spent some years
in foreign travel, At the breaking out Of
the Rebellion he wa outspoken in support
OF the Republic, and participated in the
great Union gathering at Union Square,
May 20, 1861, where he made short
but string address, In January, 1862,
he was appointed with Bishop Ames upon
a commission to relieve the Unioh prison
crs in the South, and though the Com
missionels were denied admission to the
territory held by the insurgents, they sue
ceeded in negotiating general exchange
of the prisoners Of war. Later in that
year Mr.. Fish wrote letter in which
Gen. Grants peace principles in time of
war are so pungently set forth that his
earnest words, uttered at that time OF
doubt, may have gone far to commend
him as member of the new Administra-
tion, He said: "We must conquer a
peaco-we cannot buy it, and if we could
it would be valueless, as it would be dis
graceful" Such is the Secretary of
State whom Grant has chosen.
SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.
George S. Boutwell,. of Massachusetts,
who has been appointed Secretary of the
Treasury by President Grant in the place
Of Mr.. A. T, Stewar, was born at Brook.
line, Mass, January %, 1878 His ear
ly years were spent upon farm at Lunen.
burg, where he lived with his parents uns
Ill his sixteenth year, when he engaged in
teaching at Shirley, Mass Previously to
undertaking the care of a school, he had
been for four years in store at Lunenburg
and in March, 1855, he W mt to Groton
where he continued for seven years as,
clerk and partner in mercantile house
and where he still resides A this time
he gave most of his leisure to study and
reading, and at the age of Is entered his
name in an attorneys Office and began the
systematic study of the law. In lS42 ho
was elected member Of the Legislature,
; where he served each successive year un-
til 1850 In the Legislature he soon be
came prominent and influential member
and none surpassed him in readiness and
ability in debate, While engaged in his
active duties as a legislator, he studied
the French language, as he had previously
acquired a knowledge of Latin when busy
with other pursuits. lie was Democrat
in politics at this time, ana in 1914, '46,
and AS, he was the candidate of the
Democratic party for Congress, In 1850
NIr. Boutwell, was candidate for Cover
nor Of Massachusetts, and though defeated
that year, he wa. elected in 1851 andl S52.
He had previously been Bank Commits
sioner, Railroad Commissioner, and n
Commissioner Of Boston Harbor, and
while in the Legislature had given special
attention to questions relating to educa-
ton The legislation IN relation to Hsr-
ward College reform was mainly due 10