AMES, Fisher, American orator and states man : b. Dedham, Mass., 9 April 1758; d. there, 4 July 1808. His father died when he was six. A precocious scholar, he was graduated from Harvard at 16; taught school some years to support his impoverished family, cultivating himself by wide reading and profound study of the classics and the Scriptures; studied law, and began practice in Dedham in 1781. He made a reputation as and in the Boston papers, was sent to the legisla ture in 1788, won laurels, and was elected to the convention to ratify the Federal Constitu tion. His speech there on biennial elections gave him fresh repute as one of our foremost orators. In December he was elected (Fed eralist) Representative to Congress, and re elected through Washington's administration to 1797; he was chosen to pronounce the con gressional address to Washington on his re tirement; and on 28 April 1796 delivered his masterpiece of eloquence and effectiveness, on the appropriation to carry Jay's treaty of 1794 into effect — so impressive that the other party protested against taking a vote until after an adjournment, because the House was too ex cited to decide rationally. Retiring from pub
lic life on account of feeble health, he spent his later years mainly on his Dedham farm, though writing papers in 1798 to urge the Fed eralists to resist French aggressions, which was pouring oil on a conflagration (see ADAMS, JOHN; ALIEN AND SEDITION LAWS, and the names of the various political parties of the time), serving for a time on the State council, and delivering a eulogy on Washington before the legislature. He declined the presidency of Harvard in 1804. He was an orator by inspira tion, studying his subject and taking notes to expand on the moment, and full of flashing epi grams and pregnant laconics. A large public school in Dedham Centre commemorates his name. Consult 'Works and Life' (1 vol., 1809; 2 vols., 1854, by his son Seth) ; selected speeches, 1 vol., 1871, by his grandson.