EMINENT AMERICANS COMPRISING BRIEF BIOGRAPHIES OF LEADING STATESMEN, PATRIOTS, ORATORS AND BY BENSON J. LOSSING LL.D. Author of "History of the United States," "Field Book of the Revolution," ILLUSTRATED WITH OVER ONE HUNDRED FINE PORTRAITS IN TWO VOLUMES VOLUME II NEW YORK AMERICAN PUBLISHERS CORPORATION 310-318 SIXTH AVENUE. THERE are men whose forecast reaches far in advance of their generation, and whose sagacity works wonders for posterity. These are laughed at as idle dreamers by the many, and venerated as philosophers and prophets by the few. Such was Dewitt Clinton, a son of James Clinton, a useful brigadier-general of the Revolution, who was born at Little Britain, in Orange county, New York, on the 2d of March, 1769. He graduated at Columbia College, in 1786, became a lawyer, then private Secretary to his uncle, George Clinton, the first Republican governor of New York, and then a State Senator, in 1799. Even at this early period of his public life, his efforts were directed to the elevation of his fellownen. Throughout his long political career he was the earnest and steadfast friend of education, and the rights of man. His powerful mind was brought to bear with great vigor upon the subject of legislative aid in furtherance of popular education, and also the abolition of human slavery in the State of New York. In 1801, he was appointed to a seat in the Senate of the United States, and was annually elected mayor of the city of New York, from 1803 to 1815, except in 1807 and 1810. Some of the noblest institutions for the promotion of art, literature, scierce, and benevolence, in that city, were founded under his auspices.' 1. The chief of these were the New York Historical Society, the Academy of Fine Arts, and the Orphan Asylum. See sketch of Isabella Grana.n. |