The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-18
Picturesque Figures in
State Department.
Presidents Who Graduated
From Secretaryship.
Heads OF the State Department
Whose Names are Forgotten.

4
shows SO many names distinguished in the
history of the country. Indeed, of the 81
men who have been secretary OF state no
fewer than six afterward became presi'
| dent These were jefferson, Madison,
| Monroe, John q Adams, Van Buren, and
Buchanan. A majority Of tho remaining
secretaries OF state were conspicuous can
| didates for the prcsdopcy, and some OF
them narrowly missed achieving their am
| bition. Among the moro prominent OF
these great men who were near to the pres
| ilency and yet never quite reached 10 may
be mentioned Clay, Webster, Calhoun,
Lewis Cass, Blaine, Gresham and now
John sherman. E'a
sherman's Worthy Ambition.
For 90 years Mr.. Sherman was an aspir-
ant for the presidential nomination of his
party. Time and again has he been de-
feated He some years ago renounccd his
ambition, but there Is 10 this day u focling
among Republican leaders everywhere
that Mr.. Sherman had fairly earned the
presidency; that he had won it by his serv-
Ices and his leadership.
OF all the secretaries Of state only three
or four Sailed 10 impress themselves upon
the history of their country-only three or
four arc now forgotten men" in the sense
that tho masses Of the people cannot recall
their names and do not know anything OF
their history. No one will forget the six
presidents who graduated from The state
department, nor will any one forget such
great names MS Clay, Webster, Calhoun,
Marcy, Cass, Fish and Seward. But who
remembers Timothy Pickering or Robert
Smith. or Louis McLane, or John Forsyth,
or Hugh 5. Legarc, or Abel r. Upshur? Yet
all of these were great men in their day.
OF all the romanccs of ambition and
fame connected with the state department.
that of Timothy Pickering is in some re-
spects the most interesting. He was a
Massachusetts, man, educated for the law,
but he never practiccd. In the early days
OF the Revolution he was q militiaman
He published little book on Discipline
For the Militia" Washington made him
adlutant general of the Revolutionary army
and then quartermaster general When
peace came, he went into business as a
commission merchant in Philadelphia, but
was not successful. Tho people Of Massa-
chusetts offered TO make BIN Judge If he
would return to that state but no declined
and took his family 70 tho frontier in the
valley of Wyoming, Pennsylvania There
he became involved in the Connecticut set
tiers insurrcction. One night Ills house
was attacked, and he had to fee through
the woods to Philadelphia Later ne re-
turned 10 his home and was taken out OF
bed at midnight by masked men and held
captive in the forest for three weeks.
An EventfuI Career.
Washington appointed him postmaster
general, and later secretary Of war, and
finally secretary of state. He remained in
this post for n timc under President Adams,
but, becoming involved in quarrels, was
dismissed. Colonel Pickering was poor
and In debt Again he went into the val
ley of wyoming and with his own hands
fcllcd trees and started to carve ont a farm
Thus the man who had held more cabinet
appointments than any other American
has ever held went from the second place 1
IN tho government 10 log cabin The
people of Massachusetts, raised a fund OF
S25 600 10 relieve him from debt, and he
returned 60 his native state and became o
farmer But the people twice elected him
10 the United States senate, and afterward
to congress for two terms lie was once
censurcd 10y the senate, was once burned in
efiigy in Philadelphia, but closed his days
In peace Gnd honor.
Robert Smith of Maryland was n lawyer,
soldier, secretary Of the navy dndcr .Iotfer-
son and secretary Of state under Madison
Louis McIanc Of Delaware began life as
n midshlpman in the navy, became a mem
Der of congress, senator, was twice min
lster 20 England, was secretary of the treas
ury and finally secretary Of state.
John Forsyth of Georgia was lawyer,
senator, governor OF his state.
minister TO Spain and secretary Of state
Hugh 5. T.cgarc Of South Carolina (pro- |
nounccd Lch -grce)was u French Hugucnot. |
He was n student and an orator and a |
contributor TO the reviews. Ho came to |
congress, was appointed attorney general !
~ President Tyler and succeeded Webster |
rs secretary of state. He died suddenly mt |
Boston while attending the ceremonies Of |
,nvcilinF Bunker Hill monument
His successor as secretary OF state, Abel |
?. Upshur of Virginia. also met IA tragic |
ate. lie was Killed with several others
~ the bursting of "a gun on board the war
hip Princeton on tho Potomac river near
his city President Tyler would probably |
ave met the same fate II he had not lin |
cred in tho cabin TO ray his attentions to
he young lady whom he afterward mar
led.
Great Names Tn History.
Some Of our Iast secretaries of state aro
otter known I'm history for other services.
or instance, John Marshall, who was sec
ctary OF state under Adams, Is rcmem-
cred chiefly as chief justice of the supreme
ourt. What u career was hisl six years
soldier, successful lawyer one OF the
hrce American ENJOYS 20 France who
iorc snubbcd by Tallcyrand and the only
nc who bad the courage to defy tho die
ntor, author Of the phrase, Millions for
ofcnse, but not ono cent for tribute"
,crctary Of war. secretary cf state and
Dr. 35 years chief justice Of n court which
Is learning and wisdom made the great
81 judicial tribunal in tho world and won
lr him urGylng fame as an expoundcr OF
he constitution.
Webster. lay and Calhoun nre remem-
cred better as senator's than as secretaries
state. Edward Eycrctt's famo IL IA n
ritter and orator rather than ms n diplo-
iatist.
Add ~ those already mentioned the
amcs oi Edmund Randolph, Edward Liv-
lgston, John NJ. Clayton, William l..
larcy. ! J,rcmiah = Black. William III. |