The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-03-23

"long felt want" in that direction. . ,,.
THOMAS l.. JAMES, POSTMASTER GEN
ERAL
A universal chorus of applause salutes
the elevation to the Postmaster General
ship of Thomas l.. James, the most pop
ular and efficient Postmaster New York
city has ever possessed, Mr.. James is a
native of Utica, Oneida county, n. V,
city not wholly unknown in connec-
ton with the distribution of political
honOrs-in short, the Ohio of the En-
pire State. lie was born in 1881, and
when fifteen years old was apprenticcd
to learn the printing business in Office
Of the Liberty Press at Utica, under the
veteran abolitionist, Wesley Bailey.
Five years later he, in partnership with
Francis b. Fisher, purchased and edited
the Madison County journal at Hamil-
ton, n. v, and he continued to publish
that periodical for nearly ten years, first
as Il Wing and aitcrward as Il Republi-
can organ. Hamilton was a Democratic
stronghold, but Mr. James was largely
instrumental in 1886 in carrying the
Republican county ticket against the
powerful Know Nothing combination
lie became a general fayoritc in lIamiI-
ton society," took an active part in pro-
noting all local interests was influential
in the management of political cam
paigns in the county, and filled for Scy-
cral years the local office of Collector of
Canal Tolls. He was well known as a
| l,fn ly,,ps Il ,fA.nt, ,F tb. ~.
abolition causes, and enjoyed the warm
friendship of his neighbor, the venerable
philanthropist, Gcrritt Smith. In 1861,
| through the influence, as is believed, of
Mr.. Thurlow Weed, he exchanged the
Quetudc of a country town for the post
of an Inspector Of customs in this city,
under the collcctorship of Hiram Bar.
ney. In 1864 he was promoted without
solicitation to the position of weighcr,
and in 1860 to that of Deputy Collector
in charge of the third division (warc-
housing Department. the most response
bic post in the collcctorial office. Three
years later, in 1872, he was strongly
urged for the Suryeyor,hip of this port,
then vacated by Alonzo i, Cornell, but
to his own surprise and that of his
friends President Grant sent in his name
as postmaster upon the resignation of
Gen. F. ii. Jones. Several of the most
eminent citizens Of New York, including
Thurlow Weed, f. ID. Morgan, A. b.
Cornell, Thomas Murphy and Abram
Wakcman, volunteered to become his
surctics in the large sum of 81 200, 600
required as Il qualification for that re-
sponsib!c office. OF his administration
of his great trust it is enough to say that
he has been an ideal postmaster, and
that every citizen of New York, while
rejoicing in his well-carncd promotion,
will regret the necessity of his severance
from the office ne has filled 50 well.
WAYNE MACvEAGn, ATTORNEY GEN,
ERAL.
The new Attorney General, Wayne
MacVeagh, of Pennsylvania, has long
enjoyed reputation us lawyer, orator,
scholar, diplomatist and civil service re-
former, which could only be family sur
missed from the record of the few public
offices he has filled. Born in Phoenix
vile, Chester county, Pa, April 10,
1888, he prepared for college at Frcelaad
Seminary, Montgomery county, Pa, and
was one of the prominent members of
the famous class of 1853 at Yale College,
where he greatly distinguished himself
"a an orator in the Linonian Society.
Admitted to the bar of West Chester,
Pa, in April, 1886, after studying in the
office of Mr.. Joseph l.. Lewis, of that
town, whose daughter he married, he
was elected District Attorney year or
two later, entered the Union army in
September, 1862, rs Captain of cavalry
company, in the emergency of the
threatened invasion Of the State and in
| 1863 was for short time Major on the
staff of Gen. Darius \. Couch. He
early distinguished himself in the arid
field of Pennsylvania politics, becoming
| in 1863 Chairman of the Republican
Central Committee, married in 1867 as
his second wife daughter of Senator
| Simon Cameron. and attained lucrative
and important legal practice. In 1872
he was appointed by President Grant
Minister to ConStantinoplc, but he re-
signed that post the following year. In
October, 1873, having become a citizen
of Harrisburg, he was chosen delegate
to the convention for revising the State
constitution, was 4 member of the Com
mittcc on the Judiciary, and Chairman
of that in the Legislature. He was
prominently mentioned for the post of
| Secretary of the Interior in 1879, and III
the following year removed his law office
to Philadelphia and his residence TO a
fine farm in Lower Merton township,
Montgomery county, Pa, near Consho-
shockcn. lie then formed u law part
ncrship with Mr.. Tucker Bispham, and
became counsel for the Northern Central
and Pennsylvania railroad companies.
In March, 1877, he was sent to Louisiana
as the leading member of the so-called
"MacVeagh Commission" composed of
Gems. IIawley and Harlan, Gov. John
G. Brown and Judge G. B. Lawrence
to investigate the state of political affairs.
His report was influential in securing
the withdrawal of Federal recognition
from the "carpet-bag' government, and
this fact naturally made him mark for
the bitter indignation of Gen. b. +. But
Ter and other Republican "stalwarts" of
that time. In 1877 he was mentioned
for the post of Minister to England, but
the two Camerons successfully exerted
their influence against him, notwith.
standing his connection by marriage
with the family. Last year he was one
of the organizers of the National Repub-
lican League and exerted himself at
Chicago against the Camerons and the
nomination of Gen. Grant. Subsequently
he visited Russia for the business inter
ests of Mr.. Wharton Borker, of Phila-
delphia. He was proposed as candi-
date for United States Senator during
the recent deadlock in Pennsylvania,
but did not seriously enter the field.
Mr.. McVeagh is an eminent authority
on railway law, a brilliant, learned and
a. fu-.,kto ,,,x.fa. ,,,I