Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-21


Edwin NJ. Stanton as Secretary Of War;
son of a rural pastor in ChautauQua coun-
ty, N. Y. His eminent services were recog-
nized by the last Congress in recreating for
him the office Of lieutenant general. pre-
v-ously held by only the three greatest mill
tary geniuses of our day and land-Grant,
Sherman and Sheridan.
Senator Hawley. one of the most useful
and influential men in the upper house OF
Congress; Gen. Joseph c. Breckenridge, in
spector general of the army; DR.. Geo. N.
Sternberg, the present surgeon general OF
the army: Gen. Henry V. Boynton, the
brilliant journalist: VIM. E. Curtis. who
organized the bureau of South American
repuhlics-indeed. host of the ablest men
in public life are sons of ministers.
Other Presidents.
OF the eleven Presidents not yet men,
toned. five-John Adams, Van Buren,. Fill
more, Pierce and Benjamin Harrison-were
sons of farmers simply, unconditional by
other pursuits or occupations.
The remaining six Presidents-Jackson
Polk, Taylor, Buchanan, Grant and Hayes
were children of the frontier, born in log
cabins or most primitive houses, and sur
rounded with the trials and hardships of
pioneer life. Jackson's father died few
days before his birth, and his mother was
reduced to want. For tel years she lived
with brother-in-law named Crawford, and
paid her own and her children's way by
cooking, washing and mending. The little
schooling that Andrew had was in log
nut. ne learned TO READ Well ana 10 "rlte
fairly; spelling was an art that he never
mastered Polk was put into country
store as a clerk, but was ambitious to study
and got a good education. This Taylor
never did; he was for while at a common
school, but early entered the army and had
the training of soldier. Buchanan spent
his first eight years in pioneers log cab
in. Hayes father died before his birth.
and the boys early education came from
his mother and from a country school
teacher who believed largely in the rod
Jesse Grant. father of the President, was
farmer, and by trade tanner The son
worked on the farm, attending village
school in the winter. After his graduation
from West Point, his services in the Mexi-
can war and his marriage, ne was unable
to support himself on farm near st.
Louis, and his brother gave him chance
at a leather store in Galera, saying. how
ever, that he must live on $500 year
Grants straitened circumstances, there
fore. did not cease with his boyhood or
young manhood, but continued unusually
late in life. Yet he became the greatest
general of the greatest war of history, and
his name Is honored and loved by the Amer
lean people next to those of Washington
and Lincoln.
Our space will not permit any general
survey of statemanshp, beyond what has
already been said. We must not fail, how
ever, to notice our five greatest Secretaries
of the Treasury. Hamilton was born in the
West Indies, his father being merchant.
John Sherman's father died when he was
six years DID, leaving eleven children and
very little property.
His brother, William Tecumseh Sherman
second only to Grant in the civil war, had,
of course, the same early environment.
The chief naval hero of that war. Admiral
Farragut, himself records that his boy
hood lacked none of the dangers and hard
ships OF frontier life" When he was eight
years old, his father took him across Lake
Pontchartrain in a small boat during
gale, saying: Now is the time to conquer
his fears" He had almost no schooling
and Vas practically educated on shipboard;
yet he mastered his profession as few
others. with the best advantages, have
ever done.
Great Journalists.
If we turn to other occupations. we will
find our American theory equally con-
firmed. The three greatest journalists that
this country has produced were Horace
Greeley. Henry ]; Raymond and Thurlow
Weed, all farmers sons Zaccheus Greeley
was a very small farmer at Amherst. N
H.: always poor; when Horace was ten
years old, a fugitive from the state to
escape Imprisonment for debt. He became
a day laborer, and succeeded many years
after in getting a small farm in the then
new country near Erie, Pa. After he was
six years old Horace went to school only
in winters. and during the summers did
farm work. At eleven he tried to be ap-
rrenticed to a printer in neighboring viii
lage, but was rejected on account of his
youth. Three years later he succeeded
He spent almost nothing. He wore no coat
in summer, and no overcoat in winter
Nearly every penny of his wages he sent
to his father. At the end of some five
years his employer failed and for over
tour years he was either a tramp printer.
worked ON his fathers little frontier
farm. Then he set out on foot for New
York, and on the 10th of August 1881, en-
tered that city with his bundle and stick
over his shoulder and $40 in his pocket. to
become easily the foremost journalist CT
his age
If we look at the greatest American ora
tors we will find two very notable excep-
tons to our rule. Charles Sumner and
Wendell Phillips were sons of very emf
nent families of Boston and enjoyed in
youth all that wealth and the highest So
cial standing could confer. 1t Is the more
to their credit that both espoused the cause
of the slave, and expended all the powers
of their noble eloquence in behalf of eman-
cipation. Patrick Henry was born on
farm and educated for some years at
small school near by. From fifteen to
twenty-three he was either clerk in or part
owner of country stores, in none of which
he could make living. He then turned
his attention to the law. and soon became
one of the greatest advocates, orators and
statesmen of our revolutionary period.
Henry Clay was the son of a Baptist
minister, who died when he was four years
cid, leaving no property. Henry attended
a log school house. doing farm work and
house work meanwhile until he was four
teen, when he became clerk IN small
retail store. Daniel Webster's father was
a farmer at Franklin. n. II. The son was
thought too frail for hard work, and was
allowed to play and run at large in the
woods. When he developed fondness for
study his father, by the hardest work AMI
the strictest economy. managed to put him
through Dartmouth College. He then
taught, both to get his own legal educa-
ton and to help educate his brothers.
From such struggles he issued pre-em.nent
as orator, constitutionaplawyer and states
man.
The American pulpit has had no orator
comparable to Henry Ward Beecher, son
of a clergyman and grandson of a black
smith, whose narrow financial means only
quickened those best New England quail
ties of Industry, courage, patriotism and
faith that marked each generation of this
family. Probably no greater triumphs Of
human speech have ever been won than
by Mr.. Beecher in England during the civil
war, when he faced bowling mobs I'M
daunted and turned the policy Of that
great empire toward amicable relations
with the north.
Frederick Douglass.
There is one man that must not fail of
mention, unique in every way, whom 1t is
difficult to classify. Frederick Douglass,
orator. editor, statesman; as ex-senator