New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-10

Richard Wigginton Thompson was born in Cul-
pepper County, Va, on June 2. 1909. He was OF
Scotch-Irsh descent, and his grandfathers had both
been prominent officers Of the Revolutionary Army
His mother, whose maiden name was Broadus, died
in 1873 when he only ten years old leaving four
chilcren be received a good education, ana re-
as shopkeeper's clerk in Louisville, ne went 70
for d few months and then returned to mercantile
business, al the same time studying law at night
IN Ie54 ne was admitted 10 the par, oeghhIhs 70
practise in Bedford Ind; and IN the same year his
lower house OF the Indiana Legislature, and was
in the upper house the same length Of time. For
State Senate and Acting Lieutenant Governor. He
was Presidential Elector the Harrison ticket
IN 1870 zealously supporting General Harrison in
ploAe speec9es and by ms pen. me heHI year
a Wing, and in lS+4 he was a defeated candidate
CONFESS from another dfs1rtct in 1s4-4s declined
q denomination, and also refused the Austrian mis-
the Re9ordershiD Of the Land o}lce which Fillmore
tendSTed hin ana sea[ on ne oeTcn OF me Gourt
ne was again Presidential ElectOr. on the Re
publican National Conventions in the years ISIS and
1876 In the latter he opposed the nomination of
Rutherford 3. Hayes. and named oliver P Morton
for President. Nevertheless. on March Y OF the
following year Mr. Thompson entered President
Hayes's Ca binet Secretary OF the Navy, and ne
I5 11ts 11,, 90 20 f5 Pa6aa canal
GlS q III {, ne r -
Railroad When tee plans for the canal were hrst
with the waterway were under discussion, the Mon
Doctrine attracted considerable attention from
statesmen II was argued that If the propositions
advanced bv Monroe were correct the French
would have TO Withdraw their support from the en-
terprise and be removed from connection there
with. A commission was appointed. of which Colo
nel Thompson was a member After an exhaustive
examination OF the situation the Commission re
ported that as France as a government was not
Interested the doctrine Of Monroe had bearing
on the case IN point Il was held 10 be a business
not as representattves Of the nation had invested
Presidents Of the tinted States except Washington
and the elder Adams With all the others. except
Jefferson he was personally acquainted. Beginnlng
strongest, best friends Their association not
when they were both representatives in the same
Congress
Colonel Thompson met Abraham Lincoln for the
first time. The acquaintance grew into friendship
sincerity Of his often asserted dsincnation hold
public Office has been repeatedly established by the
refusal 70 taSe positions offered He was a pron-
his active connection end with the canvass. He
also the author Of the whole or part OF many
In the later years OF hts life Colonel Thompson
came into prominence the author Of several
books that attracted wide attention. In 1876 he
published his well known work The Papacy and
the Civil Power" Fer the preparation OF this book
Colonel Thompson found that a knowledge of Latin.
German and French was needed He accordingly
learned o read languages. although p was
ar the time more than sixty wears old 4 further
- -
IN The Footprints OF the Jesuits, which appeared
IN 1894 He also wrote a History OF the Tariff -
1883 and his notable autObiographicaI work Per
sonal RecOlleCtiOns Of Sixteen Presidents" pub
ushed in 1896.
the only survivor Of the XXVIIth Congress and OF
the Indiana Legislature of 1884 His home many
sessed OF remarkable conversational powers and
was an unusually fluent speaker on political sub
Jeots Notwithstanding his advanced age ne re-
manned in full possession Of all his faculties till
near his death.