The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-06-30
BLAINE'S SUCCESSOR
General John W. Foster the New
Secretary Of State.
EXPERT IN MATTERS DIPLOMATIC.

He Has Twice Represented the
United States Abroad and Has
Taken Active Part in International
Controversies-His Services in the
War of the Rebellion.
WASHINGTON, June 30.-The president
yesterday sent to the senate the nomi-
nation of JOHN w. Foster, of Indiana,
to be secretary of state. The senate in
executive session at once confirmed the
nomination, and in less than three hours
after the nomination was transmitted to
the senate the president had signed his
commission and General Foster was
full fiedged cabinet officer.
The action of the senate in confirming
Mr.. Foster almost Immediately upon its
reception and without reference to the
foreign relations committee is almost
without precedent, as heretofore it has
been customary to reserve this honor for
senators in active service who are NOM
mated for Office.
The selection of General Foster as sec
retary of state meets with general favor
and is everywhere accepted as proper
q
Foster is particularly well equipped for
the office through his diplomatic knowl-
edge and ability and his thorough famil-
iaiity with the business of the depart
ment for the past two years. He was
rendered the office few days ago and
hesitated to accept because of the
financial sacrifice that was entailed.
In accepting the Office General Foster
will be obliged to give up lucrative
law practice. He holds the position of
counsel to the Spanish and Chinese lega-
tions here, as well as legal adviser of
one or two other foreign ministers. His
income is said to be 900 year from
his law practice alone.
The New Premier.
General Foster was born in Pike
County, Ind, on March g 1895, and was
graduated from the Indiana State Uni
versity in 1855. After one year at the
Harvard law school he WAS admitted to
the bar, and began practice in Evans
vile, Ind. He entered the Union army
in 1861 as major of the Twenty-tifth In
diana infantry, After the capture of
Fort Donelson he was promoted to
lientenant-c colonelcy and was subse-
qnently made colonel of the Sixty-tifth
Indiana mounted infantry.
Later he was appointed colonel of the
One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Indiana
regiment. During his entire service he
was connected with the western armies
of Grant and Sherman. He was COM
mander of the advance brigade of cav
airy in Burnside's expedition to East
Tennessee, and he was the first to oc-
cupy Knoxville in 1868. He came out of
the war as brgaaier general by brevet.
After the war he became editor of the
EX-onGuil1a nntlxr Innrna1 mud N 1870
he was appointed postmaster of that
city. lie first attracted general atten-
tion during the presidential campaign
of 1872, when, being still postmaster at
Evansville, Ind, and chairman of the
Republican state committee, he con-
Quoted the state campaign with such
success us to secure Indiana's vote for
Grant.
Minister to Mexico and Russia.
He was sent as United States minister
to Mexico by President Grant in 1873,
and reappointed by President Hayes in
1880. In March of that year he was
transferred to Russia, and held that
mission until November, 1881, when he
resigned to attend to private business.
On his return to this country Colonel
Foster established himself in practice in
| international cases in Washington.
| AIleT inc IalluT6 Oh Tile SSnhL6 10 raC-
ify the Spanish treaty which he had me-
| gotiated, it was afterward withdrawn
| by President Cleveland for reconsid-
Grafton. Some weeks later Colonel Fos-
ter was instructed to return to Spain to
| reopen negotiations for modified
treaty. This mission, however, was un-
successful, and Mr.. Foster remained
abroad but a few months.
Since then he has been frequently en-
| ployed by the state department in the
negotiation of commercial traties with
| foreign nations, having gone to Madrid
recently to assist Minister L. Burd
| Grubb, while all the reciprocity nego-
tiations with the South American re-
public and other foreign states under
the Mckinley act have been conducted
by him. On May 10 he was appointed
the agent of the United States to pre-
pare the case to be submitted in behalf
of onr government before the Behring
| sea tribunal of arbitration, and is now
actively engaged in that task.