The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-11
OUR NEW AMBASSADOR.
sketch Of Richard n. Dana, J

-. lFTOM tne new YORK HerNlu.I
Ihe newly nominated Ambassador tt
the Court Of st. James, Richard II
Dana, Jr., is man already distin
guished in American literature, law ant
politics. in which he has done honor tt
his country by display of eminent
ability and sagacity. He is the son o
Richard III. Dana, the venerable poet
and essayist Of New England, and
grandson of Chief Justice Francis Dana
who was much distinguished, like his
father, as a learned jurist. Richard II
Dana, Jr., was born at Cambridge
Mass, August 1, 1915. He entered Har
ward College and graduated in 1887. A
weakness Of the eyes, induced by sick.
ness, compelled him to suspend his
studies, and an instructive love Of the
boyhoOd, impelled him to sock resto
ration to robust health by Transforming
himself into common sailor. He sailed
in the brig Pilgrim from Boston in
1894, and made a voyage around Cape
Horn and along the Pacific coast to
California, then q wilderness to which
the seductive CLEAN OF gold had not yet
attracted the swarm OF adventurers who
afterward made the year 1S49 famous
epoch. After his return from the sea he
published in 1910 the celebrated narra-
tive entitled 1.-TWO Years Before the
Mast" which speedily became popular,
even in Europe, and now forms one of
the principal literary sources Of enter
tainment to many hardy toilers of the
sea. 1t is a standard authority on nau-
tical matters, together with his Sea
mems Friend" which was republished
in England as the "Seamens Manual" f"
and was distributed by the Board OF
AHmirn II nrunun tha ornwu nf tho rnua
navy.
Mr.. Dana became a member of the
Bar in 1841, and attained great distinc-
tiOn in admiralty cases, but his practice
soon became more general. One fact,
which is of particular interest at this
time, is that he successfully defended in
Maine the legal right Of the commits
SiOners or trustees of O common school
to require the use of the Bible therein.
He was delegate in the Massachusetts
Constitutional Convention in 1853. He
was one Of the founders Of the Free Soil
party, and delegate to the Buffalo
Convention in 1848. He was engaged as
stump orator in favor of the election
Of Lincoln to the Presidency in 1860 and
in 1864, and Of Grant in 1868 and in 1872.
In 1859 and 1860 he travelled through
California, the Sandwich Islands,
and the principal countries of Europe.
He became United States Attorney for
Massachusetts in 1861, and conducted
for the Government all the cases re-
specting naval prizes which were tried
in that State during the war. He quit
ted the office in 1866. He was also asso-
ciated in like cases with William M.
Evarts in the Supreme Court. He was
counsel for the United States in the pro-
ceedings against Jefferson Davis in
1868 on the charge of treason. Mr..
Dana edited in 1866 Wheaton's "Ele-
ments of International Law" covering
the period from the time of the authors
death in 1S48 to the date of publication.
His notes accompanying this work were
frequently cited during the Geneva ar
bitration as authoritative, and had been
into French for the use Of the
of the international court. He
was a member of the Massachusetts
Legislature in 1867 and 1368 He had al
ready received the degree of LII d. from
Harvard College and was a lecturer on
law in the Harvard Law
School. He opposed General Butler in
the contest for Congress in Essex, but
was defeated. He has been an occa-
siOnal contributor to the North Ap,eri-
cGn ReUie,O and to several law periodi-
GALS His politics are Republican, and
his legal career seems always to have
been quite consistent with his private
political principles. He acquired con-
siderable portion of his fame by his |
brilliant arguments in defense of fugi- |
i've slaves, and he vigorously opposed |
,he Fugitive Slave law by his strenuous
,lOquenCe.