CASS, LEWIS, an American statesman, b. at Exeter, N. II., in 1782. lie was edu cated for the law, but quitting that profession, he entered the army in 1812, and rose rapidly to the rank of gen., though his merit was not very conspicuous. In 1813, he was elected governor of Michigan, in which state he settled. During his governorship, lie kept himself apart from party politics, yet all his measures had a decidedly demo cratic tendency. In 1831, C. was made minister at war under gen. Jackson, and in 1836 he was sent as plenipotentiary to Paris. In this capacity he made himself popu lar by his replies, in Galignanes ;Messenger, to the attacks of the English press on the claims of the union with regard to its n.e. boundaries, and by his protest against the measures of Guizot; but the treaty concluded by Daniel Webster with lord Ashburton was so much opposed to the views maintained by C., that he resigned his post, and in 1843 returned to America, where he was received with marks of popular favor. IIe now aimed at the presidency, and in 1844 was put in nomination, but was defeated, as also in 1848, when he made another effort to obtain tho supreme power. In 1857 lie was
appointed secretary of state, resigning office in 1860. Though active and energetic, he bad no claim whatever to anything like comprehensive statesmanship. In regard to slavery, his ideas were ludicrously inconsistent, determined solely, as it would seem, by a view to what would be popular with those whose favor he was seeking to secure at the moment. Latterly, he went wholly along with the slave-holding party, advocating an extension of territory with a view to extend the ramifications of slavery. But he was chiefly remarkable on account of his bitter hostility to Britain, against which he was ever ready to inflame the minds of his countrymen on the slightest and silliest pretext. He is author of the history, Tradition, Languages, etc., Indians in the United States; of France—its _Lang, Court, and Government; and other works. He died in June, 1866.