Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-31

this distinction until, early in 1901, Pres
ident Jefferson appointed him secretary
| of the treasury, which Office he retained
for twelve years.
In March, 1918, Mr.. Gallatin was APP
pointed by President Monroe, with J. Q.
Adams and J. A. Bayard, as one of the
ENJOYS extraordinary Of the United States
to negotiate with Great Britain under the
mediation of Russia. The result was the
treaty of Client, signed on Christmas
day, 1914. In the following year he as
sisted in forming an Anglo-Amerlcan
commercial treaty. From 1916 until
1923 he was United States minister in
Paris. and within that period also acted
ON extraordinary missions to the Neither
lands and to England. He declined
President Monroe's offer of the office of
secretary OF state. In May, 1924, the Re-
publicans offered to nominate him for the
vice presidency. He accepted this honor,
but formally declined it five months
later, on the assurance of his party that
his candidacy would be injurious to the
presidential prospects of Mr.. Crawford.
No one seems to have thought of "A diff
Guilty that might result from the election
to the vice presidency Of foreigner, in
the event of death-vaCancy i'll the presi-
dency.
| III 1926-27 Mr.. Gallatin was ambassa-
dor to England, in the highly important
crisis caused by the accession of Mr..
Canning and Liberals to the administra-
ton. Returning to this country in De-
cember, 1927, he fixed his abode in New
! 30 1000 ho
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 1916, and the Mexican War, two years
later. He died in August, 1849.
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 wealth.
When minister at Paris, ter the RestO-
ration, he successfully conducted with the
great house of the Barings the ncgotia-
ton Of a loan for the French government.
Mr.. Alexander Barring Created Lord Ash
burton in 1880 pressed him to taNe a
part vi IIlS lOdII, SllOWIuS HO"S
risk and without trouble. he must easily
realize w at to HIM would be an independ-
ent fortune. Gallatln 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
relations. Of all the letters, those 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, to read letter from Jetfer-
: son, written III 1916, introducing Mr..
George Ticknor, "a young gentleman OF
Boston," who had brought high recon-
F mendations from ex-President John
Adams, and is described as "excellently
educated, learned, industrious, eager after
knolwedge, 'and 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, 500 year."
had raised against that body
$50 unanimous an opinion of the people
and that through every State of the
Union" which would so operate at the
f election that "the entire mass Will go out
not only those VIII" supported the law OF
voted for it, or who skuiked from the
vote, but those who voted against it Oh
opposed it a lively, if they took the
money; and the examples of refusals tC
take it were very few" He adds: ''The
next Congress, then, Federal as well AZ
Republican, will be almost wholly Of
new members" How far was this pre-
diction fulfilled? 1t is to be regretted
that several letters here, in French, have
not been translated, and the same is to bt
said Of the copious Gallatin geneology
which is partly in French and partly il
Latin. With this exception, this work il
worthy of the highest commentator, az
a valuable addition to American history.
#The Writings of Albert Gallatin. Edited b!
Henry Adams Three volumes, octave; PIP
e 2,O36. Published by ]. B. Lippincott q Co
: Philadelphia.