The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-27

He was elected TO the Indiana Lesis-
lature before he was u years ofage aud
had 10 wait 4 while after the legislature
met before he was old eLough to take a
seat This was ia 1892. Alter that he
was a member OF that bod, continuous
~ Tor twenty -four years. ca the dec
laration OF wsr with Mexico, ia lo4G.
he was elected Colonel OF the second
regiment He soon rose TO Brigadier.
and TO Major General. he commanded
the left wing of General Buffers divs
ion at the battle OF Buena Vista, and
was severely wounded in the arm He.
was in command at the battle Of Mon
mouth, aud defeated Santa Anna. Tie
also commanded at the battle of Atlis-
co, Floscula, and Metamoras. At the
close of this war he was made Major
General by President Polk
He was a Democrat. life long, and in
1852 was prominent candidate for
President before the Democratic Con.
ventlon at Baltimore. Indiana voted
tor Lane solldly for thirty-two ballots
Cass, Douglass, and Pierce were the
other two candidates for the nomination
The country knows that pierce was the
successful man. Previous to this. how.
ever. President Polk had in lS4S ap.
pointed Lane Governor of Greg on, where
he was living when candidate for Pres
ldent. He was removed by President
Taylor, in lS49, and the next year he
was elected a delegate to Congress from
Oregon, and continued to hold that po-
siton until the Territory was admitted
as a State, aud he wa elected United
States Senator. While holding this DO
sition. in 1850 he was nominated Vice
President with John G.. Breckenridge
for President. II e received seventy.two
votes for Vice President. In lS6l he
retired from the Senate by the expira-
ton of his term, and assumed the posi-
ton OF private citizen. He had a farm
at or near Roseberg, Oregon, but be-
came involved in debt, his farm and all
his property was sold at Sheri fl S sale,
and he retired up four miles, on the side
OF the mountain and built cabin where
he died.
Is is certainly very serious matter,
that man who had served his country
SO long and so faithfully in the lowest
and next to the highest offices in the |
country, should be driven out of society /
and almost beyond civilization to die in |
want. Joaquin Miller, in an article in
the San Francisco Chronicle, from per-
sonal knowledge, records the following:
He says he saw Gen. Lane the day he
was 65, then adds Ten years later on
my return from Europe, l sought him
out He lives three miles east and four
miles perpendicular now,' said one OF
sons, pointing up the mountain. Pow
erty had driven him from his ranc in
the valley
81 found this old man, now approach
ING 80 wears, Telling a tree in front Of
his little log cabin. He came forward
ak in his hand, to meet me, his aged
wife shading her eyes with her hand.
as she looked from the cabin door, won
dering what stranger could possibly
have climbed this mountain to their
humble hermitage.
And here, on the mountain top With
the companion of his bosom for more
than fifty years, the sun of this old Ro-
man Senator's life went down Moth
ing was SAID of him at his death, for no
one there knew him in his life He
lived frugally and died poor, while others
lived extravagantly and grew rich. Not
a dollar of this nations money eve,
found its way wrongfully into this sim
pie and sincere mans pocket. He died
not tor want, for his children aided him,
but poor and very pure, as he had lived"