The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-06-01
Curiosities of American History.

of curiositiesand singular incidents. For
instance, three of our presidents, all of
whom participated in the revolution died
on its great anniversary, the fourth of
July, viz; John Adams, Thomas Jeffer-
son and James Monroe.
General Washington, when he retired
from the presidency, was in the Goth year
of his age His successor, John Adams,
when he left, was 66 years old. After
him came Thomas Jefferson, James
Madison and James Monroe. Mr. JEFF
ferson was go, James Madison had just
passed his Goth year, and Mr.. Monroe
was in his seth when they respectively
left the presidential chair. General
Harrison was 81 years old when he was
elected, and died in the presidential Of
fee.
From 1901 to 1925, the presidential of
fee was filed by Virginians. During the
same interval, with the exception of four
years, the vice presidential Office was
steadily held by citizens of New York.
John Adams negotiated the treaty of
peace that concluded the war of the revo-
luton with England. His son, John
Quincy Adams, was leading envoy, and
negotiated the treaty which ended the
second war with England in 1914. His
son, Charles Francis Adams, at the third
great crisis Of our history was the minis
ter to England during the recent war,
from 1861 to 1865, the period which COW
ers the Alabama claims, out of which an
other war is altogether possible with the
old mother country.
In 1900. John Adams was on leading
presidential ticket Twenty-four years
after, his son, John Quincy, was also a
presidential candidate. Twenty-four
years from that time, Charles Francis
Adams, John Quincy son, was an i'm
portant candidate for vice president, with
contingent presidential succession.
Of the first six presidents, four of them
were taken from the office of secretary of
state; and the other two, being the first
elected, could not perform its duties.
From this fact arose the precedence that
makes the secretary of state the first of
6cer in the cabinet. instead of secretary
of the treasury, which is the case in Great
Britain.
The highest civil officer III the country
at the time of the declaration of indepen-
dence was John Hancock of Massachu-
sets, the president of the continental
congress. The highest military officer
was George Washington, of Virginia.
The first battle of the revolution was
fought in Massachusetts, and the last in
Virginia. The first president of the
United States was from Virginia, and
the second from Massachusetts. The first
English settlement in the country was
made in Virginia and the second il Mas
sachusets. Of the fifty-six signers to the
declaration of independence, three long
survived upon the earth after all the 9TH
ers had died, and two of these had been
upon the committee of five who drafted
the important instrument. The very last
survivor, Charles Carroll, of Carrollton,
Maryland, threw the first shovelful of
earth from the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road, the first railroad enterprise In the
country. The last man uf the past ina
gurated the coming future.
| No less than five of the greatest OF
| American statesmen were born in the
same year, 1882: Daniel Webster, John
G. Calhoun, Thomas H, Benton, Martin
Van Buren, and Lewis Cass. From 1900
to 1856, a period tapping from the second
president to the seventeenth only two
persons filled the office Of chief justice Of
the supreme court of the United States,
John Marshall and Roger B. fancy.
The first secretary of the treasury of
the United States, Alexander Hamilton
was alleged to be defaulter
The Capitol of the United States was
elected at Washington in pursuance of a
corrupt bargain, by which two or three
members Of Congress, who,lived adjacent
to it, and whose districts would be great
~ benefited by it, voted for the national
debt for that consideration.
But two men in the United States have
as they say in Old Fellowship, passed
through all the chairs, been governors
OF state, held first-class foreign mission
been the head of the Cabinet, then Vice
president and president. Their names
are Thomas Jefferson and Martin Van
Buren
Three presidents died 10 Office Harri-
son, Taylor and Lincoln.
Three persons were elected by the PEG
pie vice presidents before they became
presidents John Adams, Thomas Jesc
ferson and Martin Ven Buren,.
Three vice presidents died in office
George Clinton, Eldridge Gerry and VIII
liam R. King.
Three men were elected president Who
had been ministers to England under the
federal government: John Quincy Adams
Martin Van Buren, and James Buchan-
an.
Three vice presidents became presi
dent by the death of their chiefs John
Tyler Millard fillmore and Andrew john
son-and every one of them pursued
policy adverse to that Of the party by
which they were elected. Two of the
vice presidents of the United States, and
they the youngest men who ever held