The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-28
FORMER CABINETS.
From the Baltimore News.

FOKWEk SADiNClS
From the Baltimore News.
Since the establishment Of the Federal
government. six cabinet portfolios nav
been held by eleven citizens of Maryland.
Three of them were secretaries OF the
navy. one was secretary of war. one sec
retary of state. two secretaries OF Inc
treasury, two poStmasters general ana
five attorneys general In the latter Of
cc particularly III" Maryland appoint
ccs. Smith. Pinkncy. Taney, Nelson an
Johnson. have rarely been cqual"i IN
ability. Stoddert organized the navy De-
partmcnt and krnncdy's administration
of it was admirable Blair ana CrtsSwrl
are among the greatest of the pOstmaSt-
crs general. For either of these offices.
presilcnt-clect Mckinley can find excel
lent material in Maryland. and 1t is likely
that SHOULD he come to- Maryland for one
member of his cabinet. an honor to
which the state is richly entitled. having
been overlooked during the six admins
trations Of Hayes. GARFIELD, Arthur, Clevc-
land and Harrison, one of these three
portfolios would be rendered II Maryland
Republican.
No Marylander has had "A fair opportun-
ity to administer the affairs of the treas
ury department., the holders of that port
folio only being temporary officials.
and but one has ever been secretary pf
war Washington, in lIa6, offered the po-
sition to Colonel John Eager Howard. Of
Baltimore, and jefferson desired to ap-
point General Samuel smith. of Bal;i-
more, secretary of the navy. The latt r
actually served for some months in that
capacity, refusing any compensation, but
neither of these Revolutionary heroes and
statesmen cared for cabinet honors.
The first secretary Of the interior was
Thomas Ewing, of ohio. Fillmore ten
dered the new department to James Al
fred pcarce, of Kent county, who declin, I'D
Il, and Alexander II. III. stuart, of Nir.
s'nia accepted 1t on Sept. y. 1870, Thorn
- NJ. Il. M"kcnnan. Of Pennsylvania, held
ne portfolio in the interim.
ii
Dr. James McIIenry, of baltimore. a
member of Washinston's military family
| during the revolution, was the third sec
rotary Of war under Washington. being
appointed to succeed Timothy Pickering,
of Massachusetts. made secretary of state
on Jan. -. l79d. He was continued in
he office by John Adams, his second ap-
rointmcnt being dated March H. 1897, but
wac dismissed with Pickering May IL. 1900
| and succeeded by Samuel Dexter, of Mas
sachusetts. The first actual secretary Of
the navy was benjamin s<'ddert. of
Charles county. appointed May II. l,9S
vice George Cabot, of Massachusetts.
declined. Prior to John Adams admin
istraton naval affairs had been embraced
in the war portfolio. Two Marylanders
We're In Jeffersons cabinets. Stoidert
was continued as secretary of the navy
from March to July Is. 1NUl. when h. was
succeeded by Robert Smith. of Baltimore
brother of General Samuel Smith. on
March 2. 1SO5 jefferson made Smith attor-
ney general, vice Levi Lincoln. Of Massa-
chusetts, and Jacob Crowninshiell, of
Massachusetts. became secretary of the
navy. Smith was attorney general near
ly ten months, and ON Dec. -. 1893. was
succeeded by John Erecknriigc, of Ken
tucky. Smith entered Madison's cabinet
March &, 1909. Hs secretary of state. He
resigned in April. 1911 after two years
disscnsion with the president. with whose
policies he seldom agreed. lie never pos
scssed the confidence of Madison, and was
| persistcntly ignored by him, although the
president was afraid to incur the hostility
of the powerful party in congress in
uenrcd by General Smith by dismissiuS
his secretary of state. After his retire.
ment Smith published an address to the
people of the United States. hut the sr'-
Ond war win Great Britain ohscured its
, revelations, as 1t did other things not
| complimentary TO Madison, Smith was Il
much ahl,r lawyer than diplomat. lie
was succeeded A"ril 4, 1871, by James
Monroe, Of Virginia.
The greatest of Madisons three attor.,
ncys general was William Pinkney. OF
Baltimore appointed Dec. II, lSll, in
place of Caesar y. Rodney, of Delaware.
l'inkney served until Feb. u. ISL be-
ing succeeded hy Richard Rush. of Penn
sylyana. Rush was retained in Monroe's
| cabinet until Dee. IL, 1871, when the
portfolio went to William Writ. Of Nir-
Adams gave Maryland cabinet appoint
mcnt. Writ was attorney general for
twelve years. and urnn the accession Of
Jackson to the presidency removed to
Baltimore. John Macpherson Ber'i"n. of
Georgia WIS JacEsuns first attorney
general. ON Dec. -. 1871, he WIS succeed
ed by Roger Brooke fancy. of Baltimore.
Tancy held the portfolio until Sept. ..
lSi3 JacksOn'S third secretary of the
treasury, William j. Duane, Of PenHsyl-
vania. refused TO remove the deposits
from the United states bark, and at a
cabinet meeting, where puan" was pres
tnt, Jackson turned to HIS attorney with
the words, MIR. Taney, | appoint you seq
rotary of the treasury" Levi Woodbury.
of New Hamushire. succeeded TO the Of
fice June - lsA. the senate having re-
The cabinets of Van Buren and Harri-
son contained no Marylander. but Tyler
on Jan. 2. lsli. appointed John Nelson. of
Baltimore, attorney senera.. John j. Crit
tendci of Kentucky. and Hugh Swinton
Lcgare, of South Carolina, having pTcce1-
ed him in the cabinet His successor
appointed by Polk on March 5, 1915, was
john !. Mason, of Virginia
-:I:-.
Polk, although of Maryland extraction,
also ignored the state. but Taylor made
Reverdy Johnson, OF Baltimore. attorney
genera on March I, 1919. 'oid Zach
lard Preston. of Virginia, but William ).
Archer pointed ort TO him that Preston
would hav" To appear in the United States
supreme co"rt, and that in the presence
of that august tribunal "Webster and
Johnson would makc a ID fool of your
attorney general" Johnson held the
portfolio little less than five months
Fillmore disvlacing all of Taylor's ap=
pontees. Crittenden succeeded Johnson
Maryland obtained another portfolio.
however. John Pcndlcton Kennedy. Of
Baltimore, taking the place Of William \.
Graham, uf North Carolina, as sec re-
tary of the navy on July -, lSi2. Ora
nam was "A candidate for vice-prrS idont on
the ticket with Winfield Scott. The port
folio went back to North Carolina under
Pierce, james &. Dohhn following Ken
| nedy on March 7, 1853. Philio Fraacs
Thomas of Talbot county, was one oe the
three secretaries of the treasury in Bu-
rhananS cabinet, He was appointed De-
cemhcr -. 1860, to succeed Howell Cobb.
of Georgia., but soon aftrrward resigned.
and John A. Dix. of New York, was APP
pointed Jan II, ISii. to the position. Tn
der Linroin's first administration Mont
gumery Blai: of Montgomery county,
was postmaster general from March Z.
1S6l. to Scut. y 1851 when he was sue
yeeClcd ly Willan Dennsnn, Of Ohio
Andrew Johnson'S tumlltuOus cabinet
was without Naiy!Hnier. bat Grant ap-
pointed Iohn a j. crossw-ll, of Cecil
county postmaster general on March Z,
1863. i'ressweil resigned In lsTi. and was
followed July 3 of that year by James W.