PAULDING, JAMES KIIINE. an American author, was born at Pleasant Valley, N. Y., Aug. 22, 1779. His father was a farmer, descended from the early Dutch set tiers. Self-educated, and early developing a tendency to literature, he was a friend of Washington Irving, and wrote a portion of Salmagundi. the war of 1812 he published the Dircrting Hkdory of John Ball and Brother Jonathan; in 1813, a parody of the Lay of the Last Minstrel, entitled A Lay of the Scottish Fiddle: and in 1314, a more serious work, The United States and England, a defense against articles in the Qaarterly Review. This work attracted to him the attention of president Madison, and caused him to be appointed a member of the board of naval commissioners. In 1817 lie published a defense of the southern states and of slavery in Letters from the South, by a Northern Man; in 1819, a new series of Salmagundi; in 1822, A Sketch of Old England, by a New England ,Alan; and in 1824, John Bailin America, or the New Munchausen, a satire on the writings of certain British tourists. This was followed by Konigsmarke, a novel (1825); Merry Tales of the Three 1Vise Men of Gotham (1826); The New Pilgrims Progress (1828); Tides of a Good Woman (1329); Book of St. Nicholas (1830). These works, mostly
humorous and satirical, hail various degrees of local popularity; but in 1831 lie pro duced The Datehman's Fireside. a novel that was reprinted in England, and translated into French and Dutch: and in 1832, Westward Ho! Which attained to a similar popu larity. These were followed by a Life of Washington (1835), Slavery in the United States (1836), in which the institution is defended on social, economical. and physio logical grounds. He held at this period the lucrative post of navy agent of New York, and was by Mr. Van Buren appointed secretary of the navy, which gave him the posi tion of cabinet minister. At the close of Mr. Van Buren's presidency in 1841, Mr. Paulding retired to a country residence at Hyde Park, N. Y.. where he wrote The Old Continental. a novel (1846); The Puritan and his Daughter (1849); and with his son, a volume of Plays and Fairy Tales. He died at Hyde Park, New York state, April 6, 1860.