The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-03-17
GENERAL CAMERoN'S EIGHTY EIGHTH
BIRTHDAY
A SKETCH OF The EvgSTFrL LIFE OF PESSsrL-
vASIA's MOST DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN.
Harrisburg Telegraph

-~@---@N---
Monday cur honored citizen and Pennsyl-
vania's venerable statesman. General Simon
/ Cameron. entered upon the eighty eighth
year OF BIS eveEtfGl lite. Ia the midst OF
the many congratulations from near and far
the readers Of the Telegraph send theirs. with
their heartfelt wishes that his length of days
be further extended. IL Is eminently prop
/ er at this time that a brief resume OF the
events Of that honorabA and busy life be
rehearsed for the benefit of the generation
which Is coming upon the stage of action
I Simon Cameron was born on the sth day
OF March. 1873, in Msytown, Lancaster
county, Pennsylvania OF his ancestry It is
not our providence al this time to dwell
upon. save to say that he Is descended from
the clan Cameron of Scotland. who shared
I their fortune with the unfortunate Charles
Edward, whose star of hope sank in the
field of Calloden. His father. Charles Cam
the latter entered the printing office IN lSI6.
In 1921 he took charge of the Bucks County
Messenger, at Doylestown, and subsequently
Bucks County Democrat In 1922 he re-
turned TO Harrisburg, where in partnership
with Charles Mowry he published the PsIsH.
,.'lrania Late1tgeacsr, then the organ of the
Democratic party at the State Capital, and
enjoyed the official patronage of the State
administration He was elected one of the
printers to the State, position he held sey-
en- years Having been the early friend and
supporter of General Shuttle, upon his ceas-
ing to be State Printer. he was honored by
the Executive with the appointment Of Ad-
jutant General of Pennsylvania, the duties
of which office he discharged with ability
and to the satisfaction of the public.
General Cameron at an early period took
a deep interest in the development of inter-
nal Improvements, and engaged in extensive
contracts upon the Pennsylvania Canal,
then in process of construction. In 1925 he
began building the section between Harris
burg and Sunbury, and after this was well
under way he took one or two sections OF
the western part OF the canal. From this
time onward his life was an eyentful one.
General Cameron has frequently remarked
that had ne left politics alone he might have
been the wealthiest man in Pennsylvania.
His friends and admrers-and they are le-
gion-believe be took the wiser course.
| In 1892 while at work as a contractor on
/ the Lake Ponehartrain Canal, Louisiana, he
was requested by the President, Andrew
Jackson, to return to Pennsylvania. and or
ganize a delegation to the National Conyen-
tiou TO be convened at Baltimore He did
so, and organized the delegation in the in
/ terest of Mr. Van Buren, for the Vice Presi-
dency.
In the winter of that year the Legislature
chartered the bank Of Middletown and he
became its cashier. From the first the bank
was successful. but the duties of the cashier
were so limited that General Cameron
sought other fields of labor aud usefulness,
although he remained there twenty-five
years.
/ In 1885 he was appointed by President
Van Buren, one of the commissioners TO set
tie and adjust the claims made against the
" iA4AlGaatt t-N4aeAiAo " tt4N tA1s4UAIf
though the latter objected TO the adjudica-
tion of the same, it was finally adopted by
the Government
IN lSf5. when James Buchanan resigned
his seat in the L : Senate to be President
/ POlkts Secretary Of State. General Cameron
was elected to that position by a union OF
Whigs, Americans. and those Democrats in
in favor of the Protective policy. From
March. 1s4j to March 4, 1850, he served his
state faithfully in that body
In 1857 he was again elected to the L. s
Senate by the vote Of the opposition men,
/ bers. consisting Of Wings. Native Americans
and TarIf-men His return to the Senate
brought him again prominently before the
public. and in the political events which
preceded the campaign Of 1850 General Cam
erur was named As the choice of Pennsylva-
MIA for the Presidency. When the RePub-
lican party was organized he became one OF
the leaders in that powerful movement, and
no wonder the sagacious Lincoln turned to
General Cameron for counsel. and when
elected rendered him q place in his Cabinet
! OfGeneral Cameron's part during the first
efforts made TO crush out secession and re-
bellion it is not our province now to refer
History needs no repetition now of the i'm
portant sereices be performed and of the
great confidence the President always had
in his Minister of War
In January 1s62, Mr. Cameron resigned
and accepted shortly after the mission to the
Russian court OF his services there it need
only be said that they were of the greatest
Importance, and prevented recognition OF
the Southern Confederacy by any Of the Eu-
ropean powers.
The Story Of Lincoln's denomination has
been told before in these columns. To nc
one was the former more indebted than tC
General Cameron.
In 1886 he vas reelected to the United
States Senate and again in 1872, resigning in
1s77-a position be held longer term oi
years than anv man sent to the same body
from the State Of Pennsylvania.
Since tn at period be has led retired life
although not unmindful Of affairs going on
around him rather an interested witness o
matters and thirgs. Few men have beer
active participants in 50 much Of our coun
try's history, and that history will never b,
true until it shls reveal the fact how much
the Union owes fnr its preservation to thu
distinguished man who this day stands OF
the Threshold OF his eighty eighth year.