Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-05

| the fact that he, survived the vicissitudes of
his career to the great age of ninety years.
| He was child when Jefferson and Adams
were the leading political characters In the
| early life of the Nation
! He was a personal friend Of Presidents
jackson and Van Buren.
He succeeded James Buchanan in the
| Senate of the United States from this State.
| Webster, Benton and Calhoun were his coll
| leagues in that body.
| Lincoln was his personal friend, and he
became "a 9 member Of his Cabinet.
| ties. has been without an equal in the his
| tory of this State.
LIE WAS mixture Of Scottish and Ger.
| IL man blood
His father was a Scotchman and his
mother the descendant of German immi-
| grants who settled in Lancaster County.
His father dying when Simon was but ten
years of age left his family, which was a
large one, in the most straitened circum-
| stances.
All the children who were able to work
were. compelled to add in support Of the
| family.
The only education THE boy received in his
| early years was what his mother was able
to teach him from borrowed books.
| Young Camcrons first regular employ
| ment was that of Office boy for a Sunbury
| doctor, for the family had removed to North
cumberland County shortly before his fathers
| death.
| In one leading respect Simon Cameron re-
| sembled Abraham Lincoln his desire for an
education. To fulfill that desire he ap-
! prenticed himself to the publisher Of the
| of sixteen to learn the printing trade.
After year the Gazette was forced to
! suspend, and then, With his wardrobe in q
handkerchief, the boy walked to Harrisburg
| and found place on the Harrisburg Re-
| publican.
|
TN HARRISBURG the made the acquaint-
L ance of Secretary Of State Ingham. after
| ward President Jackson's Secretary of the
Treasury
| a serious split among the Democrats of
| Bucks County had endangered Democratic
| success in the State. and 1ngham. finding
| young Cameron to be an intelligent, active
| chap. induced him to go to Doylestown and
edit the Democrat dslring the ensuing cam
| paign.
He did so and in addition helped to man.
age the campaign and unite the warning
factions.
| practical politics.
Having scrapcd together 500, he went
to Washington and secured a position on
| the Globe and as he subsequently said:
by the light of tallOw dips | helped to
| set up for twenty cents a thousand the daily
! record of the proceedings of the Congress of
| which, then little dreamed. l was in later
years to become member
A n EPISODE in uhe life of Cameron when
"A he entered the Senate as the successor of
James Buchanan, who subsequently became
President of the United States, has been
| forgotten in the lapse of years.
| lie was very susceptible to criticism and
| resented any imputation upon his personal
| or political honesty
| In this respect he was supersenstive,
particularly, on the subject of his political
! integrity, due to the frequent charges of
chicanery brought against him by his op-
| ponents, and with considerable basis of fact.
| The United STATES Senate, notwithstand-
ing the brilliancy of it's membership in those
days, was frequcntsy " the scene of turmoil.
| In the course of debate one day Senator
| Foote. of Mississippi, addressed Senator
| Cameron in lungu age which the latter re-
| gardcd as insulting and offensive.
| Cameron sprang from his seat, rushed at
Foote and knocked! him down.
1t was in the period when duels were
resorted to for the, settlement of points Of
| honor.
Foote had a reputation as a duelist and
had fought several with success.
Instantly the members of the Senate VS.
ualized another duelwith Foote and Cameron
| as the principals.
To their great surprise, however, the
Southerner promptly acknowledged his error,
| apologized for the insult and the affair ended
in the most amicable fashion.
THE story Of howl Senator Cameron came
l. to be Secretary of War in President
Colone-Iames II. Lambert. who had the
story from CameronFs own lips.
Before his inauguration, Mr.. Lincoln
sent for General Cameron to come to Spring
discussed the situation in all its bearings.
Mr.. Lincoln had previously placed at Cen
eral Cameron's disposal the Sccretaryship
of the Treasury when his Cabinet should be
formed. At this conference Mr.. Lincoln
said:
"'Chase Is q very ambitious man and Is
being strongly urged for place in the
Cabinet
The War Department is the place for
a man who desires TO make great reputa-
ton was the reply.
| "'Why" asked Nr. Lincoln.
! Because we are going TO have war; ;
responded Mr. Cameron. Your election will
| precipitate a civil war, and man who is
! wants at the head Of the War Office
| president Lincoln made General Cameron
his Secretary of War. The latter held the
portfolio of that department for ten months
| lie wanted to adopt effective measures for
| putting down rebellion. Chase and Seward
held other views, and so he resigned He
was at once rendered and accepted the Rus.
| sian mission.
able to perform services of the first i'm
portance to his casintry, the full value Of
which IS known only to those familiar with
the secret of the Civil War
CIMON CAMERON'S greatest service to
| - his country waa the manner in which hc
assisted In the denomination OF Abraham
Lincoln to the presidency.
Returning to the United States in lSR3
| Cameron found President Lincoln perturbed
and anxious about the schemes then on foot
to prevent his denomination.
Three Of the members of his Cabinet were
planning to succeed him, while John {. Ere
Wendell Phillips and other opponents of his
policy were getting ready to hold conven-
tion to nominate Independent Republican
candidates for president and Vice President
Mr.. lincoln, turned to General Cameron
as one in whose political tact and acumen