Citation
Lives of the presidents of the United States

Material Information

Title:
Lives of the presidents of the United States : in words of one syllable
Creator:
Pierson, Helen Wall ( Author, Primary )
George Routledge and Sons ( Publisher )
Place of Publication:
New York
London
Manchester
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George Routledge & Sons
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Language:
English
Physical Description:
201, [2] p. : ill., ports., facsims ; 21 cm.

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Subjects / Keywords:
Presidents -- Biography -- Juvenile literature -- United States ( lcsh )
Indians of North America -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Statesmen -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Generals -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Flags -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Political campaigns -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Legislators -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Biography -- 1894 ( rbgenr )
Publishers' advertisements -- 1894 ( rbgenr )
Baldwin -- 1894
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Biographies ( rbgenr )
Publishers' advertisements ( rbgenr )
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United States -- New York -- New York
England -- London
England -- Manchester
Target Audience:
juvenile ( marctarget )

Notes

General Note:
Publisher's advertisements follow text.
Statement of Responsibility:
by Helen W. Pierson ; copiously illustrated.

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University of Florida
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THE CAP-I-TOL AT WASH-ING-TON,



LIVES OF THE

PRESIDENTS

OF THE

UNITED STATES

IN WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE

BY
WRS. HELEN W. PIERSOW:

AUTHOR OF ‘fA HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, IN WORDS OF ONE

”

SYLLABLE, AND ALSO OF HISTORIES OF FRANCE,

OF GERMANY, AND OF ENGLAND,

COPIOUSLY ILLUSTRATEL



GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, Liuirep
NEW YORK: 9 LAFAYETTE PLACE
Lonpon aND MANCHESTER %



IN UNIFORM STYLE,
Words of One Syllable.

ILLUSTRATED.

HISTORY OF UNITED STATES

LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS OF
THE UNITED STATES

HISTORY OF ENGLAND
HISTORY OF FRANCE
HISTORY OF GERMANY
HISTORY OF IRELAND
HISTORY OF RUSSIA
ATSTORY OF JAPAN

ATISTORY OF THE OLD TESTA-
MENT

HISTORY OF THE NEW VESTA-
MENT

HISTORY OF THE BATTLES OF
AMERICA

HEROES OF HISTORY

GzOoRGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, LIMITED,
9 Lafayette Place, New York,



Copyright, 1884, 1889 and 1894,

By Joszrn L. Bramire.



PREFATORY.

In these “ Lives of the Presidents of the United
States,” it has been thought best to depart from the
strictly one-syllable style, by using the past tense of
certain verbs. This has been done with those which
are pronounced as one syllable.

It will be readily understood that many matters
of statecraft—tariff, nullification and important
political movements—have been excluded from this ©
volume as beyond the limits of one syllable. But
such matters are also beyond the comprehension of ~
the little ones who may gain from this book their
_ first knowledge of those who have occupied the

chief place in our nation.













CONTENTS.

GHAR TEE Re.
GEORGE WASHINGTON

CHAP TERT:
Joun ADAMS

CHAPTER: IT.
Tuomas JEFFERSON \,

CHAPTER IV.
James Mapison ¥

CECA PAE RAs
James MONROE

CHAPTER VI.
JouHn Quincy ADAMS

GHAR EER NAT:
ANDREW JACKSON

CHAPTER VIIL
Martin Van BuREN

CHAPTER IX.

Wituiam Henry HarRIson : : é

Joun TyYLer

EC EUARal b Rae:

James Knox Pork ; é : :

ChAPT ER pel:

ZACHARY TAYLOR
MILLARD FILLMORE

if

36

46

Done

64

sey 2

80

gO

94

= 102

- 108

- IIO



Contents.

CHAPTER XII.
FRANKLIN PIERCE

CHAPTER XIII.
James BucHANAN

‘CHAPTER XIV.
Axsrauam LiIncoLn®

CrARA Bb RexGV.:
ANDREW JOHNSON .

CHAPTER XVI.
U.ysses Simpson GRANT

CHAPTER XVII.

RUTHERFORD B. Haves

CHAPTER XVIII.

James ABRAM GARFIELD

CHAPTER: XIX:
CHESTER ALLAN ARTHUR

CHA PTE RESXDOG
GROVER CLEVELAND

CEUA PAGE Res xoxeT:
BENJAMIN Harrison

CHAPTER XXII.

GROVER CLEVELAND

is

* 117

a 124

- 144

. 180

. 184

. 190

. 196



soe)



lA



PRESIDENT.

TABLE OF THE PRESIDENTS.





George Washington..

John Adams

vee eeccee

Thomas Jefferson... .

James Madison
James Monroe

5. |John Quincy Adams.

\w-/Andrew Jackson.. ..





onl

“|John Tyler......

Martin Van Buren...
William H. Harrison

James K. Polk
Zachary Taylor

Millard Fillmore

Franklin Pierce.....

James Buchanan.....
Abraham Lincoln...,

Andrew Johnson...

Ulysses 8. Grant

Rutherford B. Hayes
James A. Garfield...
Chester A. Arthur..
Grover Cleveland....
Benjamin Harrison....



Grover Cleveland











BY WHOM

- ELECTED. |

Two terms; 1789-1797/Whole people.|John Adams....

Federalists. .

Republicans

Republicans
All parties. .

House of Rep.

Democrats. .

Democrats .

Whigs......

Whigs......

Democrats. ...

Whigs. sees

Whigs..... :
Democrats. .

Democrats, .

Republicans {





Republicans
Republicans

Republicans
Republicans
Republicans
Democrats. .

Republicans..

Democrats



STATE. Bi a TERM OF OFFICE.
AQ a

Virginia... .. 1732/1799
Massachusetts |1735/1826/One term ; 1'79'7-1801..
Virginia...... 1743]1826/Two terms ; 1801-1809
apes Virginia......|1751/1836/Two terms; 1809-1817
Urbs nesbinne Virginia..... |1758/1831/Two terms ; 1817-1825
Massachusetts |1767/1848/One term ; 1825-1829...
Tennessee ...|1767|1845/Two terms ; 1829-1837
New York... ./1782/1862/One term ; 1837-1841...
Ohio.......... 1773|184.1/One month ; 1841.....
...|Virginia......|1790/1862|/3 yrs. and 11 months ;
1841-1845...
a adaais Tennessee. ...|1'795}1849/|One term ; 1845-1849..
narbateee Louisiana......|1'784/1850/1 year and 4 months;
1849-1850...
BS te. New York... .|1800/1874/2 years and 8 months;
1850-1853. .
|N. Hampshire] 1804/1869/One term ; 1853-1857.
Pennsylvania .|1791/1868)One term ; 1857-1861..
Illinois ......./1809|1865]1 term and 1 month;
1861-1865. .
Tennessee ... .|1808/1875/3 yrs. and 11 months ;
1865-1869. .
..«.|Lllinois,...... .|1822}/1885/Two terms ; 1869-1877
Ohio..... ..... {1822}... |One term ; 1877-1881...
Ohio..... 1831]1881/Six mos. and 15 days..
New York. .. ./1830/1886/3 yrs, 5 mos. 15 days. .
New York., ../1837|....|One term; 1885-1889.
Indiana....... 1833]....|One term; 1889-1893...
ates NeweerOrk:......JU837) ccc tie nae-n 5 dhe, au ee Cas

VICE-PRESIDENT.

Thos. Jefferson..

Aaron Burr.......
George Clinton....
George Clinton..
Elbridge Gerry..
Dan’! D, Tompkins
John C, Calhoun..

John C, Calhoun
Mart. Van Buren

Rich’d M. Johnson
John Tyler.. ...,

wofe nee cee se eeees

George M. Dallas. .

Millard Fillmore

welee eer ecerse cveves

William R. King..
J. C. Breckenridge

Hannibal Hamlin.
Andrew Johnson..
‘(Schuyler Colfax. .
Henry Wilson....
Wm. A. Wheeler..
Chester A, Arthur
‘"\Phos, A. Hendricks
Levi P. Morton... .
Adlai Steyenson. oe

SECRETARY OF
STATE,

Thomas Jefferson.
Edmund Randolph.
Timothy Pickering.
Timothy Pickering.
John Marshall. ,
James Madison.

Robert Smith.
James Monroe.

John Quincy Adams
Henry Clay.

Martin Van Buren.
Edward Livingston.
Louis McLane.

John Forsyth.

John Forsyth.

.|Daniel Webster.

Hugh S. Legare.
Abel P. Usher.
John C, Calhoun.
James Buchanan.

John M. Clayton.
Daniel Webster.
Edward Everett.

William L. Macy.

} Lewis Cass.
Jeremiah §. Black.

William H. Seward.

William H. Seward.
Elihu B.Washburne.
Hamilton Fish.
‘Wm. M. Evarts.
James G. Blaine.

F. T. Frelinghuysen.
Thos, F. Bayard.
James G. Blaine. ..





Walter Q. Gresham





oN



Lives of the Presidents.

CELAP PER. -2.

GEORGE WASHINGTON.
1789 to 1797.

In Vir-gin-i-a, near
the banks of the stream
_ we call the Po-to-mac,
there is _a spot known
_ as Bridges’ Creek. It
1S SO small a place that
you can not call it a
~ town, and yet it is dear
to the hearts of. A-mer-
ieans,. for here; on
me iy the 22d of Feb-tu-a- -ry,

eos ie Wash-ing-ton was born. A few fig - ’
trees are still seen, and here and there a’ wild rose -
peeps out of the weeds to show you that once on a
time a home was there. A few loose bricks and
bits of lime still lie on the ground where the old





12 Lives of the Presidents.

farm-house once stood. In 1815 a small stone slab
was put there to mark the spot.

The coat-of-arms of the Wash-ing-tons was a
white shield with two red bars on it, and on top
were three stars, so that the whole was like the stars
and stripes, ina way. When George was three
years old the Wash-ing-tons left this home and
went to live in a low red house on a hill near
Fred-e-ricks-burg

The tale of the way in which George cut the
fruit tree has been told all through the years to the
small folks of this land, to show his love of truth.
He had been brought up to tell the truth, and to
.do what was right at all times. One who was near:
kin to him tells the tale: “One fine day,” she said,
“when George was five years old, his Pa took
us both by the hand and bade us come with him to »
look at the fruit trees. The whole earth was strewn
with the fruit. But there was one tree that had not -
borne in the past, and was a choice kind. This
was found to be cut. George hung back. ‘Who
has done ths?’ said Mr. Wash-ing-ton, in a rage,
for the bark of the tree had been cut in such a way
that one could not hope for fruit for years. The
small boy came forth in a brave way: ‘I did it, Pa.
I can not tell a lie, I cut it, he said. Mr. Wash-
ing-ton was so struck by this show of truth on the



George Washington. 130

part of his son that his rage left him, and he felt ©
more proud than he had been of his boy.”
George, from the time he was quite asmall lad, kept

a book in
which he
wrote down
allthethings
that took
place in-his
life. When
George was
scarce aman
in years he
took charge
of some
troops sent
out to save
his State
from the
bands of
fierce In-
cians and
the hosts of

| ) ma:

I il |

iis

ili i Ls
ee ot : ee
an




























Mi a H}, | t =
1a Mili, | ~S
Cae ia Wil 1 r | / SUS
= eel W <7. Di
= 2 CE 1g iw -

= ee —_ Ay Wea
SSS ——K—_—_ ——— a
SSS = ST CFE Bie)

WASH-ING-TON AND HIS MOTH-ER.

French who sought to steal moreland. One fourth
of all the State troops were put in his charge, and
for his work in this line he got a small pay that in
our day would scarce be thought what a strong man



14 Lives of the Presidents.

could live on. He did a good deal of hard work to
train his men in the right way for the fight. He
had just got his men so that they could well cope
with the foe, when word came from the head of the
State that bade him start on a new task. It had
been heard that the French and In-dians had gone
to work to build forts in a long line on the O-hi-o.
To find out if this was so, Wash- ing-ton was sent
to the front with a note to the chief man of
the French troops. Thoughit was cold and bleak,
young Wash-ing-ton did not shrink at the task set
for him. He well knew at the time that most of
his way would lead through dark woods by bad
roads for miles and miles, but he did not flinch.
Wash-ing-ton had four men with him when he
made the start—a, guide to show him the way and
one who knew how to speak French, with two men
to guard their goods and to do all the odd kinds of
work there might be on hand. A hard time they
had of it at first, as their way led through swamp
and mire. At last they found the fort of which
they were in search. Here Wash-ing-ton had a
long talk with the chief of the French troops, who
was a man who had been long in wars. ‘Though
kind, he was very firm when his rights were at
stake. George did not gain much by this trip, as
he was told that the French had all the land round



George Washington. 15

neath their thumbs. They had sent out word to
seize all men found at large who did not prove they
were friends. When Wash-ing-ton got the note he
was to take back, he made his way, with his men,
home once more. It
was more cold than
when they had made
their start, for the
snow and ice lay thick
on field and stream, |
and it was hard to get |
through it all. At one
time they had to ford |
a stream by means of
a raft, and Wash-ing- |
ton made a slip from
the damp logs. If he Ff
had not been caught
by one of his men
he might have lost
his life.

The way in which
Wash-ing-ton had
done his task won him much praise, and the head
of his State went so far as to make a note of his act
to the King of En-gland. He was at once made a

5
a Col-o-nel, and two bands of troops were put in his





16 Lives of the Presidents.

charge to stop the French who sought to seize more
land. As George Wash-ing-ton had no gold with
which to pay his men, and as the State did not try
to help him, it was not strange that in his first fight
he did not win the day, though he strove hard and
well to turn the tide. The head of the French
troops praised George and his men for the brave
way in which they had fought, and his own State
at once sent him some gold to pay his troops. It
was not long from this time that George took charge
of a part of the troops. of Gen-er-al Brad-dock. This
was thought at the time to be quite a high post, so
you may be sure he was not long in doubt if he
should take it. | ;

It was in the month of June, 1755, that the
troops made their way to Fort Du-quesne, where
they were to stay. They had scarce been on the
road a day ere Wash-ing-ton fell sick ; but he kept
up like a brave man, and in spite of his friends
would march at the head of his men.

Wash-ing-ton knew so well the tricks of the
shrewd foe they had to deal with, that he wished
Brad-dock to let him take the lead with those men
who knew the In-dians’ ways best; but he would
not. Brad-dock had cause soon to know his course
had been wrong, for the woods were thick with
In-dians, who rent the air with their shrieks and



\ ie
George Washington. 17

war-whoops. . From rocks and trees they sprang on
the troops like wild beasts. Wash-ing-ton had his
horse shot and Brad-dock got such a wound that
there was no hope for his life. They had to flee
from the foe and he died on the way. His last
words were to Wash-ing-ton: “Oh! if I had but
done as you said, all might have been well—or at
least our loss would not have been so great.” He
left Wash-ing-ton a horse that had been with him
through the wars and an old slave whom he had
brought up to serve him.

When the news of this fight was brought to Gov-
ern-or Din-wid-die, there was great fear of the
In-dians now that they had shown how strong they
were. They knew, too, that if it had not been for
Wash-ing-ton, their hopes would all be lost.‘ Brad-
dock lost the fight,” they said, “but Wash-ing-ton
was the one who saved the troops.”

When the heads of the State met they made a
vote to give Wash-ing-ton a large sum, to pay, if
they could, for all he had done for them; and they
made him the chief of all the troops in the col-o-nies.
His first step was to place his men so that they
could stop the In-dians when they tried to rob and
burn the homes of the land. He did this so well
that he got much praise for his work. To aid him
in this task he made all his men dress in the same

|

|



18 Lives of the Presitents.

garb as the In-dians. This
was 1 great help to them,
as it was light and cheap.
On the 17th of Jan-u-a-ry,
1759, Wash-ing-ton was
wed to Mrs. Mar-tha Cus-
tis, who was as good as she
was fair. He spent three
months with his wife at
their home, which was
known as “The White
House,’ in New Kent,
and at the close of that

/ . year they kept house at

Sa fel Feet 2 fare Mount Ver-non, his old
place. While here, Wash-ing-ton gave much time
to the care of his farm, but he still held in view the
state of things in our
land, and did not |
lose sight of the great _
moves of the day in }
the cares of home
life.

At this time men
felt that the rule of
En-gland was a hard
yoke to bear, as the





MOUNT VER-NON.



George Washingtox. 19

tax on goods made here was quite high. Lord
North sougnt to make this tax more than it had
been, with not so much as a wo. to our folk till it
was done. It was not strange, then, that all who
were free born should feel that this was a great
wrong that was thrust on them, and that they



BOS-TON TEA PAR-TY.

would not stand it. They did not mind as long as
En-gland was just in her rule, but they did not like
to have the King treat them as slaves.

.So they got in-to a rage with the sense of their
wrongs, and said they would have their rights, which
was but just.. They tore down the homes of those
in their midst who were on the side of the Brit-ish,



20 Lives of the Presidents.

and sought to kill those who would force on them
the “Stamp Act,” the tax they had cause to hate.

‘The mob was full of rage, and there was great
fear that a war would take place if En-gland did
not at once put a stop to the Stamp Act. They
still kept up the tax of three pence a pound on
































































































































































































































































































~ \\
ASS v = SS <
LN NEL WN
BN ; SEA SS 7
PSSST
pag ee
AWG pe

“ro arMS! TO ARMS!”

tea, and sent three ships here full; but our men
one night broke the chests and threw it all in the
sea. :
From that time signs of war were seen, and the
first fight took place at Lex-ing-ton, on the Lord’s
Day, be-tween Brit-ish and A-mer-i-can troops ; and



George Washington. 21

then the cry went out through the length and
breadth of our land: “To arms! To arms!”

In view of this fear of a great war that might soon
come, men met at Phil-a-del-phi-a on May 10, 1775,
and Wash-ing-tonwas made chief of all our troops.
He took full charge of them in the latter part of
June in the same year, near Bos-ton.

The Brit-ish had thrown up earth-works on the
hills on all sides, so that help would be cut off from
the town, and the plight of those who had to bear
this siege was in truth a sad one.

/As soon as Wash-ing-ton could train his raw
troops he made out to get rid of the foe, and one
morn the Brit-ish got quite a shock when they saw
that a new line of earth-works had been thrown up
by him and his men in the night, and that he was in
the best place, too. This they saw with fear, and
sent troops by night to drive off our men; but a
storm was in their way, so they could not do much
harm. When the Brit-ish saw that they could not
force our men to go, they thought it best to leave
Bos-ton with their ships, which was done.

When our troops went in the town they found
its streets strewn with things the Brit-ish had left
in their haste. ~All the great guns had spikes in
them so that they were of no use. But Wash-ing-
ton was glad to think he had won the day, and



22 Lives of the Presvdents.

much praise was his for the part he had in the
work. He had a fear that the Brit-ish troops might
be on their way to New York, so he sent part of
his men to aid those
there in case they
should have to fight
for their homes. But
in-stead of that the Brit-
ish ships made sail for
Hal-i-fax, from whence
their troops took all the
line of forts in Can-
a-da and made theland
theirs.

It was at this time
that Rich-ard Hen-ry
Lee, of Vir-gin-i-a,
made a move in Con-
gress that our land
should rise up and say
it would be free from
WASH-ING-TON READ-ING THE DEC-LA-RA-TION Brit-ish tule ; and for

OF IN-DE-PEND-ENCE TO THE AR-MY. this was drawn up the
Dec-la-ra-tion of In-de-pend-ence, and the chief men
of the day put their names to it, and Con-gress, on
the Fourth of Ju-ly, 1776, put it in force.

When Wash-ing-ton got this he read it in a loud





George Washington. 23

voice to all his troops, and its strong words did
much to raise their hopes. For some time they
had feared that they could not stand or gain their
rights with such a foe as En-gland, but they took
heart from this time.

Lord Howe, the En-glish gov-ern-or, tried to get
Wash-ing-ton to draw off his men, and sent to him
word that if he would stop the war the King would
not be hard on him for the part he took in it. But
Wash-ing-ton said, “No; I fight for a just cause,
and I will not give it up.”

The Brit-ish then went in for war and had all their
troops land at Long Isl-and. They had three times
more men than Wash-ing-ton and a host of large
guns, while he had few. Wash-ing-ton stood on a
hill near by and through his field-glass saw them
land. He felt great fear in his heart as he made a
count of the hordes of the foe. He cried out, as he
thought of his own troops, ‘‘ My God! What brave
men must I this day lose!” ,

From that time it would seem that all went
wrong for him. Our ranks were mown down and
great loss of life took place as they sought to flee
from the foe.

It was not long from this time that the dread
news came to Wash-ing-ton that Gen-er-al Lee,
_ who had been sent with a body of troops to guard



24 Lives of the Presidents.

Phil-a-del-phi-a was in the hands of the foe. ‘This
was the dark hour of the fight, and Wash-ing-ton’s
brave heart was sick with fear. He still tried to
show a brave front, and did not let his men know
‘how sad was his heart.

_ The Brit-ish now took up their stand at Tren-ton,



WASH-ING-TON CROSS-ING THE DEL-A-WARE,

and Wash-ing-ton, who by this time had got more
troops to his aid, thought he would cross the Del-
a-ware, though it was full of ice, and come on them
when they did not know it.

At four, on the dawn of Christ-mas day, he and
his troops made their way through the ice in the
stream in boats. The cold was great and the men
in their poor clothes felt it a great deal, but still



George Washington. 25

they would not back out, and kept on their way
with brave hearts.

That day our troops put the foe to rout and took
a great deal of spoils in the way of arms and large
guns, for which they stood in great need. Great
was the joy through the land when this news was. °
known. , ai

When the new year came fresh hope sprang up’
in all hearts, for Wash-ing-ton won the fights at
Ben-ning-ton, Still-wa-ter, and Sar-a-to-ga, and in
Oc-to-ber of 1777 all the Brit-ish troops in charge
of Gen-er-al Bur-goyne gave up their arms to Gen-
-er-al Gates. He let them go home when he had _
their pledge that they would not. take up arms in
our war in the years to come. |

That year, when the cold set in, Wash-ing-ton
made a camp with his men in Val-ley Forge, and a
hard time they had of it there. Food was scarce,
and not a man in all his ranks had a good pair of’
shoes on his feet or a whole suit of clothes too his
back. Some had no shoes at all, and when they
went round their feet left stains of blood on the
snow. Yet they all kept their hopes up and still
had faith in Wash-ing-ton. In the spring the camp
in this drear place broke up, and all were glad to
leave it.

Our troops met the foe once more at Mon-mouth



26 Lives of the Presidents.

Court House, and through the fault of Gen-er-al
Lee, who had not done as Wash-ing-ton bade him,
we lost the bat-tle.

In this fight the Mar-quis de La-fay-ette, a young
man from France who had come to our land to fight















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































WASH-ING-TON AT WEST POINT (NEW YoRK)

for our cause, which he knew to be just, got much
praise for the brave stand he made.

In the spring of 1779 Sir Hen-ry Clin-ton, now
the head of the Brit-ish troops, tried to get in his
hands the posts and forts on the line of the



George Washington. 27

Hud-son. He made out to take two when Wash-
ing-ton came up in time to cut him off from the rest.
One of these forts, which was known as Ston-y
Point, was won at the end of along fight. Stores
that were worth a small mint of gold fell into our
hands.

Ben-e-dict Ar-nold
had been put in charge
of the fort at West Point
and some posts on the
line that the Brit-ish
wished to get. He made
up his mind to give them
up to the foe at a price.

With this thought in
view, he soon made a ;
deal with the chief ofthe “7g yg
foe to give up the posts z
and forts for a large sum
of gold. The note to Cb erotel og)
Clin-ton in which he
made his wish known was sent by a young spy,
Ma-jor An-dré, of the Brit-ish troops. On the
way back to his fort An-dré met three men in
the dress of our troops and was made to halt. They
found the lines from Ar-nold in his boots, and
brought him to the camp of our troops. He was





28 Lives of the Presidents.

tried and hung as a spy. Wash-ing-ton felt sad





that he must cut this young man
off in the prime of his life. Yet
he knew he must do it or our ranks
would soon be run down by such
men. But Ben-e-dict Ar-nold had
<@eoi(
major an-pré. haste to a ship and set sail for
En-gland, for he was in fear of his life. His name
is one that all hear with scorn, as a wretch who





George Washington. = 929

would have sold his land into the nands of the
foe. The land to which he fled gave him a
home, but no friends. Let us not speak of him
in the same breath as those brave men who
fought and bled that we might live in the land
of the free.

With the help of the troops of brave French who
had been sent to us through La-fay-ette, Oc-to-ber
19th, 1781, the Brit-ish troops, in charge of Corn-
wal-lis, gave up their arms.to Wash-ing-ton at York-
town. ‘This was a great stroke of luck that no one
could have thought would take place.

It was not long from this time that news was brought
to Wash-ing-ton that it was the wish of our folk
that he should take on him the name and crown
of a King. This might well tempt one fond of
pomp and state, but Wash-ing-ton was not that
kindof aman. He spoke his mind in such strong
words that they did not press a crown on him.

In March of 1783 came the news of peace
through the land, which Wash-ing-ton read with joy
to his troops. Yet he shed tears at the thought
that they must soon leave him. |

Not long from that time Wash-ing-ton gave up
the charge of his troops and said good-by to those
who were his aids inthe war. “I may not come to
each of you and take my leave,” he said with tears



30 Lives of the Presidents.

in his eyes, “but I shall be glad if you each will
come to me-and let me grasp you by the hand.”

Wash-ing-ton now had a wish to go back to his
home at Mount Ver-non, where he could rest from
the toils and cares of
war. He knew that
there was no fear of
the Brit-ish, and that
our land, for the time
=o 2 am fe | at least, was in peace.
2 At Mount Ver-non
=o oli he gave his time up,
: for the most part, to
the care of his farm.
He rose at the break
= of day, as a rule,
and rode through the
iw fields. He wrote a
# creat deal each day
Re to his friends, and
us ae did much hard work |
| “Son his place, which
TOMB OF WASH-ING-TON’S MOTH-ER, he did not find was
in so good a state since the war.

When our men met in Phil-a-del-phi-a in May,
1787, to fix on the laws of the land, Wash-ing-ton
met with them; and the laws then fixed on and put




Tineke Na Saat wee
N



TIM

aM









a!

George Washington. 31

in force are much the same as those we use to-day.
Then Wash-ing-ton was at once thought of as the
right man for Pres-i-dent. You know the way we
choose a Pres-i-dent in this land is by votes. All
men do not think the same way or hold the same
views, so there have been at all times two or more
bands of men who chose whom they would have
for Pres-i-dent
and Vice-Pres- } —=====3s
ident. Thelk
side that gets
the most votes
wins the day, of
course. In our
day these two
bands of men
are known as
Dem-o-crats
and Re-pub-li-
cans. In years
past the last were known by the name of Whigs at
one time. Wash-ing-ton did not wish, at his age
(near three-score), to take a place of such great care
and trust, but he was led to do so at last. On his
way to take this high place he was hailed with joy
by all. The bells rang out glad peals from the
church spires of the towns through which he passed,





WASH-ING-TON’S JOUR-NEY



39 Lives of the Presidents.

and young girls clad in white strewed his path with
sweet buds and bloom, and wreaths were hung and
flags flung out to the breeze, and the cries of crowds
rent the air.

While Pres-i-dent
Wash-ing-ton lived in
a plain way (for pomp
| and show were not to
his taste), he was
prompt in his ways,

‘| and did all things by
mA tule. He was kind to
those who served him,
but strict, and would
not let them slight
their work. When
one of his clerks who
came late each day
gave aS a cause more
than once that his
watch was slow, he
said to him: ‘ Well,

IN-STALL-A-TION OF WASH-ING-TON, you must get a new
watch, or I must get a new clerk.”

The In-dians once more stirred up war and Wash-
ing-ton sent out a small force to bring them to terms.
He served two terms, but would not take a third.





George Washington. 33

Wash-ing-ton spent the last years of his life in
peace at home. A-mer-i-ca could ask no more
from his hands— his
work was done. His
arm had been the one
to save her in the dark
hours that came -ere the
dawn that made us free,
and now he must have
rest. On the 12th day
of De-cem-ber, 1799, he
went out to take a ride.
At noon the snow fell
and the rain, but he
went his rounds just the
same, in spite of it. He
had felt ere he went on
this ride that his throat
was sore, and no doubt
he caught more cold as
he made his rounds
through the storm. He
had to take to his bed, ;
and it was with great corns.
pain that he could breathe. All known cures
were tried, but in vain. The end was near. At
ten in the night they gave up all hope, and his





34 | Lives of the Presidents.

wife was brought to the couch where the brave
man lay in pain. He tried to speak once or twice,
but did not have
the strength. At
length he said, in
a low voice that
| was full of hope
.for the life to
come, “’Tis well,
tis well!” These
were his last
words. What a
ee = wail went up from
WASH-ING-TON’S MON-U-MENT IN NEW YORK. far and near when
the sad news was known. More than one strong
man cried like a child. The Old World and the
New heard of his death with grief. They felt that
a great man was lost to the world when that brave
heart had ceased to beat. Huis name is held dear
to this day in the hearts of all who live in the land
he loved. His birth-day has been kept each year
since he died, and throngs have gone to look at his
tomb at Mount Ver-non, and felt it to be a boon
to stand by the spot where the great man lies.
As we have said, Wash-ing-ton did not think it
wise to serve for a third term. There is no doubt
that this course led Jef-fer-son and the rest who





























George Washington. 35

came af-ter him, to feel that it was best to walk in
his steps and serve but for eight years. So that
now we have grown to look on two terms as all that
a Pres-i-dent should hope for at the hands of his
friends.

When Gen-er-al Grant, at the close of the war in
which he had won so much fame, was placed at the
head of the land, he served two terms. “There was
some talk of a third. His friends felt that they
could not do too much to show their love and pride
in the man who had led our troops so well and put
an end to the sad war. But there was a cry raised
by the press that though it was not down in the law
of the land, yet it was a fixed fact that no one had
ruled for more than eight years, and no one should
hope to do so. So the friends of Grant feared to
bring his name out, though they were in such force
they might have won the day. There were some
well known names kept back till it was seen that
Grant would not be named. Gar-field’s was one,
and it was at last voted on and won the first place.



CHAPTER II.
JOHN ADAMS.
1797 to I8ol.

Joun Ap-ams, our next Pres-i-dent, was born
on a farm in Brain-tree, Mas-sa-chu-setts, near
Bos-ton, in 1735, and. was the son of one who
tilled the ground for his bread. The first thing
John was taught was how to care for the fields
and feed and take charge of the beasts on the
farm.

In the cold months of the year, he was sent to
the old school-house near by, to learn to read and
write. From the start he showed signs that
there was in him what goes to make up a great
man.

He went through MHar-vard Col-lege, and
worked for what he lived on, as he read law for two
years or more at a school near Wor-ces-ter. The
pay was poor and not what a young man could live
on in our times, but he was glad to get it, as it
helped him to reach his aim in life. 7

It had been his first wish to learn how to







38 | Lives of the Presidents.

preach the Word of God, but he found he could

not put his heart in the creed that was then in use.
He went into the Bar in 1758, but still lived
at home on the farm at Brain-tree. He is said to









HAR-VARD COL-LEGE, AT CAM-BRIDGE, MASS-A-CHU-SETTS

have been a man of great mind and _ bright
thoughts; to have had a clear voice, sweet and
strong, and his speech was full of grace.

He showed then that he was to be a man who



John Adams. 39

could lead and rule, and his words were sure to
move all who heard him speak.

When the “Stamp Act” passed in 1764, he took
his first real turn at the laws of the land, and when
a mass of folks from his town met to talk of this Act,























THE STAMP ACT.

he made a speech, and sent to those at the head
of his State his views on it. He first put his
thoughts into print a year from that time, when he
brought out a work on law that gained him much
_ praise, if not gold. .

The same year the men in Bos-ton bade him,



s

40 Lives of the Presidents.

with the help of two more friends, to get up a plea
to the head of the State, in which they asked that
the courts of the law, which had been closed, should
be once more made free to all.

In three years he moved from his old home to
Bos-ton, where he soon gained a large sum by his

/ work in law, which grew each
year that he was there.

He was soon known as one
of the most famed in law of
his time and his help was
asked for when a grave case
. came up in the courts.

When the Brit-ish fired on
the mob at Bos-ton in 1770,
- he took his stand and put the
‘case in a fair way, that the
folks in their blind rage could
LIB-ER-TY TREE (BOS-TON COM- not judge with cool minds,

MON). From that time he was the
one to whom all the heads of our land looked for
aid in the dark days of the war. He showed them
on all law points just what it was safe to do and
how to put the law in force.

Mr. Ad-ams was one of the five men sent from
his State to the. first Con-gress. He plunged

at once in the black stream of the Rev-o-lu-tion.





John Adams. 41

He had no fears for his own life, and was filled
with a wish to aid his land in her hour of war.

To his friend he said at this time, ‘‘ The die
is now cast. I have passed the point from which I
may not turn
back. Sink or
swim, live or
die, I care not.
It is still my
wish to go
straight on to
the goal of my
hopes.”

In Con-gress 3
he held full
sway, and at his
rule no one
dared to raise a
voice. They
knew too well *
the man with “==
whom they had IN-DE-PEND-ENCE HALL IN PHIL-A-DEL-PHIA, WHERE TH
to deal, and that FIRST CON-GRESS WAS HELD.
they were not so strong as he in mind and thought,
so they gave way to him. —

It was not long ere he was raised to the head of
that great band of great men, and we are told he





42 Lives of the Presidents.

proved just as wise and shrewd a man as his friends
had hoped.

He wrote much for the press in these two years.
His works were for the most part on the rights of
our land. He was the first man in Con-gress to
ask that George Wash-ing-ton be placed at the head



IN-TE-RI-OR OF IN-DE-PEND-ENCE HALL IN 1876.

of our troops. He served for still a year more in
Con-gress, and had a bill passed which gave the
States self rule, and was one of the first to help get
up the Dec-la-ration of In-de-pend-ence, and to
sign it. It was his help more than that of those
who worked with him that passed it, for there were



Sohn Adams. 43

some men who tried to balk him in it and have the
scheme thrown out. Jef-fer-son gave him all the
praise for it, and said that had it not been for him
the Dec-la-ra-tion would not have been signed.
Two years from this time he was one to form a

Iudisgd lash a theecded port against France ond Grek
Aritain fie i thoreus & dg spans bead avilhs Hotty Shs Jonerance, fhe
Cowan dle, Jreacheny of ker Conduck Of the Wer against Gthada,
This Indepnation Wor muck Unereesed by her duzracting 7 rtakomond-
of. our Tropes through, tie whole Har.

Iu (166 and L7G) upon lhe frst Afar ance of fhe Detdgn
of Great Prtkaun ts clefrr ter Us of tur Lear, ty Cs nting Ye
Souvwragn Mhority fOarhivrent Over la, Flock a dicted Sart
against her, cmd have hersevered for Tfy fear Years wn pias org
and Pesestemy bi dernoat of my power wong SnLanee of far Ingicatics,
Ond axbetrary Cater Towards tts, Jam hv wah much Fa speck

your humble Sexognk

Soha Adams
new set of laws for his own State of Mas-sa-chu-
setts. He was sent to France to get up a law that
would leave their ports and those of En-gland free
for our goods. He had the luck to have his bill
signed, though he had to work hard for it, and then
came home, where he was met with joy by the



44 Lives of the Presidents.

friends who had hoped long for the news he
brought them. .

When Wash-ing-ton was made Pres-i-dent,
Ad-ams was picked out as the best man in all the
land as his chief aid in the rule of the States,
and when Wash-ing-ton gained the chair for the
next term of four years, Ad-ams took the same
place once more. |

In 1796 Mr. Ad-ams was made Pres-i-dent, as he
got the most votes that were cast. Jef-fer-son was
the one who ran with him for the place and lost it
by but three votes. He was then made Vice-Pres-
ident. Ad-ams kept all the aids that Wash-ing-
ton had and made no change, though some of
‘these did not suit his mind. It was not till three
years from that time that he took John Mar-shall
on his staff to look to the laws of the States.

When Ad-ams ran once more for the Pres-i-
~ den-cy he lost it by eight votes, and Thom-as Jef-
fer-son took the chair to rule forfour years. From
the time that Ad-ams left his place as head of our
land it seemed as if all his old friends turned from
him, and that foes new and old seemed to spring up
for him onall sides. The law that he had passed to
seize and keep out of our States all who came here
from strange lands made him foes. Those who
had once been. stirred by the sound of his voice



John Adams. 45

turned from him. His name had no weight in the
land. It could not move the minds of the crowd
who once had been proud of him.

At his home he wrote a book of his life, but he
did not live to write the last of it. His death was
at Quin-cy, Mas-sa-chu-setts, on the 4th of July,
1826, which, strange to say, was the same day that
Jef-fer-son went to meet his God.

Ere Ad-ams died he had the good luck to see
his son take his place as the head of the land in the
chair he had once held.















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































WHITE HOUSE, WASH-ING-TON.



CHAPTER III.
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
1801 to 1809.

Tuom-as JEF-FER-son, who was our third. Pres-i-
dent, was born at Shad-well, Vir-gin-1-a, in 1743.
Though said to have had, as a boy, no grace of face
or form, he still gave hopes that at some time /he
would be a great man, for he was quite apt to learn.
At nine he was quite well read, and knew some
Greek. Eight years from that time he went in-to a
high class at William and Ma-ry Col-lege.

Here he spent most of his time in hard work, and
would read up in his books for the whole day and
at times far in the small hours of the night. He
soon knew the speech of all lands of his day, and
got much praise from those who taught him.

While at this school he was a friend to Pat-rick
Hen-ry, who was known in time as one who could
sway the hearts of men with his words. He spoke
in a grand way when our first war broke out and
did much to stir up all that was brave in our land.

In time, Jef-fer-son had a five years’ course at law,







48 Lives of the Presidents.

and was one of the Bar. He soon let all know of
what good stuff he was made. His fees were large,
and in a year he made friends right and left. In
1760 he heard Pat-rick Hen-ry’s great speech on
the “Stamp Act.” Two years from that time he
took his seat in Con-gress, and step by step
he rose to be a great man in the land. He had
so fine a mind that he soon took the lead of all
in that great band. He swayed the minds of
all in the most grave things that came up,
and showed that he was wise. It was he who
- helped draw up the Dec-la-ra-tion of In-de-pend-
ence that made us free. It was the fruit of his
great mind and thought, and his name would live
for that if he had not done a thing more for ou:
land. Some months from the time he made the
draft of this great scroll, he left Con-gress to take a
part in the acts of his own State, and for two years
and a half he gave up his time to fix on a safe plan
her laws and rules, so that they would be more just
and kind to all men.

When the men of his State saw what he had
done to help them, they made him, in 1779, the

Gov-ern-or of Vir-gin-i-a. He came to the chair @

next to his old friend, Pat-rick Hen-ry, and he held
it through those dark days of the war when all
hearts were full of pain and fear. He did much to*



Loy Zujpehinee
ee





50 Lives of the Presidents.

raise the hopes of all and was a kind and just man
to those who sought his help in the hour of need.

You may well think that in this “time that tried
men’s souls” he had his hands full of work. To
watch those of his own State who had gone to
the war, to care for those at home, and to keep
the In-dians back when they sought to prey on
those who had to live on the edge of the State.
All this he had to do, and more. Yet in all that
he tried he won in the end. He stopped the raids
of his foes, and saw that no one who was born in
the State should come to want through the war.

Jef-fer-son was Pres-i-dent eight years, and would
not take a new term as the head of his State, though
it was the wish of all that he should. He gave
as his views that they were in need of a man just
at that time who had more skill in the art of war
than he, one who knew more how to guard their
lands when dark days should come. Two days
from the time that he left his seat his home and
farm were laid waste by the foe, and he and his wife
had scarce time to flee to a safe place.

For twelve days the State had no head, and the
men that had met with the view to name one who
should take Jef-fer-son’s place had to fly from the
foe that came in a swarm from west and north.

Some years la-ter Jef-fer-son was twice sent to



Lives of the Preszdents. 51

France to try and make terms of peace for our land
and En-gland, and at last got them to pass a bill
in which they said they would look on our land as
ites. ce

This was a great thing for us to gain, and Jef-fer-
son had much praise for what he had done to bring

it round. In Con-gress
that year he brought a bill
which was put in force.
This gave us a coin of our:
own make in place of that
made by the En-glish, which
had till then been in use.

Jef-fer-son had been
one of Wash-ing-ton’s aids
*-vhen he was made Pres-1-
dent, and had charge of
the States. He had not
been long in this place
ere Ham-il-ton, whose work
was to take care how the
coin was made for the land,
got in a broil of words with Jef-fer-son. This in
time grew to be a strong feud ’twixt the two men.
From what we can learn it was not the fault of Jef-
fer-son, for he was a man known to be sweet and
kind to his friends. It all came from the fact that





52 Thomas Jefferson.

he did not hold the same views as Ham-il-ton on
some points in the State laws. Ham-il-ton thought
all was done to spite him.

Time went on, and, slow but sure, the breach
grew wide ‘twixt these men, who should have been
_ friends. Then folks took sides with the two men,
and they were known. as Re-pub-li-cans and Fed-
e-ral-ists. These two bands live to this day, with
much the same names. Re-pub-li-cans then are
Dem-o-crats now, and the then Fed-e-ral-ists are
the Re-pub-li-cans now. .

When En-gland had a war with France, Jef-fer-
son wished to lend aid to the French, but Ham-
il-ton thought it best for our land not to take sides,
so there were some storms of words from both.
There were two news sheets put in print each day,
one on the side of Ham-il-ton, and one for Jef-fer-son.

Lou-is-l-an-a was bought in the time of Jef-fer-
son, and our fleets won the day in the sea of the Med-
i-ter-ra-ne-an. Peace was made with Mo-roc-co and
Trip-o-li, and they were forced from that time to
treat all men from this land in the right way, and
not seize them and their goods as they had done.

Jef-fer-son was Pres-i-dent for eight years—that is,
two terms. When votes were cast for him, Aar-on
Burr and he had the same sum of votes, so Burr
was made Vice Pres-i-dent. Aar-on Burr was a



Lives of the Prescdents. 53

man of great gifts and a fine mind, but he had weak
points that led him wrong. He fought and killed
Ham-il-ton in July, 1804. This act ‘stirred up the
rage of the folk so ae he had to fly from their wrath.

He took up a wild scheme to make a grand stir in!
the world. His plan was to found a sort of throne in
Mex-i-co, where he should
rule with more pomp
and state thanaking. To
help this plan he made
friends of a rich man
named Blen-ner-has-set
and his wife, and they
gave him a great part of
their wealth to aid his
wild dream. He meant,
it was said, to bring
\ States south and west in
to his realm. For this
they took him and tried
him at Rich-mond in
1807, but did not prove
the charge and let him go. He went to Lon-don
and lived there as a poor man for a time; then he
came back to New York and took up the law once
more, but his day was done, and he died a poor
man.





54 Thomas Jefferson.

Jef-fer-son held to State Rights with all his
might, but in the late years of his life he said that
there were times when the Gov-ern-ment “should
show its teeth.” One thing took place while Jef-
fer-son held the chair of state, and. that was when
the first steam-boat was made, by Rob-ert Ful-ton.
We had had all kinds of ships, but none that went
by steam, and all were glad that a means had been
found to use that great force.

The first boat built to go by this
means did not look at all like those
we have in use on the streams and
lakes of our times. It could not
go near so fast—not more than five
miles per hour when at its best
speed. Ful-ton did not find his
task a light one to prove that steam |
was the best thing with which — ®0 #8? Fuz-tow.
to move a boat. The folks had a mind to scoff
and jeer at his plans, and it was not till his boat,
the Cler-mont, was tried, that they felt what a great
work he had done. The trip of the Cler-mont up
the Hud-son made a good deal of stir, as it
passed in a cloud of smoke and sparks up the
stream. Men were scared when they first saw
it pass, but they soon learned the good work that
steam might do.





Lives of the Presidents. 55

When Jef-fer-son was at the head of his State he
sought to do three things: first, to put an end to
the slave trade; next, to have lands left to all the heirs
of a house, and not to the first-born son; and third,
to let all men have a right to serve God in their
own way. In the great school that he built he















































































FUL-TON’S CLER-MONT ween
thought it best to ¢vus¢ the young men and not to
spy on them. He did not hold strict views of faith,
and was a man of free thought, though he had trust
in Christ. He was for free trade to the end of his
life. He held that a man that could not read or
write should not have a vote, as he thought the land
should be ruled by wise men. Books were at all



56 Thomas Jefferson.

times his friends, and he was fond of Greek verse.
In his home he was loved by young and old. He
had a warm heart and a cool head. He was so
poor at one time that he had to sell his books.
Con-gress bought them and took them to Wash-
ing-ton. There were such loads of them that it.
took days to take them to their new home.

Jef-fer-son was a man of plain tastes and wore
' plain clothes. He did not care for pomp and state,
and had no taste for names of rank. He was kind
to all who came to speak with him. He held that
it was wrong to keep slaves. In his home at Mon-
ti-cel-lo, to which he went when he left the White
House, he kept a free house where he was glad to
meet all his friends and give them the best he had.
His wife had brought him much wealth in land and
slaves, but he died poor, for he dealt it all out with
a free hand. When he was four-score years old he
was still strong and could ride on a horse ten miles
a day. The time drew near for his strength to fail,
but his mind was clear. He grew more weak, and
said, as he lay on his bed, that the scenes of the
Rev-o-lu-tion came to him from time to time. He
said he felt no fear of the end. “Iam like an old
watch,” he said, ‘‘a spring is worn out here—a wheel
there, and it can not go long.” |

“This is the 4th?” he said to.a friend who sat by



Lives of the Presidents. 37

his bed. The friend bent his head. “Ah!” said
Jeffer-son, and a glad look came to his face.

He died on the 4th of Ju-ly, 1826, and on that
same day one more great man passed from this life
in the State of Mas-sa-chu-setts. This was John
Ad-ams, whose son was Pres-i-dent.

A rough sketch was
left by Jef-fer-son of a
stone to mark his grave.
He wished men to
know that he had
formed the Dec-la-ra-
tion of In-de-pend-ence.
He was the one who
built the U-ni-ver-si-ty
of Vir-gin-i-a, a great
school for young men,
which stands to this
day. He was so poor
e when he died that all
STAT-UE OF Cree IN FRONT OF THE his lands were sold in a

WHITE HOUSE, WASH-ING-TON. short time, and the
ground where he was laid went with the rest. Next
to Wash-ing-ton, he is said to have been the best
chief of a free land that the world has known.





CHAPTER IV.
JAMES MADISON.
1809 to 1817.

James Map-1-son had more votes than €. C.
_ Pinck-ney,and so he was our fourth Pres-i-dent. He’
was born in Vir-gin-1-a in 1751. While he was yet
a boy in years he went: to school at Prince-ton Col-
lege, New Jer-sey, which stands to this day. When
he left school he took up the law, and in five years
was made one of the first in his State. He lost
his place on the next vote, for he would not buy up
those who could place him in the chair. Two years
from that time he was sent to Wash-ing-ton, and
soon took a lead in the laws of our land, and grew
to be one of the great men of his day, feared by his
foes and loved by all who had the good of the
States at heart.

He, too, made one of that brave band of men
who met to make up the “ Dec-la-ra-tion of In-de-
pend-ence,” and did much to bring it out. His
voice and pen gave their aid to put it through, and
much praise is due him for his work in this cause.

He was the right hand man of Pres-i-dent Jef-



*





60 Lives of the Presidents.

fer-son, who made him Sec-re-ta-ry of State, and he
served in this place for a term of eight years, and
all said that he did well while there.

In 1809 he was made Pres-i-dent, and soon from
the time he went in he made a tour of all the posts
from east’ to west and south and north, to see if
they were strong in case there should be a new war
in the land.

When he came in he found that our land was not
pleased with En-gland. The cause of this was that
En-gland would stop our ships on the sea and search
them, which they thought was not just. So at last
war once more broke out, and at first all went wrong
with us. The red men took sides with the foe, and
a great chief of theirs of the name of Te-cum-seh
tried to form a plan to join all the In-dians in a war
on the whites. He was a brave man and fought
hard in the fight, but at last he fell, and with him
his cause.

Though we did not win much on the land, we
had good luck in all our fights on the sea. It was
in one of these fights that the words “ Don't give
up the ship” were first heard, from the lips of one
soe got his death wound on the deck of his
ship.

In one of the great sea fights we had nine ships
on our side, and there were six on that of the foe.



James Madzson. 61

We fought so well that it was not long ere the Brit-
ish lost all their ships. When it was a sure thing
that we had won, Per-ry, who led our ships, wrote
home, ‘‘ We have met the foe and they are ours.”
There was war now for three years, and in the
last year of it the Brit-ish took some of our towns
on the south coast and marched to Wash-ing-ton.
Mad-i-son and his aids had been on the field
of war all day,
and when they
saw there was
no chance for
them, they rode |
back to Wash-
ing-ton to save
all they could.
Mrs. Mad-1-
son had a cart 2
load of things FLIGHT FROM WASH-ING-TON.
packed up to go off with when she thought of the
great por-trait of Wash-ing-ton which hung on one
of the walls of the Pres-i-dent’s room. The frame
was too large to take down, so the shrewd la-dy cut
the can-vas from its frame and took it with her in
safe-ty. The En-glish troops came in and set fire to
the Pres-i-dent’s house and the State House, and in
fact to all the town.





62 Lives of the Presidents.

They next went to Bal-ti-more to take that city,
but were forced to leave with great loss. Fort Mc-
Hen-ry guards the cit-y. Fran-cis Scott Key had
gone on board one of the ships with a flag of truce
to see if the En-glish would let off some men tak-en
at Wash-ing-ton. He was kept on the En-glish ship
while the fight went on. When it stopped at night
Key had to wait till dawn to see if the flag was still
‘on the fort. On the deck of that ship, where he



























































































































































































































































































































































FORT MC-HEN-RY.

passed the night with no thought of sleep, he made
up the song of “The Star Span-gled Ban-ner,” since
one of our great songs, and which should be known
by all the boys and girls in the land.

‘Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Oh, say, does the star spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?”

They tried to make a raid on New Or-leans, but
Gen-er-al Jack-son, who had charge of the town,



James Madzson. 63

built up miles of breast-works with bales and fought
back of them with his men, so that the foe could
not get near the place, though they tried hard to
do so.

This was the last fight that took place in this war,
and when peace was made both sides were glad of
it. Peace was signed at Ghent, De-cem-ber 24,
1814. From that day En-gland has had no right
to make a search in our ships, and we have been at
peace.

Mad-i-son, when his first term of four years as
the head of our land was through, was put in the
chair for four years more, so much was he liked by
all. In this last term Mad-i-son gave his seal to a
Bill which gave the right to form a great bank for
the whole land, to last a score of years.

On the fourth of March of 1817 he went back to
his home for rest and peace from the hard work he
had gone through. But it was not long ere he was
heard once more in the halls of the law. In 1829
he was one who had in charge the change that was

‘to be made in the code of laws for the whole land.

He died at his home in Mont-pe-lier, in Vir-

gin-i-a, June 28, in the year 1836.



CHAPTER V.

JAMES MONROE.
Lomi? tO: 1:8 2's.

James Mon-rog, the fifth Pres-i-dent of our jand,
was born in West-more-land coun-ty, Vir-gin-i-a, in
the year 1758. Hisfa-ther held large tracts of land
in that part of the State, where he grew all kinds of
grain and herbs that are found in the South, and
was a man of some wealth. As he had means he
gave his son James a good chance to learn at school,
so that he did not have to work and teach while
there to make what he lived on.

When war broke out in 1776, Mon-roe, though
not much more than a boy in years, joined our
troops at the first call “to arms!” and at once
proved what was in him.

He was a brave youth, and it was not long ere
Wash-ing-ton made him the head of a part of his
troops for the good work he had done in the fight.
Mon-roe fought at White Plains and Har-lem
Heights, and was much praised for his share in
what was done there.







60 Lives of the Presidents.

When the great fight took place at Tren-ton he
got his first wound from a spent ball that laid him
up for some time. For his brave acts he was raised
to a still more high place in the charge of our
troops.

At the famed fights of Mon-mouth and Brandy-
wine he still held his place as one of the most brave
men that went out to fight for our just cause. He
_ was at all times the first man to lead the way to the
foe and the last to give up all hope and flee when
the tide of war turned the wrong way.

Two years from the time he took up arms to save
his land, he tired of the noise of war and the clash
of arms, went back once more to his old life and to
learn law with Thom-as Jef-fer-son.

He got on well from the start, and it was but a
few years from the time he made his start in this
new line that we hear of him as one of the first in
the land. At his State con-ven-tion he would not
give his aid to pass the laws, which he said gave
too much strength into the hands of the Gov-ern-
ment. Since he took this view of the case he joined
a band of men who held much the same views as
the Re-pub-li-can par-ty of our own times.

In 1790 he was made Sen-a-tor for a term of four
years. At the end of this time he went to France
to look out for our rights there, but he was called



James Monroe. 67

back in two years from his work. This was done,
it is said, from the fact that he took a part with the
Re-pub-li-cans in France, and did not tend to that
which he had been charged with by our land.

When he came back he was made the head of
the State of Vir-gin-i-a, and served as such for three
years. He was then sent to France once more, to
buy the State of Lou-i-si-a-na from the hands of the
French. 7

He bought this vast tract of land from Na-po-
le-on for the sum of $15,000,000, which was a small
price for such a large place, though it was in a
rough, wild state at that time.

Mon-roe was sent twice to Spain and to En-gland.
He then went back to the place of his home life,
_ for he could say with truth that he had well earned
a time of rest.

It was not long ere he was called to take part
once more in the stir and noise of the times. He
was made Gov-ern-or of Vir-gin-i-a, then one of the
first aids to Pres-i-dent Mad-i-son, and at last, to
crown all, he was named for Pres-i-dent by the
Dem-o-crats and got the most votes, which gave
him the first place, by the laws of our land. |

His rule was much like that of the man whose
place he took, and it must be said that his task was
not so hard as some who had held the chair. Peace



68 ; Lives of the Presidents.

had come to us, the storm of war was heard ne
more, the roar of guns was dead. The corn and

ass had sprung up on the graves of our men who
were slain in the fight, and birds sang once more
where shot and shells had brought death.

The first thing
Mon-roe did was
to pay off the
great debt which
the war had
brought on, and
it was not long
ere he had paid
up toacent what
was due, and
wiped the claim
out. When this
was done, our
trade at once
grew in size and
our ships with E-RIE CA-NAL (MO-HAWK VAL-LEY).
loads of goods were seen once more to dot the
sea with their white sails. The hopes of all seemed
to rise. The land smiled with fields of grain, and
the wheels of our mills were at work both day and
night. .

It had been a hard thing at all times to get this













































































































































































James Monroe. 69

grain and things from the towns and farms far from
_ the streams or the sea.to where it could be sold.
For this rea-son a long place like a trench was dug
all the way from Buf-fa-lo to Al-ba-ny, so that the
Hud-son could fill it, and by this means boats could
go back and forth from this place to that, with their
loads in a much more short way than by land. The
first rail-road was built, too, at this time, for the same
cause.

This year the In-dians in the South grew fierce
and went in for war. Joined by some blacks they
tried to rob and burn the homes of our folks in the
wild parts of the States. Gen-er-al Jack-son, at
length, with the aid of a small force of troops, made
his way into their midst and forced them to lay
down their arms and come to his terms.

Two En-glishemen whom Gen-er-al Jack-son
thought had tried to stir up the In-dians to fight,
were hung by him, and though his foes sought to
bring shame on him for this act, Mon-roe said he
had done right.

A-bout this time the King of Spain gave Flor-
i-da to us, and we in turn gave up Tex-as and paid
a large sum to the A-mer-i-cans there for what they
had been robbed of by Spain.

Mis-sis-sip-pi, Al-a-bam-a, Maine and II-li-nois
were made States in Mon-roe’s term, and Ar-kan-



7° Lives of the Presidents.

sas Ter-ri-to-ry was named. Mis-sou-ri was made
a State late in the year 1817. This was when the
famed Bill, the Mis-sou-ri Com-pro-mise, came up.
The great point was that no one should hold slaves
init when a State. This the South did not like,
and fought, not with arms but by a war of words, to
‘make it a slave State, for they feared the North
would get too strong if they had all their own way.
At last Con-gress let Mis-sou-ri come in as a slave
State, but made a law that a line should be drawn
in the land, and that north of this line no one should
hold slaves.

There were but a few slaves held at this time, but

the trade grew and grew till all States south of this
line held them.
_ All were pleased by the way Mon-roe served as
head of the land, and when the votes were cast in
1820 they chose him for a term of four years more
to fill the chair and hold the reins of the States’
laws.

Two years from this some States in South A-mer-
i-ca said they would not bear the yoke of strange
lands, that they would be free. The U-nit-ed
States took part with them in this, and held the
same views—that they should form a Re-pub-lic of
their own.

Mon-roe said in 1823 that they should be looked



James Monroe. 71

on as such, and that A-mer-i-ca should not bear the
yoke the lands in the Old World sought to place on
them. ‘This view which he took was known from
that day to this as the Mox-voe Doc-trine.

In 1825 Mon-roe left the cares of the State aaa
sought rest and peace in home life at Oak Hill,
Vir-gin-i-a. He died on the Fourth of Ju-ly, 1831,
in New York, and left a name that may well be
placed by that of Wash-ing-ton and Jef-fer-son as
one who worked well for the good of his land and
fought the brave fight 1n her hour of need.



IN-DIAN WAR-RIORS.



CHAPTER VI.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS,
1825 to 18209.

On Ju-ly 11, 1767, in Brain-tree, Mass-a-chu-
setts, where the town of Quin-cy now stands, was
born John Quin-cy Ad-ams. Two streams of the
best blood in the land ran in the veins of the child,
and it was not strange that in time to come he grew
to be a great man.

He had one of the best starts in life that a boy
could have. All of his race were brave and wise,
and came of the best stock to be found through all
the length and breadth of the States. He was the
son of the great John Ad-ams, who took the chair
next to Wash-ing-ton. The war with En-gland held
full sway when he was a boy, and the first sound
his ears heard was the roar of guns, and he saw
the smoke of the fight, for the town where they had
their home at one time was quite in the seat of war.

When he was a boy of some nine years of age, he
would ride by post to the scene of the fight and
bring what news there was to his folks at home.













74 Lives of the Presidents. |

You may know that as the war went on so near
his home he did not have much of a chance to go to
school, but he was apt to learn, and heard and saw
much that in the years to come was of just as much
use to him, if not more, as that which he might -
have read in books.

When he was not much more than ten years of
age he went to France to school, and we are told
_ that he wrote of his trip and what took place there
down in a book, so that when he grew old he might
look back and see what he did when a boy.

Though he spent his school life in the most gay
town of France, yet he did not fall in-to bad ways,
as most boys would have done who found they were
their own lords in a strange land. :

When he came back to his own home once more,
he was much the same boy who had gone from
there some few years since. He had not changed |
in the life he had led in strange lands, his heart was
still bound up in his dear old home and those who
lived there.

He at once read up when he got home all the
books that fell in his way, and in a short time had
stored his mind so that he couid go to Har-vard
Col-lege, where he went through each course by the
year 1787. He made up his mind, when through
school, to take up law and make it the work of his



John Quincy Adams. 7%

life, so it is not long from this time that we find him
at this in Bos-ton.

He soon wrote screeds for the news sheets of the
day, which gave him some fame, so that men would
talk of his name and ask who he was,

Some of the things which he wrote had_for their
aim Tom Paine, who wrote a book in which he
sought to prove that there was no God, and that
the Church was wrong. In 1794 he was sent oer
the sea to stand for the rights of our folks in the
land of the Dutch. He staid there for some time
and was then sent to Port-u-gal for the same good
work, and thence to Ber-lin, where he found there
was much to be done.

It was his chief work while here to bring round
peace be-tween Prus-sia and his own land, and when
this was done he came back home and took up law
at the old place where he got his first real start in life.

In 1802 he was sent to the Sen-ate, which at that
time was much sought for by men of brains and
mind, for it led to some things that were worth
while as an aim in life.

While here he had a Shane to show of what
good stuff he was made, for he was down on all
bills that he thought might bear down too hard on
the poor in the land, which were brought in bya
few men who hoped to get rich.



76 Lives of the Presidents.

As he was such a good man who dared to do
right, of course there were some bad men who tried
to do him harm when they got a chance, but he
fought them down one by one.

He was once more sent to Rus-sia to act for our
land there, but he came back in a short time.

When he came home it was to take a high place
in the State, near the new Pres-i-dent, James Mon-
. roe. He went to Wash-ing-ton to live, which at
that time was but a group of hous-es on a waste of
sand. It was a great change for him to be raised
to such a high place in the laws of his land, but
he stood the test well, and his foes could not but
say that he was the right man in the right place.

Four names were put up for Pres-i-dent at this
time: J. Q. Ad-ams for the East, W. W. Craw-
ford in the South, An-drew Jack-son and Hen-ry
Clay, West. On March 4, 1825, he was made
Pres-i-dent, and J. C. Cal-houn Vice Pres-i-dent.
Hen-ry Clay had the charge of the funds. One of
the great things that took place while he was in was
the first rail-road that was built. It was but three
miles in length, and the cars were drawn by a horse,
not steam.

The first stearn car, when it came in use from En-
gland, was a poor sort of a thing. It could not go
fast, and at first it used to scare off the cows and sheep



John Quincy Adams. 77

on the farms it went by, and those who lived near
the track thought their last hour had come for sure,
though in time they did not mind it at all. Ca-nals
were made in New York at this time.

Hen-ry Clay, who had a
high place in the time of J.
Q. Ad-ams, was born in Vir-
gin-i-a, and was a poor boy.
He went to a small log school-
house to learn his first tasks,
but he rose to be one of the
firstintheland. He spoke with
such strength and force, as well
as grace, that he could sway
the minds of all men. He
used to learn by heart what
he read when a boy and speak it, and he thought
that was one way in which he had gained so much
ease. He says: “I made more than one off-hand
speech in the corn fields or in the woods, where but
an ox or horse could hear me.”

It was said of Clay that on his tomb one might
write these words:

“Here lies one who led men for years by the
mere force of his mind, yet who was not known to
swerve from the truth or call in lies to help him.”

In the strife of North and South on slave laws,



HEN-RY CLAY.



(o Lives of the Presidents.

Hen-ry Clay made more than one great speech to
try and keep the peace. |

De Witt Clin-ton, who in 1812 had run for Pres-
ident against Mad-i-son, was
one of the great men of his age.
He was Chief of the State of
New York, and took great
thought on the E-rie Ca-nal,
and did much to make it a thing
of fact. It was a great thing
for the whole U-nion when the
boats found they could reach the
o-cean through the State. _Clin-
ton was brought in a barge down

Re Wi -EPINTONS > « trom’ Lake Terie tote: Cit yor
New York, and had with him a pail of lake wa-ter,
which was thrown into the sea, and it was said to be
the “wed-ding of the Lakes and the O-cean.”

It was while Ad-ams was in the chair that there
was much talk of a tax that was to be put on all
goods that were brought here from far lands, and we
hear a good deal of it to this day. There were some
who thought it was wrong, and some who thought
it the best thing. Ad-ams went in for a high tax,
which was the first cause why he did not hold the
chair for more than one term. —

He once more had a high place in 1830, when he





Sohn Quincy Adams. 79

‘was sent from his State to Wash-ing-ton. He died
at his home in Quin-cy, No-vem-ber 23, 1848. His
last words were: “This is the last of earth—I am

glad !”

































































WED-DING OF THE LAKES AND THE O-CEAN,



CHAPTER VII.
ANDREW JACKSON.
1826 10° 1337.

An-preEw Jack-son was the son of a poor man,
who died when the boy was but a few days old.
His life while he was a child was full of hard work.
He did not care for books, and in those days there
were few that would please a child. When the
war with En-gland broke out he fell at one time
in-to the hands of the foe. He was then a youth
with a will of his own, as he showed when he was
bade to clean some boots. He said it was not the
place of a free-born A-mer-i-can to clean Brit-ish |
boots. He was not meek or mild, and to be told to
do such work made his blood boil. He kept his
word in spite of hard blows, and at last the man
shot him, and he was thrown in jail with a wound.
There he got the small-pox. He knew not where
~ to turn when he came out of jail, for he was poor
and there was no one left to help him. But he
made his way with a brave heart, though he had
more than one fight in his time and could show







82 Lives of the Presidents.

scars that were not won in war. He had a great
hate for En-gland, as he lost those near and dear
to him through the war with that land. He tried
to learn a trade, but at last made up his mind to
take to the law. He was gay, fond of a race ora
cock-fight, and yet he made out to get on in some
way. In our days a boy needs to learn much more
to get to the bar than then,
and it cost less in those
days. A boy who worked on
the farm in the warm months
i could learn as much in thecold
= time of the year as the schools
- could give him. ‘To a young
‘man who wished to rise, the
; first step was to learn law; so
that grew to be the first grand
Geers aim of a boys heart. It is said
Ee ee that Jack-son did not make
much of the law, as he had not the sort of mind to
rise in that line, but he did not choose to be a
drudge on a farm or at a trade.

He went with a friend to the State of Ten-nes-
see in 1788. The class of men who lived there then
were those who first broke the path in the wild
woods, and they were more fond of drink than of
work. They were at all times in strife, and liked













Andrew Jackson. . 33

to go to law. Drink and debt and fight filled the
land. Jack-son had a post in which it was his
task to find out the rights and the wrongs of things
and try and bring in law to set them straight. The
red men, too, were on the war-path, as they did not
wish to give up their land. Jack-son went on his

































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































NEW OR-LEANS.

way, though at times as he rode up and down to do
his work he risked his life, for he made strong foes,
though he won strong friends. He fought in the
war with En-gland and built up the breast-works in
‘New Or-leans from the back of which the men fired
and won the day. He was sent to Wash-ing-ton



84 Lives of the Presidents.

from his State, but he did not care for his life there,
and formed no ties that it was hard to break. It
was said that at that time he was a tall, lank man,
with no grace. His long locks of hair hung down
his face, and his cue in the back was tied with an
eel-skin. His dress was strange, and all his ways
those of a rough man from the back-woods. More
late in life he learned the ways of the best bred
folks in the land. But he felt in such a strong way
on all points and was so rash that when he rose to
speak in the Sen-ate he would choke with rage, so
he did not do much in that line.

He was made Judge of the Court in his own
State, but naught is known of his acts at that time.
He then went home and spent some years in work,
but by no means in peace. He was at all times one
who held out for what he thought his rights, and
this oft led to strife. More than once he called out
the man he thought his foe, and the aim of each
was to kill. In one of these fights Jack-son got a
wound which made him weak for life, and in one
hey had: a. ball- puts in a which he bore for a
score of years.

But when the Creek war came with the red men
and then a war with En-gland, Jack-son showed that,
though he was not good to keep the peace, he had’
the right sort of stuff in him to lead in war. He



Andrew Jackson. 85

cid not want to mind, though, but would be head,
and he showed that he was strong and that he could
bear all kinds of hard work and not give up. He
knew how to sway his men and make them do his
will, and he did not know what it was to tire while
there was aught to be done. The young men of
the State made haste to ‘list with him, and his ranks
were kept well filled. Those who had fought with
him had great tales to tell and were made much of
when they got home. Though he was most strict,
and some thought hard, he did not fear to do what
he thought was right, though all sought to hold him)
back. From the time when he put an end to the
Creek war the fame of Jack-son dates. At New
Or-leans, where the En-glish sought to strike a
great blow, he was on hand, so that they met
with great loss.

While he was Pres-i-dent there were some at the
South who felt that the North had more than its
share of wealth and land. There were more great
mills and more goods made at the North than at
the South. There were some who made a plan to
cut loose and set up a new band of States. They
had all their young men drilled for war, and got
arms and chose a man to lead them. His name
was John C. Cal-houn, and he was to be their first
chief. But Jack-son said: “If a State could go



86 Lives of the Presidents.

out of the U-nion when it chose, our land would
come to naught.’ And he sent troops and ships
of war and put a stop to all that sort of thing in a
short time.

There was a tribe of red men in Flor-i-da who
did not wish to lose their land and give way to the
white man. They fought for a long time in the
swamps of that land. Slaves
who had fled from their homes
were with them. One of the
chiefs had a slave girl for a wife,
and when she went with him to
one of the forts she was seized
and kept as a slave, and the
chief was put in chains. He
made a vow that he would fight
the white man as soon as he was
free. So he led his tribes to

JOHN C. CAIHOUN. war, His name was Os-ce-o-la.

They took him at last, and kept him in one of the
forts till his death. But the war went on for years,
at a great cost of life, till few of that tribe were left
in the land.

When the En-glish left New Or-leans, Jack-son
still kept all the troops up to the mark. He was
thought a hard man, as: he let no fault go, and he
had men shot who left their posts or went home





Andrew Jackson. 87

when they had no leave. But in this, though he
seemed hard he was wise, and he had to keep up
the laws of war. At the same time the one who
was the most hard to rule was Jack-son’s own self.
He was quick to get in to strife, and had more foes
than he could count. But from the time he was
made Pres-i-dent the land
gained strength each year.
Steam-boats came more in
use, and more rail-roads
were built. All were proud
of their Pres-i-dent. They
felt, “he is one of us—he
stands by us—he does not
care for style, but for what
is sound and strong and
good.”

There was muchstrife in
his. time as to a tax on
wool, steel, wine, and a
long list of things. Some OS-CE-O-LA,
thought that it was best for those who made goods
here to have all taxed that were made in strange
lands. |

In Jack-son’s time there was a great bank built
which had the name of the Bank of North A-mer-

i-ca. This was the cause of strife. State banks





88 Lives of the Presidents.

were not liked at that time, as it was thought they
did not deal in a fair way with all sorts of men, but
did the best for their friends. This bank was to be »
for the whole land, and it had large funds. It was
built in Phil-a-del-phi-a. In the first two years it
went far to make things worse than they were. It
took the lead in all sorts of wrong jobs with the
shares, and it plunged the land in hard times.
There was what was called a bank war. Some
! had no faith in that sort

A of bank, and brought
more than one charge to
show that it did not deal
in the right way. There
was a great deal of this
strife through both terms
while Jack-son was Pres-
U-NI-TED STATES BANK. i-dent, but at last the
great bank came to an end, and,crowds of those
who were in high place in the land lost all they had.
Mex-i-co set its slaves free in 1824. Tex-as was
brought in the Un-ion, and through all this term the
growth of the land was great. But as it reached
its end there were strikes and-strife of al! kinds.
The high price of food was the cause of mobs.
Rents, too, were more than the poor men could
_ pay: At one time flour and wheat were seized by





































Andrew Jackson. ; 89

amob. ‘Troops had to be called out to keep the
peace. This was just at the end of Jack-son’s
term. Jack-son took good care of his friends, and
put them in good posts, and to make way for them
moved out six hun-
dred and nine-ty folks
in his time. He went
out with a glad heart,
and set forth at once
for his old home. On
the way he was met
with all the old marks
of love by friends.
He was still a great
strength in the land.
He died June 8, 1845.
He had all the fame
that he could have
dreamed of in his
youth. What he had
set his heart on he 7
had gained. His foes '-DIAN DRESS-ES, WEAP-ONS AND OR-NA-MENTS.
were all brought low. In his last years he joined
the church and died at peace with all men.







CHAPTER VIII.
MARTIN VAN BUREN,
1837 to 1841.

Van Bu-ren was born at Kin-der-hook, New
York, in 1782. He did not get a chance to go
much to school when a boy, but made the most of





















STATE HOUSE, AL-BA-NY, NEW YORK (1885).

his time while there. He took up law when he
was quite a young man, and in 1821 was sent
from his State to Wash-ing-ton, and in six years or







92 Lives of the Presidents.

more they chose him to be the head man of New
York State.

When he was placed in the chair by the will of
our land, he ai once put an end to the war with the
In-dians. When he took his seat hard times were
at hand and all trades were at a low ebb. Ina
few months from the day he took the oath all the
banks in New York gave up, and would pay no
_ more in gold and coin, and the banks in not a few
of the States did the same thing. Crowds of men
were thrown out of work, and the streets were full
of those who had naught to do. Trade was at a
stand-stili and the price of food and clothes rose at
once.

Yet no one could blame Van Bu-ren.for the state
things were in. He did but reap what had been
sown by those who had gone. He said that one
cause of these hard times was that folks had lost the
plain tastes of the old times and spent too much, so
they must bear it.

Late in the year of 1837 those who lived in
Can-a-da tried to set up laws of their own and to
have a home rule. There were not a few in our
land who took sides with them, and a large force of
men from New York went to their aid, but they
were soon put down.

For a while it seemed that our peace with En-



Martin Van Buren. 93

gland was at an end, and that a new war would
spring up. Van Bu-ren at once said that no man
in our land should aid the cause of those in Can-
a-da or they should be put in jail so at last the fear
of a new war was put down
by these means.

Van Bu-ren ran once
more for his seat as the
head of our land, but lost
it this time. Har-ri-son
was the one who took his
place.

There were great times
at the raceas to whoshould
rule next. Van Bu-ren was
rich and had been Pres-i-
dent four years. Har-ri-
son was poor, but made a
great name in the In-
dian wars. The race was
said to be the ‘Log
Cab-in a-gainst the White THE HARD CI-DER CAM-PAIGN.
House,” and those who went for Har-ri-son drank
a great deal of cider. It was called the “hard
ci-der race.: |

Van Bu-ren died at his old home at Kin-der-
hook, Ju-ly 24, 1862, near four-score years of age.















CHAPTER IX.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON AND JOHN TYLER.
1841 to 1845.

Har-ri-son, our ninth Pres-i-dent, was born in
Vir-gin--a in 1773. He was the son of a good and
learn-ed man, who gave his boy all the chance to go
to school and learn that he could wish. Har-ri-son
was fond of books when but a child in years, and
was more apt than most of his age to learn his
tasks.

Fe was quite a youth when he got through school,
and took up arms in the In-dian war, but he had a
man’s heart in his breast that bade him go forth and

fight for his home and the good cause of his land.
_ -He showed so much pluck in this war that he
was soon placed at the head of some troops, where
he still kept his name up as a brave man.

When he had had six years of war he gave up
his place to rest at home for a while, but he was
soon asked by one of the States to take his seat in
Con-gress.

He was made Gov-ern-or of In-di-an-a for three









96 Lives of the Presidents.

terms, so much was he liked by those who lived in
the State.

- He made peace with the In-dians for a time, and
when they
went on the
war-path
once more
he put them
to rout at
Tip-pe-ca-
noe. For his
brave work
in this fight
- he was made
Gen-e-ral,
-and in our
fight with
ithe Brit-
= ish at the
= Thames
— == he gained
FR nt the best-of

TE-CUM-SEH AND HAR-RI-SON. th
em.









































































































Te-cum-seh, the chief of the In-dians whom Har-
ri-son whipped at Tip-pe-ca-noe, was the most a-ble
red man of his time. If he had been brought up
in our days and had our chance at school he would



Sohn Tyler. 97

have been a ver-y great man. He was ver-y brave,
too. One time he was asked to call on Har-ri-son
and talk of the war and what should be done. Har-
ri-son sat on a chair with all his aids round him,
and Te-cum-seh saw there had been no place fixed
for him. He showed he did not like this, and one
of the aids brought in a chair and said, “Your
fa-ther asks you to sit by his side.” Te-cum-seh
drew his wrap round him and said: ‘The Great
Spir-it is my fa-ther and I will re-pose on the bo-som
of my moth-er,” and sat down on the ground.

Har-ri-son ran in 1836 for Pres-i-dent, but did
not get the most votes. Four years from that time
he was named once more for the place, and this
time won by a great vote.

But he did not live long to reap the fruit of his
hard work in the cause of his land. He took his
seat as the head of our States on March 4, 1841,
and just one month from that time he died. ,

John Ty-ler, who had been his Vice-Pres-i-dent,

was then sworn in and took the chair.

Joun Tver,

The tenth Pres-i-dent of the U-nit-ed States, was
the son of the Gov-ern-or of Vir-gin-i-a, in which
State he was born in 1790.



98 Lives of the Preszdents.

When through with school he took up law and was
soon sent to Con-gress, where he staid, for five years,
and was then made the head of his own State.

He was made Vice-Pres-i-dent with Har-ri-son
and then Pres-i-dent. He had not been long in his
seat ere a strife broke out in Rhode Isl-and.

It seems by their old laws no one who did not
hold land could vote, and as this was not thought
fair to all, they wished to have it changed. There
was a split as to how this should be done. One
side was led by a man named King, and called
them-selves the ‘“‘Law and Or-der Par-ty.” The
rest had Thom-as Dorr as their head, and both
sides made up their minds to have their own way
and form laws of their own.

King’s men tried to put down those led by Dorr,
but they would not have it, and sought to seize the
fort where the State arms were held. The troops
were sent out to put a stop to this, and Dorr had to
flee for his life from the State. In a few months
he was caught and put in jail for life, but he was
soon freed and let go once more.

Ty-ler had scarce got through and put down this
strife ere more broke out in the State of Mis-sou-ri.
Smith, the Mor-mon, with man-y more of his own
kind, took up a vast tract of land in this State as
their home, and those who lived there sought to







Full Text






















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































: “he be oa
t z ee eum i
h f Oe ies
a Won) i “| on) " H
ean f Hl

it TU
Poe it nt



















THE CAP-I-TOL AT WASH-ING-TON,
LIVES OF THE

PRESIDENTS

OF THE

UNITED STATES

IN WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE

BY
WRS. HELEN W. PIERSOW:

AUTHOR OF ‘fA HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, IN WORDS OF ONE

”

SYLLABLE, AND ALSO OF HISTORIES OF FRANCE,

OF GERMANY, AND OF ENGLAND,

COPIOUSLY ILLUSTRATEL



GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, Liuirep
NEW YORK: 9 LAFAYETTE PLACE
Lonpon aND MANCHESTER %
IN UNIFORM STYLE,
Words of One Syllable.

ILLUSTRATED.

HISTORY OF UNITED STATES

LIVES OF THE PRESIDENTS OF
THE UNITED STATES

HISTORY OF ENGLAND
HISTORY OF FRANCE
HISTORY OF GERMANY
HISTORY OF IRELAND
HISTORY OF RUSSIA
ATSTORY OF JAPAN

ATISTORY OF THE OLD TESTA-
MENT

HISTORY OF THE NEW VESTA-
MENT

HISTORY OF THE BATTLES OF
AMERICA

HEROES OF HISTORY

GzOoRGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, LIMITED,
9 Lafayette Place, New York,



Copyright, 1884, 1889 and 1894,

By Joszrn L. Bramire.
PREFATORY.

In these “ Lives of the Presidents of the United
States,” it has been thought best to depart from the
strictly one-syllable style, by using the past tense of
certain verbs. This has been done with those which
are pronounced as one syllable.

It will be readily understood that many matters
of statecraft—tariff, nullification and important
political movements—have been excluded from this ©
volume as beyond the limits of one syllable. But
such matters are also beyond the comprehension of ~
the little ones who may gain from this book their
_ first knowledge of those who have occupied the

chief place in our nation.







CONTENTS.

GHAR TEE Re.
GEORGE WASHINGTON

CHAP TERT:
Joun ADAMS

CHAPTER: IT.
Tuomas JEFFERSON \,

CHAPTER IV.
James Mapison ¥

CECA PAE RAs
James MONROE

CHAPTER VI.
JouHn Quincy ADAMS

GHAR EER NAT:
ANDREW JACKSON

CHAPTER VIIL
Martin Van BuREN

CHAPTER IX.

Wituiam Henry HarRIson : : é

Joun TyYLer

EC EUARal b Rae:

James Knox Pork ; é : :

ChAPT ER pel:

ZACHARY TAYLOR
MILLARD FILLMORE

if

36

46

Done

64

sey 2

80

gO

94

= 102

- 108

- IIO
Contents.

CHAPTER XII.
FRANKLIN PIERCE

CHAPTER XIII.
James BucHANAN

‘CHAPTER XIV.
Axsrauam LiIncoLn®

CrARA Bb RexGV.:
ANDREW JOHNSON .

CHAPTER XVI.
U.ysses Simpson GRANT

CHAPTER XVII.

RUTHERFORD B. Haves

CHAPTER XVIII.

James ABRAM GARFIELD

CHAPTER: XIX:
CHESTER ALLAN ARTHUR

CHA PTE RESXDOG
GROVER CLEVELAND

CEUA PAGE Res xoxeT:
BENJAMIN Harrison

CHAPTER XXII.

GROVER CLEVELAND

is

* 117

a 124

- 144

. 180

. 184

. 190

. 196
soe)



lA



PRESIDENT.

TABLE OF THE PRESIDENTS.





George Washington..

John Adams

vee eeccee

Thomas Jefferson... .

James Madison
James Monroe

5. |John Quincy Adams.

\w-/Andrew Jackson.. ..





onl

“|John Tyler......

Martin Van Buren...
William H. Harrison

James K. Polk
Zachary Taylor

Millard Fillmore

Franklin Pierce.....

James Buchanan.....
Abraham Lincoln...,

Andrew Johnson...

Ulysses 8. Grant

Rutherford B. Hayes
James A. Garfield...
Chester A. Arthur..
Grover Cleveland....
Benjamin Harrison....



Grover Cleveland











BY WHOM

- ELECTED. |

Two terms; 1789-1797/Whole people.|John Adams....

Federalists. .

Republicans

Republicans
All parties. .

House of Rep.

Democrats. .

Democrats .

Whigs......

Whigs......

Democrats. ...

Whigs. sees

Whigs..... :
Democrats. .

Democrats, .

Republicans {





Republicans
Republicans

Republicans
Republicans
Republicans
Democrats. .

Republicans..

Democrats



STATE. Bi a TERM OF OFFICE.
AQ a

Virginia... .. 1732/1799
Massachusetts |1735/1826/One term ; 1'79'7-1801..
Virginia...... 1743]1826/Two terms ; 1801-1809
apes Virginia......|1751/1836/Two terms; 1809-1817
Urbs nesbinne Virginia..... |1758/1831/Two terms ; 1817-1825
Massachusetts |1767/1848/One term ; 1825-1829...
Tennessee ...|1767|1845/Two terms ; 1829-1837
New York... ./1782/1862/One term ; 1837-1841...
Ohio.......... 1773|184.1/One month ; 1841.....
...|Virginia......|1790/1862|/3 yrs. and 11 months ;
1841-1845...
a adaais Tennessee. ...|1'795}1849/|One term ; 1845-1849..
narbateee Louisiana......|1'784/1850/1 year and 4 months;
1849-1850...
BS te. New York... .|1800/1874/2 years and 8 months;
1850-1853. .
|N. Hampshire] 1804/1869/One term ; 1853-1857.
Pennsylvania .|1791/1868)One term ; 1857-1861..
Illinois ......./1809|1865]1 term and 1 month;
1861-1865. .
Tennessee ... .|1808/1875/3 yrs. and 11 months ;
1865-1869. .
..«.|Lllinois,...... .|1822}/1885/Two terms ; 1869-1877
Ohio..... ..... {1822}... |One term ; 1877-1881...
Ohio..... 1831]1881/Six mos. and 15 days..
New York. .. ./1830/1886/3 yrs, 5 mos. 15 days. .
New York., ../1837|....|One term; 1885-1889.
Indiana....... 1833]....|One term; 1889-1893...
ates NeweerOrk:......JU837) ccc tie nae-n 5 dhe, au ee Cas

VICE-PRESIDENT.

Thos. Jefferson..

Aaron Burr.......
George Clinton....
George Clinton..
Elbridge Gerry..
Dan’! D, Tompkins
John C, Calhoun..

John C, Calhoun
Mart. Van Buren

Rich’d M. Johnson
John Tyler.. ...,

wofe nee cee se eeees

George M. Dallas. .

Millard Fillmore

welee eer ecerse cveves

William R. King..
J. C. Breckenridge

Hannibal Hamlin.
Andrew Johnson..
‘(Schuyler Colfax. .
Henry Wilson....
Wm. A. Wheeler..
Chester A, Arthur
‘"\Phos, A. Hendricks
Levi P. Morton... .
Adlai Steyenson. oe

SECRETARY OF
STATE,

Thomas Jefferson.
Edmund Randolph.
Timothy Pickering.
Timothy Pickering.
John Marshall. ,
James Madison.

Robert Smith.
James Monroe.

John Quincy Adams
Henry Clay.

Martin Van Buren.
Edward Livingston.
Louis McLane.

John Forsyth.

John Forsyth.

.|Daniel Webster.

Hugh S. Legare.
Abel P. Usher.
John C, Calhoun.
James Buchanan.

John M. Clayton.
Daniel Webster.
Edward Everett.

William L. Macy.

} Lewis Cass.
Jeremiah §. Black.

William H. Seward.

William H. Seward.
Elihu B.Washburne.
Hamilton Fish.
‘Wm. M. Evarts.
James G. Blaine.

F. T. Frelinghuysen.
Thos, F. Bayard.
James G. Blaine. ..





Walter Q. Gresham


oN
Lives of the Presidents.

CELAP PER. -2.

GEORGE WASHINGTON.
1789 to 1797.

In Vir-gin-i-a, near
the banks of the stream
_ we call the Po-to-mac,
there is _a spot known
_ as Bridges’ Creek. It
1S SO small a place that
you can not call it a
~ town, and yet it is dear
to the hearts of. A-mer-
ieans,. for here; on
me iy the 22d of Feb-tu-a- -ry,

eos ie Wash-ing-ton was born. A few fig - ’
trees are still seen, and here and there a’ wild rose -
peeps out of the weeds to show you that once on a
time a home was there. A few loose bricks and
bits of lime still lie on the ground where the old


12 Lives of the Presidents.

farm-house once stood. In 1815 a small stone slab
was put there to mark the spot.

The coat-of-arms of the Wash-ing-tons was a
white shield with two red bars on it, and on top
were three stars, so that the whole was like the stars
and stripes, ina way. When George was three
years old the Wash-ing-tons left this home and
went to live in a low red house on a hill near
Fred-e-ricks-burg

The tale of the way in which George cut the
fruit tree has been told all through the years to the
small folks of this land, to show his love of truth.
He had been brought up to tell the truth, and to
.do what was right at all times. One who was near:
kin to him tells the tale: “One fine day,” she said,
“when George was five years old, his Pa took
us both by the hand and bade us come with him to »
look at the fruit trees. The whole earth was strewn
with the fruit. But there was one tree that had not -
borne in the past, and was a choice kind. This
was found to be cut. George hung back. ‘Who
has done ths?’ said Mr. Wash-ing-ton, in a rage,
for the bark of the tree had been cut in such a way
that one could not hope for fruit for years. The
small boy came forth in a brave way: ‘I did it, Pa.
I can not tell a lie, I cut it, he said. Mr. Wash-
ing-ton was so struck by this show of truth on the
George Washington. 130

part of his son that his rage left him, and he felt ©
more proud than he had been of his boy.”
George, from the time he was quite asmall lad, kept

a book in
which he
wrote down
allthethings
that took
place in-his
life. When
George was
scarce aman
in years he
took charge
of some
troops sent
out to save
his State
from the
bands of
fierce In-
cians and
the hosts of

| ) ma:

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iis

ili i Ls
ee ot : ee
an




























Mi a H}, | t =
1a Mili, | ~S
Cae ia Wil 1 r | / SUS
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= ee —_ Ay Wea
SSS ——K—_—_ ——— a
SSS = ST CFE Bie)

WASH-ING-TON AND HIS MOTH-ER.

French who sought to steal moreland. One fourth
of all the State troops were put in his charge, and
for his work in this line he got a small pay that in
our day would scarce be thought what a strong man
14 Lives of the Presidents.

could live on. He did a good deal of hard work to
train his men in the right way for the fight. He
had just got his men so that they could well cope
with the foe, when word came from the head of the
State that bade him start on a new task. It had
been heard that the French and In-dians had gone
to work to build forts in a long line on the O-hi-o.
To find out if this was so, Wash- ing-ton was sent
to the front with a note to the chief man of
the French troops. Thoughit was cold and bleak,
young Wash-ing-ton did not shrink at the task set
for him. He well knew at the time that most of
his way would lead through dark woods by bad
roads for miles and miles, but he did not flinch.
Wash-ing-ton had four men with him when he
made the start—a, guide to show him the way and
one who knew how to speak French, with two men
to guard their goods and to do all the odd kinds of
work there might be on hand. A hard time they
had of it at first, as their way led through swamp
and mire. At last they found the fort of which
they were in search. Here Wash-ing-ton had a
long talk with the chief of the French troops, who
was a man who had been long in wars. ‘Though
kind, he was very firm when his rights were at
stake. George did not gain much by this trip, as
he was told that the French had all the land round
George Washington. 15

neath their thumbs. They had sent out word to
seize all men found at large who did not prove they
were friends. When Wash-ing-ton got the note he
was to take back, he made his way, with his men,
home once more. It
was more cold than
when they had made
their start, for the
snow and ice lay thick
on field and stream, |
and it was hard to get |
through it all. At one
time they had to ford |
a stream by means of
a raft, and Wash-ing- |
ton made a slip from
the damp logs. If he Ff
had not been caught
by one of his men
he might have lost
his life.

The way in which
Wash-ing-ton had
done his task won him much praise, and the head
of his State went so far as to make a note of his act
to the King of En-gland. He was at once made a

5
a Col-o-nel, and two bands of troops were put in his


16 Lives of the Presidents.

charge to stop the French who sought to seize more
land. As George Wash-ing-ton had no gold with
which to pay his men, and as the State did not try
to help him, it was not strange that in his first fight
he did not win the day, though he strove hard and
well to turn the tide. The head of the French
troops praised George and his men for the brave
way in which they had fought, and his own State
at once sent him some gold to pay his troops. It
was not long from this time that George took charge
of a part of the troops. of Gen-er-al Brad-dock. This
was thought at the time to be quite a high post, so
you may be sure he was not long in doubt if he
should take it. | ;

It was in the month of June, 1755, that the
troops made their way to Fort Du-quesne, where
they were to stay. They had scarce been on the
road a day ere Wash-ing-ton fell sick ; but he kept
up like a brave man, and in spite of his friends
would march at the head of his men.

Wash-ing-ton knew so well the tricks of the
shrewd foe they had to deal with, that he wished
Brad-dock to let him take the lead with those men
who knew the In-dians’ ways best; but he would
not. Brad-dock had cause soon to know his course
had been wrong, for the woods were thick with
In-dians, who rent the air with their shrieks and
\ ie
George Washington. 17

war-whoops. . From rocks and trees they sprang on
the troops like wild beasts. Wash-ing-ton had his
horse shot and Brad-dock got such a wound that
there was no hope for his life. They had to flee
from the foe and he died on the way. His last
words were to Wash-ing-ton: “Oh! if I had but
done as you said, all might have been well—or at
least our loss would not have been so great.” He
left Wash-ing-ton a horse that had been with him
through the wars and an old slave whom he had
brought up to serve him.

When the news of this fight was brought to Gov-
ern-or Din-wid-die, there was great fear of the
In-dians now that they had shown how strong they
were. They knew, too, that if it had not been for
Wash-ing-ton, their hopes would all be lost.‘ Brad-
dock lost the fight,” they said, “but Wash-ing-ton
was the one who saved the troops.”

When the heads of the State met they made a
vote to give Wash-ing-ton a large sum, to pay, if
they could, for all he had done for them; and they
made him the chief of all the troops in the col-o-nies.
His first step was to place his men so that they
could stop the In-dians when they tried to rob and
burn the homes of the land. He did this so well
that he got much praise for his work. To aid him
in this task he made all his men dress in the same

|

|
18 Lives of the Presitents.

garb as the In-dians. This
was 1 great help to them,
as it was light and cheap.
On the 17th of Jan-u-a-ry,
1759, Wash-ing-ton was
wed to Mrs. Mar-tha Cus-
tis, who was as good as she
was fair. He spent three
months with his wife at
their home, which was
known as “The White
House,’ in New Kent,
and at the close of that

/ . year they kept house at

Sa fel Feet 2 fare Mount Ver-non, his old
place. While here, Wash-ing-ton gave much time
to the care of his farm, but he still held in view the
state of things in our
land, and did not |
lose sight of the great _
moves of the day in }
the cares of home
life.

At this time men
felt that the rule of
En-gland was a hard
yoke to bear, as the





MOUNT VER-NON.
George Washingtox. 19

tax on goods made here was quite high. Lord
North sougnt to make this tax more than it had
been, with not so much as a wo. to our folk till it
was done. It was not strange, then, that all who
were free born should feel that this was a great
wrong that was thrust on them, and that they



BOS-TON TEA PAR-TY.

would not stand it. They did not mind as long as
En-gland was just in her rule, but they did not like
to have the King treat them as slaves.

.So they got in-to a rage with the sense of their
wrongs, and said they would have their rights, which
was but just.. They tore down the homes of those
in their midst who were on the side of the Brit-ish,
20 Lives of the Presidents.

and sought to kill those who would force on them
the “Stamp Act,” the tax they had cause to hate.

‘The mob was full of rage, and there was great
fear that a war would take place if En-gland did
not at once put a stop to the Stamp Act. They
still kept up the tax of three pence a pound on
































































































































































































































































































~ \\
ASS v = SS <
LN NEL WN
BN ; SEA SS 7
PSSST
pag ee
AWG pe

“ro arMS! TO ARMS!”

tea, and sent three ships here full; but our men
one night broke the chests and threw it all in the
sea. :
From that time signs of war were seen, and the
first fight took place at Lex-ing-ton, on the Lord’s
Day, be-tween Brit-ish and A-mer-i-can troops ; and
George Washington. 21

then the cry went out through the length and
breadth of our land: “To arms! To arms!”

In view of this fear of a great war that might soon
come, men met at Phil-a-del-phi-a on May 10, 1775,
and Wash-ing-tonwas made chief of all our troops.
He took full charge of them in the latter part of
June in the same year, near Bos-ton.

The Brit-ish had thrown up earth-works on the
hills on all sides, so that help would be cut off from
the town, and the plight of those who had to bear
this siege was in truth a sad one.

/As soon as Wash-ing-ton could train his raw
troops he made out to get rid of the foe, and one
morn the Brit-ish got quite a shock when they saw
that a new line of earth-works had been thrown up
by him and his men in the night, and that he was in
the best place, too. This they saw with fear, and
sent troops by night to drive off our men; but a
storm was in their way, so they could not do much
harm. When the Brit-ish saw that they could not
force our men to go, they thought it best to leave
Bos-ton with their ships, which was done.

When our troops went in the town they found
its streets strewn with things the Brit-ish had left
in their haste. ~All the great guns had spikes in
them so that they were of no use. But Wash-ing-
ton was glad to think he had won the day, and
22 Lives of the Presvdents.

much praise was his for the part he had in the
work. He had a fear that the Brit-ish troops might
be on their way to New York, so he sent part of
his men to aid those
there in case they
should have to fight
for their homes. But
in-stead of that the Brit-
ish ships made sail for
Hal-i-fax, from whence
their troops took all the
line of forts in Can-
a-da and made theland
theirs.

It was at this time
that Rich-ard Hen-ry
Lee, of Vir-gin-i-a,
made a move in Con-
gress that our land
should rise up and say
it would be free from
WASH-ING-TON READ-ING THE DEC-LA-RA-TION Brit-ish tule ; and for

OF IN-DE-PEND-ENCE TO THE AR-MY. this was drawn up the
Dec-la-ra-tion of In-de-pend-ence, and the chief men
of the day put their names to it, and Con-gress, on
the Fourth of Ju-ly, 1776, put it in force.

When Wash-ing-ton got this he read it in a loud


George Washington. 23

voice to all his troops, and its strong words did
much to raise their hopes. For some time they
had feared that they could not stand or gain their
rights with such a foe as En-gland, but they took
heart from this time.

Lord Howe, the En-glish gov-ern-or, tried to get
Wash-ing-ton to draw off his men, and sent to him
word that if he would stop the war the King would
not be hard on him for the part he took in it. But
Wash-ing-ton said, “No; I fight for a just cause,
and I will not give it up.”

The Brit-ish then went in for war and had all their
troops land at Long Isl-and. They had three times
more men than Wash-ing-ton and a host of large
guns, while he had few. Wash-ing-ton stood on a
hill near by and through his field-glass saw them
land. He felt great fear in his heart as he made a
count of the hordes of the foe. He cried out, as he
thought of his own troops, ‘‘ My God! What brave
men must I this day lose!” ,

From that time it would seem that all went
wrong for him. Our ranks were mown down and
great loss of life took place as they sought to flee
from the foe.

It was not long from this time that the dread
news came to Wash-ing-ton that Gen-er-al Lee,
_ who had been sent with a body of troops to guard
24 Lives of the Presidents.

Phil-a-del-phi-a was in the hands of the foe. ‘This
was the dark hour of the fight, and Wash-ing-ton’s
brave heart was sick with fear. He still tried to
show a brave front, and did not let his men know
‘how sad was his heart.

_ The Brit-ish now took up their stand at Tren-ton,



WASH-ING-TON CROSS-ING THE DEL-A-WARE,

and Wash-ing-ton, who by this time had got more
troops to his aid, thought he would cross the Del-
a-ware, though it was full of ice, and come on them
when they did not know it.

At four, on the dawn of Christ-mas day, he and
his troops made their way through the ice in the
stream in boats. The cold was great and the men
in their poor clothes felt it a great deal, but still
George Washington. 25

they would not back out, and kept on their way
with brave hearts.

That day our troops put the foe to rout and took
a great deal of spoils in the way of arms and large
guns, for which they stood in great need. Great
was the joy through the land when this news was. °
known. , ai

When the new year came fresh hope sprang up’
in all hearts, for Wash-ing-ton won the fights at
Ben-ning-ton, Still-wa-ter, and Sar-a-to-ga, and in
Oc-to-ber of 1777 all the Brit-ish troops in charge
of Gen-er-al Bur-goyne gave up their arms to Gen-
-er-al Gates. He let them go home when he had _
their pledge that they would not. take up arms in
our war in the years to come. |

That year, when the cold set in, Wash-ing-ton
made a camp with his men in Val-ley Forge, and a
hard time they had of it there. Food was scarce,
and not a man in all his ranks had a good pair of’
shoes on his feet or a whole suit of clothes too his
back. Some had no shoes at all, and when they
went round their feet left stains of blood on the
snow. Yet they all kept their hopes up and still
had faith in Wash-ing-ton. In the spring the camp
in this drear place broke up, and all were glad to
leave it.

Our troops met the foe once more at Mon-mouth
26 Lives of the Presidents.

Court House, and through the fault of Gen-er-al
Lee, who had not done as Wash-ing-ton bade him,
we lost the bat-tle.

In this fight the Mar-quis de La-fay-ette, a young
man from France who had come to our land to fight















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































WASH-ING-TON AT WEST POINT (NEW YoRK)

for our cause, which he knew to be just, got much
praise for the brave stand he made.

In the spring of 1779 Sir Hen-ry Clin-ton, now
the head of the Brit-ish troops, tried to get in his
hands the posts and forts on the line of the
George Washington. 27

Hud-son. He made out to take two when Wash-
ing-ton came up in time to cut him off from the rest.
One of these forts, which was known as Ston-y
Point, was won at the end of along fight. Stores
that were worth a small mint of gold fell into our
hands.

Ben-e-dict Ar-nold
had been put in charge
of the fort at West Point
and some posts on the
line that the Brit-ish
wished to get. He made
up his mind to give them
up to the foe at a price.

With this thought in
view, he soon made a ;
deal with the chief ofthe “7g yg
foe to give up the posts z
and forts for a large sum
of gold. The note to Cb erotel og)
Clin-ton in which he
made his wish known was sent by a young spy,
Ma-jor An-dré, of the Brit-ish troops. On the
way back to his fort An-dré met three men in
the dress of our troops and was made to halt. They
found the lines from Ar-nold in his boots, and
brought him to the camp of our troops. He was


28 Lives of the Presidents.

tried and hung as a spy. Wash-ing-ton felt sad





that he must cut this young man
off in the prime of his life. Yet
he knew he must do it or our ranks
would soon be run down by such
men. But Ben-e-dict Ar-nold had
<@eoi(
major an-pré. haste to a ship and set sail for
En-gland, for he was in fear of his life. His name
is one that all hear with scorn, as a wretch who


George Washington. = 929

would have sold his land into the nands of the
foe. The land to which he fled gave him a
home, but no friends. Let us not speak of him
in the same breath as those brave men who
fought and bled that we might live in the land
of the free.

With the help of the troops of brave French who
had been sent to us through La-fay-ette, Oc-to-ber
19th, 1781, the Brit-ish troops, in charge of Corn-
wal-lis, gave up their arms.to Wash-ing-ton at York-
town. ‘This was a great stroke of luck that no one
could have thought would take place.

It was not long from this time that news was brought
to Wash-ing-ton that it was the wish of our folk
that he should take on him the name and crown
of a King. This might well tempt one fond of
pomp and state, but Wash-ing-ton was not that
kindof aman. He spoke his mind in such strong
words that they did not press a crown on him.

In March of 1783 came the news of peace
through the land, which Wash-ing-ton read with joy
to his troops. Yet he shed tears at the thought
that they must soon leave him. |

Not long from that time Wash-ing-ton gave up
the charge of his troops and said good-by to those
who were his aids inthe war. “I may not come to
each of you and take my leave,” he said with tears
30 Lives of the Presidents.

in his eyes, “but I shall be glad if you each will
come to me-and let me grasp you by the hand.”

Wash-ing-ton now had a wish to go back to his
home at Mount Ver-non, where he could rest from
the toils and cares of
war. He knew that
there was no fear of
the Brit-ish, and that
our land, for the time
=o 2 am fe | at least, was in peace.
2 At Mount Ver-non
=o oli he gave his time up,
: for the most part, to
the care of his farm.
He rose at the break
= of day, as a rule,
and rode through the
iw fields. He wrote a
# creat deal each day
Re to his friends, and
us ae did much hard work |
| “Son his place, which
TOMB OF WASH-ING-TON’S MOTH-ER, he did not find was
in so good a state since the war.

When our men met in Phil-a-del-phi-a in May,
1787, to fix on the laws of the land, Wash-ing-ton
met with them; and the laws then fixed on and put




Tineke Na Saat wee
N



TIM

aM






a!

George Washington. 31

in force are much the same as those we use to-day.
Then Wash-ing-ton was at once thought of as the
right man for Pres-i-dent. You know the way we
choose a Pres-i-dent in this land is by votes. All
men do not think the same way or hold the same
views, so there have been at all times two or more
bands of men who chose whom they would have
for Pres-i-dent
and Vice-Pres- } —=====3s
ident. Thelk
side that gets
the most votes
wins the day, of
course. In our
day these two
bands of men
are known as
Dem-o-crats
and Re-pub-li-
cans. In years
past the last were known by the name of Whigs at
one time. Wash-ing-ton did not wish, at his age
(near three-score), to take a place of such great care
and trust, but he was led to do so at last. On his
way to take this high place he was hailed with joy
by all. The bells rang out glad peals from the
church spires of the towns through which he passed,





WASH-ING-TON’S JOUR-NEY
39 Lives of the Presidents.

and young girls clad in white strewed his path with
sweet buds and bloom, and wreaths were hung and
flags flung out to the breeze, and the cries of crowds
rent the air.

While Pres-i-dent
Wash-ing-ton lived in
a plain way (for pomp
| and show were not to
his taste), he was
prompt in his ways,

‘| and did all things by
mA tule. He was kind to
those who served him,
but strict, and would
not let them slight
their work. When
one of his clerks who
came late each day
gave aS a cause more
than once that his
watch was slow, he
said to him: ‘ Well,

IN-STALL-A-TION OF WASH-ING-TON, you must get a new
watch, or I must get a new clerk.”

The In-dians once more stirred up war and Wash-
ing-ton sent out a small force to bring them to terms.
He served two terms, but would not take a third.


George Washington. 33

Wash-ing-ton spent the last years of his life in
peace at home. A-mer-i-ca could ask no more
from his hands— his
work was done. His
arm had been the one
to save her in the dark
hours that came -ere the
dawn that made us free,
and now he must have
rest. On the 12th day
of De-cem-ber, 1799, he
went out to take a ride.
At noon the snow fell
and the rain, but he
went his rounds just the
same, in spite of it. He
had felt ere he went on
this ride that his throat
was sore, and no doubt
he caught more cold as
he made his rounds
through the storm. He
had to take to his bed, ;
and it was with great corns.
pain that he could breathe. All known cures
were tried, but in vain. The end was near. At
ten in the night they gave up all hope, and his


34 | Lives of the Presidents.

wife was brought to the couch where the brave
man lay in pain. He tried to speak once or twice,
but did not have
the strength. At
length he said, in
a low voice that
| was full of hope
.for the life to
come, “’Tis well,
tis well!” These
were his last
words. What a
ee = wail went up from
WASH-ING-TON’S MON-U-MENT IN NEW YORK. far and near when
the sad news was known. More than one strong
man cried like a child. The Old World and the
New heard of his death with grief. They felt that
a great man was lost to the world when that brave
heart had ceased to beat. Huis name is held dear
to this day in the hearts of all who live in the land
he loved. His birth-day has been kept each year
since he died, and throngs have gone to look at his
tomb at Mount Ver-non, and felt it to be a boon
to stand by the spot where the great man lies.
As we have said, Wash-ing-ton did not think it
wise to serve for a third term. There is no doubt
that this course led Jef-fer-son and the rest who


























George Washington. 35

came af-ter him, to feel that it was best to walk in
his steps and serve but for eight years. So that
now we have grown to look on two terms as all that
a Pres-i-dent should hope for at the hands of his
friends.

When Gen-er-al Grant, at the close of the war in
which he had won so much fame, was placed at the
head of the land, he served two terms. “There was
some talk of a third. His friends felt that they
could not do too much to show their love and pride
in the man who had led our troops so well and put
an end to the sad war. But there was a cry raised
by the press that though it was not down in the law
of the land, yet it was a fixed fact that no one had
ruled for more than eight years, and no one should
hope to do so. So the friends of Grant feared to
bring his name out, though they were in such force
they might have won the day. There were some
well known names kept back till it was seen that
Grant would not be named. Gar-field’s was one,
and it was at last voted on and won the first place.
CHAPTER II.
JOHN ADAMS.
1797 to I8ol.

Joun Ap-ams, our next Pres-i-dent, was born
on a farm in Brain-tree, Mas-sa-chu-setts, near
Bos-ton, in 1735, and. was the son of one who
tilled the ground for his bread. The first thing
John was taught was how to care for the fields
and feed and take charge of the beasts on the
farm.

In the cold months of the year, he was sent to
the old school-house near by, to learn to read and
write. From the start he showed signs that
there was in him what goes to make up a great
man.

He went through MHar-vard Col-lege, and
worked for what he lived on, as he read law for two
years or more at a school near Wor-ces-ter. The
pay was poor and not what a young man could live
on in our times, but he was glad to get it, as it
helped him to reach his aim in life. 7

It had been his first wish to learn how to

38 | Lives of the Presidents.

preach the Word of God, but he found he could

not put his heart in the creed that was then in use.
He went into the Bar in 1758, but still lived
at home on the farm at Brain-tree. He is said to









HAR-VARD COL-LEGE, AT CAM-BRIDGE, MASS-A-CHU-SETTS

have been a man of great mind and _ bright
thoughts; to have had a clear voice, sweet and
strong, and his speech was full of grace.

He showed then that he was to be a man who
John Adams. 39

could lead and rule, and his words were sure to
move all who heard him speak.

When the “Stamp Act” passed in 1764, he took
his first real turn at the laws of the land, and when
a mass of folks from his town met to talk of this Act,























THE STAMP ACT.

he made a speech, and sent to those at the head
of his State his views on it. He first put his
thoughts into print a year from that time, when he
brought out a work on law that gained him much
_ praise, if not gold. .

The same year the men in Bos-ton bade him,
s

40 Lives of the Presidents.

with the help of two more friends, to get up a plea
to the head of the State, in which they asked that
the courts of the law, which had been closed, should
be once more made free to all.

In three years he moved from his old home to
Bos-ton, where he soon gained a large sum by his

/ work in law, which grew each
year that he was there.

He was soon known as one
of the most famed in law of
his time and his help was
asked for when a grave case
. came up in the courts.

When the Brit-ish fired on
the mob at Bos-ton in 1770,
- he took his stand and put the
‘case in a fair way, that the
folks in their blind rage could
LIB-ER-TY TREE (BOS-TON COM- not judge with cool minds,

MON). From that time he was the
one to whom all the heads of our land looked for
aid in the dark days of the war. He showed them
on all law points just what it was safe to do and
how to put the law in force.

Mr. Ad-ams was one of the five men sent from
his State to the. first Con-gress. He plunged

at once in the black stream of the Rev-o-lu-tion.


John Adams. 41

He had no fears for his own life, and was filled
with a wish to aid his land in her hour of war.

To his friend he said at this time, ‘‘ The die
is now cast. I have passed the point from which I
may not turn
back. Sink or
swim, live or
die, I care not.
It is still my
wish to go
straight on to
the goal of my
hopes.”

In Con-gress 3
he held full
sway, and at his
rule no one
dared to raise a
voice. They
knew too well *
the man with “==
whom they had IN-DE-PEND-ENCE HALL IN PHIL-A-DEL-PHIA, WHERE TH
to deal, and that FIRST CON-GRESS WAS HELD.
they were not so strong as he in mind and thought,
so they gave way to him. —

It was not long ere he was raised to the head of
that great band of great men, and we are told he


42 Lives of the Presidents.

proved just as wise and shrewd a man as his friends
had hoped.

He wrote much for the press in these two years.
His works were for the most part on the rights of
our land. He was the first man in Con-gress to
ask that George Wash-ing-ton be placed at the head



IN-TE-RI-OR OF IN-DE-PEND-ENCE HALL IN 1876.

of our troops. He served for still a year more in
Con-gress, and had a bill passed which gave the
States self rule, and was one of the first to help get
up the Dec-la-ration of In-de-pend-ence, and to
sign it. It was his help more than that of those
who worked with him that passed it, for there were
Sohn Adams. 43

some men who tried to balk him in it and have the
scheme thrown out. Jef-fer-son gave him all the
praise for it, and said that had it not been for him
the Dec-la-ra-tion would not have been signed.
Two years from this time he was one to form a

Iudisgd lash a theecded port against France ond Grek
Aritain fie i thoreus & dg spans bead avilhs Hotty Shs Jonerance, fhe
Cowan dle, Jreacheny of ker Conduck Of the Wer against Gthada,
This Indepnation Wor muck Unereesed by her duzracting 7 rtakomond-
of. our Tropes through, tie whole Har.

Iu (166 and L7G) upon lhe frst Afar ance of fhe Detdgn
of Great Prtkaun ts clefrr ter Us of tur Lear, ty Cs nting Ye
Souvwragn Mhority fOarhivrent Over la, Flock a dicted Sart
against her, cmd have hersevered for Tfy fear Years wn pias org
and Pesestemy bi dernoat of my power wong SnLanee of far Ingicatics,
Ond axbetrary Cater Towards tts, Jam hv wah much Fa speck

your humble Sexognk

Soha Adams
new set of laws for his own State of Mas-sa-chu-
setts. He was sent to France to get up a law that
would leave their ports and those of En-gland free
for our goods. He had the luck to have his bill
signed, though he had to work hard for it, and then
came home, where he was met with joy by the
44 Lives of the Presidents.

friends who had hoped long for the news he
brought them. .

When Wash-ing-ton was made Pres-i-dent,
Ad-ams was picked out as the best man in all the
land as his chief aid in the rule of the States,
and when Wash-ing-ton gained the chair for the
next term of four years, Ad-ams took the same
place once more. |

In 1796 Mr. Ad-ams was made Pres-i-dent, as he
got the most votes that were cast. Jef-fer-son was
the one who ran with him for the place and lost it
by but three votes. He was then made Vice-Pres-
ident. Ad-ams kept all the aids that Wash-ing-
ton had and made no change, though some of
‘these did not suit his mind. It was not till three
years from that time that he took John Mar-shall
on his staff to look to the laws of the States.

When Ad-ams ran once more for the Pres-i-
~ den-cy he lost it by eight votes, and Thom-as Jef-
fer-son took the chair to rule forfour years. From
the time that Ad-ams left his place as head of our
land it seemed as if all his old friends turned from
him, and that foes new and old seemed to spring up
for him onall sides. The law that he had passed to
seize and keep out of our States all who came here
from strange lands made him foes. Those who
had once been. stirred by the sound of his voice
John Adams. 45

turned from him. His name had no weight in the
land. It could not move the minds of the crowd
who once had been proud of him.

At his home he wrote a book of his life, but he
did not live to write the last of it. His death was
at Quin-cy, Mas-sa-chu-setts, on the 4th of July,
1826, which, strange to say, was the same day that
Jef-fer-son went to meet his God.

Ere Ad-ams died he had the good luck to see
his son take his place as the head of the land in the
chair he had once held.















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































WHITE HOUSE, WASH-ING-TON.
CHAPTER III.
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
1801 to 1809.

Tuom-as JEF-FER-son, who was our third. Pres-i-
dent, was born at Shad-well, Vir-gin-1-a, in 1743.
Though said to have had, as a boy, no grace of face
or form, he still gave hopes that at some time /he
would be a great man, for he was quite apt to learn.
At nine he was quite well read, and knew some
Greek. Eight years from that time he went in-to a
high class at William and Ma-ry Col-lege.

Here he spent most of his time in hard work, and
would read up in his books for the whole day and
at times far in the small hours of the night. He
soon knew the speech of all lands of his day, and
got much praise from those who taught him.

While at this school he was a friend to Pat-rick
Hen-ry, who was known in time as one who could
sway the hearts of men with his words. He spoke
in a grand way when our first war broke out and
did much to stir up all that was brave in our land.

In time, Jef-fer-son had a five years’ course at law,

48 Lives of the Presidents.

and was one of the Bar. He soon let all know of
what good stuff he was made. His fees were large,
and in a year he made friends right and left. In
1760 he heard Pat-rick Hen-ry’s great speech on
the “Stamp Act.” Two years from that time he
took his seat in Con-gress, and step by step
he rose to be a great man in the land. He had
so fine a mind that he soon took the lead of all
in that great band. He swayed the minds of
all in the most grave things that came up,
and showed that he was wise. It was he who
- helped draw up the Dec-la-ra-tion of In-de-pend-
ence that made us free. It was the fruit of his
great mind and thought, and his name would live
for that if he had not done a thing more for ou:
land. Some months from the time he made the
draft of this great scroll, he left Con-gress to take a
part in the acts of his own State, and for two years
and a half he gave up his time to fix on a safe plan
her laws and rules, so that they would be more just
and kind to all men.

When the men of his State saw what he had
done to help them, they made him, in 1779, the

Gov-ern-or of Vir-gin-i-a. He came to the chair @

next to his old friend, Pat-rick Hen-ry, and he held
it through those dark days of the war when all
hearts were full of pain and fear. He did much to*
Loy Zujpehinee
ee


50 Lives of the Presidents.

raise the hopes of all and was a kind and just man
to those who sought his help in the hour of need.

You may well think that in this “time that tried
men’s souls” he had his hands full of work. To
watch those of his own State who had gone to
the war, to care for those at home, and to keep
the In-dians back when they sought to prey on
those who had to live on the edge of the State.
All this he had to do, and more. Yet in all that
he tried he won in the end. He stopped the raids
of his foes, and saw that no one who was born in
the State should come to want through the war.

Jef-fer-son was Pres-i-dent eight years, and would
not take a new term as the head of his State, though
it was the wish of all that he should. He gave
as his views that they were in need of a man just
at that time who had more skill in the art of war
than he, one who knew more how to guard their
lands when dark days should come. Two days
from the time that he left his seat his home and
farm were laid waste by the foe, and he and his wife
had scarce time to flee to a safe place.

For twelve days the State had no head, and the
men that had met with the view to name one who
should take Jef-fer-son’s place had to fly from the
foe that came in a swarm from west and north.

Some years la-ter Jef-fer-son was twice sent to
Lives of the Preszdents. 51

France to try and make terms of peace for our land
and En-gland, and at last got them to pass a bill
in which they said they would look on our land as
ites. ce

This was a great thing for us to gain, and Jef-fer-
son had much praise for what he had done to bring

it round. In Con-gress
that year he brought a bill
which was put in force.
This gave us a coin of our:
own make in place of that
made by the En-glish, which
had till then been in use.

Jef-fer-son had been
one of Wash-ing-ton’s aids
*-vhen he was made Pres-1-
dent, and had charge of
the States. He had not
been long in this place
ere Ham-il-ton, whose work
was to take care how the
coin was made for the land,
got in a broil of words with Jef-fer-son. This in
time grew to be a strong feud ’twixt the two men.
From what we can learn it was not the fault of Jef-
fer-son, for he was a man known to be sweet and
kind to his friends. It all came from the fact that


52 Thomas Jefferson.

he did not hold the same views as Ham-il-ton on
some points in the State laws. Ham-il-ton thought
all was done to spite him.

Time went on, and, slow but sure, the breach
grew wide ‘twixt these men, who should have been
_ friends. Then folks took sides with the two men,
and they were known. as Re-pub-li-cans and Fed-
e-ral-ists. These two bands live to this day, with
much the same names. Re-pub-li-cans then are
Dem-o-crats now, and the then Fed-e-ral-ists are
the Re-pub-li-cans now. .

When En-gland had a war with France, Jef-fer-
son wished to lend aid to the French, but Ham-
il-ton thought it best for our land not to take sides,
so there were some storms of words from both.
There were two news sheets put in print each day,
one on the side of Ham-il-ton, and one for Jef-fer-son.

Lou-is-l-an-a was bought in the time of Jef-fer-
son, and our fleets won the day in the sea of the Med-
i-ter-ra-ne-an. Peace was made with Mo-roc-co and
Trip-o-li, and they were forced from that time to
treat all men from this land in the right way, and
not seize them and their goods as they had done.

Jef-fer-son was Pres-i-dent for eight years—that is,
two terms. When votes were cast for him, Aar-on
Burr and he had the same sum of votes, so Burr
was made Vice Pres-i-dent. Aar-on Burr was a
Lives of the Prescdents. 53

man of great gifts and a fine mind, but he had weak
points that led him wrong. He fought and killed
Ham-il-ton in July, 1804. This act ‘stirred up the
rage of the folk so ae he had to fly from their wrath.

He took up a wild scheme to make a grand stir in!
the world. His plan was to found a sort of throne in
Mex-i-co, where he should
rule with more pomp
and state thanaking. To
help this plan he made
friends of a rich man
named Blen-ner-has-set
and his wife, and they
gave him a great part of
their wealth to aid his
wild dream. He meant,
it was said, to bring
\ States south and west in
to his realm. For this
they took him and tried
him at Rich-mond in
1807, but did not prove
the charge and let him go. He went to Lon-don
and lived there as a poor man for a time; then he
came back to New York and took up the law once
more, but his day was done, and he died a poor
man.


54 Thomas Jefferson.

Jef-fer-son held to State Rights with all his
might, but in the late years of his life he said that
there were times when the Gov-ern-ment “should
show its teeth.” One thing took place while Jef-
fer-son held the chair of state, and. that was when
the first steam-boat was made, by Rob-ert Ful-ton.
We had had all kinds of ships, but none that went
by steam, and all were glad that a means had been
found to use that great force.

The first boat built to go by this
means did not look at all like those
we have in use on the streams and
lakes of our times. It could not
go near so fast—not more than five
miles per hour when at its best
speed. Ful-ton did not find his
task a light one to prove that steam |
was the best thing with which — ®0 #8? Fuz-tow.
to move a boat. The folks had a mind to scoff
and jeer at his plans, and it was not till his boat,
the Cler-mont, was tried, that they felt what a great
work he had done. The trip of the Cler-mont up
the Hud-son made a good deal of stir, as it
passed in a cloud of smoke and sparks up the
stream. Men were scared when they first saw
it pass, but they soon learned the good work that
steam might do.


Lives of the Presidents. 55

When Jef-fer-son was at the head of his State he
sought to do three things: first, to put an end to
the slave trade; next, to have lands left to all the heirs
of a house, and not to the first-born son; and third,
to let all men have a right to serve God in their
own way. In the great school that he built he















































































FUL-TON’S CLER-MONT ween
thought it best to ¢vus¢ the young men and not to
spy on them. He did not hold strict views of faith,
and was a man of free thought, though he had trust
in Christ. He was for free trade to the end of his
life. He held that a man that could not read or
write should not have a vote, as he thought the land
should be ruled by wise men. Books were at all
56 Thomas Jefferson.

times his friends, and he was fond of Greek verse.
In his home he was loved by young and old. He
had a warm heart and a cool head. He was so
poor at one time that he had to sell his books.
Con-gress bought them and took them to Wash-
ing-ton. There were such loads of them that it.
took days to take them to their new home.

Jef-fer-son was a man of plain tastes and wore
' plain clothes. He did not care for pomp and state,
and had no taste for names of rank. He was kind
to all who came to speak with him. He held that
it was wrong to keep slaves. In his home at Mon-
ti-cel-lo, to which he went when he left the White
House, he kept a free house where he was glad to
meet all his friends and give them the best he had.
His wife had brought him much wealth in land and
slaves, but he died poor, for he dealt it all out with
a free hand. When he was four-score years old he
was still strong and could ride on a horse ten miles
a day. The time drew near for his strength to fail,
but his mind was clear. He grew more weak, and
said, as he lay on his bed, that the scenes of the
Rev-o-lu-tion came to him from time to time. He
said he felt no fear of the end. “Iam like an old
watch,” he said, ‘‘a spring is worn out here—a wheel
there, and it can not go long.” |

“This is the 4th?” he said to.a friend who sat by
Lives of the Presidents. 37

his bed. The friend bent his head. “Ah!” said
Jeffer-son, and a glad look came to his face.

He died on the 4th of Ju-ly, 1826, and on that
same day one more great man passed from this life
in the State of Mas-sa-chu-setts. This was John
Ad-ams, whose son was Pres-i-dent.

A rough sketch was
left by Jef-fer-son of a
stone to mark his grave.
He wished men to
know that he had
formed the Dec-la-ra-
tion of In-de-pend-ence.
He was the one who
built the U-ni-ver-si-ty
of Vir-gin-i-a, a great
school for young men,
which stands to this
day. He was so poor
e when he died that all
STAT-UE OF Cree IN FRONT OF THE his lands were sold in a

WHITE HOUSE, WASH-ING-TON. short time, and the
ground where he was laid went with the rest. Next
to Wash-ing-ton, he is said to have been the best
chief of a free land that the world has known.


CHAPTER IV.
JAMES MADISON.
1809 to 1817.

James Map-1-son had more votes than €. C.
_ Pinck-ney,and so he was our fourth Pres-i-dent. He’
was born in Vir-gin-1-a in 1751. While he was yet
a boy in years he went: to school at Prince-ton Col-
lege, New Jer-sey, which stands to this day. When
he left school he took up the law, and in five years
was made one of the first in his State. He lost
his place on the next vote, for he would not buy up
those who could place him in the chair. Two years
from that time he was sent to Wash-ing-ton, and
soon took a lead in the laws of our land, and grew
to be one of the great men of his day, feared by his
foes and loved by all who had the good of the
States at heart.

He, too, made one of that brave band of men
who met to make up the “ Dec-la-ra-tion of In-de-
pend-ence,” and did much to bring it out. His
voice and pen gave their aid to put it through, and
much praise is due him for his work in this cause.

He was the right hand man of Pres-i-dent Jef-
*


60 Lives of the Presidents.

fer-son, who made him Sec-re-ta-ry of State, and he
served in this place for a term of eight years, and
all said that he did well while there.

In 1809 he was made Pres-i-dent, and soon from
the time he went in he made a tour of all the posts
from east’ to west and south and north, to see if
they were strong in case there should be a new war
in the land.

When he came in he found that our land was not
pleased with En-gland. The cause of this was that
En-gland would stop our ships on the sea and search
them, which they thought was not just. So at last
war once more broke out, and at first all went wrong
with us. The red men took sides with the foe, and
a great chief of theirs of the name of Te-cum-seh
tried to form a plan to join all the In-dians in a war
on the whites. He was a brave man and fought
hard in the fight, but at last he fell, and with him
his cause.

Though we did not win much on the land, we
had good luck in all our fights on the sea. It was
in one of these fights that the words “ Don't give
up the ship” were first heard, from the lips of one
soe got his death wound on the deck of his
ship.

In one of the great sea fights we had nine ships
on our side, and there were six on that of the foe.
James Madzson. 61

We fought so well that it was not long ere the Brit-
ish lost all their ships. When it was a sure thing
that we had won, Per-ry, who led our ships, wrote
home, ‘‘ We have met the foe and they are ours.”
There was war now for three years, and in the
last year of it the Brit-ish took some of our towns
on the south coast and marched to Wash-ing-ton.
Mad-i-son and his aids had been on the field
of war all day,
and when they
saw there was
no chance for
them, they rode |
back to Wash-
ing-ton to save
all they could.
Mrs. Mad-1-
son had a cart 2
load of things FLIGHT FROM WASH-ING-TON.
packed up to go off with when she thought of the
great por-trait of Wash-ing-ton which hung on one
of the walls of the Pres-i-dent’s room. The frame
was too large to take down, so the shrewd la-dy cut
the can-vas from its frame and took it with her in
safe-ty. The En-glish troops came in and set fire to
the Pres-i-dent’s house and the State House, and in
fact to all the town.


62 Lives of the Presidents.

They next went to Bal-ti-more to take that city,
but were forced to leave with great loss. Fort Mc-
Hen-ry guards the cit-y. Fran-cis Scott Key had
gone on board one of the ships with a flag of truce
to see if the En-glish would let off some men tak-en
at Wash-ing-ton. He was kept on the En-glish ship
while the fight went on. When it stopped at night
Key had to wait till dawn to see if the flag was still
‘on the fort. On the deck of that ship, where he



























































































































































































































































































































































FORT MC-HEN-RY.

passed the night with no thought of sleep, he made
up the song of “The Star Span-gled Ban-ner,” since
one of our great songs, and which should be known
by all the boys and girls in the land.

‘Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Oh, say, does the star spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?”

They tried to make a raid on New Or-leans, but
Gen-er-al Jack-son, who had charge of the town,
James Madzson. 63

built up miles of breast-works with bales and fought
back of them with his men, so that the foe could
not get near the place, though they tried hard to
do so.

This was the last fight that took place in this war,
and when peace was made both sides were glad of
it. Peace was signed at Ghent, De-cem-ber 24,
1814. From that day En-gland has had no right
to make a search in our ships, and we have been at
peace.

Mad-i-son, when his first term of four years as
the head of our land was through, was put in the
chair for four years more, so much was he liked by
all. In this last term Mad-i-son gave his seal to a
Bill which gave the right to form a great bank for
the whole land, to last a score of years.

On the fourth of March of 1817 he went back to
his home for rest and peace from the hard work he
had gone through. But it was not long ere he was
heard once more in the halls of the law. In 1829
he was one who had in charge the change that was

‘to be made in the code of laws for the whole land.

He died at his home in Mont-pe-lier, in Vir-

gin-i-a, June 28, in the year 1836.
CHAPTER V.

JAMES MONROE.
Lomi? tO: 1:8 2's.

James Mon-rog, the fifth Pres-i-dent of our jand,
was born in West-more-land coun-ty, Vir-gin-i-a, in
the year 1758. Hisfa-ther held large tracts of land
in that part of the State, where he grew all kinds of
grain and herbs that are found in the South, and
was a man of some wealth. As he had means he
gave his son James a good chance to learn at school,
so that he did not have to work and teach while
there to make what he lived on.

When war broke out in 1776, Mon-roe, though
not much more than a boy in years, joined our
troops at the first call “to arms!” and at once
proved what was in him.

He was a brave youth, and it was not long ere
Wash-ing-ton made him the head of a part of his
troops for the good work he had done in the fight.
Mon-roe fought at White Plains and Har-lem
Heights, and was much praised for his share in
what was done there.

60 Lives of the Presidents.

When the great fight took place at Tren-ton he
got his first wound from a spent ball that laid him
up for some time. For his brave acts he was raised
to a still more high place in the charge of our
troops.

At the famed fights of Mon-mouth and Brandy-
wine he still held his place as one of the most brave
men that went out to fight for our just cause. He
_ was at all times the first man to lead the way to the
foe and the last to give up all hope and flee when
the tide of war turned the wrong way.

Two years from the time he took up arms to save
his land, he tired of the noise of war and the clash
of arms, went back once more to his old life and to
learn law with Thom-as Jef-fer-son.

He got on well from the start, and it was but a
few years from the time he made his start in this
new line that we hear of him as one of the first in
the land. At his State con-ven-tion he would not
give his aid to pass the laws, which he said gave
too much strength into the hands of the Gov-ern-
ment. Since he took this view of the case he joined
a band of men who held much the same views as
the Re-pub-li-can par-ty of our own times.

In 1790 he was made Sen-a-tor for a term of four
years. At the end of this time he went to France
to look out for our rights there, but he was called
James Monroe. 67

back in two years from his work. This was done,
it is said, from the fact that he took a part with the
Re-pub-li-cans in France, and did not tend to that
which he had been charged with by our land.

When he came back he was made the head of
the State of Vir-gin-i-a, and served as such for three
years. He was then sent to France once more, to
buy the State of Lou-i-si-a-na from the hands of the
French. 7

He bought this vast tract of land from Na-po-
le-on for the sum of $15,000,000, which was a small
price for such a large place, though it was in a
rough, wild state at that time.

Mon-roe was sent twice to Spain and to En-gland.
He then went back to the place of his home life,
_ for he could say with truth that he had well earned
a time of rest.

It was not long ere he was called to take part
once more in the stir and noise of the times. He
was made Gov-ern-or of Vir-gin-i-a, then one of the
first aids to Pres-i-dent Mad-i-son, and at last, to
crown all, he was named for Pres-i-dent by the
Dem-o-crats and got the most votes, which gave
him the first place, by the laws of our land. |

His rule was much like that of the man whose
place he took, and it must be said that his task was
not so hard as some who had held the chair. Peace
68 ; Lives of the Presidents.

had come to us, the storm of war was heard ne
more, the roar of guns was dead. The corn and

ass had sprung up on the graves of our men who
were slain in the fight, and birds sang once more
where shot and shells had brought death.

The first thing
Mon-roe did was
to pay off the
great debt which
the war had
brought on, and
it was not long
ere he had paid
up toacent what
was due, and
wiped the claim
out. When this
was done, our
trade at once
grew in size and
our ships with E-RIE CA-NAL (MO-HAWK VAL-LEY).
loads of goods were seen once more to dot the
sea with their white sails. The hopes of all seemed
to rise. The land smiled with fields of grain, and
the wheels of our mills were at work both day and
night. .

It had been a hard thing at all times to get this










































































































































































James Monroe. 69

grain and things from the towns and farms far from
_ the streams or the sea.to where it could be sold.
For this rea-son a long place like a trench was dug
all the way from Buf-fa-lo to Al-ba-ny, so that the
Hud-son could fill it, and by this means boats could
go back and forth from this place to that, with their
loads in a much more short way than by land. The
first rail-road was built, too, at this time, for the same
cause.

This year the In-dians in the South grew fierce
and went in for war. Joined by some blacks they
tried to rob and burn the homes of our folks in the
wild parts of the States. Gen-er-al Jack-son, at
length, with the aid of a small force of troops, made
his way into their midst and forced them to lay
down their arms and come to his terms.

Two En-glishemen whom Gen-er-al Jack-son
thought had tried to stir up the In-dians to fight,
were hung by him, and though his foes sought to
bring shame on him for this act, Mon-roe said he
had done right.

A-bout this time the King of Spain gave Flor-
i-da to us, and we in turn gave up Tex-as and paid
a large sum to the A-mer-i-cans there for what they
had been robbed of by Spain.

Mis-sis-sip-pi, Al-a-bam-a, Maine and II-li-nois
were made States in Mon-roe’s term, and Ar-kan-
7° Lives of the Presidents.

sas Ter-ri-to-ry was named. Mis-sou-ri was made
a State late in the year 1817. This was when the
famed Bill, the Mis-sou-ri Com-pro-mise, came up.
The great point was that no one should hold slaves
init when a State. This the South did not like,
and fought, not with arms but by a war of words, to
‘make it a slave State, for they feared the North
would get too strong if they had all their own way.
At last Con-gress let Mis-sou-ri come in as a slave
State, but made a law that a line should be drawn
in the land, and that north of this line no one should
hold slaves.

There were but a few slaves held at this time, but

the trade grew and grew till all States south of this
line held them.
_ All were pleased by the way Mon-roe served as
head of the land, and when the votes were cast in
1820 they chose him for a term of four years more
to fill the chair and hold the reins of the States’
laws.

Two years from this some States in South A-mer-
i-ca said they would not bear the yoke of strange
lands, that they would be free. The U-nit-ed
States took part with them in this, and held the
same views—that they should form a Re-pub-lic of
their own.

Mon-roe said in 1823 that they should be looked
James Monroe. 71

on as such, and that A-mer-i-ca should not bear the
yoke the lands in the Old World sought to place on
them. ‘This view which he took was known from
that day to this as the Mox-voe Doc-trine.

In 1825 Mon-roe left the cares of the State aaa
sought rest and peace in home life at Oak Hill,
Vir-gin-i-a. He died on the Fourth of Ju-ly, 1831,
in New York, and left a name that may well be
placed by that of Wash-ing-ton and Jef-fer-son as
one who worked well for the good of his land and
fought the brave fight 1n her hour of need.



IN-DIAN WAR-RIORS.
CHAPTER VI.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS,
1825 to 18209.

On Ju-ly 11, 1767, in Brain-tree, Mass-a-chu-
setts, where the town of Quin-cy now stands, was
born John Quin-cy Ad-ams. Two streams of the
best blood in the land ran in the veins of the child,
and it was not strange that in time to come he grew
to be a great man.

He had one of the best starts in life that a boy
could have. All of his race were brave and wise,
and came of the best stock to be found through all
the length and breadth of the States. He was the
son of the great John Ad-ams, who took the chair
next to Wash-ing-ton. The war with En-gland held
full sway when he was a boy, and the first sound
his ears heard was the roar of guns, and he saw
the smoke of the fight, for the town where they had
their home at one time was quite in the seat of war.

When he was a boy of some nine years of age, he
would ride by post to the scene of the fight and
bring what news there was to his folks at home.







74 Lives of the Presidents. |

You may know that as the war went on so near
his home he did not have much of a chance to go to
school, but he was apt to learn, and heard and saw
much that in the years to come was of just as much
use to him, if not more, as that which he might -
have read in books.

When he was not much more than ten years of
age he went to France to school, and we are told
_ that he wrote of his trip and what took place there
down in a book, so that when he grew old he might
look back and see what he did when a boy.

Though he spent his school life in the most gay
town of France, yet he did not fall in-to bad ways,
as most boys would have done who found they were
their own lords in a strange land. :

When he came back to his own home once more,
he was much the same boy who had gone from
there some few years since. He had not changed |
in the life he had led in strange lands, his heart was
still bound up in his dear old home and those who
lived there.

He at once read up when he got home all the
books that fell in his way, and in a short time had
stored his mind so that he couid go to Har-vard
Col-lege, where he went through each course by the
year 1787. He made up his mind, when through
school, to take up law and make it the work of his
John Quincy Adams. 7%

life, so it is not long from this time that we find him
at this in Bos-ton.

He soon wrote screeds for the news sheets of the
day, which gave him some fame, so that men would
talk of his name and ask who he was,

Some of the things which he wrote had_for their
aim Tom Paine, who wrote a book in which he
sought to prove that there was no God, and that
the Church was wrong. In 1794 he was sent oer
the sea to stand for the rights of our folks in the
land of the Dutch. He staid there for some time
and was then sent to Port-u-gal for the same good
work, and thence to Ber-lin, where he found there
was much to be done.

It was his chief work while here to bring round
peace be-tween Prus-sia and his own land, and when
this was done he came back home and took up law
at the old place where he got his first real start in life.

In 1802 he was sent to the Sen-ate, which at that
time was much sought for by men of brains and
mind, for it led to some things that were worth
while as an aim in life.

While here he had a Shane to show of what
good stuff he was made, for he was down on all
bills that he thought might bear down too hard on
the poor in the land, which were brought in bya
few men who hoped to get rich.
76 Lives of the Presidents.

As he was such a good man who dared to do
right, of course there were some bad men who tried
to do him harm when they got a chance, but he
fought them down one by one.

He was once more sent to Rus-sia to act for our
land there, but he came back in a short time.

When he came home it was to take a high place
in the State, near the new Pres-i-dent, James Mon-
. roe. He went to Wash-ing-ton to live, which at
that time was but a group of hous-es on a waste of
sand. It was a great change for him to be raised
to such a high place in the laws of his land, but
he stood the test well, and his foes could not but
say that he was the right man in the right place.

Four names were put up for Pres-i-dent at this
time: J. Q. Ad-ams for the East, W. W. Craw-
ford in the South, An-drew Jack-son and Hen-ry
Clay, West. On March 4, 1825, he was made
Pres-i-dent, and J. C. Cal-houn Vice Pres-i-dent.
Hen-ry Clay had the charge of the funds. One of
the great things that took place while he was in was
the first rail-road that was built. It was but three
miles in length, and the cars were drawn by a horse,
not steam.

The first stearn car, when it came in use from En-
gland, was a poor sort of a thing. It could not go
fast, and at first it used to scare off the cows and sheep
John Quincy Adams. 77

on the farms it went by, and those who lived near
the track thought their last hour had come for sure,
though in time they did not mind it at all. Ca-nals
were made in New York at this time.

Hen-ry Clay, who had a
high place in the time of J.
Q. Ad-ams, was born in Vir-
gin-i-a, and was a poor boy.
He went to a small log school-
house to learn his first tasks,
but he rose to be one of the
firstintheland. He spoke with
such strength and force, as well
as grace, that he could sway
the minds of all men. He
used to learn by heart what
he read when a boy and speak it, and he thought
that was one way in which he had gained so much
ease. He says: “I made more than one off-hand
speech in the corn fields or in the woods, where but
an ox or horse could hear me.”

It was said of Clay that on his tomb one might
write these words:

“Here lies one who led men for years by the
mere force of his mind, yet who was not known to
swerve from the truth or call in lies to help him.”

In the strife of North and South on slave laws,



HEN-RY CLAY.
(o Lives of the Presidents.

Hen-ry Clay made more than one great speech to
try and keep the peace. |

De Witt Clin-ton, who in 1812 had run for Pres-
ident against Mad-i-son, was
one of the great men of his age.
He was Chief of the State of
New York, and took great
thought on the E-rie Ca-nal,
and did much to make it a thing
of fact. It was a great thing
for the whole U-nion when the
boats found they could reach the
o-cean through the State. _Clin-
ton was brought in a barge down

Re Wi -EPINTONS > « trom’ Lake Terie tote: Cit yor
New York, and had with him a pail of lake wa-ter,
which was thrown into the sea, and it was said to be
the “wed-ding of the Lakes and the O-cean.”

It was while Ad-ams was in the chair that there
was much talk of a tax that was to be put on all
goods that were brought here from far lands, and we
hear a good deal of it to this day. There were some
who thought it was wrong, and some who thought
it the best thing. Ad-ams went in for a high tax,
which was the first cause why he did not hold the
chair for more than one term. —

He once more had a high place in 1830, when he


Sohn Quincy Adams. 79

‘was sent from his State to Wash-ing-ton. He died
at his home in Quin-cy, No-vem-ber 23, 1848. His
last words were: “This is the last of earth—I am

glad !”

































































WED-DING OF THE LAKES AND THE O-CEAN,
CHAPTER VII.
ANDREW JACKSON.
1826 10° 1337.

An-preEw Jack-son was the son of a poor man,
who died when the boy was but a few days old.
His life while he was a child was full of hard work.
He did not care for books, and in those days there
were few that would please a child. When the
war with En-gland broke out he fell at one time
in-to the hands of the foe. He was then a youth
with a will of his own, as he showed when he was
bade to clean some boots. He said it was not the
place of a free-born A-mer-i-can to clean Brit-ish |
boots. He was not meek or mild, and to be told to
do such work made his blood boil. He kept his
word in spite of hard blows, and at last the man
shot him, and he was thrown in jail with a wound.
There he got the small-pox. He knew not where
~ to turn when he came out of jail, for he was poor
and there was no one left to help him. But he
made his way with a brave heart, though he had
more than one fight in his time and could show

82 Lives of the Presidents.

scars that were not won in war. He had a great
hate for En-gland, as he lost those near and dear
to him through the war with that land. He tried
to learn a trade, but at last made up his mind to
take to the law. He was gay, fond of a race ora
cock-fight, and yet he made out to get on in some
way. In our days a boy needs to learn much more
to get to the bar than then,
and it cost less in those
days. A boy who worked on
the farm in the warm months
i could learn as much in thecold
= time of the year as the schools
- could give him. ‘To a young
‘man who wished to rise, the
; first step was to learn law; so
that grew to be the first grand
Geers aim of a boys heart. It is said
Ee ee that Jack-son did not make
much of the law, as he had not the sort of mind to
rise in that line, but he did not choose to be a
drudge on a farm or at a trade.

He went with a friend to the State of Ten-nes-
see in 1788. The class of men who lived there then
were those who first broke the path in the wild
woods, and they were more fond of drink than of
work. They were at all times in strife, and liked










Andrew Jackson. . 33

to go to law. Drink and debt and fight filled the
land. Jack-son had a post in which it was his
task to find out the rights and the wrongs of things
and try and bring in law to set them straight. The
red men, too, were on the war-path, as they did not
wish to give up their land. Jack-son went on his

































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































NEW OR-LEANS.

way, though at times as he rode up and down to do
his work he risked his life, for he made strong foes,
though he won strong friends. He fought in the
war with En-gland and built up the breast-works in
‘New Or-leans from the back of which the men fired
and won the day. He was sent to Wash-ing-ton
84 Lives of the Presidents.

from his State, but he did not care for his life there,
and formed no ties that it was hard to break. It
was said that at that time he was a tall, lank man,
with no grace. His long locks of hair hung down
his face, and his cue in the back was tied with an
eel-skin. His dress was strange, and all his ways
those of a rough man from the back-woods. More
late in life he learned the ways of the best bred
folks in the land. But he felt in such a strong way
on all points and was so rash that when he rose to
speak in the Sen-ate he would choke with rage, so
he did not do much in that line.

He was made Judge of the Court in his own
State, but naught is known of his acts at that time.
He then went home and spent some years in work,
but by no means in peace. He was at all times one
who held out for what he thought his rights, and
this oft led to strife. More than once he called out
the man he thought his foe, and the aim of each
was to kill. In one of these fights Jack-son got a
wound which made him weak for life, and in one
hey had: a. ball- puts in a which he bore for a
score of years.

But when the Creek war came with the red men
and then a war with En-gland, Jack-son showed that,
though he was not good to keep the peace, he had’
the right sort of stuff in him to lead in war. He
Andrew Jackson. 85

cid not want to mind, though, but would be head,
and he showed that he was strong and that he could
bear all kinds of hard work and not give up. He
knew how to sway his men and make them do his
will, and he did not know what it was to tire while
there was aught to be done. The young men of
the State made haste to ‘list with him, and his ranks
were kept well filled. Those who had fought with
him had great tales to tell and were made much of
when they got home. Though he was most strict,
and some thought hard, he did not fear to do what
he thought was right, though all sought to hold him)
back. From the time when he put an end to the
Creek war the fame of Jack-son dates. At New
Or-leans, where the En-glish sought to strike a
great blow, he was on hand, so that they met
with great loss.

While he was Pres-i-dent there were some at the
South who felt that the North had more than its
share of wealth and land. There were more great
mills and more goods made at the North than at
the South. There were some who made a plan to
cut loose and set up a new band of States. They
had all their young men drilled for war, and got
arms and chose a man to lead them. His name
was John C. Cal-houn, and he was to be their first
chief. But Jack-son said: “If a State could go
86 Lives of the Presidents.

out of the U-nion when it chose, our land would
come to naught.’ And he sent troops and ships
of war and put a stop to all that sort of thing in a
short time.

There was a tribe of red men in Flor-i-da who
did not wish to lose their land and give way to the
white man. They fought for a long time in the
swamps of that land. Slaves
who had fled from their homes
were with them. One of the
chiefs had a slave girl for a wife,
and when she went with him to
one of the forts she was seized
and kept as a slave, and the
chief was put in chains. He
made a vow that he would fight
the white man as soon as he was
free. So he led his tribes to

JOHN C. CAIHOUN. war, His name was Os-ce-o-la.

They took him at last, and kept him in one of the
forts till his death. But the war went on for years,
at a great cost of life, till few of that tribe were left
in the land.

When the En-glish left New Or-leans, Jack-son
still kept all the troops up to the mark. He was
thought a hard man, as: he let no fault go, and he
had men shot who left their posts or went home


Andrew Jackson. 87

when they had no leave. But in this, though he
seemed hard he was wise, and he had to keep up
the laws of war. At the same time the one who
was the most hard to rule was Jack-son’s own self.
He was quick to get in to strife, and had more foes
than he could count. But from the time he was
made Pres-i-dent the land
gained strength each year.
Steam-boats came more in
use, and more rail-roads
were built. All were proud
of their Pres-i-dent. They
felt, “he is one of us—he
stands by us—he does not
care for style, but for what
is sound and strong and
good.”

There was muchstrife in
his. time as to a tax on
wool, steel, wine, and a
long list of things. Some OS-CE-O-LA,
thought that it was best for those who made goods
here to have all taxed that were made in strange
lands. |

In Jack-son’s time there was a great bank built
which had the name of the Bank of North A-mer-

i-ca. This was the cause of strife. State banks


88 Lives of the Presidents.

were not liked at that time, as it was thought they
did not deal in a fair way with all sorts of men, but
did the best for their friends. This bank was to be »
for the whole land, and it had large funds. It was
built in Phil-a-del-phi-a. In the first two years it
went far to make things worse than they were. It
took the lead in all sorts of wrong jobs with the
shares, and it plunged the land in hard times.
There was what was called a bank war. Some
! had no faith in that sort

A of bank, and brought
more than one charge to
show that it did not deal
in the right way. There
was a great deal of this
strife through both terms
while Jack-son was Pres-
U-NI-TED STATES BANK. i-dent, but at last the
great bank came to an end, and,crowds of those
who were in high place in the land lost all they had.
Mex-i-co set its slaves free in 1824. Tex-as was
brought in the Un-ion, and through all this term the
growth of the land was great. But as it reached
its end there were strikes and-strife of al! kinds.
The high price of food was the cause of mobs.
Rents, too, were more than the poor men could
_ pay: At one time flour and wheat were seized by


































Andrew Jackson. ; 89

amob. ‘Troops had to be called out to keep the
peace. This was just at the end of Jack-son’s
term. Jack-son took good care of his friends, and
put them in good posts, and to make way for them
moved out six hun-
dred and nine-ty folks
in his time. He went
out with a glad heart,
and set forth at once
for his old home. On
the way he was met
with all the old marks
of love by friends.
He was still a great
strength in the land.
He died June 8, 1845.
He had all the fame
that he could have
dreamed of in his
youth. What he had
set his heart on he 7
had gained. His foes '-DIAN DRESS-ES, WEAP-ONS AND OR-NA-MENTS.
were all brought low. In his last years he joined
the church and died at peace with all men.




CHAPTER VIII.
MARTIN VAN BUREN,
1837 to 1841.

Van Bu-ren was born at Kin-der-hook, New
York, in 1782. He did not get a chance to go
much to school when a boy, but made the most of





















STATE HOUSE, AL-BA-NY, NEW YORK (1885).

his time while there. He took up law when he
was quite a young man, and in 1821 was sent
from his State to Wash-ing-ton, and in six years or

92 Lives of the Presidents.

more they chose him to be the head man of New
York State.

When he was placed in the chair by the will of
our land, he ai once put an end to the war with the
In-dians. When he took his seat hard times were
at hand and all trades were at a low ebb. Ina
few months from the day he took the oath all the
banks in New York gave up, and would pay no
_ more in gold and coin, and the banks in not a few
of the States did the same thing. Crowds of men
were thrown out of work, and the streets were full
of those who had naught to do. Trade was at a
stand-stili and the price of food and clothes rose at
once.

Yet no one could blame Van Bu-ren.for the state
things were in. He did but reap what had been
sown by those who had gone. He said that one
cause of these hard times was that folks had lost the
plain tastes of the old times and spent too much, so
they must bear it.

Late in the year of 1837 those who lived in
Can-a-da tried to set up laws of their own and to
have a home rule. There were not a few in our
land who took sides with them, and a large force of
men from New York went to their aid, but they
were soon put down.

For a while it seemed that our peace with En-
Martin Van Buren. 93

gland was at an end, and that a new war would
spring up. Van Bu-ren at once said that no man
in our land should aid the cause of those in Can-
a-da or they should be put in jail so at last the fear
of a new war was put down
by these means.

Van Bu-ren ran once
more for his seat as the
head of our land, but lost
it this time. Har-ri-son
was the one who took his
place.

There were great times
at the raceas to whoshould
rule next. Van Bu-ren was
rich and had been Pres-i-
dent four years. Har-ri-
son was poor, but made a
great name in the In-
dian wars. The race was
said to be the ‘Log
Cab-in a-gainst the White THE HARD CI-DER CAM-PAIGN.
House,” and those who went for Har-ri-son drank
a great deal of cider. It was called the “hard
ci-der race.: |

Van Bu-ren died at his old home at Kin-der-
hook, Ju-ly 24, 1862, near four-score years of age.












CHAPTER IX.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON AND JOHN TYLER.
1841 to 1845.

Har-ri-son, our ninth Pres-i-dent, was born in
Vir-gin--a in 1773. He was the son of a good and
learn-ed man, who gave his boy all the chance to go
to school and learn that he could wish. Har-ri-son
was fond of books when but a child in years, and
was more apt than most of his age to learn his
tasks.

Fe was quite a youth when he got through school,
and took up arms in the In-dian war, but he had a
man’s heart in his breast that bade him go forth and

fight for his home and the good cause of his land.
_ -He showed so much pluck in this war that he
was soon placed at the head of some troops, where
he still kept his name up as a brave man.

When he had had six years of war he gave up
his place to rest at home for a while, but he was
soon asked by one of the States to take his seat in
Con-gress.

He was made Gov-ern-or of In-di-an-a for three



96 Lives of the Presidents.

terms, so much was he liked by those who lived in
the State.

- He made peace with the In-dians for a time, and
when they
went on the
war-path
once more
he put them
to rout at
Tip-pe-ca-
noe. For his
brave work
in this fight
- he was made
Gen-e-ral,
-and in our
fight with
ithe Brit-
= ish at the
= Thames
— == he gained
FR nt the best-of

TE-CUM-SEH AND HAR-RI-SON. th
em.









































































































Te-cum-seh, the chief of the In-dians whom Har-
ri-son whipped at Tip-pe-ca-noe, was the most a-ble
red man of his time. If he had been brought up
in our days and had our chance at school he would
Sohn Tyler. 97

have been a ver-y great man. He was ver-y brave,
too. One time he was asked to call on Har-ri-son
and talk of the war and what should be done. Har-
ri-son sat on a chair with all his aids round him,
and Te-cum-seh saw there had been no place fixed
for him. He showed he did not like this, and one
of the aids brought in a chair and said, “Your
fa-ther asks you to sit by his side.” Te-cum-seh
drew his wrap round him and said: ‘The Great
Spir-it is my fa-ther and I will re-pose on the bo-som
of my moth-er,” and sat down on the ground.

Har-ri-son ran in 1836 for Pres-i-dent, but did
not get the most votes. Four years from that time
he was named once more for the place, and this
time won by a great vote.

But he did not live long to reap the fruit of his
hard work in the cause of his land. He took his
seat as the head of our States on March 4, 1841,
and just one month from that time he died. ,

John Ty-ler, who had been his Vice-Pres-i-dent,

was then sworn in and took the chair.

Joun Tver,

The tenth Pres-i-dent of the U-nit-ed States, was
the son of the Gov-ern-or of Vir-gin-i-a, in which
State he was born in 1790.
98 Lives of the Preszdents.

When through with school he took up law and was
soon sent to Con-gress, where he staid, for five years,
and was then made the head of his own State.

He was made Vice-Pres-i-dent with Har-ri-son
and then Pres-i-dent. He had not been long in his
seat ere a strife broke out in Rhode Isl-and.

It seems by their old laws no one who did not
hold land could vote, and as this was not thought
fair to all, they wished to have it changed. There
was a split as to how this should be done. One
side was led by a man named King, and called
them-selves the ‘“‘Law and Or-der Par-ty.” The
rest had Thom-as Dorr as their head, and both
sides made up their minds to have their own way
and form laws of their own.

King’s men tried to put down those led by Dorr,
but they would not have it, and sought to seize the
fort where the State arms were held. The troops
were sent out to put a stop to this, and Dorr had to
flee for his life from the State. In a few months
he was caught and put in jail for life, but he was
soon freed and let go once more.

Ty-ler had scarce got through and put down this
strife ere more broke out in the State of Mis-sou-ri.
Smith, the Mor-mon, with man-y more of his own
kind, took up a vast tract of land in this State as
their home, and those who lived there sought to

100 Lives of the Presidents.

drive them out. Our troops were sent out and at
last the Mor-mons were sent out of the State and
made their home in II-li-nois, but it was not long
ere they were mixed up in the same kind of strife



































































































































































































































































































TAB-ER-NA-CLE IN SALT LAKE CIT-Y. 250 FEET LONG, 150 WIDE, AND 80 HIGH.

as they had gone through, and at last they had to
flee out in the wilds of the far west. [hey are now
at Salt Lake Cit-y.

The war broke out this year in Tex-as. For a
long time none of our folks had built their homes
John Tyler. IOI

there since 1t was owned by Mex-i-co, but this year
hosts flocked there from our States, and made up
their minds to stay, if they had to fight for it.

The Tex-ans fought with the Mex-i-cans at Gon-
za-les in this year, and though they were but half
as large a force as the foe, they soon put them to
rout. In 1836a’Tex-an fort known by the name of
the A-la-mo was won by the Mex-i-cans, and all in
its walls were killed in cold blood.
The great fight at Ja-cin-to the
next month, in which the Tex-
ans won, gave them the State
in their own hands. They now
asked that their State should be
made one of the U-nion, and in
1845 this took place.

Ty-ler tried hard to be placed
in the chair once more for a term
of four years, but his hopes were —s-U-Er F. B. Morse.
vain, as Polk was to be the next to hold the reins
of State, so he soon went home to find rest from his
work, |
The last year of Ty-ler’s rule a great thing was
found out by Sam-u-el F. B. Morse. By the means of
a wire stretched from pole to pole through the land
he could send words for miles and miles in a flash,
quite as fast as it would take one to think of it.


102 Lives of the Presidents.

And soon from town to town we could hear what
went on there in less than notime. On these wires
for the first time was flashed the news that James
Polk was to take the chair of state when Ty-ler
left it. Ty-ler died in Rich-mond, Vir-gin-i-a, in
Jan-u-a-ry, 1862.

Dan-iel Web-ster died
on the same day as Clay.
He was at the head of the
State in the time of Ty-ler
and Har-ri-son. He was
agreatman. Hehad not
much chance to go to
» school when he was a boy,
‘\ for he was poor. He did

J not go but for a few weeks,
and showed none of the
great gifts of speech for
which he grew famed. He

ae was so shy that he could

Pak tefvm, not ee piece in the
school. He learned law, and when he made a
speech, all wished to hear, for they knew he would
bring much wealth of thought, as well as what he
had gained in books, to bear on the theme. When
his death was known there was grief in the land
for a great man gone.


CHAPTER X.
JAMES KNOX POLK.
1845 to 1849.

James Knox Pork was born in North Car-o-li-na
in 1795, where his first years were spent on a large
farm. He went to school a good deal when a boy,
and when he left, took up law. He was soon sent
to Con-gress, where he served for more than ten
years, and was then placed at the head of his State,
where he was born. In1845 he was made Pres-1-
dent, and it was not long from
the time that he took his seat
ere a war broke out in our
land with Mex-i-co. The cause
of it was this:

Our folks in Tex-as laid
claim to a large tract of land
which those in Mex-i-co said
was theirs. Gen-e-ral Tay-lor
was sent with a force of troops
at once to see that the rights
of our State were kept up. On his way he met the



GEN-E-RAL WIN-FIELD SCOTT.

7.
104

















































































































































































Lives of the Presidents.



X-I-CO.

oy

GRAND PLA-ZA IN CIT-Y OF ME

foe drawn
up in the
road toe
stop him,
but he had
the good
luck torout
them with
the loss of
but nine
men on his
side. Tay-
lor next
laid siege
to Mon-te-
rey, their
great cit-y,
and at last,
when he

had fought
hard and
long, got
the townin
his hands.

Thesame

year Scott
and his

106 Lives of the Presidents.

men drew siege lines round the town of Vera Cruz
and sent bombs in it for four days, and at last it gave
up the fight. But it was long ere peace was made





GOLD WASH-ERS IN CAL-I-FOR-NI-A,

with this land, and much blood had been spilled on
her soil.

In 1848 came news to our States in the east that
there were gold mines in Cal-i-for-ni-a. It was
said that a man had found sand that was full of
James Knox Folk. | 107

gold dust, and scarce was the news known ere
a great rush was made from all parts of the land
to that State, and in fact from the whole world.
A great deal of gold was found at the first, and

this State soon grew to be a great one.



































































































































































































































































































SAN FRAN-CIS-CO IN 1849.

Three States came in while Polk ruled as the
head of our land, and two of them were free States,
or States where slaves could not be kept.

At last a band of men by the name of /vee sozl
men took a stand that all aa should be kept out
of the new lands which the U-nit-ed States might

ain from time to time.

Polk died in Nash-ville in 1849, when still a man
in the prime of life.
CHAPTER XI.
TAYLOR AND FILLMORE.
1849 to 1853.

Zacu-A-rRy Tay-tor, our eighth Pres-i-dent, was
born in Or-ange coun-ty, Vir-gin-i-a, where his
folks owned a large farm. Here he was brought up
and went to school. When of age he took up arms
for his land in the war in the place of a friend. He
was so brave in all the fights in which he took part,
that it was not long ere he rose from the ranks to
a high place. In the In-dian war he won much
praise for his work, and was soon placed in charge.

When the war broke out with Mex-i-co, it was he
who won the great fights at Pa-lo Al-to and Mon-
te-rey, and he soon rose to be thought one of the
great men—1in fact, the first of his land. In each
place that he went he gained fame, and all gave him
praise.

When he came home the streets through which
he went were one blaze of light, and flags waved,
while cheers rent the air as he came by on his
brave horse.



TIO ; Lives of the Presidents.

He was the man of the hour, and it was not
strange that the will of the land should soon place
him in the chair of state to rule us all.

He just came in at a time when the strife as to
the slave trade was at its height, but he did not
hold his place but four months, as he took sick in
the midst of his work and died Ju-ly 9, 1850.

Mittarp Fitimore,

The Vice-Pres-i-dent, at once was sworn in and
took up the reins of rule where they broke. He
made as one of his aids the great Dan-iel Web-ster,
whose charge it was to look to the rights and laws
of the States.

Fill-more, it might be well to say, was born in
Ca-yu-ga coun-ty, New York, Jan-u-a-ry 7, 1800.
That part of the State where he had his home was
in the midst of a dense tract of woods, where, one >
might say, for miles no man had trod. There was
no house near his home, but one four miles off, so
you may know he did not have much of a chance to
go to schoot.

When he was quite a boy in years he was bound
out to work to a man in a small trade. Here he
staid for five years, and at last got free from his toil
as a bound boy and set out for Buf-fa-lo on foot,

112 Lives of the Presidents.

where in the course of time he taught school to pay
his way while he took up law. He soon gave up
his school when he thought he could get on with
what he knew of law, and made his way to a high
place as one of the State bar. When Tay-lor died,
as we have said, he was the Pres-i-dent.





















































HA-VAN-A HAR-BOR (CU-BA).

It was not long from this time that there was a
band of rough men from our land who made up their
minds they would try and get Cu-ba in their hands,
but it did not take long for them to be put down,
and some of them were shot by troops of Spain.

Fill-more died in Buf-fa-lo March 8, 1874.
CHAPTER XII.

FRANKLIN PIERCE.
1853 to 1857.

‘THE next man to take the chair was Pierce, who
had more votes than Gen-e-ral Scott. He was born
at Hills-bor-ough, New Hamp-shire, in 1804, the
son of the then head man of the State. Not much
is known of his youth, but as he was not a poor boy
it is safe to say that he had a good chance to go to
school. He was for years at Bow-doin Col-lege,
Maine, till he left it to take up law, and was soon
made one of the bar. He made his old home the
scene of his work, and soon grew to be thought a
man of brains who some day would lead in the laws
of his land. And so it came to pass. While yet a
young man in years he was sent to high posts, and
at last won the best gift in the hands of his land—
the chief of all.

When Pierce came in the strife was still in force
as to the slave trade. It did but make things worse
when those who held slaves wished to bring them
north of the line where it was said they should not
114 Lives of the Presidents.

be held by law. Where they wished to bring them
was a large tract of land that was in time made up
in two States, Kan-sas and Ne-bras-ka. The South
said all they would ask was that all should have a
vote to see if ey had a wish to keep slaves or not
= in these new States.
So Con-gress made a
law which gave them
the right to be slave.
or free States, as they
might wish. It was
thought when this bill
came to pass that we
should have peace, but
such was not the case.
There were fights and
broils on the “day the
votes were cast, and
much blood was
: spilled. One might
A HOME-STEAD IN KAN-SAS. say a small war folk
place in this State, with those who would have it
free on the one sides and those who would hold
slaves. Towns were burned, and for a time there
was great fear this fight would spread through the
land. At last Kan-sas came in as a free “State,
and we had peace.


LLCO FE



bib


116 Lives of the Presidents.

In the time of Pierce a
great tract of land was
bought from Mex-i-co,
4) and was known from that
w/| day to thisas New Mex-
“ayiy cco. In the same year

tH that this took place, the
CRYS-TAL PAL-ACE, NEW YORK CIT-Y, WHERE trade -with Ja-pan was
THE FIRST “ WORLD’S FAIR”? WASHELD. _ made free to our ships,
and a great show known as the “‘ World’s Fair” was
held in New York in a great hall built of glass,
where all kinds of work ete
done in the land were a
shown.

Pierce died in Con-
cord, Mass-a-chu-setts,on
Oc-to-ber 8, 1867, and
left a name that all might
look back on with love.

In the fall of 1856
James Bu-chan-an was
the choice of the Dem-o-
crats, and John C. Fre-
mont was the chief of
the new par-ty called Re-
pub-li-cans. Bu-chan-an
gained by a large vote.









CHAPTER XIil.

JAMES BUCHANAN.
1857 to 1861.

Bu-cHan-an was born in Frank-lin Coun-ty, Penn-
syl-va-ni-a, in 1791. He was the son of one who
tilled the soil, and his first years were spent, of
course, on the farm. When through school he took
up law, but did not try but one case while he was
at the bar. It was a poor case and he did not get
a thing by it, but he won the suit and put to rout
those who sought to cheat his friend out of the land
which had been left to her.

When quite a young man he was the choice of
his State as one to make her laws, and six years
from that time he was sent to Wash-ing-ton, where
he held his seat for ten years.

He was sent by Pres-i-dent Jack-son to Rus-sia
in two years to look out for our rights in that land,
and when he came back went in our Sen-ate House.

In 1857 he was made Pres-i-dent, and the first
year he took his place U-tah would not bear the
yoke of our laws, and sought to cast it off. At last
James Buchanan. 11g

troops were sent out to force them to make peace,
and they at last made terms and laid down their
arms.

The next year of Bu-chan-an’s rule was famed
for one great feat that took place, and this was when
Cy-rus W. Field, of New York, laid the first wire
through the sea so that words could be sent from
our land to those in the old world.



AT-LAN-TIC TEL-E-GRAPH CA-BLE,1866.

Talk still ran high from the North to the South
on the cause of the slave. The great case known
as the ‘“‘ Dred Scott” case was tried by the Chief
Jus-tice, Ta-ney, and he said that those who held
slaves had a right to take them through with them
120 Lives of the Presidents.

_all the free States just when they chose. Few of them
were held in the North and it was on the large
farms of the South where they were most to be found,
so you may know the South wished with all their
hearts that the slave trade might still go on, while the
North vowed that they would have none of it.
In the fall of the year 1859 the fires that had long
burned with a slow flame in the hearts of North
and South burst forth, and John
Brown of Kan-sas, the friend of
the slaves, was the first to fan the
blaze that was soon to sweep our
land and drench its green fields
with blood and fill its hills with
graves. This Brown was a man
who left his farm to serve the
blacks. He was poor. He had
worked in the fields for his bread,
JOHN BROWN. but his name will go down to
those born in the years to come as one who did not
fear to lay down his life for what he thought right.
He was the first to strike a blow for the cause of
the slaves. With a score of men he held the fort
at Har-per’s Fer-ry for two days. He seized on all
the arms he found there, as it was his scheme to
arm the blacks with them and lead them to fight
the South and set their friends free.


James Buchanan. 121

Troops were sent out to seize this man who set
at naught the laws of the land. With the small
band of brave men with him he fought as did the
old Greeks in the years long gone by, with no fear
in his breast, though he knew too well his cause
was lost and that he must die.

His two sons were shot down by his side as he
stood at the head of his
band, but he did not pause;
still he kept a firm hand
on his gun and poured
shot in the ranks of the
troops. At length he
fell with six wounds in
the thick of the fight, but
he did not die from them.
He was hung, and on his
way to the place where
he was to give up his life his last act was to kiss a
babe in a slave’s arms.

But the torch that John Brown bore was not put
out. It had fired-the South and North with the
fires of war. In 1860 South Car-o-li-na led the
way and a bill was passed which said that from that
time they would not bear the laws of the U-nion
but would make their own laws. And it was not
long ere six more States who liked the slave trade



FLAG OF SOUTH CAR-O-LI-NA.
122 Lives of the Presidents.

chose the same course that cut them off from the
North. These States formed at last what was
known as the
“ Con-fed-e-ra-
cy, and made
Jef-fer-son Da-
vis their Pres-i-
dent. When
. Bu-chan-an left
the chair at the ¢
endof histerm —
he spent the
last days of his STE-PHEN A, DOUG-LASS.
life on a place near Lan-cas-ter, Penn-syl-va-ni-a,
where he died “in June. 1868, . Heros a. book
my on his life
which is
stil vay
print.
When
the time
came to
\choose a
jy, niew Pres-" eh
i-dent the A
JOHN C, BRECK-EN-RIDGE. South said TORN BELLE:
if Lin-coln was made the choice of the North and



JEF-FER-SON DA-VIS.


James Buchanan. nos

the West, they would leave the Un-ion. At the
same time there was a great split among the Dem-
o-crats as to what the whole coun-try should do.
The Dem-o-crats, as a par-ty, had won all their
fights, and would in this case if they had kept
sol-id. They had three tick-ets in the field. Ste-
phen A. Doug-lass of II-li-nois, as the choice of one
class; Breck-en-ridge (the Vice-Pres-i-dent with
Bu-chan-an) an-oth-er, and John Bell of Ten-nes-
see and Ed-ward Ev-er-ett of Mass-a-chu-setts still
an-oth-er. This of course made them ver-y weak,
and Lin-coln gained the prize.







THE SEN-ATE CHAM-BER,
CHAPTER XIV.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
1861 to 1865.

In a poor log house in Har-din Coun-ty, Ken-
tuck-y, A-bra-ham Lin-coln, or “ Abe,” as he was
known through life, was born in 1807. His home
: | was not as good
as the barns of
to-day, and
stood in the
midst of a dense
wood where at
night when he
lay on his bed
he could hear
the growl of the
wolves on the
snow. Few of
LIN-COLN’S EAR-LY HOME IN GEN-TRY-VILLE, IN-DI-AN- A, the folks - who
lived near could read or write, and there were no
schools at that time where a boy might learn. One
man who knew more than the rest used to take a




























































































































































































































































































































































A-BRA-HAM LIN-COLN-

XS
126 Lives of the Presidents,

few boys and girls to teach them for a small sum at
his own, house, and “Abe,” as we shall call him,
when not much more than six years of age, was one
of this class. From the first “Abe” took to his
books. School life pleased him the more and
more he had of it, and he showed’ that he could
learn with ease his tasks, hard as they might be.
He could not get much help at home, as there were
few there who read and wrote, and there were but
three old books in the house, a Church book, the
word of God, and one which taught how to spell,
and yet it was not long ere the boy knew them all
by heart.

In the still hours of the night, by a dim light, he
would work on at his books while the rest slept. So
young in life were the first good seeds sown that in
the years to come were to reap for him fame and a
name.

When “Abe” had been scarce a year at school he
could read and write as well as most boys can at
twelve, and bade fair in a short time to know more
than the man who taught him.

But at this time his folks thought they would sell
out and move to the Far West, where land was
cheap, and take a new farm. This was done, and
“Abe” found that in his new home there was still —
less chance for him to go to school, as they were in
Abraham Lincoln. 127

the wilds where no man had set his foot. “Abe”
helpedto chop down the trees that were to make the
house, and though but eight years of age, proved
that he was ot some use on a farm.

As there was much game in the woods it was not
long ere he learned how to use a gun, and would
often bring home at night wild fowl for them, so
they knew there was no fear that they would starve
in their new home.

When they came to build their new log house,
“Abe” was of great help, for there was no one they
could call on for aid. The first house was six miles
off. Soon more folks built near them, and a small
town grew up in that wild place. So “Abe” had
a chance to go to school once more. He was glad,
for he had not found books to read in that wild spot,
much as he wished for them.

Books were so scarce in those days that “Abe”
would go miles to get one of a friend if he thought
it would be lent. he first he read in his new home
was the Life of Wash-ing-ton, which made its mark
on his mind, and had much to do with the brave
way he went through life and sought to do right at
all times. ce

When a young man Lin-coln was hired to take
charge of a flat-boat filled with skins and furs to
trade with the South. “Abe” was glad to go, for he
128 Lives of the Presidents.

had a strong wish to see the world of which he had
dreamed and thought so much. There was much
to be seen on this trip down the stream, but when
it rained they had a hard time to keep dry, and
had to sleep at times in the wet.

Lin-coln was much pleased with all the new
scenes that met his eye, and he was not glad when
they got to the end of it and had sold their goods
at a fair price. He was well paid by the one who -
hired him for the way he had made the trip, and
praised for it. From that on Lin-coln was at times
a raft-man, or he split rails, and when a man in
years took charge of a mill and store in the town
of New Sa-lem.

At that time of which we write it was thought
a great thing for a young man to have full charge
of such a place, and he was looked on as a bright
youth who soon was the pride of the town.

‘‘ Abe’s”” name was soon known in the place for
truth, as he would not lie or strive to cheat when
he made a trade. He had a bright way with him
that took with men, and he was full of smart tales
that made folks laugh when he told them by the
fire at night. When there was no one in the store
to buy, Lin-coln read in some good book, for they
were not so hard for him to get now. |

When the Black Hawk War broke out he at,
Abraham Lincoln. 129

once met the call for men and formed a small force
of armed men in his own town of the young men
of the place. He was placed in charge of these
troops and marched at once to the seat of war, where
he fought it out to the end and then walked home
on foot.

Lin-coln was at this time a strong, well-formed
young man, tall and not with-out some grace of his
own. Itis said he could lift a large keg by his
hands and drink from the bung-hole, which shows
how great was his strength.

One day some young friends of his asked him if
he would run for a place. He laughed at the
thought of such a thing, but when he found they
meant it he said at last that he would run. He
lost by a few votes of the count, which showed him
at least that he had a host of friends in the place,
as there were three smart men who ran with him
for the same place. Two years from that time
he ran once more and won by a great deal of
votes, but he would not give beer or drinks for
a vote, that was thought to be the way to win. |

Lin-coln now took up law, and was soon made
one of the bar. His first case was that of a poor
boy who lay in jail it was said for a crime he had
done and for which there was small hope that he
would get off. Lin-coln took charge of his case.
130 Lives of the Preszdents.

He did not make a cent by it, but he set the boy
free and sent him back to his home.

In 1846 he took his seat in Con-gress, and for
years he took the part of the slaves, and signed
all bills that’ came up which would help their
cause. Lin-coln’s name was now known through
the length and breadth of the land, and his views
were sought at all times when a strong case came
up to be judged.

He sprang at once in-to the front rank of the great
men of his day, and soon took the lead of them on
points of law. All loved him for the good traits he
had and for his fear of God which he had shown
from his youth up.

_ Lin-coln was a sad man, though he was famed

for his wit and the fun of the tales he would tell.
Yet all who saw his grave eyes and fixed, sad
mouth knew that in his heart he was not gay. He
had at times what his friends knew as a black mood.
It would seem as though a thought of his doom
was with him all the while. He thought that he
was meant for some great or sad end. He would
talk of it in a calm way and had felt sure of it all
his life. To him it was his fate; and he could not
be free from it. He felt that he was to fall from a
high place. When he was made Pres-i-dent he said
that he would not last through the term. When
Abraham Lincoln . 131

his friends wished to guard him from his foes, he
would take no pains to do it. “If they wish to kill
me,” he said, “there is naught to keep them back.”
He did not wish a guard, but said: “ Why stop up
a gap when the fence is down all round?” But
though he spent most of his life in sad thoughts, he
had a good side that made him like a laugh, and he
was glad to chase his gloom. But the books he
most read were of the sad kind, and what told
of death and the grave, or the grief of men’s days
on earth, had the most charm for him. When he
told a tale with wit in it his sad face would change,
and the mirth would spread till all the hard lines
went out of it. The fun of it would dance in his
eyes long ere he would reach the point of it. He
would go a long way to find a man who could tell
him a fresh thing in the way of fun, and hunt him
up and swap jokes with him. They hand down
good things he told in all the towns where he was
wont to be, and they are heard to this day. It is
said that his jokes were used to keep off his sad
moods, and his mirth seemed to be put on.

He was kind but cold, not a man to hate with a
deep, fierce hate, nor to love as a fond friend. He
would use men as tools and then think of them no
more. He did not care much for great men, for he
felt that he was as great as the best of them, and
132 Lives of the Presidents.

could do all that man could do. It was the aim of
his heart to be right and to do what was just to all
men. He had not a great love for gold, and would
not take a cent by wrong means.

It was a day of gloom when Lin-coln left Spring-
field to go to Was

h-ing-ton, and a cold rain fell.



























































































































































































































































































































































































































HOUSE AT CHI-CA-GO WHERE LIN-COLN WAS NAMED FOR PRES-I-DENT,

When he got on the train he went to the rear of the
car and stood for some time in deep thought. His
eye gazed with a sad glance at the crowd who were
there to see him off, as though he would read their
hearts. “There was a tear in his eye as he saw them
it might be for the last time. It seemed as though
he could not speak, but at last he said a few words.
Abraham Lincoln. 133

He told them that none could know what he felt at
that hour. He said: “ Here have I lived from my
youth till now I am an old man. Here the ties
most dear to me have been formed. Here my
babes were born and here one of them lies in a
grave. To you, dear friends, I owe all I have—all
Iam. All the strange past seems to crowd now
on my mind. This day I leave you. I go to take
up a task more hard than that which fell on Wash-
ing-ton. .If the great God who helped him shall
not aid me, I shall fail. Let us pray that this God
may not leave me now. To Him [ leave you all.
Ask His help for me with all faith. With these
few words I must leave you, for how long I know
not. Friends, one and all, I must now bid you a
fond good-by.’

All were touched by these words, and more than
one was intears. Four years from that time he was
borne back to them dead, and all the way there the

~ towns were hung with black, and each house strove

to hang out the badge of grief for one who was
mourned by all.

There was talk of plots at that time to kill Lin-
coln on his way to Wash-ing-ton, but he went
through safe. He was aman who would have been
glad to have kept the peace of both North and
South, but the South would not have it so. They
134 Lives of the Presidents.

thought a State had the right to go out if it chose
todo so. This was “States’ Rights,” a creed that
had long been held at the South, and there were
six States who put it to vote and said they would
go out of the U-nion. South Car-o-li-na was the
one to lead the way. They said they would make
a new band of States where it would be right to
hold slaves, and they took Fort Sum-ter, in Charles-
ton Har-bor.

The sound of the first gun at Fort Sum-ter was’
a shock to the whole land. Most of those at the
North who had not felt the slave trade to be wrong
now took sides with those who had been its foes
from the first. All the States in the South took
one side, but the slaves were of course for those who
wished to make them free.

Lin-coln said in his speech at New York, when
he was on his way to take his seat in the White
House: “ When the time comes for me to speak I
shall then take the ground that I think is right—
right for the North, for the South, for the East and
for the West—for all our land.”

And so he did. The war was a great grief to
him. He said: “ We did not think it would last _
so long. Both North and South read the same
Word of God, and both pray to Him to aid them in
a war on those bound to them by near ties. We
Abraham Lincoln. 135

hope, we pray that this scourge of war may soon
pass from us.”

The States that went out of the U-nion sent men
to meet and form a new band, and they chose Jef-
fer-son Da-vis as Pres-i-dent. At this time some
thought it would be best to let the States at the
South go out, as all had a dread of war.

Lin-coln made a wise speech on the day he was
made Pres-i-dent. He said that he would do all that
lay in him to keep the land one, but that he could
_ not let the U-nion be torn in two by a part of it.
He said the land could not stand but as one land,
that they had to live face to face—the North with
the South—and they must be friends. But he
would not keep the South from their rights. Kind
as his speech was, and wise as most men felt it to
be, there were some who looked on it as a threat of
war.

The first fire at Sum-ter was like the tap of a
drum, and all the South rushed to arms; at the
North the news was like a live coal on the hearts
of all. A rage swept in a day o’er all, such as had
not been seen since the land was known.

The slaves through all the South took it in their
heads that the Yan-kees had come to set them free.
They would help them in all ways. Theyserved them
as guides, and were on hand to dig, work or fight to
136 Lives of the. Presidents.

get their rights. Lin-coln said that his first great
aim was to save the land and not to fight for the
slaves. He wrote: “If I could save the U-nion,
though I did not free a slave, I would do it. If I
must let them all go free to save it I would do it.
Still in my own heart it is my wish that all men in
all lands should be free.” 7

And at last it seemed best to him to send out a
bill which should say that all held as slaves should
from that date be free, and that they might serve in
the ranks if they chose, or in ships or at forts—or
where there was a place—with all the rights of
white men. Ere long a great mass of the black
men took their place with U-nion troops and proved
good and brave.

There were at that time men at the North who
were full of fear lest the blacks should rise when
they were free and do harm to those who had held
them in bonds, but they did not.

Lin-coln heard that there were plots on foot to
put an end to his life. He said with a smile: “If
all this is true, I don’t see what they would gain
if they killed me. All would .go on the same.
When I first used to hear of these threats of death
I felt bad; but now they come so fast I am used to
them.”

There was a rhyme at this time which turned out
Abraham. Lincoln. 139

to be true. The boys sang: ‘Now the war was
be-gun in 61, and in ‘62 we'll put it through; in ’63
the slaves will be free, in 64 the war will be o’er.”
At this time it looked as if the war had been put
through.

The first band of troops that went through Balt-
i-more were fired on by the mob. They fired back,
and nine men fell. This made a great stir in the
North.

Lin-coln did not find things in the North in a
good state for war, though men came in the ranks
on all sides when they heard the call, for arms were
scarce, so they had to be bought or made in as short
a time as they could. Clothes, too, had to be got
for the troops, and food and carts to draw them all,
and drags for the sick. It had all to be done in a
short time, so that there should be no waste or want.
Lin-coln then made-a law that no ships should go |
in or out of the ports of the South.

The first great fight was at Bull Run, a stream
in Vir-gin-1-a. Here the two great foes met. From
the first things went wrong with the North, and at
last they were put to flight and ran for their lives.
The loss on their side was great. It was all in vain
that the heads of the troops sought to bring them
back to make a charge once more on the foe. They

were full of fear and fled. On all the roads and
138 _ Leves of the Presidents.

paths that led to the place were crowds of men in
full flight.

Then came the great fight at Get-tys-burg, which
seemed the point on which the fate of the land
would turn. The North won, but it was at a great
price. The South lost still more.

It is said that Lin-coln planned the great move
that freed the Mis-sis-sip-pi1. He thought of it all
the time, and his room was full of maps and plans.
He would mark the points where the troops
marched, and knew just where they were at all
times. He soon saw that Grant was the man to be
at the head of the troops, and he put him there.
He showed that this was a wise move, for Vicks-
burg was soon in the hands of the U-nion troops.
And at last the whole length of the Mis-sis-sip-pi,
from lands of snow to lands of bloom, was free, and
the old flag waved o’er it.

Lin-coln showed at all times a kind heart, and
those who went to beg the life of kith or kin knew
that they could move him with their tears. One
tells of him that in the first part of the war there
was a young man who was to be shot, as he had
slept at his post. His friends sought the Pres-i-dent
and begged for his life. Lin-coln wrote that he
should be set free. “I could not go in-to the next
world with the blood of that poor young man on
Abraham Lincoln. 139

my skirts,” he said. “It is not strange that a boy
raised on a farm, used to be in his bed at dark,
should sleep on his watch, and I can not have him
shot for such an act.” It is strange to know that
the corpse of this youth was found with the slain on
the field of Fred-e-ricks-burg. He wore on his
heart a card with the face of his loved Pres-i-dent
on it, and ‘neath it, in his hand, these words:
“God bless Pres-i-dent Lin-coln!” Once when
one went to Lin-coln to urge that-a crowd of
men who had sought to leave the troops should
be put to death, he said: “For God’s sake, don’t
ask me to make more wives weep in the U-nit-ed
States !”

In all the war it was Lin-coln’s way to think and
act for his own self and not leave it to some one
else. He would hear what men said, but it did not
have great weight with him. He had a talk with
wise men on each case, but at the same time his
own mind took the lead.

In the South things were in a sad state, but
still they bore up with brave hearts. The crops
failed and they could not get goods save at a high
price.

_ At this time Sher-man’s great march to the sea
took place, and Sa-van-nah fell in his hands with all
its guns and stores. The South was at its last gasp.
140 Lives of the Prestdents.

One by one the ports of the South had been lost to
them. At Five Forks the troops of the North,
with Sher-i-dan, had to fall back, but they made a
charge and swept all in their way. Then Fort
Gregg fell in the hands of the North.

The troops of the South had no food, and were in
asad state. There was no hope for them, and at
last Lee sent word that he would come to terms.
Grant met him and wrote out his terms. Lee took
them. He did not have to give up his sword, and
Grant let each man keep his horse, for he said they
would need them all to plow the land when the
spring came. Then the two chiefs shook hands,
and Lee went his way.

The brave Pres-i-dent Lin-coln was shot as he
sat in his box at the play, by a man named Wilkes
Booth. This man seemed to think that he would
thus make up to the South for the woes of the war
—as though Lin-coln had been the cause of all.
He had led a wild life. He laid this plan and had
thought of it for some time. He had by some means
got in the box and made the door fast. When he
had shot Lin-coln he sprang from the box to the
stage, but caught his foot and fell and broke his leg.
He had a horse at the door and got off, but was at
last found ina barn, where he fought hard for his
life. They set the barn on fire to drive him out,
Abraham Lincotn. I4J

but he stood his ground and fought to the last, when
he fell shot.

Booth had shot Lin-coln in the back of the head.
The ball went in back of the ear and lodged back of
the left eye. He did not move much, but his head
fell and his eyes closed. As the sound of the shot
rang through the house it was at first thought that
it was part of the play; but a friend in the box saw
at once what had been done and caught at Booth,
who at last got free.

Lin-coln could not speak. Those who stood by
his bed saw there was no hope. All the land was
full of gloom at the sad news. Men wept as they
heard it. Each house wore a badge of grief as
they bore his corpse
back to his old home.
The whole land |
seemed swathed and ,
hung with black. ‘To
this day all hold his
name dear. He had &
found his way to the §
hearts of all as no man ff
had done. All knew (&
that a brave, true man |Â¥
had passed from this k





earth. LIN-COLN MON-U-MENT, SPRING-FIELD, IL-LI-NOIS
142 Lives of the Presidents.

Wil-liam H. Sew-ard was born
in Flor-i-da, Or-ange Coun-ty,
New York, May 10, 1801. He
was the son of one whose work it
was to cure the sick. When he
was not much more than a boy in
years he taught school in Geor-gi-a.
He took up law and soon rose to
a high place at the bar, and led

WIL-LIAM H. SEW-ARD. that side known as the Whigs.

He was twice made the head of the State of New
York, which he left at the end of his terms to take
up law once more.

A Sen-a-tor in 1849, he was made head of the
state by Lin-coln and John-son. He did much
good work for Lin-coln and helped make him
Pres-i-dent.

At the time Lin-coln was shot it was at first
thought Sew-ard would lose his life too, but he got
off with but a few wounds made by one of Booth’s
friends. This man had forced his way into Sew-ard’s
house as he lay ill. Sew-ard was a man of mark
and wrote a good deal for the press. He died at
Au-burn, New York, Oc-to-ber 10, 1872.


Abraham Lincoln, 143

Sal-mon P. Chase was born
in Cor-nish, New Hamp-shire,
in 1808. At the age of twelve
he was left to make his own way
in the world and went to live
with one of his kin who taught
the word of God and stood high
in the church. While a young
man he taught school and took
up law when he had a chance. a
At the bar he soon rose to fame, SAL-MON P. CHASE.
and he tried his best to crush out the slave trade.
It was through him that the Free Soil men made
a move which placed Van Bu-ren at the head of
the land.

When Lin-coln was made Pres-i-dent, Chase was
placed in charge of the funds of the land. He was
made Chief Judge in 1864, and tried Pres-i-dent
John-son; but he thought he had done no wrong.
He wrote some for the press of the day and had
some skill in verse.

He died in New York, May 7, 1873.


CHAPTER XV.

ANDREW JOHNSON.
1865 to 1869.

Tue next day from that on which Lin-coln met
his sad fate, An-drew John-son took the chair as
the head of ourland. John-son was born in Ra-leigh,
North Car-o-li-na, De-cem-ber 275 F608. = Elisttolics
were too poor to send him to school, so when he was
but ten years of age he was sent to work for a man
whose trade it was to make clothes. A friend of
this man at times came into the shop and would
read to the men at their work. This made An-drew
wish that he might have books to read of his own,
and he at once set to work to learn how to read, to
write and to spell. This was his task when his toil
was done for the day and he had gone to his poor
bare room in the roof where he slept. But it was
not till he was a man in years that he could read
and write with ease. Then he was wed to a bright
girl who taught him all she knew, and he showed
an apt mind to learn.

It was not long from this time ere he gave some

146 Lives of the Presidents.

thought to the laws of his land and the way it was
ruled, and he was soon placed at the head of his
town. Ina year or two from this time he was sent
to a high post from his State, and was then sent to
Wash-ing-ton to help make the laws for ten years.
In 1853 he was made the head of the State of Ten-

Ne€S-SEE.

When the great war broke
out with the South and the
North, he took sides with the
North. When Lin-coln was

shot he took the chair, which
he held four years. He died
near E-liz-a-beth-town, Ten-
ZA nes-see, in 1875.
Z y Gen-er-al George B. Mc-
GEORGE B. MC-CLEL-LAN. Clel-lan, who had been one
of the first chiefs of the U-nion ar-my, ran a-gainst
Lin-coln on the Dem-o-crat-ic side in 1864, but did
not win.


CHAPTER XVI.

ULYSSES SIMPSON GRANT,

1869 to 1877.

Hiram U-tys-ses Grant, as he was named at
birth, was born at Point Pleas-ant, O-hi-o, A-prii
27, 1822. Weare told that when he was but two
years of age some one took him in his arms through

the town, and
that a young
man who
owned a gun
wished to
shoot it off
and see what
the child
thought of
the noise. So

the babe’s





GRANT'S BIRTH-PLACE.

hand was laid on the lock of the gun and pressed
there till it went off with a loud noise. The child
did not cry out with fear at the sound, as they
thought he would, and did not wink or dodge at the
148 Lives of the Presidents.

noise, though he had not seen such a thing as a gun
in his life. So it is now told to show that at a
young age he first gave signs that one day he would
lead in war.

As a boy he was more fond of a horse than a dog,
and when but eight years of age, while left at home
for the day, he hitched up their three-year-old colt
to a sled, and hauled sticks and brush from the
woods near the house. When he was ten years old
Mr. Grant, who saw that the boy knew how to
drive, gave him a team in his charge which he
drove for two score miles to the town and brought
back a load. He soon learned to break a horse
and to teach it to pace and trot. It was said by all
those who lived near by that no horse was too wild
for that Grant boy to ride. For when he made up
his mind to ride a horse, he vode.

As a youth he was known to have a strong hand
and firm nerves. One day he drove some folks
o’er a ford when the tide ran high, and the waves
rolled in on them. The boy was just as cool as
if he stood on firm ground, though all the rest of
those with him were filled with fear. ‘Don’t speak,
I will take you through safe,” he said in a firm
voice, and he did. At school he took the lead in
all sports, for the boys saw at once that his was a
mind born to rule.

150 Lives of the Presidents.

One strange thing in his life here was that he
could not learn what ‘‘can’t” meant, and we are
quite sure that to this day he has not learned it.
At school he was one of the ew whom no one
caught with an oath on his lips, for he thought that
to swear was as bad as to take things that were not
his own. While he did not go in for fights with
the rest of the boys, or stir up strife in their midst,
when they drove him to the wall he could take his
part as well as the rest, and they soon learned to
keep out of the way of his fists. He gave the
strength of his arm to help the weak, and would let
no one hurt a lame or sick boy at school if he could
help it. While he did not lead his class at school,
he learned his tasks well.

When he was at an age to make a start in life he
did not choose a trade, but wished to learn more
than was taught at the school where he had gone as
a boy. His folks could not pay to send him to a
first rate high school, so they made up their minds
to get him in at West Point if they could, where he
might learn what he could free of charge. To this
well known school he went in 1839, and, though he
did not go out of his way to make friends there, was
soon the best liked young man there. They all
called him ‘‘ Un-cle Sam,” from the U. S. in the

first part of his name.
Ulysses Simpson Grant. 151

The way he came to be called U-lys-ses Simp-
son was when his name was sent in to West Point.
The man who sent it in got the name mixed with
that of some one else, but it clung to Grant through
life, and he is known by it to this day.

While at West Point Grant made his way slow
and sure up the rounds of school life. It was his
great joy to read works on the arts of war and how
men were trained for it. And it was not long ere
he got the thought in his mind that he should like
to bear arms some day for his own land.

When he left school Grant joined at once the list
of our troops as lieu-ten-ant, though we were at that
time at peace with all the world, though there was
some strife with the In-dians in our States in the
far West. It was young Grant’s work while out
there to give aid to those who lived in the
woods and wild hills, and help them keep their
homes from the fire brands of the red skins, and at
times to drive them back in their haunts when they
came out to rob and steal in the cold part of the
year.

The next year Grant was sent into Tex-as to
drive out the Mex-i-cans, and the first real fight that
he was in was that which was fought at Pa-lo Al-to
in 1846. We are told that he was brave and kept
to the front of his men in the thick of the fight.
152 Lives of the Presidents.

From those first in rank he was much praised for
the way he fought through all the war in Mex-i-co,
and it was not long ere he was raised to a high
place in the troops. At the fight of Cha-pul-te-pec,
- the most fierce that took place j in the whole war, he
was once more raised, and this time to the head of
a small band of our troops. When the war at last
came to an end, Grant went home North once more,
to New York. From there he went to the West
to keep the In-dians back in their raids. Here he
still held good the name he had earned as a brave
man who knew not fear.

When the gold craze broke out in Cal-i-for-ni- a
the thirst for gold brought vile, rough men there
from all parts of the world who knew no love of
God or man and lived wild lives. Young Grant
and a force of men were sent out West to keep them
within the bounds of our laws, if it could be done.
For the good work he did while here Grant was
raised to the rank of cap-tain.

In 1854 he left the troops and went to live near
St. Louis, and for five years was hard at work at a
trade. At last he started to tan hides and skins in
the town of Ga-le-na, II-li-nois, and did well from
the first. The firm of Grant and Son were soon
known as the best in the trade.

When the war at last broke out and Sum-ter had
Ulysses Stmpson Grant. 153

been fired on, Grant at once left his work where he
had done so well and took up arms. He formed
the troops in his own State to march to the front
and did a great deal to get men to join our ranks
and to drill them for the great fights that were to
come. He was soon made a col-o-nel of these
troops and at once trained them for the fight. He
was made a gen-er-al and placed in charge of a post
at Cai-ro, on the O-hi-o river. His first work was
to block all the strearns and roads for miles, so that
the South could not get food and guns through the
lines.

While in camp here Grant is said to have lived a
plain life and not at all like a man of his rank might
have done. ‘Those who were his aids wore more
gold stripes and gew-gaws than he. While their
caps were gay with gold lace he went through camp
with an old black felt slouch hat on, with not so
much as a gilt cord on it. Hesmoked all the time.

In the month of Oc-to-ber, 1861, Grant sent out
men to stop the force from the South that marched
on us. At Fred-e-rick-town the troops met, and
Grant’s men drove the foe back. ‘They then came
back to their old posts.

The Con-fed-e-rates at this time held two forts
which Grant would have liked to get in-to his hands.
They were Forts Hen-ry and Don-el-son. As soon
154 Lives of the Prestdents.

as Grant had a good chance he set out with a small
force of men and gun-boats to take them. He had
to go at night with great care down the stream to
where the forts lay, for fear they should be blown
up by things the foe had laid in their way.

It was a bright day when Grant
. and his men came in front of Fort
g\ Hen-ry, but the roads were bad,
as it had rained much in the night.
The fort had but few troops left
in it, as they had been sent to a
fort a few miles off to give aid, but
those that were there fought well
and did their best to drive Grant
and his gun-boats off, but it was
of no use. There was no chance
that the fort could be held, so
when they had fought hard inch by inch they at last
gave it up. | |

A. week from that day Grant and his men left to
charge on Fort Don-el-son, cheered by the thought
that at least one of the forts they had set out to
take was theirs.

The fort on which they marched stood on a high
bluff, with a stream on one side of it. Grant knew
it was a strong well-built fort, and that he must get —
it if he hoped to break up the war; so he made up

;
UL

i | / it



TOR-PE-DO.
Ulysses Stimpson Grant. 154,

his mind to have his. gun-boats fire on it from the
stream while he led his men to the walls by land.

The first time he tried this he failed. Then came
a great snow storm and rain that put them back in
their work for a long time.

All their food was gone and there was no chance
to get more for some time. They were in bad
straits. Those who had wounds had naught to eat
or drink, and their cries were sad to hear as they
prayed for help or death. Not a few died from
cold and lack of food.

At last when all hope was gone, our fleet came
in sight on the 14th of Feb-ru-a-ry. Food was soon
brought to the men and the ships, in charge of
Com-mo-dore Foote, turned to the fort and with no
loss of time fired on it with all the strength of their
guns.

But the fort held its own. Sheets of flame and
hail of fire burst from the loop holes in its walls, so
that at last our gun-boats had to draw back much
hurt by the guns of the foe.

The gun-boats were in such a bad way that they
had to be sent off to get fixed up. In the mean
time Grant held his place near the fort and cut off all
chance of help from them. He knew it would not
be long ere they would give up, for their food and
drink could not last a long time.
156 Lives of the Presidents.

Gen-e-ral Floyd, who led the men in the fort,
thought he would try to cut his way out with his
men through Grant's ranks. But he did wrong to
count on this bold stroke, as it failed; but he and
Gen-e-ral Pil-low made out to slip off one dark
night to Nash-ville. The next morn Grant made
up his mind that he would waste no more time on a
siege, but would storm the walls and drive them out.
A flag of truce came just at this time, and he was
asked on what terms he would let the chief of the
fort give it up. Grant said at once that they must
give up all, or he would at once move on their
works. So they gave up the fort and soon Grant’s
troops marched in to its smoke stained walls, while
the stars and stripes waved in the breeze on the top
of its flag staff. The gun-boats sent out shots to
cheer our men as they marched to the sound of the
drum and fife, while the crowds of men and folks
on the bank sent out shout on shout of joy that the
fight was won.

But though Grant won the fight it was at a high
price. The field was red with blood, and from
right to left the dead lay thick, and all the tents
were full of maimed men. It was a sad sight.

The fall of this fort broke the line of the forts of
the South, and there was much fear through their
ranks. At Nash-ville the news was brought to the
Olysses Stimpson Grant. 157

town while the folks were in church, and all grew
pale as they heard it. It was true that the troops
of the North were on their way South. In their
fright and craze to get off they gave large sums for
a horse and cart to take them from the scene. They
burned the grand bridge in the town that had been
their pride, and some fine stores fell a prey to the
flames. In a short time stars and stripes waved
oer the city.

While Grant was in this part of the State, he
gave his men to know that they were in no case to
rob and steal from those who had to live there.
That they must have the folks think they came as
friends and not as thieves. This rule they were
forced to go by, and it was soon found to be a good
and just one.

At the fight at Shi-loh there was a great loss on both
sides, but at last the troops of the South were put to
rout. Though shot and shell fell to left and right of
Grant he seemed to bear a charmed life, and did not
get but one wound, and that by a sword on his foot.

There was great joy in the North when the news
of the fight reached them, and Grant was much
praised for what he had done to win it. Grant was
soon made next to the head of all the-troops in the
field, and the same year he laid siege to Nese
and Cor-inth.
158 Lives of the Preszdents.

At Vicks-burg the siege was long and fierce. A
fleet of ships from the North kept up a fire on the
town while Grant and a force of men marched .
on it by land. His men had to live the mean
while on what they could pick up, as there was



































































































































BOATS AT VICKS-BURG.

no way they could get food from the North to
them.

It was not long ere Grant and his men held all
the land and streams near the town so that those in
its walls could not get food and were in sore straits.
Mule meat was sold in the streets, and folks were
Ulysses Stimpson Grant. 159

glad to buy it at a high price. When the shot and
shell poured in on them they sought caves in the |
hill-sides where they might hide from it. To add
to this sad time large parts of the town were blown
up by the troops of the North, so that it was not
safe there at all in the streets. In spite of all
the town was held for near two months, though it
was strange how they could do it at all.

Grant at last grew tired be-cause they would not
give in, and made up his mind for a great charge.
Gen-e-ral Pem-ber-ton, who was in charge of the
troops in the town, tried to make terms with Grant,
but he would not and said he must go on with the
work. The next day Pem-ber-ton had to yield, and
the troops of the North were soon in the town.
They did all they could to help the poor folks who
had fought so hard for their homes—gave them
food and clothes, and did all that could be done to
bring them back to health and life once more.
That day saw the stars and stripes wave from the
Vicks-burg court-house.

Grant took up his stand in Vicks-burg, but he
still kept hard at work. Day and night his mind
and thoughts were bent on what plans he might use
to bring the war to an end, for he was sick of all
the blood that had been spilled. The thought was

sad to him that his men must take the lives of those
160 © Lives of the Preszdents.

who had been brought up ‘neath the same skies as
they, and in the same land. He would have peace
at all price, but he knew that naught but war could
bring it to pass.

The news of Vicks-burg’s fall was heard with
great joy in the North, for it now looked as if their
cause would win and that the South could not hold
out for much time if things went on as they had
done. They were proud, too, of Grant for the work
he had done, for they knew he was the right man
in the right place. |

It would not be out of place to say a few words
here of life in camp with Grant. It has been said
that he was hard on his men and made them toil
when they were not fit to bear arms, but this is not
so. Hewas firm but he was just, and saw to it
that those in his charge had their rights. He made
rules and he saw that his men lived by them. If
a man made up his mind to do right he had naught
to fear from Grant. It was those who were bad
and who stole and drank that he was rough with.
In his camp things moved like clock-work, as they
should. There was no noise or broils in the tents,
and to this care which he took to have things right
no doubt he owed much of his good luck in war.
Those who lived near his camp had naught to fear
from his men, as he kept them in bounds ard would
Ulysses Simpson Grant. 161

not let them raid the farms or burn and steal as is oft
done at such a time. To the poor slaves who had
been set free he was just as kind as to the whites,
and fed and cared for them in his camp when they
had no place to lay their heads at night.

In Au-gust, 1863, Grant went to Mem-phis and
got there late at night. The next day a grand feast
was made for him, and speech and toast went round
in praise of him, their guest, till it must have done
his brave heart good.

When Grant came back to Vicks-burg he had his
troops march out that he might view them. This
is said to have been his dress on that day, which
shows that he was by no means vain, though he was
great. He wore a plain suit, with no sword, sash
or belt. His coat loose in front, a low-crown soft
felt hat on his head, and no mark on his dress of
his rank, and a pair of kid gloves on his hands.
That was what he wore.

It was on this day that he viewed the troops cae
his horse fell on him and he was much hurt—so
much that for a time it was feared that he could not
go in to the field of war for some time. It made
all in the North sad when this was known, but in a
month’s time, to the joy of his friends, Grant was
once more on his horse at the head of his troops.

In 1863 a fight took place at Chat-ta-noo-ga.
162 Lives of the Presidents.

Grant for his work gota gold badge from Con-gress.
He was placed in charge of all our troops in the
field in March of the next year. In the fight in
the Wil-der-ness he showed what a brave man could
do. Here he met Lee. It was in the midst of a
dense woods, through which he marched on the foe,
where the trees grew so thick that his troops could
not ride, so the fight went on in a hand to hand way.
The shots and sparks from the guns soon set the
woods on fire, which made it hard to breathe.

In this hand to hand strife men were at times so
close to each that they could not fire their guns, but
had to use them as clubs. Han-cock had thrown
up earth-works for his men to rest back of from the
heat of the wood fire, but the wind set the brush in
a flame by the sparks in the air, and soon drove the
poor men out. This the Con-fed-e-rates thought
was a good chance for them to seize on the works,
so they made a rush and set their flag on the wall
of the brush works; but they did not hold their
place long. A charge was made and they had
to flee.

In this fight the U-nion troops met with great
loss, and hosts of their men got bad wounds and
dropped out of the fight. Lee soon found out
that he must fall back if he did not want to leave
all his men on the field, so he took up his ground
Ulysses Stmpson Grant, 163

at Spott-syl-va-ni-a Court House, where Grant found
him and fought him for three days, though it could
not be said that Grant or Lee won. It wasa fierce
fight, and no side could lay a just claim that they
had won it.

Grant’s next work was to march to Pe-ters-burg
with his troops and seize the place if he could, though ~
this had been tried more than once. When he got
in sight of the works of the foe at this place he
put it in a state of siege. As long as the town had
food they could hold out, and they did so for ten
months.

In this time Grant made two great moves to take
the town. First he dug'a huge mine from a point
in his lines to the fort of the foe. It was four feet
wide, and full of tons of stuff that could be lit by a
fuse and blow things sky high. When this was all
fixed so it would go off the fuse one day was lit.
An hour went by and not a sound was heard from it.
At last two brave men crept in to the mine and
found that the fuse was in two parts. They made
it right so that it would fire the charge when lit
and got out in haste, as the whole place blew up
with a noise like the roar of a great sea.

The fort was blown to bits, and in its place was
a large chasm where lay heaps of dead and piles of
guns. It was a sad scene. Then the U-nion
164 Lives of the Presidents.

troops charged on the fort, or what was left of it,
while their guns sent shots in to the walls, but they
were too late, for the foe were up in arms, and as
the troops of the North filled the chasm where had
late been the fort, they were mowed down like
grass. And so the scheme of the mine did not
turn out so well as they thought at first it might,
and Grant lost a great host of men in the fight, so
that he had to draw off his troops.

But while he did not keep up the siege he still
kept hard on the heels of his foe, and the fight
at a place known as Deep Bot-tom took place, where
he won and a great host of men fell in his hands.
At Five Forks the same year he won once more,
and at last made up his mind that he would try
for Pe-ters-burg once more.

At four in the morn of A-pril third he charged
on the forts at this place, and in a hard fight took
two of them. He then had his men tear up all the
rail-roads near the place so that those in the town
could not get food.

Gen-e-ral Lee, who had charge of the troops of
the South in Rich-mond and Pe-ters-burg, saw at
once that he and his men must leave, and on the
3d of A-pril the stars and stripes waved from the
walls, and soon the boys in blue were seen in the
streets of the towns that had been looked on as
Clysses Simpson Grant. 165

the strong-holds of the South. It was a great day
for the North when this news was known.

It was not long from
this time ere Grant drove
Lee to the wall, and all ¢
the great hosts of troops
led by that great chief of
the South fell in to his
hands.

This was one of the
first signs that the South
could not hold its own HOUSE WHERE GRANT AND LEE MET.
long, and soon in all the States of the South they
gaveup the fight. urant’s trip to the North when
peace had at last been fixed was a grand one. At
each place on the route there were crowds who
wished to see the man of the hour
who had done so much for them.
He was made Pres-i-dent in
March, 1869, by a large vote, and
he held his seat for two terms.
— Ho-ra-ti-o Sey-mour, who was Gov-
? ern-or of New York, was set up by
YS ASS" the Dem-o-crats, but lost. In his
HO-RA-TI-O SEYMOUR. time all the States of the South
came back to the U-nion. Great tracts of land
were made ours, and the debt of the land was made



A SEY


166 Lives of the Presidents.

much less. A law was made in his time which held ‘
that all men should have a right to cast their vote.
in this land, and no race or hue should be kept
out.

In Grant’s last term a grand show was held at
Phil-a-del-phi-a to keep the day on which the States
were made free. All the lands in the world sent
things they had
made to abe
shown _ there,
and, ale etic
trades in the
world had place.
in the great
walls. When
Grant’s two

CEN-TEN-NI-AL EX-HI-BI-TION BUIL-DING. terms were U
he took a tour round the world, and in all lands he
was made as much of as though he had been a
king. His last home was in New York. He fell
sick in 1884, and af-ter eight months of pain he
died at Mount Mc-Greg-or, near Sar-a-to-ga, on
Ju-ly 23, 1885, and was bur-ied Au-gust 8, 1885,
at Riv-er-side Park (on the Hud-son), New York
Cit-y.














Ulysses Simpson Grant, 167

Hor-ace Gree-ly ran on the
side that was not for Grant,
and which was known at the
time as the Lib-e-rals. It was
made up of those men who
wished for a change in the
laws of the land. Gree-ly was
a man of much note who stood
high in the minds of all in the
land, and it was thought his :
name would sweep the States as by storm. ?

Gree-ly came to New York in 1841 a poor boy,
with small funds to start in life. His first work
was to print a news sheet that was known by the
name of the “ Log Cab-in.” The main view of this
sheet was to aid Gen-e-ral Har-ri-son to the place of
Pres-i-dent. When this had been done Gree-ly
was the one to start the Wew Vork Tri-bune, which
grew to be the voice of the Re-pub-li-cans and is to
this day. This sheet was one of the first to cry |
down the slave trade, and did much good work to
place Lin-coln in the chair.

Gree-ly was sent to Con-gress in 1848, and it was
he who went bail for Jeffer-son Da-vis, which
brought him the hate of some men on his own side.

He lost in the race for the Pres-i-den-tial chair,
as he took Dem-o-crat-ic votes, which his own side


168 Lives of the Presidents.

thought was wrong, and it was this fact more than
all else that lost him the day.

The 77-dune lost caste for a while at this time,
and Gree-ley’s mind soon grew weak when he knew
his cause was dead. In a short time his health
‘broke down and he was put in a mad-house, where
in a short time he died.



TRI-BUNE BUILD-ING, NEW YORK CIT-Y.
CHAPTER XVII.
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.
LO77 LO u1OOT.

Ru-tHer-Frorp B. Haves was born in Del-a-ware,
O-hi-o, in 1822. He came of a brave race of men
who had fought and bled in the wars of our land,
and he was first taught to read and write at the
State school near his home. He worked hard to
learn his tasks and was let in to the high school
class, where he soon stood at the head. He next
took up law, and soon rose to a high grade as one
of the bar. In the war of North and South he did
much for the cause of the North, and was looked
on as a brave man and one well placed to lead
troops ina fight. While still in the field his State
chose him to send to Congress, and then he was put
at the head of it for three terms.

When he was at last made Pres-i-dent it was
thought a fraud in the count by some, and most of
the Dem-o-crats held that their man, Til-den, who
had been Gov-ern-or of New York State, had won
the day. Hayes found that the South was in a sad
170 Lives of the Presidents.

state, and he did much to bring peace to that land.
He thought that if hard coin was brought in use
once more in the place of bank bills, it would be a
great help to all.

In 1877 came what is known as the great “ Raz/-
voad Strike.” The heads of the great lines from’
the sea to the West said they could not pay as
much as they had done, so all the men in their hire
left their posts and came in mobs to stop the trains
on their way. They thought they were not paid
well for all the work they did, so they rose in arms
to force those who hired them to come to terms.

Troops were sent out to put a stop to this, and
nine of the men who struck were killed, and not a
few got bad gun-wounds. But the strike spread,
and at one time it was feared the whole land might
get in to their hands. For two days Pitts-burgh
was held, to the great fear of those who lived there.
Cars were burned on the tracks and much grain |
spoiled that was stored in them. The troops at
length, with hard fights, got the whip-hand of the
mob, but not till much had been burned and spoiled.

In the spring of this year a war broke out with
an In-dian tribe known as the Nez Per-ces, who
robbed and burned some towns and slew the folks
who lived there. Gen-e-ral How-ard was sent out
to put a stop to this, but it was hard work at first —

172 Lives of the Presidents.

to catch the red-skins, for when our troops came
near they fled at once to the wild hills where they
were at home. At last he got to their strong-hold
when he had chased them for along time. A fierce
fight took place and they were soon put to rout.
One of their chiefs got off with a few of his braves,
but all the rest were slain or brought, bound, from
the field of war.

Sais Sam-u-el J. Til-den, who had
been a very good head of the
great State of New York,
was the choice of the Dem-o-
crats a-gainst Hayes. There
was a great cry of fraud as to the
way the count was made, and
there were folks who thought a
war might come of it. Til-den
had the most votes in the whole
coun-try, but Hayes was placed in the chair and all
went well. Hayes is still liv-ing in Mas-sil-lon,

O-hi-o,




SAM-U-EL J.


CHAPTER XVIII.
JAMES ABRAM GARFIELD.
March 4, 1881, to September 19, 1881.

James A-Bram Gar-FIELD, whose sad fate made
all the known world mourn his loss, was born in
Or-ange, O-hi-o, in 1831. His eyes first saw the
light in a poor log hut, the cracks of which were
filled up with mud to keep out the cold and rain,
and the floor of which was made of hard clay. Here .
he spent his youth. He had books, and when he
was through his hard day’s work he would climb up
to a hole ‘neath the roof of the hut, which was
known as the loft, and sleep the sleep of the just on
_a pile of poor straw. He was the son of A-bram
Gar-field, a poor but good man who died when
James was but a few years old. The place where
they lived lay in the midst of a deep wood, and the
trees at times would take fire from the sparks
thrown out by steam-cars on the rail-roads some
miles off. ‘These fires would burn up much grain
and stock on the farm which his folks, who were
quite poor, could not well bear to lose. Gar-field
174 Lives of the Presidents.

made up his mind that the next time a fire came
that way he would try and see if he could not put
it out ere it could waste the farm and lands that
lay ripe with corn and grain. He had not long to
wait. One night he saw a bright light shine through
the chinks in the roof and sheets of flame near the
house. He rushed out of the house and threw up
banks of earth in the way of the fire so that it could
not scorch the fields of young corn that lay on each
hand. Long hours he worked on and at last saved
his farm, but he died from the work, as he took a
bad cold.

So James was left to make his own way in the
world, and worked on the farm when but a small
boy. He milked the cows, sawed wood, and
did all the chores there was need of ona farm. In
the wilds where he was brought up there was not
much chance for him to go to school, as the roads
were all new and were much like bogs in the time
of rain and snow. The school-house lay miles off
and hard to reach, for the woods were filled with
wolves and fierce beasts that were much feared by
those who lived there. But in spite of all this he
went to school when he got a chance and showed
from the first that he was quick and apt to learn.
At home, in the cold nights of the year when no
one dared go out, by the bright fire as his light he
SE


176 Lives of the Presidents.

read much in the few books that were at hand or
that some one would lend him. He did not waste
the hours of his life in play, as most boys of his age
would do, and when but eight years of age he could
read and spell and knew. much of the Good Book,
as well as the tales and lore of his own land and
those in far off climes. And all this time that he
stored his mind with great thoughts of great men
he did not cease to work, as a good son should, and
hard work it was.

He rose with the sun, we might say, and plowed
or sowed from the time he rose from his bed till
eve. He did not like to say “ I can't” when asked
to do a thing, but said at all times, “I can do
that!” He had been taught, and he knew the
words were true, that “Half the fight was to think
you could do a thing.” He had a firm trust and
faith in God. ‘God helps folks to be good, and if
we do not have His help we can not hope to be
good in aught.” This his moth-er had told him.

Yet James was a big boy ere he had heard a
church bell toll, and when they did go to church it
was apt to be eight or ten miles off through the
rough roads in the woods. The day of rest was oft
passed by his folks in their home, much as they
loved to hear the Word of God.

So were the first years of James Gar-field’s life
James Abram Gar fier. 177

passed, years in which he picked up a great deal from
what he read and saw. Time rolled on and he felt that
he ought to go out into the great world and see it.
What he had read in his books did but add to this
wish, so he took a job to chop wood on the shores
of Lake E-rie. The sight of the ships on the lake
made him wish that he might ge to sea, for he had
his own queer views, such as mast boys share, that —
a life on the wave must be a gayone. He thought
he would at least try a trip on the lake to see if he
liked it. So he set out with his pick on his back
to the dock where the ships lay moored. He found
a man in charge on board of one, but he was not at
all like those he had read of in his books. He was
a coarse man who swore at him and bade him get
off the ship or “he'd throw him off.” So, sick at
heart, the poor boy turned and left and took a place
on acoal barge. With what he made here James
went back to his old home in the wild woods, glad
to see once more the faces he loved. .

From that time James Gar-field went on and up
to the goal of his hopes. He worked hard that he
might go to school, and rose to be the head of his
class in each branch. He was made one of the
O-hi-o Sen-ate and of Con-gress, and when the war
of North and South broke out he joined the troops
of the North, and fought as a brave man should.
178 Lives of the Prestdenis.

He soon took charge of the troops in parts of the
land and won much fame in the great fights of the |
war.

In 1880 he was named by the Re-pub-li-cans for
Pres-i-dent, and was placed in the chair as the
choice of the land. The Dem-o-crats wished to
have Gen-e-ral Han-cock, a
man who had fought well
through the war, but he failed
to win. Four months from
the time Gar-field took this
place he was shot, on Ju-ly 2,
1881, by Charles Gui-teau,
while on his way to take a
train for the North.

\ , They bore him back to the

md 3 White House, where he lay for
GEN-E-RAL W. S. HAN-COCK. long time on a bed of pain,
» while all hearts were sad for him, and all prayed to
God that his life would be spared.

When he got worse they took him to Long Branch,
in the hope that the sea air would do him good.
In a house on the beach he lay ill for a space of
three weeks, but he did not get well, and on Sep-
tem-ber 19, 1881, he drew his last breath. When this
was known the old world and the new wept as one
land o’er his new-made grave. The hearts of kings


James Abram Garfield. 179

and queens of far-off lands went out in grief to those
he left to mourn round his own fire-side. And in
our own land the grief was most felt. For weeks
the loss of this great and good man was mourned by
all. Gui-teau, who had done the deed, was hung
for his crime. |

Gar-field’s name stands bright as the stars in the.
sky of night on the scroll of fame, writ in fire
that burns on through all the years.




CHAPTER XIX.

CHESTER ALLAN ARTHUR.
1880 to 1884.

Cues-TER A. Ar-THUR was born in Fair-field,
Frank-lin Coun-ty, Ver-mont, in 1830. He went
to the State schools near his ome for some years,
for it was the wish of his folks that he should learn
all he could.

Ar-thur was but a lad when he went to U-nion
Col-lege to learn. He did so well while there that
in 1849 he had gone through each course they had
in the school.

The whole time he was at this place he paid his
way by his own work. He taught school, and in
this way got quite a small sum, which he laid up
in the bank for his time of need. When he was
through school he still taught, and at one time was
at the head of quite a large school in Ver-mont. As
he had by this time some means laid by he set out
for New York, for he wished to take up law. He
staid here till he was let in to the bar, and then
made a start of his own with an old friend and

182 Lives of the Presidents,

school-mate. They thought they would try the
West first, but soon made up their minds to come
back to New York, where they soon won a name in
the State. .

In 1856 Ches-ter Ar-thur won a suit which gave
the blacks the right to ride in horse-cars with the
whites. A slave girl had been put out of a street-
car in New York, and Ar-thur sued the firm wha
owned the line and won his case with a small sum
‘for the girl, For some years from this time Gen.
e-ral Ar-thur held high place in the State of New
York, and did such work that he was liked by all.
He was twice made the chief in charge of the port
of New York.

In 1880 he was made Vice-Pres-i-dent of our
land.

When _Pres-1-dent Gar-field died at Long Branch
he was at once sent for to come there, and at two on
the morn of Sep-tem-ber 30 he was sworn in as
our Pres-i-dent, at his home in New York.

In 1883 the great Star Route case came up. The
cause of it was said that a ring of men had made
use of that part of our mails which they had in
their charge to cheat the Gov-ern-ment. On the
14th of June, 1884, the case came to a close and
_ they were let off.
In 1884 two great fairs to show the arts and
Chester Allan Arthur. 183

trades of the States were held in Lou-is-ville and
New Or-leans, which drew folks from all parts of
the land. :

_ Gen-e-ral Ar-thur went back to his home and his
law of-fice in New York Cit-y at the end of his

term.

It wasthought that Gen-e-ral
Ar-thur would have been put
upa-gain, but JamesG. Blaine,
of Maine, a smart and well
read man who had held high
place in the laws of the land
for more than ascore of years,
was the choice of the Re-pub-
liccans. There was a split in
the par-ty and he lost the day,

SEC and the Dem-o-crats got their
“JAMES G. BLAINE, man, Gro-ver Cleve-land, in.


CHAPTER XxX.

GROVER CLEVELAND.
1885-1880.

STE-PHEN Gro-vER CLEvE-LAND was the first
Dem-o-crat who had the chair for more than a
score of years.

He was born in the town of Cald-well, New
_Jer-sey, on March 18, 1837, and was the fifth child
of a good man whose task it was to preach the
Word of God in the church of the place. He
came of a good stock, and one that might fill him |
with pride of birth, not for their wealth, but for
their gift of mind. He was of a race that had
shown a strong will and brave hearts.

When he was but three years old they moved to
Fay-ette-ville, New York, and this was where he
spent nine years of his life and went to school most
of the time. 7

They were poor, but the boys and girls had all
the chance they could wish to go to school, so that
they might be fit to hold posts of trust when they
grew up and were of an age to earn their bread.
SSSSAN

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186 Lives of the Presidents.

When Par-son Cleve-land grew sick, Gro-ver at
once made up his mind that he would like to earn
his own bread and help his folks. His first place
was in a store in this town, where he was paid a
small sum for his work, and we are told that he was
true to his trusts and gained the good will of all in
the place. This he held for two years, when he
went back to his books. But a great grief was in
store for Gro-ver that he did not think would come
so soon. Par-son Cleve-land, worn out with his
work, died. This death made a change in the
whole course of Gro-ver’s life. |

He had to go back to work and earn bread for
_ those who were in need at home. He found a
place in the ‘“‘Home for the Blind,” in New York,
where he staid for two years. At the end of that
time he made up his mind that he would learn law,
so he set out with a friend to the west part of the
State, where they hoped they could get a chance.

“Twas a strange quest on which these two youths
thus set out. They had no friends to find them a
place, and their funds were small to keep them while
on the search.

He stopped in Buf-fa-lo with one of his kin, who
found him at last a place such as he wished. It was
said of him that at this time that when he had work
to do he did it, and did it well.
Grover Cleveland. 187

He was at work in this place for eight years, and
the first year he was not paid at all for what he did.

When the war broke out Gro-ver had a wish to
go and bear arms for the help of his land, but he
thought it was not right when those at home were
in need of help and had no one else to look to for it.
But there were two that went forth from that home
to do or die for the right.

Cleve-land soon was known as a man well versed
in the law, and he took charge of more than one
great case that brought himin much fame. For the
most part of the time he was on the side that won.
He was soon called to take more than one high
place to put in force the laws of his State. He 1s
said to have worked at all times for the cause of a
poor man with more zeal than for the rich, if he
_ thought he was in the right. His fame soon spread
through the State, and he was placed at the head of
the town and then at the head of the State. He was
at all times hard at work and would oft spend the
whole night with his books when he had to read up
fora case. At no time in his life did he seek for
place. It was his own true worth that won them
for him. He made his way up step by step and
soon won the good will of all. As the chief man
-in the laws of Buf-fa-lo he showed his true worth in
the way he put down those who had lived by bribes
188 Lives of the Presidents.

in high places, and he did much to cleanse the town
of such men as stood in the way of its best growth.

When the time came to choose a head for the
great State of New York, in 1882, Cleve-land was
named to stand for the place. Charles Fol-ger ran
with him, but lost by great odds. In his place as
the head of the State Cleve-land showed that he
was worthy the trust that men had placed in him,
and he still went.on with his good work.

The term of Cleve-land’s stay in the White House
was not marked with great changes—or much of
note. What was called the Chi-nese Bill was passed
to keep out the Chi-nese from this land. Some felt
that this was not a just bill, as the same rule was not
made for those who came from the rest of the world.
Men thought it was not fair to pick out Chi-na and
say that no man who came from there could land on
our shores. But those who wished the bill to pass —
_ said that the Chi-nese did not want to be A-mer-i-cans,
and would not be, if they stayed here for years.
They came here to make what they could, but they
meant to go back to their homes at last, and take
with them all they had made. They would not take
the right to vote if they could get it. So the bill was
passed to keep them out, but the Chi-nese who were
here at the time had leave to stay.

The Mills Bill to make the tax less on all goods
Grover Cleveland. 189

brought in-to the U-ni-ted States made more stir than
aught else in Cleve-land’s term. The cry of “free
trade”’ rose, and the class-es who work, the men of
trade, took fright. They knew the price of all work
was low in Eu-rope, and they thought if a tax were not
fixed on the things made there, they would sell just
as cheap here or else A-mer-i-can things would have
no saleat all. Then they said wa-ges here would soon
be as low as in Eu-rope, and the poor man would have
less to live on. When Cleve-land was put up for a
new term, the cry of “no free trade” rang through the
land, and the fear of that change did much to make
him lose votes. But all he wished to do was to make
the tax less. “This tax on goods and all things brought
in our ports is called a “ tar-iff.”

Cleve-land was the first Pres-i-dent who was wed
in the White House. He took for his wife Miss
Fran-ces Fol-som.

James G. Blaine, of Maine, had a host of friends,
who would have been glad to have made him the next
Pres-i-dent. He was in Eu-rope when the choice
was made, and it is said he would have served if he
had been the choice of all. But there were some who
feared to put him up, as he had not proved the best
man to win the last time. ‘So they chose Ben-ja-min
Har-ri-son, of In-di-an-a, and he gained the place.
He was made our Pres-i-dent on March 4, 1880.
CHAPTER XXI.
BENJAMIN HARRISON.

1889 to 1893.

_ Ben-ja-min Har-ri-son, our Pres-i-dent at this time,
was born at North Bend, O-hi-o, and is the son
of John Scott Har-ri-son and the grand-son of Will-
1am Hen-ry Har-ri-son, the ninth Pres-i-dent of the
U-ni-ted States. He learned law, and was wed when
quite young to Miss La-vin-ia Scott, When the war
broke out he helped raise men to form what was called
the “oth In-di-an-a,” and he was made Col-o-nel of
it. For two years he served well in the fights with the
foe. For his brave work at Re-sa-ca on May 14,
1864, he was made a Brig-a-dier-Gen-er-al. He
stayed on till the close of the war. He was liked by
nis men, for he was kind to them and they called him
“Lit-tle Ben.” He wentback to his homeand his work
at law when the war came toanend. His State chose
him to a place in the Sen-ate. While there he showed
in his speech-es that he was not for free trade. |

And now ten times ten years had passed since
George Wash-ing-ton had been called to take his
place as first Pres-i-dent of our land. Tt was thought
fit to keep the day—to mark the great changes that
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192 Lives of the Presidents.

had been made in this time—and to think of the good
and great man who had helped the land in its sore
need, who had led in the war that made us free, and
ruled in such a wise way when peace came at last.
So what was called the ““ Wash-ing-ton Cen-ten-ni-al”
was heldin New York Cit-y on April 29 and 30, 1889.
Stores and hous-es were decked with flags, and arch-es
were built of wood and wreathed and hung with red,
white, and blue. The well-known face of Wash-
ing-ton looked out on all sides from wreaths of green.
The streets were filled by a dense mass, and rank on
rank of troops filed by for hours. The drums beat,
the bands played their best, and cheers rang out on
all sides as that long train of men marched on. The
Pres-i-dent and all his men were met by a barge and
brought to the slip at Wall Street with all the ships of
war drawn up each side. Ass they went up the steps
of the Cit-y Hall, young school-girls in white strewed
flow-ers on their way, as the girls had done in the time
of Wash-ing-ton. In the church-es men met to give
thanks, and then the Pres-i-dent and his friends went
to the same place where Wash-ing-ton took his oath
to serve as Pres-i-dent. Speech-es were made there.
Har-ri-son spoke for a short time in a strong voice,
and he was greet-ed with cheers. The troops from
the South, with the flags of their States, were all there,
side by side with Un-ion men, so that it seemed that


Benjamin Flarrtson. 193

they thought of the warno more. Sogranda sight as
these long lines of troops had not been seen-in the
U-ni-ted States since the men came back at the close
of the war and marched through Wash-ing-ton. At
night fire-works were sent off at points through the
town. The Ger-man, the French, the Swiss, marched
side by side, some in quaint garb such as they had
worn in their homes in the old lands. “The Ger-mans
sent large floats, built at a great cost, that showed the
way in which some of the trades were worked. The
boys from the free schools made afine part of theshow.

The first thing that was
done while Har-ri-son was
Pres-i-dent was to pass the
Tar-iff Bill, brought into the
House by Mr. Mc-Kin-ley.
By this bill the tax on_ all
goods brought in-to the U-ni-
ted States was fixed so as
to keep out cheap goods from
Eu-rope, and thus make
sure of high wa-ges to the
A-mer-i-can work-ing man.
A. con-gress of all the Amer-
i-can States was held at Wash-ing-ton, and men from
Chi-li, Bra-zil, Mex-i-co, Ar-gen-ti-na and oth-er
Span-ish states met to talk over a plan for a great



WIL-LIAM Mc-KIN-LEY.
“194 Lives of the Presidents.

un-ion of all A-mer-i-ca, and thus make them
bet-ter friends with us and with each oth-er.

A-way up in the north of the Pa-cif-ic O-cean
is the home of the pret-ty seals from which we get
the furs that are made in-to coats and capes and
caps. The place where the young seals are born
is called A-las-ka, and the trade is one of great
val-ue to our peo-ple. Now ma-ny ships from
oth-er na-tions used to go and kill these harm-less
an-i-mals, and the Pres-i-dent thought that this
must be put a stop to. He made an a-gree-ment,
at last, with the Brit-ish and oth-ers to pre-vent
this kill-ing of the seals in the sea. This a-gree-
ment is called the Behr-ing Sea Trea-ty. An-
oth-er bill was passed in Con-gress to pay the
sol-diers of the North who had been hurt in the
late war be-tween the North and the South more
mon-ey as long as they lived. This is the
Pen-sion Bill.

Two new States were let in-to the Un-ion; they
were the large States in the North-west called
I-da-ho and Wy-o-ming. In 1890, the peo-ple of
the U-ni-ted States were count-ed, and it was
found that there were a-bout six-ty-three mill-ions
of souls in the coun-try. In 1880, there were only
fif-ty mill-ions, and in 1870, thir-ty-nine mill-ions.
At this time, the cen-ter of pop-u-la-tion is near
Benjamin Flarrzison. 195

Greens-burg in south-ern In-di-an-a. Sev-er-al
laws were passed in Con-gress to check the great
im-mig-ra-tion from for-eign coun-tries; this step
was tak-en be-cause ma-ny of the new-com-ers
were not like-ly to be good cit-1-zens, and be-cause
the free lands which the Gov-ern-ment used to
give to sett-lers has all been tak-en up.

In 1891 a new par-ty was formed. It 1s called
the “Peo-ple’s Par-ty”; it asks for the free coin-age
of sil-ver, the e-lec-tion of the Pres-i-dent by the
peo-ple, and a change in the tar-iff from pro-tect-ive
du-ties, to taxes for rev-en-ue on-ly.

Dur-i ing the year 1891 we lost by death Ad-
mir-al Por-ter, our nav-al hero, and Gen-er-al W.
T. Sherman, who was so fam-ous dur-ing the
civ-il war by his “ March to the Sea.”

Pres-i-dent Har-ri-son, when his term_of of-fice
was end-ed, went back to his home in In-di-an-a,
and re-sumed his prac-tice of the law.

In 1892 four hun-dred years had passed since
Chris-to-pher Co-lum-bus first saw A-mer-i-ca, and
a great show of all that the art, wealth, or work of
the world could dis-play was held in the cit-y of
Chi-ca-go. The Pres-i-dent went there and on
Oc-to-ber 14 o-pened the World’s Fair with a
speech, but it was not re-all-y o-pened to the pub-
lic till next year.
CHAPTER XXII.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
1893 to 1897.

Gro-ver Cleve-land, who had been Pres-i-dent
be-fore Har-ri-son, was a-gain made Pres-i-dent.
The cry of “free trade” rang through the land,
and he said that he would try to make the tax on
goods brought in from a-broad less than it had
been in the Mc-Kin-ley Bill.

In May the doors of the World’s Fair at Chi-
ca-go were o-pened. It was the larg-est and most
beau-ti-ful fair that ev-er was held. It was in a
park by the side of Lake Mich-i-gan, and the
ground was laid out with great taste. There were
great pieces of wa-ter, with ma-ny islands and
brid-ges, and boats of all kinds, from little steam-
boats to the strange-look-ing gon-do-las, that came
all the way from Italy, sailed a-bout on the wa-ters.
There were miles and miles of most beau-ti-ful
build-ings, all of white, and filled with all sorts of
rich and rare things from all parts of the globe.
There were pic-tures and sta-tues with-out end, and
all kinds of ma-chines, and gold and sil-ver work,
and silks from the far East, and great pieces of
Grover Cleveland. 197

nee-dle-work, and all kinds of corn, and wheat, and
bread-stuffs, and ev-er-y-thing that peo-ple eat, and
ev-er-y-thing that peo-ple wear, and all kinds of wood
from our trees, and gold, and coal, and i-ron, and
sil-ver from our mines, and glass-ware, and all sorts
of toys and dolls that strange lit-tle chil-dren, white

















MA-CHIN-E-RY HALL.

and black, be-yond the seas like to play with. At
night the whole place was light-ed up by thou-
sands of lamps, of var-i-ous col-ors, that shone on
the tall jets of water that sprang up in-to the air
from the lit-tle lakes in the Fair grounds, while
bands of mu-sic played ev-er-y-where. Al-most all
198 Lives of the Presidents.

the States in the Un-ion had each a build-ing of
its own, in which it showed what crops each of
them grew, and what were the things that each
of them made in their work-shops. Just out-side
the Fair there had been built Ger-man houw-ses,
and a village from Ja-va, and shops kept by

















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































LIB-ER-AL ARTS AND MAN-U-FAC-TURES HALL.

Turks and Greeks, and a whole street from the
E-gyp-tian town of Cai-ro with a lot of the hump-
backed, long-necked, and long-legged cam-els on
which you could ride a-bout just as folks do in
the East. The best thing was the sight of the
tame li-ons that rode on horses, and jumped over
ropes, and did what-ev-er their mas-ter bid them,
Grover Cleveland. 199

and played with each oth-er just like so ma-ny
pus-sy cats. It will be long be-fore we see such a
World’s Fair a-gain. |

In Con-gress a tar-iff bill was brought in to
make the tax on ma-ny things low-er than it had



















































































































































































































































AD-MIN-IS-TRA-TION BUILD-ING.

been. Some peo-ple call it a “free trade” bill,
and do not like it at all, as they say it will make
wag-es low-er. Oth-ers like it, as they think it will
let us buy at a cheap rate ma-ny things which we
all use or need. Just be-fore it was brought in-to
the House there was what is called a pan-ic, and
pri-ces of all things fell very low, ma-ny work-shops |
200 Lives of the Presidents.

were shut up, and scores and scores of work-men
were thrown out of work. So there was great dis-
tress in all parts of the coun-try. Ma-ny of the
par-ty that had made Cleve-land Pres-i-dent
turned a-gainst him now, and when he sent in-to
the Sen-ate some names of men whom he wished
to be made judges, the Sen-ate would not have
them made. At last he named Mr. White of
Lou-is-i-an-a judge of the, Su-preme Court, and
him the Sen-ate gave its vote for.

Far out in the Pa-cif-ic O-cean are the Sand-
| wich Is-lands. They had
a queen, whom some
of her peo-ple did not
like, so they put her off
her throne, and asked
the U-ni-ted States to
take the is-lands in-to
the Un-ion. ma-ny people wished
this to be done, as they
are rich, and grow a
deal of su-gar, but the
Pres-i-dent has not done
so yet, as he thinks we ought to leave oth-er coun-
tries to them-selves till it is quite sure that they
want to join us.



QUEEN LI-LI-O-U-KA-LA-NI.
Grover Cleveland. — 201

Af-ter the late war we did not build a-ny new
ships of war for ma-ny years, but for the last ten
years a fleet of fine new ships has been built, line
of bat-tle ships, crui-sers, and tor-pe-do boats.
They have i-ron plates on their sides to keep them
safe, large guns that can throw balls for miles, and
brave crews, and they can sail fas-ter than oth-er
ships. Our fleet is still small, but it is good.

In the long years that have passed since the
time of our first Pres-i-dent, George Wash-ing-ton,
there have been great chan-ges. The small band
has grown to a great throng. The town is now a
great mart, and ships with their white wings sail
in-to the great bay day and night like birds to a
strand. ‘The God of Wash-ing-ton, ‘from whose
hand the years fall like grains of sand,” has
blessed the land with wealth. All men are free
from north to south, and as our thoughts go back
to those who fought and bled for us in the past we
thank God for their faith and for all they have won
for us. May we mark well the path they trod,
and stand up like them for truth and God! May
peace still crown our land, while our. flag flings
out its Stars and Stripes o’er North and South
as one.

Long may it wave,
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
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