New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-25
OUR MEN.
Biographical Sketch OF
GOV. RUTHERFORD B. HAYES,
Republrcan Candidate for President OF
the United States.

Delaware, Ohio, October 4, 1912. His
parents, Rutherford Hayes and Sophia
Orchard, we're natives of Windham county,
Vermont, and emigrsted to Ohio in 1877:
His fret American ancestor of the name OF
HAYES was George Hayee, ScOtchmsn,
who settled in Windsor. Connecticut, about
1850. His mother was descended from John
Rircbard. who came oyer with his fathers
family from England in 1855, and became
one Of the principal prOprietors and settlers
Of Norwich. Come cticut. Three of his an
cestors, Daniel Austin, Israel Smith and
Elias Birchard, were me mbers OF the revO-
lutionary army, the latter dying during his
term Of service. In 1912 young Hayes
graduated at Kenyon College with the first
honors of his class, of which he was the
Youngest member, and during the same
wear began the study of law with Thomas
Sparrow, Esq, at Columbus, Ohio. In 1915
he graduated at the Law School of Harvard
University, was admitted to the bar at MARI
eta, and began the practice of his prOtes,
zion at Fremont, Ohio, in partnership with
General Ralph p Buchland. In lS49 he re-
moved to Cincinnati, and in 1852 was mar
ried to Lucy Ware Webb. daughter of DR..
James Webb and Maria Cook, of Chilli
cothe. In 1856 he was nominated for judge
of Common Pleas, but declined the nomDa-
ton. In 1858 the Office OF city solicitor be-
coming vacant by the death OF Judge Hart,
he was Unexpectedly elected by the city
council to fill the vacancy, and in 1859 was
re elected by the people for full term,
running over 800 votes ahead Of his ticket.
He held this office until the spring of 1861,
discharging his duties, as local journal
stated, $50 as even to extort the highest
prais, from his political antagonists"
At this period Mr.. Hayes was considered
one of the most brilliant young lawyers at
the Cincinnati bar, and had acquired both
large business and enviable reputation. He
had been employed as counsel in several
of the most notable fugitive slave cases OF
that day, as we'll as in several others that
attracted wide attention. Among the latter
was the celebrated Nancy Farrar poisoning
case, in which Mr.. Hayes was appointed to
defend the accused, and secured her acquit
tai on the third trial. In the course of his
argument in this case he fully discussed the
laws relating to insanity, and come OF his
propositions were afterward Incorporated
into the statutes of the State. He alec dis
tinguished himself in what was widely
known as the James Summons murder case,
tried, in the final hearing, before the ST.
preme Court of the State at Columbus.
Judge (now Senator) Thurman was then on
the Supreme bench, and about 200 prOmi-
in attendance. Among these was Hon.
Thomas Ewing. ST.. who pronounced
Hayes opening The best first speech he had
ever heard.
Political advancement was naturally sug-
gested by such q success at the bar, and as
early as 1856 the name Of K. b. Hayes WAS
very generally associated in the public mind
with congressional honOrs. In 1858 be was
very greatly favored, especially by the
and could undoubtedly have had it bad he
Aaairad This w puua1Iv truA in 1260 and
1862.
MAJOR IN THE ARMY.
9 When the rebellion broke ont few men of
his age had more brilliant prospect in
civil life, but as an original Republican he
naturally took sides with the Union cause,
and his sympathy with it was intense. As
illustrating his views and feelings at this
time, the following. written by him ON the |
fourth of January 1861, may be quoted:
South Carolina has passed q secession
ordinance, and federal laws are st at
naught in the State. Overt acts enough |
have been committed, forts and arsenals |
having been taken. revenue cutter
seized, and Major Anderson beeieged in
about to follow. Disunion and civil war
are at hand; and yet l fear disunlon and
war less than compromise. We can recover
from them. The free States alone, if we
must go on alone, will make glorious |
nation. do not feel gloomy when l look |
forw ard. The reality is less frightful than |
the apprehension which we have all had |
these many years. Let us be temperate, |
calm and lust, but firm and resolute. |
Crittendeu's compromise! Windham, speak |
ing of the rumor that Bonaparte was about |
to invade England, said the danger of in
vasiOn ia by no means equal to that of |
peace. A man may escape pistol, no mat. |
ter how near his head, but not dose of |
poison"
On the fifteenth Of May, 1861, he wrote:
Judge Mathews and have agreed to 20
into the service for the war. il possible |
into the same regiment. IspOke my feel. |
ings to him, which hs said were his also,
VIZ: that this was just and necessary war;
that it demanded the whole power of the |
country, and that would prefer to 60 into
it if knew was to die or be killed in the |
course of it, rather than live through and |
after it without taking any part in it,"
Mr.. Hayes and Judge Mathews now I'M.
dertoOk to raise q regiment for the Union
service, and In q short time they had COM
panies enough for two. With ten Of these
the Twenty third Ohio Infantry was Or
ganized, with w. S. Rosecrans as colonel
and X. B. Hayes a. major. Hayes and
Mathews had been schoOlmates together,
and it was agreed between them, "a neither
military experience, that . trained soldier
nust be placed at the head Of the regi-
.nent. Hence the selection of Colonel
ROsecrans, who was soon promoted to q
srRer command, and was succeeded by
Colonel ScRmmon, also West Point