and 1836-Cleveland was honored by being chosen speaker of the House, a position he upheld with dignity and ability.

For a number of years Cleveland had been the acknowledged leader of the democracy of the state, and in 1842 the party managers decided to place him in nomination for governor.

He was elected by a good majority and his term of office was so successful that he was renominated and elected for the second time. Retiring from the gubernatorial chair in 1844, Governor Cleveland returned to his legal practice, but did not relinquish his interest in politics. In 1849 he was elected to represent his district in Congress, which he did for the next four years with ability and distinction.

Governor Cleveland was a man of strong character. This was abundantly demonstrated in 1860, when, after being a strong Democrat for sixty years, and realizing there was danger of the government being disrupted, he openly declared himself an unflinching supporter of the Union. Deliberately severing party ties, Governor Cleveland did everything in his power to support the government, worked for Lincoln's election, and was a presidential elector on the Republican ticket. He was also a member of the Peace Congress in 1861 and took a prominent part in the proceedings of that famous body.

Governor Cleveland was made Doctor of Laws by Trinity College, and never entered public life to any extent afterwards, but

The Governors

of Connecticut

practiced his profession in the town of Hampton. Throughout the remaining years of his life he was the recipient of many honors. He died in Hampton on June 6, 1887.

The "Judicial and Civil History of Connecticut" has this to say of Governor Cleveland: "It was mainly as a public man that he was known beyond his own county, and his tastes and ambitions lay far more in the direction of political than of professional life. He was a man of commanding appearance, yet of gentle and

courteous manners."

A son, John J., gave promise of unusual ability when very young. He was graduated at Washington (now Trinity) College, studied law, was a clerk of the Federal Courts of the state, attained

prominence at the bar, but died at the age of twenty-eight years.

A nephew of Governor Cleveland, the Hon. Edward Spicer Cleveland, son of the Hon. Mason Cleveland, was the unsuccessful democratic candidate for governor of Connecticut in 1886. He was a state senator several times, and was one of the first citizens of the state.