The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-12
THE ENGLISH MISSION.

President Grant has apparently solved the
difficulty about the English mission at last.
Ever since 1t was known that General Robert G.
Schenck had been defeated for reelection to
Congress in the Third Ohio district by Colonel
Lewis ID. Campbell, his name has been men
toned prominently in connection with the sue
cession to MIR. Motley and now it is announced
from Washington that q Cincinnati despatch
states that he has been rendered the position
by the President and accepted it. 1t is further
stated that the President will send General
Schenck's name to the Senate in few days, and
that the new Minister will probably leave for his
post In about thr weeks.
Robert Cumming Schenck is the son of Gene
raj William G. Schenck, one of the early set
tiers in the Miami Valley, who served with Gre
dit in the Northwestern army under General
Harrison, and died at the capital of Ohio while
serving member of the General Assembly.
The new Minister was born in Franklin, Warren
county, Ohio, on the 4th of October, 1909. He
graduated at the Miami University, at oxford,
Ohio, in 1927 after which he remained at the
university as a tutor of Latin and French until
he received his masters degree in 1880. He then
commenced the study of the law in Lebanon
with the Hon. Thomas Corwin, removing after
wards to Dayton, where he commenced practice
and has continued to reside ever since. His
legal requirements and natural ability soon gave
him high standing at the bar.
In 1888 he entered political life as Whig
candidate for the State Legislature being
defeated by a few votes only. Iu the Presidea-
tial campaign of 1910 he acquired high repu-
tation as popular speaker, aud in 1S41 was
finally elected to the Legislature, in which he
was at once recognized as one of the leading
spirits in the Wing ranks. At this early day he
displayed a great deal of parliamentary tact
persuading all the Whig members to resign at
the special session of 1842, to prevent the De-
mocrats from making an unfair Congressional
apportionment of the State by deprivng the
Legislature of quorum.
After further service in the Legislature, Mr..
Schencll was elected to Congress in 1843, by a
large majority, in district usually very close,
and served during four consecutive terms. De-
clining denomination in 1850 he was, in the
following year, appointed Minister to Brazil by
President Fillmore, his powers being subse-
9uently enlarged 80 as to embrace both Uruguay
and Paraguay. Among several important trea-
ties negotiated by him was one declaring the
navigation of the river La Plata and its tribu-
taries 'free to the merchant flags of all
nations"
In 1854 Mr.. Schenck returned to the United
States, and the next year was the Whig capdi-
date for the seat in the United States Senate
about to be vacated by Salmon P. Chase, but
was defeated for this position by George E.
Pugh, Democrat. For several years thereafter
he did not take an active part in politics, de-
voting his time to the law and railroad manage
ment The outbreak of the Rebellion, however,
again brought him before the public. Imme-
diately after the attack upon Fort Sum-
ter, he rendered his services to President
Lincoln, and was by the latter commissioned
Brigadier-G General of Volunteers on May H. 1861.
His career in the army, however, was not
brilliant or prominent one. His first effort was
to take possession of the Loudon and Hamp-
shire Railroad far as Vienna, Virginia, in
June. Near the latter place the train on which
he was riding with a small force was ambushed
by the enemy but he succeeded in withdrawing
with small loss. AT the first battle of Bull Run,
July 81, 1861 he commanded brigade, with
which he effected an orderly retreat after the
great disaster.
General Schenck next took part in the cam
paigns on the Kanawha and New rivers, in West
Virginia. at the head of a brigade, and subse-
{ quently succeeded to the command at Cumber
/ land, Maryland, on the death of General Lander.
Next followed march to the relief of General
Milroy, on the south branch of the Potomac;
after which he took part i'm the battle of Cross
Keys as commander of the lst Corps of the
Army of Virginia, in the absence of General
Sigel. When General Fremont was relieved of
his command, it devolved temporarily on
General Schenck. He participated in the
second battle of Bull Run as a division
commander, and in the second day of the con-
test he was severely wounded in the arm, but
refused to be carried from the field until his
sword, which was hurled some distance from
him, was found. His wound iAcapacitated him
from service for some six months, but on De-
! cember H. 1862, he was assigned to the difficult
command of the 8th Army Corps and Middle
| Department with headquarters at Baltimore.
! In this capacity he did efficient service by his
stern dealings with the Rebel sympathizers of
Maryland, and was credited by the Union lead
ers with saving the State from their plots.
On December s. 1868, General Schenck re-
signed his commission in the army, to take his
seat in Congress as Representative from the
Third district of Ohio. He was at once
| appointed chairman of the House Committee on
Military Affairs, acting in that responsible ca
pacity until his promotion, in 1867, to the most
important position in the House-that of chair
man of the Committee on Ways and Means,
and responsible leader of the majority. In
this position he has displayed great deal
! of ability and zeal, especially in shaping the
financial legislation of Congress, his views on
the tariff question being of the soundest order.
He has, however, not escaped the strenuous an
tagoaism which naturally falls to the lot of one
holding his position and his motives have been
frequently assailed by his opponents. But,
altogether he has welded his great influence
with tact and discretion, and his recent
dafaaf for tho nayt C0nOrass Xgill ha a sAvara