BIOGRAPHY and HISTORY OC- hung, with assiduous devotion, cupy an important department in upon the pages that recorded the the libraries of gentlemen, schol- labours of their grandsires in the ars, and statesmen. By the one, cabinet, and their exploits in the the reader becomes acquainted field. The unceasing industry. with the illustrious characters and exalted talents of a Marshall, who have imparted glory to their has preserved to Americans the native countries, and who have se- memory of their great political cured to themselves imperishable father, George Washington. The honour. By the other, he traces unrivalled genius of a Wirt has the progress of events which have embalmed the memory of Patrick elevated different countries to the Henry. It is from such scholars, acme of human glory, or sunk that we may hope hereafter to be them to the lowest depths of de- gratified with a Biography of gradation. The American Repub-JAMES MONROE, President of lic, has, for the last half century, the United States. It must be the been the theatre of events and the history of his country, during the nursery of men, the history of long period of his active life, and which, and the lives of whom, various official stations, for they would have added lustre to the are identified with each other. It most brilliant pages of ancient or is with the deepest solicitude, that modern history. The impressive I attempt a mere sketch of the ejaculation of an inspired pen- life of this great man. That the man- "Our fathers, where are sources from which I derived the they?" may well be repeated by information I possess upon this Americans in the nineteenth cen- subject, so deeply interesting to tury. The members of the Old the citizens of our Republic, are Congress, ("I name them fill'd authentic, I have the most confiwith solemn awe,") are, the most dent reliance. of them, reaping the reward of JAMES MONROE, the fifth their patriotic labours in eternity. President of the United States, was But how little does the rising born in the county of Westmoregeneration know of their gigantic land, in the state of Virginia, and labours, and their splendid ta- upon the banks of the Potomac, lents? We enjoy the rich legacy in the year 1759. A century and they bestowed upon their coun- an half previous, his ancestor mitry; but their memories are almost obliterated by the admiration excited by their successors, and the astonishment occasioned by succeeding events.

grated to the Western World, and was the original grantee of the soil upon which his illustrious descendant was born. He was educated at the ancient University Had America had her PLU- of William and Mary. His resi TARCH, it would not have been so. dence in academic bowers, while Instead of devoting attention to it initiated him into the boundless the men and the events of ancient fields of science and literature, time, the youth of our Republic did not render him effeminate. would be enraptured while they In 1776, when his threatened

The particulars of the battle, and the part taken in it by lieutenant Monroe; I extract from Wilkinson's Memoirs, Vol. I. p. 129.

and endangered country, called the concussions produced by the upon her sons to leave the peace- tumbling of ice in the rapid curable employment of agriculture, rent of the Delaware, would have and the delightful indulgence of appalled any hearts but those of literary pursuits, to endure the Republican Soldiers. The Delatoil and privations of the "tented ware was crossed-the British field," the gallant Monroe joined post was surprised--their commanthe embattled ranks of his coun- der was slain, and his army were trymen, under the command of captured. "The victory of Trenthe celebrated general Mercer, ton" operated upon disheartened who fell at Princeton. He was Americans like a shock of elecappointed a lieutenant in Col. tricity upon a morbid system. Weedon's regiment, repaired with it to New-York, and joined the army under the command of General Washington. At the battle of Harlem Heights, he first faced a "It was now broad day, and veteran enemy. He fought in the the storm beat violently in our fabattle of White Plains, and was ces; the attack had commenced on one who followed the apparently the left, and was immediately andesperate fortune of Washington swered by Col. Stark in our front, in the desponding retreat through who forced the enemy's picket, New-Jersey. Although a youth and pressed into the town; our of seventeen, he was not dismay-column being close at his heels. ed at the gloomy prospects that The enemy made a momentary were before him and his beloved shew of resistance, by a wild and country. While many of the undirected fire from the windows troops were leaving the standard of their quarters, which they aof the Chief, and many citizens bandoned as we advanced, and were joining the ranks of the ene-made an attempt to form in the my, lieutenant Monroe remained main street, which might have true to his commander, to his succeeded, but for a six gun batcountry, and to his God. The tery opened by Capt. T. Forest, time was at hand when he was to under the immediate order of Gen. spend his blood, and all but lose Washington, at the head of King's his life for his country. street, which annoyed the enemy in various directions; and the decision of Capt. William Washington, who, seconded by Lieut. JAMES MONROE, (now President of the United States,) led the advanced guard of the left column, perceiving that the enemy were

The 26th of December, 1776, was a day memorable in the annals of the revolutionary struggle. The preceding night was as dark, gloomy, and horrible as the foreboding destiny of Washington and his devoted followers. Like the night that preceded the fall of endeavouring to form a batteryCæsar, the elements seemed to rushed forward, drove the artillerbe at war. The roaring of the ists from their guns, and took two storm, the rattling of the hail, and pieces in the act of firing.

"These officers were both He commenced the study of law wounded in the charge; the Cap-under the direction of one of his iltain in the wrist, the Lieutenant lustrious predecessors, THOMAS through the shoulder. These par- JEFFERSON. But his native stat ticular acts of gallantry have never was soon after invaded; and he vol. been noticed, and get they could not unteered his service in the militia. have been too highly appreciated; In 1780, he was appointed by Mr. for if the enemy had got his artil- Jefferson, then governour of Virlery into operation, in a narrow ginia, as a military commissioner, street, it might have checked our and visited the southern army in movement, and given him time to that capacity. His conduct in form and reflect; and if he had this important trust, met with unretired across the bridge in his divided approbation. rear, and taken post, he would Col. Monroe, near the close of have placed a defile between us, the revolutionary war, commenwhich, in our half naked, half fro-ced his legislative and diplomatic zen condition, he ought to have career. It would require volumes defended against our utmost ef- to go into details. As, in a miliforts; and we in turn might have tary capacity, he fought in the been compelled to retreat, which most disastrous periods of the would have been fatal to us." great struggle for Independence;

Lieutenant MONROE lingered so, when he was at the terminalong with his wounds, and barely tion of it, invested with official survived them. His subsequent functions in civil life, involving military life must be rapidly glan- the highest responsibility, he had ced over. For his consummate difficulties to encounter which bravery in the battle of Trenton, nothing but the most matured he was promoted to a captaincy; judgment could obviate; nothing and was soon after selected by but the most consummate pruLord Sterling as his Aid-de-Camp. dence surmount. He might have In this capacity, he served with this said then, as he did in his Inaugallant friend of America, in the gural Speech, as PRESIDENTcampaign of 1777 and 1778. With "From a just responsibility, I shall him he fought in the battles of never shrink;" for his whole civil Brandywine, Germantown, and life has been a practical comment Monmouth, and the survivors re- upon this declaration. member him with affectionate atAt the age of twenty-three, tachment. He was soon after ap- (1782,) he was elected a member pointed to the command of a re- of the house of commons in Virgiment to be raised in Virginia, ginia, and by that body, in the having secured the esteem, and same year, appointed a member having received the highest re- of the executive council. In 1783 commendation of Washington. he was elected a member of the Subsequent events prevented the Areoppagus of America, the "OLD raising of the regiment, and Col. CONGRESS." He was probably

MONROE remained in his native the youngest member of that austate.

gust body. To be surrounded by

the hoary sages of the Republic, and the state acceded to the pro- . and to take a part in deliberations, position. the most interesting that ever monopolized the solemn attention of an human tribunal, surely must have excited all his solicitude, their territorial limits. Conflictand aroused all his vigilance. ing claims between independent

At about this period, serious controversies began to arise between some of the states, in regard to

At the close of the war, the states, in relation to their bounthirteen states were held together daries, uniformly assume an hosby nothing but that feeble bond tile aspect. Disputes of this kind of union, "The Old Confedera- have caused centuries of war, tion." The small states were.jeal- and have inundated the contested ous of the power of the larger territory in blood. Congress, ones; the large states thought it with the solicitude of a parent to humiliation to be reduced to an heal the contentions of his chilequality with the smaller ones. dren, interposed all the authority Mr. MONROE, with the sagacity of that body of gigantic statesmen a statesman, early foresaw the ca- then possessed, to produce mutulamities that would befal the con- al concessions and cordial concilfederated states for the want of a iation. The eyes of Congress national authority. A consolida- were fixed upon Mr. MONROE as ted government had some power- a suitable member of a high triful advocates, but was resisted by bunal, to adjust these controveran immense majority of the peo-sies. His appointment met with ple of the Republic. In 1786, he the cordial approbation of the introduced a motion to vest in contending states. It was a periCongress the power of regulating od when the utmost exertion of the commercial concerns of all right was deemed injudicious, and, the states. This motion, accord- where claims admitted of doubt, ing to the journals of the old extremely dangerous. Amicable Congress, was frequently discus- arrangements were made, and the sed. It was the germ of our inimi-authority vested in this important table constitution, which was af- court was never exercised.

terwards adopted.

A provision in the Old ConfedVirginia, the native state of eration, rendered a member of Mr. MONROE, and then the largest Congress ineligible to a seat in in territory and population in the that body for more than three union, proposed to cede to Con-years in succession. Mr. Mon gress her territory beyond the ROE, having sustained this high Ohio, on condition that no states station for that period, returned should be incorporated in it be- to the bosom of his admiring yond certain prescribed limits. friends in his native state. ConHe introduced and obtained the adoption of a resolution in Congress, recommending to that state to make an unconditional grant.

scious, that although young, he had become matured in the wisdom acquired by experience, the electors of the county of Spott

real greatness, he performed it. The limits of this Sketch will not admit, even of an abstract of his speech delivered upon this interesting occasion. It evinces a familiar knowledge of the great principles of our government.

sylvania returned him as a mem- The debates in the different ber of the legislature of Virginia, state conventions upon the adopin 1787. His devotion to the tion of the constitution, would cause of his country in this situa- astonish the statesmen of any tion, induced his fellow citizens country. These conventions to appoint him a member of the were composed of men of every convention of the state of Vir-class in society, from the orator, ginia, to decide the question, the who would not suffer by a compagreat and momentous question, rison with a Burke, or a Fox, down upon the adoption of our present to the plain man of unostentatious excellent constitution, in 1788. demeanour, who could not speak, The assertion may be made but nevertheless could hear, rewithout the imputation of pre-flect, and vote. In the Virginia sumption, that never, since the in-convention, Mr. MONROE was surstitution of civil society, was a form rounded by the great and experiof government established with enced statesmen of that Commonsuch cool deliberation, such pro-wealth. He had a part to perfound reflection, and such saga- form, and, with the modest assurcious foresight, as the constitution ance which is a concomitant with of the United States. The forms of all the governments instituted from the days of the great lawgiver of the Jews, to near the close of the eighteenth century, were before the Statesmen of the American Republic. The experience of ages had tested their ex- About this period, the question cellencies, and rendered their de- of the right of navigation upon fects ostensible. The public mind the Mississippi, was brought into had been, in some measure, pre-discussion between the American pared for the decision of the great and Spanish governments. It was question, by the profound investi- even thought of surrendering the gations of MADISON,JAY, and HAM- right! The comprehensive views ILTON. Three millions of free- of Mr. MONROE, induced him to men had just disenthralled them- oppose it with all his energy. He selves from the power of the presented a statement of the subBritish Crown. They had literal-ject to Congress, which shews ly waded through blood to ob- the expanse of his mind, and his tain their independence; and hav- devotion to the best interests of ing emancipated themselves from his country. a foreign power, which they would not acknowledge, they were jealous even of a necessary power for their own government. But the people were intelligent, and an appeal to their understanding was never unsuccessfully made.

In 1789, the government of the United States commenced its operations under the constitution. Before that period, the states, although they had, in the most solemn and deliberate manner, der