Wichita eagle., 1889-07-17
Especial Correspondence


Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, July S.-The death Of Simon
Cameron and the announcement that his son
Don will retire from the senate at the end of
his present term foreshadows the disappear
ance from public life of one of the most nota-
BILE of American families. Whether due to
the extremely democratic character Of our
government, or 30 the comparative youth of
the country, it is a fact that but few really
powerful families have been known in Amer
ljca- Abroad family Is almost everything.
The weak man is upheld by family influence,
the strong man Is pushed higher even than be
could climb alone, and the son inherits much
or his fathers status in the community, if not
his title and political position. There are few
such examples in the United States There
was but one Washington. Jefferson.
Franklin, Hamilton, jackson, Benton, Hayne,
Webster stand alone IN history as the
great representatives of their families. There
has been but one great Lincoln. Only one
Buchanan, one Pierce, one Tyler, one
Hayes one Garfield, one Arthur, one Grant,
one Fillmore, one Cleveland figure in
their counIry's history. N1illionaires, Ike
the Vanderbilts and Astors, found great
houses Wealth is Inherited, while genius is
not
1t Is not easy TO find in this country fam
lily that has produced more than one famous
man. IL the politics Of the last fifty years
there have been few men more powerful than
Thurlow Weed His race is run out. Conk-
ling leaves none Of his name to take up the
sscepter Salmon p Chase leaves no success
scr Of his blood. The great war governors
and senator's, the Mcrtons, Curtius, Summers,
iFessendens, Wades almost all of the great
military figures, have entirely disappeared
from the scenes of public activity, leaving
none Of their name 20 remind the world Of
their careers. 1t it not az all likely that
Secretary Blame has q son who will be able
TO follow the example set by Herbert Bis
1narck, who is mastering statecraft under his
father's tutorship, and making ready TO take
that masters seat. Nor is it likely President
Harrison has a son who viii De able 70 follow
the Earrisonfan precedent by winning high
office after the present Harrison is dead and
buried
Indeed, the rule is 50 general in this coun-
try that the exceptions become interesting
AT last, after standing conspicuous for fifty
years an example OF family greatness in
America, sending four of its members 70 the
senate and almost winning the presidency
itself, the Bayard family disappears from
public life. Now the CamerOns, il is said,
are to go also. For thirty years this family
has practically ruled the politics of the sec
.ond state of the Union. The Cameron fam
ily has inpernarried with other strong fami-
lies Don Ca-neron's first wife Is Rogers.
of the family of Rogerses conspicuous in the
army and navy. His second wife Is a
daughter Of Judge Sherman, who was a
brother of Senator Sherman and Gen Sher-
man.
The Shermans are themselves good sample
of the powerful family. Two brothers have
for q quarter of a century been in the fore
front of public life, military and civil; both
have closely approached the presidency.
Judge Sherman was man of force and IL
tellect The Shermans and the Ewings, Of
whom there were three famous men, are re-
lated by wedlocks ties.
Probably the-Adanses will long stand forth
as the greatest of American families That
family had two presidents, father and SON.
Besides being presidents both were great
men, and in addition to the presidency held
other offices of high estate. Nor were these
the only great Adamses. There was Samuel
Adams, the revolutionist, whose name is
written high on the scroll Of fame He and
President John Adams had both the same
grandfather, a son of that sturdy Henry
Adams who came to this country about 1910
with no fewer than eight lusty sons This
Immigrant founded the family which pro-
duced Samuel, John, John Quincy, Charles
Francis, John Quincy tsecond), Hannah,
Nehemiah and many other Adamses whose
names appear often in the pages Of history.
Few American families have won as much
SIS two United States senatorships, or pro
duced more than one governor or congress
nan. The sons and descendants of a large
of our great men have failed to
bring new laurels to she family escutcbeon
Besides the Adarnses only one family can
one is the family of the present chief execu-
tive The Harrisons have been men of force and
success in this country for nearly 800 years
Among the second importation of Virginia
colonists under Jonn Smith, about 1909, was
one Master John Harrison gentleman He
became governor of Virginia His son was
known as Benjamin Harrison, Of Surrey, and
became the first great landed proprietor of
his name in Virginia
At Nestover, on the DANES, monument to (
him is still standing. He left three SONS, the /
eldest. Benjamin Harrison, of Berkeley, who /
died in ITO, also leaving a son Benjamin, /
who was killed by lightning. The eldest son
OF this Benjamin was the great-grandfa1her
on the present president, and father OF Will /
liam Henry Harrison, the hero OF Tippecanoe. /
The Harrisons had u coat of arms, as became /
50 great family-a family that boasts two |
presidents, two generals In the army, a gov |
ernor of Virginia two senator's Of the United |
States a member of the Virginia house OF /
burgesses and of the colonial congress, las |
well as a signer of the Declaration of indie /
pendence.
The Harrison blood has always been pro
lific. and IL is at this day one of the most nu-
merous families in the country. Ii has been /
jokingly said the president tcould not well /
avoid appointing some of his relatives TO /
office, because there are so many Of them he 1
couldn't miss them all. even II he were 10 try.
Ii is not true that the Harrison genealogy
has ANYTHING in common with Pocahsntas. /
A branch of the Randolph family sprang
from Pocahontas. and the Randolphs and /
were early related by marriage,
as were the Harrisons and Carriers, and the
Harrisons and various other families promi-
Gent in the south.
The Harrison descent comes from strong
family stock on both sides PRESIDENT Har-
rison's paternal grandmother was Sylnnes,
and there have not been many greater faIni-
lies in this country than the Symlneses.
Though the old Col Symmes, who believed
there is a hole through the center Of the
earth from pole 20 pole, and who sc Cincin-
nati seriously moved about organizing an ex-
f-,+a of