The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-07-15
THE VICE PRESIDENTS HISTORY.

THE VICE PRESIDENTS HISTORY.
!. Chester Allen Arthur is 80 years of
age, and a native of Fairfield County,
Vermont. Ills father was a Baptist
minister, who came from England to
Canada, and later to tho United States
Tho Vice Presidents carly education
was obtained in a country school near
Troy, in the ncighborhoou Of which
his father preached. Hc was after
ward sent to Union College, from
which he was graduated in 1SiS. He
then studied law, and in 1850 was ad-
mitted to the bar. lie formed u law
partnership With ErastuS ID. Culver,
who was aftcrward American Minister
oa South American State. On the
election OF Mr.. Culver, rs Judge. OF u
civil court III Brooklyn, the partner
ship was dissolved and Gen. Arthur
went into partnership with Mr..
Gardner, who died about 1865.
In 1871 the firm of Arthur, phelps
l. Khevals was formed, with Gen.
Arthur, rs the senior partner, and the
| late District Attorney Bcnjamin X.
| Phelps as another partner. Shortly be-
| fore this Gen. Arthur was appointed
I ono of the counsel to the Board of Tax
Commissioners, ut ,Slo,00o a year: Tho
| only legal case OF note in which Gen.
| Arthur acted as counsel WAS i'll the
suit of Jonathan Lemmons, OF Nir-
| giniu, to recover possession OF eight
slaves that had been declared free hy
Judge Paine of the Superior Court o
the state. Lcnmuns had been incau
tiously passing through, New York
with his slaves, intending to shil
them to Texas, when they were dis
| l>. "a, Nitlr
who was Of opinion that the Fugitive
Slave act did not hold the slaves. The
State of Virginia directed its Attorney
General to appeal from the decision.
Thcrcupon tho Legislature Of New
N-ork directed the Governor to employ
counsel to defend tho slaves. r.. ID.
! Culver and Joseph Blunt were np-
pointed, but withdrew, aud Afterwards
Wm. NJ. E.varts and Gcn. Arthur
were retained FOR the slaves. Tho dc
cision of Judge Paine Was sustained
by tho Supreme Court, and also affirm
cd by tho Court of Appeals. In lS5t
: Gen. Arthur prosecuted city car linz
ol, behalf of Lizzie Jennings, II cotoreC
woman, and superintendent of n Sun
: day school, who WAS roughly elected
from n car because of her color. Th
case was tried before Judge Rockwell
|
: plaintiff $4,000 damages. H.s.H.
Gen. Arthur got his military it'll
through service I'm the staff OF Gov
S Edwin ID. Morgan. He was appointe
: Engineer in Chief on the Governor
n staff January ], 1861, and on Januar
i 27, 1862, nc was made 0uartermnstt
Y General He was active in both pos
tions. US
0 Gen. Arthur gavc his attention I
$ city politics ut tho close of the War,nn
c was for II time chairman of tho ltcpu
r lican Committee, known rs tho Mo
G gan Republicans, which met ut Broa'
II way undTwcnty-third street. On IL
y goth of November, 1871, he was al
pointed by President Grant Collcctt
oY the Port of New York, succrc.lin
Thomas Murphy. He served on
term, and was rcappointcd in D"ccn
!. bcr, 1875.
). Tic was suspended by r. Il. lfayt
:, July 2l,1S7s, charges being Prcirrrc
!, against him by John sherman. II.
i. win a. Merritt became collector III III
~ place. In September, 1870, he W;
:, chosen chairman of tho lIrpuhlica
! Estate Committee, and he was chai
- man of the Central Committee of I'll
- county for two years. IN May, ISIS
NJ he was nominated for vice c-prcsidcn
=, on the Republican ticket, and W;
:, elected tho following Novcmbe
u Since the adjournment Of tho soma
~ he has been forwarding Mr.. t"nkling
canvass for 4 reelection.