River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-07-31

York. From 1881 to 1889 he was presi-
dent of the National bank there, and. on
his resignation in the latter year, was
succeeded by his son James. The re-
mainder of his life he devoted to litera-
ture, occasionally writing on public af-
fairs, particularly on the Oregon question,
in 1915, and the Mexican War, two years
later. He died in August, 1S49.
Albert Gallatin did not belong to the
order of ''self-made men, modern class
of citizens whose chief merit appears to
be that they have amassed great weaith.
When minister at Paris, ter the hesto-
ration, he successfully conducted attn the
great house of the Earrings the negotia-
ton of a loan for the French government
Mr., Alexander Barring (created Lord Ash
burton in 1880 pressed him to ia a
part of this loan, showing how, without
risk and without trouble, he must easily
realize W at to HIM would be an independ
emf fortune. Galatln firmly resisted this
tempting offer, saying, 81 cannot accept
it because the man who had the direction
Of the finances of his country as long as
have had, should not die rich" In one
of his letters, Mr.. Gallatin states that dur
/ ing the twelve years he was secretary OF
the treasury he asked for only two APP
| pointments, one of which was to a small
| office.
1t will be apparent, we think, even
| from our rapid sketch of Gallatin, that
| his correspondence, here given very full
| ly, must be of interest and Importance.
He appears to have had troops Of friends
with whom he held the most confidential
, ralafi.,ps oil of
Thomas Jefferson are the most character
istic. In January 1907, when president,
he wrote: THE appointment OF woman
to office is an innovation for which the
public is not prepared, nor am L." 1t is
curious, now 10 read a letter from Jetier-
son, written III 1915, Introducing Mr..
George Ticknor, "a young gentleman oil
Boston," who had brought high recon-
mendations from ex President John
Adams. and is described as ''cXcellently
educated, learned, industrious, eager after
knolwedge, fand also 'amiable, modest and
correct in his department" A little later,
September, 1915, Jefferson wrote that,
Congress in that year, having passed a
law giving themselves 81 800 year
bad raised against that body
80 unanimous an opinion of the people,
and that through every State of the
Union which would so operate at the
election that ''the entire mass will go out,
not only those who supported the law or
voted for it, or who skulked from the
vote, but those who voted against it or
opposed it lively, if they took the
money; and the examples of refusals to
Ia it were very few" He adds; "The
next Congress, then, Federal as well as
Republican, will be almost wholly of
new members" How far was this pre-
diction fultilled2 1t is to he regretted
that several letters here, in French, have
not been translated, and the same Is to be
said of the copious Gallatin geneology,
which is partly in French and partly in
Latin. With this exception, this work is
worthy of the highest commentator, as
IA valuable addition to American history.
The Writings Of Albert Gal'atm. Edited by
Henry Adams Three volumes, octave; PIP.
1895. Published by j. B. Lippincott Il Co,
Philadelphia.