The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-12-07
FIVE AMERICANS.
Webster. Bessen, Cas-, vss Bures, and Cal.
heEs, All Bern in 1sS2-shsrt Sketches Of
Their Lives.

The year Ils2 was remarkable for the number
of eminent Americans that were born in it, of
whom Mr.. Webster is commonly regarded a.
having been the ablcst. The others were Col
Thomas Hart Benton, of North Carolina by
BIRTH but whose fame is more closely associated
with Missouri, in which State lie resided forty
five years, after having lived for some time in
Tennessee; John Caldwell Calhoun, of South
Carolina; Gen. Lewis Cass, who was born in
New Hampshire, but most of whose life was
passed in the northwest. or at Washington;
and Martin Van Buren,, born in New York, of
which State he was always a citizen. Col. Ben
ton was born ON the l4th of March, at Hills
borough. Mr.. Calhoun born on the 18th of
March, in the Abbeville district. Gen. Cass
was born on the 9Th Of October, at Exeter. Mr..
Van Buren, was born at Undertook, on the 5th
of December. Mr.. Webster was born on the
18th of January, at Salisbury. All five of these
statesmen held some of the highest places in the
country, and all were aspirants TO the country's
highest place. Mr. Webster, Mr. Van Buren,,
Mr.. Calhoun, and Gen. Cass were Secretaries of
Stats-and the State department is held to be
the first place in the Cabinet. Mr.. Calhoun was
Secretary of War, and was Gen. Cass the
former under President Monroe, and the latter
under President Jackson. Mr.. Van Buren was
Minister to England, and Gen. Cass was Minis.
ter to France Nh. Van Buren, was the only
one of the five who reached the Presidency,
which he did after having been Vice-President;
and he was the only man who passed from the
Vice Presidency to the Presidency, by election,
Il
held Cabinet Office, but he was the only man
who held seat in the National Senate for thir-
IL consecutive years. He was one of the repre-
sentatives from Missouri in that body from 1921
to ISL. He became a member of the United
States House of Representatives, after having
been long in the Senate, but failed of
election. Only one of the five ever held the
Office of Governor by election-Mr. Van Buren,.
who retired from the office in a very short time.
Gen. Cass long was Territorial Governor bat
hat ntfte frOm afnhaf t.,if
the President of the United States Gen. Cass
never was a member of the United States House
of Representatives but he served two successive
terms in the United States Senate. Mr.. Web
ster n Representative from New Hampshire.
and some years later. from Massachusetts; aud
he was a Senator from Massachusetts for almost
twenty years, and il Was in the Senate that hr
won his purrst fame. Mr. Van Buren, never be-
longed TO the House of Representatives, either
National or State: but he was a leading mem-
Der of the Senate of New York for years and he
was twice chosen to the United States Senate
from the Empire State, though he served but a
small part of his second term. All five were
men who had some connection with the litera-
ture of their country. Mr.. Webster so
grand an orator, a statesman, and a lawyer,
that it was impossible his works should not con-
sttue great and magnificent addition TO Amer
lean and English literature, holding some sneh
position those of Burke. Mr. Calhoun was
second only TO Mr.. Webster, and perhaps he can
be called second even to him only because he
was, from the time of his middle life almost
always the supporter of unpopular and danger
Gus opinions, by which his fine intellectual pow
ers unavoihably were overweighted. Yet, as
the interpreter and explainer of 1.-THE lost cause,
the great Carolinian must. through his works,
command the attention of all his cOuntrymen
who would be acquainted with their conntry's
history. Colonel Benton, through his Thirty
Years View" had won for himself very high
place among the historians of the second gener-
alton of the Republic under the Constitution
His 'Abrllgement of the Debates in Congress
embraces almost the whole time before the com
ing of the civil war, and may lie said to bring
about n natural division in parliamentary
history. Gen. Cass left some works & at belong
to the miscellaneous literature of his time, but
which are of great value Mr.. Van Buren,
wrote some elaborate political works, but one
Of which, so far we know, has been published
and reading that has not created a craving
desire for the appearance of the Others. All
these men were distinctive figures. and they
will stand out boldly on the pages of the Amer
lean history of their time. They came from
small circles. Two of then-Wcbst-r aud Ca.s
were from one of the New England States. and
yet were entirely unlike. Two of the others
Benton and Calhoun-were from what was orig
inally but one American community-Carolina.
The fifth-Van Bnren-vas a good representa-
tive of that Dutch element in our National COM
position that has been useful in American
history. The first of these men 20 die was Mr..
Calhoun, in March. lS50, a few days after he
had completed his 6sth year. The second, Mr.. |
Webster, on October "a. 1852, not three months
before he had arrived at the age Of Il years.
The third, Col Benton, died on April 10, 1855,
when he had entered upon his nth year. The
fourth was Mr. Van Buren,, who departed on
July "a. lsd2, when he was in his sOth year, aud
when the great civil war was at the height,
with the event then in dubiety. The last to
leave the world was Gen. Cass who died in his
s1th year, June IL, 1o66.-BosfoH TrdrsIier.