The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-06-27
GENERAL SIMON CAMERON. /.
The Quiet Death of the Poonsyivania
sage Last Night.


sage Last Night.
General Simon Cameron died Mt 81
o'clock last evening on his farm nj
Donegal Springs, near Lancaster, Pa.
The Generals condition during the day
was regarded as rather encouraging,
and death came suddenly from a weak
spell. Up TO the last moment he was
conscious, and had no trouble to swal-
low the food given him and which he
appeared TO assimilote. Around the
death.bed were cx-Attorncy. General
Wayne MacVeagh and wife, Mrs.
Haldeman, James Cameron, Simon b.
Cameron and wife and Mrs. David
Watts, a granddaughter
The funeral will take place In Harris
burg, though the date has not yet been
determined upon.
Simon Cameron was born at May
town, Lancaster County, Pa, on
March 8, 1790, his parents dying
when he was years old On May IA,
1916, he was bound as apprentice to the
printing trade TO Andrew Kennedy, in
the town of Northumberland, but on ae-
count OF his master givin up the business
one year later he was compelled 10 seek
employment elsewhere Hewent to Har
risburg and engaged with Mr. James
Peacock, proprietor and editor Of the
Republican, and also Public Printer, to
serve with him the three remaining
years of his apprenticeship. This he
did, although he found the labor very
severe, owing to his III health and deli
cacy of constitution. After serving his
apprenticeship he continued with Mr..
Peacock a short time, and then be-
came editor and publisher of n
paper In Doylestown called the
| Pennsylcdna Hteuigeacer. Believing,
however, that Washington was the
centre Of political effort and informa.
| tion he came to the capital, and found
employment in the office of Gales &
Seaton. publishers of the National In
| tolligencer. While working here he
heard that the Harrisburg Rupublican,
on which he had served the greater
part Of his apprenticeship, was for sale,
| and concluded to buy II. This he did,
becoming joint editor and proprietor
with Charles Mowry. Shortly afterward
| he was elected State Printer, and was
reelected for seven years consecutively.
During that time he worked almost In.
cessantly, and, utterly broken in health,
/ lttltu ilOih tit bubintoS Witu w uut Us
then comfortable fortune--about
| $4,000.
In 1882 General Cameron established
the Middletown Bank, OF which he be-
came cashier, and was soon afterward
at the head of two railroad companies,
which were looking TO the development
of the State. When about 80 years of
| age he was appointed by Governor
Shulze Adiutant- General Of Pennsyl-
vania. In 1s45 he was elected United
States Senator.
During his term in the Senate, which
closed in 1S40, Senator Cameron acted
with the Democratic party, voting in
favor Of declaring that war existed with
Mexico, and in favor of the proposition
to extend the Missouri compromise line
to the Pacific. After the repeal of the
Missouri compromise, in 1854, he allied
himself " ith the Republican party, and
in 1857 was again elected United States
Senator. In the Republican Conven
tion, held at Chicago In May, 1860, he
was named as a candidate for the nomi-
nation for the Presidency, and received
about fifty votes OH the first ballot. His
name was afterward withdrawn, his
friends voting for Lincoln. When Mr..
Lincoln was inaugurated Senator Cam
eron took his seat In the Cabinet as Sec.
retary of War On January IA, 1862,
he resigned, and was succeeded by
Hon. Edwin nj. Stanton. He accepted
the mission to Russia, but remained
there only short time, and returned to
this country in December, 1862
In 1866 General Cameron was again
elected to the Senate, and in 1879 he re-
placed Mr.. Sumner as Chairman of the
Committee on Foreign Relations. He
was reelected in 1873, but resigned in
favor Of his son, j. Don Cameron, in
1877.
Senator Cameron was undoubtedly
one of the most picturesque and stiik-
ing figures in American politics, and
his life bridged over nearly all the
great events and changes in the history
of the Republic since the Revolution.
When the war Of 1914 began he was 13
years of age. The creed Of General
Cameron's whole life can best be sum-
med up in the following extract from a
speech which he made 10 his friends
who gathered at his home to congratu-
late him on his S3d birthday "a man
who makes no enemies Is never posi-
tive force. I began life with determin.
alton to succeed, with what resul,
others must Judge have made 1t a
rule of life to be kind to every one and
considerate of all Yet have made
enemies, because have had opinions
and asserted them. But this has
brought me friends also, and wherever
Igo, at home or abroad, the grateful
evidences of their regard greet me.
I have lived long and seen much Of life
and when l am gone all ! ask is thai
people can say that j did the best
could, and was eyer true to my obliga
tons and my friends"
Since his retirement from the Senate
in 1877 General Cameron had led a
quiet life, taking no part In politics
though still retaining his interest in it