HAYES, RUTHERFORD BIRCHARD, LLD., 19th president of the United States, was b. in Delaware, Ohio, Oct. 4, 1822. Both his paternal and maternal ancestry, it is claimed, can be traced back, each to a Scottish chieftain of noble blood, who fought side by side with Robert Bruce, and he is a descendant in the sixth generation of George Hayes, who left Scotland in 1680 and settled at Windsor, Conn. Ills grandfather,. Rutherford Hayes, born in New Haven, Conn., in 1756, settled in Brattleboro, Vt. Here the father of the president, also named Rutherford, was born. He married Sophia ilirchard of Wilmington, Vt., in Sept., 1813, and soon afterwards emigrated to Dela ware, Ohio, where he died less than three months before the birth of his now distinguished son. The widow found support in her bachelor brother, Sardis Birchard, who inter ested himself especially in the welfare of her youngest child. When the boy was 16 years of age his uncle sent him to Kenyon college, where he was graduated at the bead of his class in 1842. Ile chose the profession of a lawyer and began his studies in the office of Thomas Sparrow, esq , of Columbus. Subsequently he spent two years as a student in the law school at Cambridge, Mass. In 1845 he was admitted to the bar at Marietta, Ohio, and soon afterwards entered into practice at Fremont, the residence of his uncle Sardis Birchard, then a wealthy banker. In 1849 he removed to Cincinnati, where he soon gained a remunerative practice. He became a menther of the Cincinnati literary club, which embraced among its members Salmon P. Chase, gen. John Pope, gov. Edward P. Noyes, and other scarcely less distinguished men. He became prominent in his profession, important and difficult cases being confided to his care. He married about this time Miss Lucy Ware Webb. In 1856 he was nominated as a candidate for judge of the court of common pleas, but refused to accept the nomination. Two years later he was elected to the office of city solicitor, to fill• a vacancy, and was afterwards elected for a full term by the popular vote. In 1861, when the rebellion broke out, his position at the' bar was nuthe tirst rank, Imit he resolved to take par; in the defense of the country. Ile enlisted for the Whole and was cominissloned as maj. of the 23d Ohio volunteers, of which W. S. Rosecrans was col. The regiment was assigned the duty at Clarksburg, W. Va., to protect the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and defend the border from raids. Maj. Hayes took a prominent part in various expeditions 11CCCS sary for the defense of the post. He served for a time as judge-advocate on gen. Rose crans's staff, discharging his duties with such impartiality as to win universal praise. In the winter of 1861-62 he took a prominent part in various expeditions into the enemy's territory, and on several occasions narrowly escaped death. In 1862, lie was promoted to the eoloneley of the 79th Ohio, but he preferred to remain, with the rank of lieut.eol., with the 23d, which had been incorporated with Burnside's command in the army of the Potomac. Lee was now advancing toward Maryland, and the first effort to resist him was at South mountain, where the 23d, led by Hayes, was hotly engaged. More than a hundred of Hayes's men fell dead or wounded under the enemy's fire and his own arm was broken. There was a pause for reinforcements, when a dan gerous flank movement of the enemy was discovered, and Hayes, his arm bound up wi'.. Aunekerchief, was again seen at the head of the regiment. He was finally carried, Minting with loss of blood, from the field. He was laid up with his wounds during the eventful clays of Antietam. Upon his recovery he was promoted to the rank of brig.gcn. and placed in command of the Kanawha division, of which his old regiment formed a part. He remained at Kanawha Falls until Mar. 15, 1863, when the division was ordered to Charleston, W. Va. After this be led in several important expeditions, notably in that which he himself organized to dispute theretreat of Morgan and his band of guerillas after their raid through Ohio. By a quick movement he cut off Morgan's retreat and forced him to surrender. In the famous raid upon the Virginia and Tennessee railroad, in May, 1864, he led the principal assault upon the enemy's fortifications with admirable boldness and success. He took an honorable part in the attack on Lynchburg, June 18, covering the retreat of the union forces under dangerous conditions with perfect success. In the campaign of the Shenandoah, under Sheridan, his services were con spicuous and valiant. In the battle of Winchester especially, he displayed great cool ness and couragc, in the most trying circumstances, and when Early, a month later, renewed the fight, Hayes's superb coolness in the midst of rout and confusion acted like magic upon his men, and saved Sheridan's train from capture. In this conflict, his horse, while at full speed, fell dead beneath him, tin-owing him from the saddle and bruising him very badly. It was at this crisis that Sheridan, who had been absent, arrived upon the scene, when the enemy was utterly routed. For his gallant services in the engagements, Hayes was brevetted maj.gen. He was a republican from the moment when the party was formed, and had taken an active part in the political campaign of 1860. His achievements in the war made his name a power in Ohio, and when the republicans of the 2d district felt the need of a popular candidate for congress, he con sented to accept the nomination, with the understanding that he would not take the seat unless the war should meantime be His party friends, feeling the need of a strong effort to secure his election, besought him to take part in the canvass. In reply to their entreaties he wrote: "Any man who would leave the army at this time to electioneer for congress ought to be scalped." He was elected by a large majority, but refused to take his seat until, as lie said. he could "come by the way of Richmond." When, after the close of the war, he entered congress, he at once drew to himself the attention of the country by his conspicuous ability, He was re-elected in 1866, but had only served through his first term when the republicans of Ohio, in 1867, nominated him as their candidate for governor, under the conviction that he was the only man whom they could hope to elect. He was chosen by a majority of 3,000, and re-elected in 1S69 by a majority of 7,518. He was elected for the third time in 1875, and while occupying the place was nominated by the republican party as its candidate for president of the United States. The contest was severe and close, and after the election, disputes arose as to the electoral votes of several states. Great excitement followed, and fears were
entertained of a civil commotion before the questions at issue could be settled. At length, however, it was agreed by the representatives of both political parties in congress to refer the questions in dispute to a commission composed of five senators, five represen tatives, and five judges of the supreme court of the United States, and to abide by its decision. The commission was appointed accordingly, and after hearing the parties upon the questions in dispute, it decided by vote of 8 to 7 (every republican voting with the majority and every democrat with the minority) that the electoral votes of the dis puted states (Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida, and Oregon), should of right be given to Hayes; and he was thereby elected by a majority of one. He was inaugurated on Mar. 4. 1877. Aside from partisan disputes upon the questions adjudicated by the electoral commission, and from some of the incidents arising therefrom, his administration of the government is admitted by the best men of all parties to have been pure and hon orable. In his letter accepting the republican nomination, he spoke freely of the evils and dangers resulting from the practice of regarding the offices of the national govern ment as the " spoils" of the party in power, to be bestowed upon men as rewards for partisan services, and declared his belief that "tire founders of the government meant that the officer should be secure ifr his tenure as long as his personal character remained untarnished and Alpe performance. of his Antics satisfactory." He avowed his purpose. if elected, to watt& the adMiniStration of the griVerninent ispxii tbelirmeiple of the fathers, and pledged himself that "all constitutional powers vested in the executive" should " be employed to establish this reform." As to the relations of the national government to the southern states and their people, concerning which there was at the time the deepest anxiety in all parts of the country, he said: "The moral and material prosperity of the southern states can be most effectually advanced by a hearty and gen erous of the rights of all by all—a recognition without reserve or exception. With such a recognition fully accorded, it will be practicable to promote, by the influ ence of all legitimate agencies of the general government, the efforts of the people of those states to obtain for themselves the blessings of honest and capable local govern ment. Let me assure my countrymen of the southern states that if 1 shall be charged with the duty of organizing ati administration, it will be one which will regard and cherish their truest interests—the interests of the white and colored people both, and equally; and which will put forth its best efforts in behalf of a civil policy which will wipe out forever the distinction between north and south in our common country." Mr. Hayes believed that he owed his election to the confidence in him on the part of the electors, which these avowals created, and he felt in honor bound to fulfill his pledges whatever might be the ultimate effect upon his own popularity. Accordingly, in his inaugural address, he said: "I wislt now, when every motive for misrepresentation has passed away, to repeat what was said before the election, trusting that my countrymen will candidly weigh and understand it, and that they will feel assured that the senti ments declared in accepting the nomination for the presidency will be the standard of my conduct in the path before me." He declared that while he was " in duty bound and fully determined to protect the rights of all by every constitutional means," he was " sincerely anxious to use every legitimate influence in favor of honest and efficient local self-government, as the true resource of those states for the promotion of the content ment and prosperity of their citizens;" and in his efforts to accomplish this purpose he "asked the cordial co-operation of all who cherished an interest in the welfare of the country, trusting that party ties and the prejudice of race" Would " be freely surrendered in behalf of the great purpose to be accomplished." Universal suffrage, he declared, should rest upon universal education, and "to this end liberal and permanent provis ions should be made for the support of free schools by the state government, and, if need be, supplemented by legitimate aid from national authority." Acknowledging that he owed his election to the suffrage and zealous labors of a political party, he nevertheless said lie should " strive to be always mindful of the fact that he serves his party best who serves the country best." These avowals on the part of the president, though eminently satisfactory to a very large body of citizens, awakened distrust in the minds of many of the leaders of the republican party, and especially among the republican members of congress; and when, not long afterwards, after full inquiry and investigation, he deemed it his duty to withdraw the troops which his predecessor had ordered to be stationed in the state-houses of Louisiana and South Carolina-, doing so upon the ground that there did not exist in those states "such domestic violence as is contemplated by the consti tution as the ground upon which the military power of the national government may be invoked for the defense of the state," he was denounced by many prominent members of his party as having left the enfranchised negroes of those states without the protection to which they were entitled. But time has abundantly vindicated alike the rightfulness and time wisdom of his action; and there is every reason to believe that if his party had sustained him in the course which he pursued, the best interests of the country would thereby have been promoted. The president was equally unfortunate in failing to enlist the support of his party in his efforts to reform the civil service; but, in spite of the hostility of politicians of all parties, he has been substantially true to his pledges and made the path of reform easier for his successors. Upon all political questions save those above referred to, he has been in harmony with the republican party, and by his courageous and unflinching exercise of the veto power has prevented the adoption of measures calculated to injure the credit of the country and prevent a return to specie payments. He has also, by the interposition of the same power, prevented the repeal of the laws enacted by congress, under the express authority of the constitution, to guard the purity of national elections.