EVERETT, ALEXANDER HAMILTON, was born March 19, 1790, at Boston, United States of North America, where his father occupied a high position as a clergyman. He graduated with dis tinction at Harvard University in 1806 ; was for a while tutor in an academy ; and then entered the office of Mr. John Quincy Adams, as a law student. He accompanied Mr. Adams in his mission to Russia in 1509; spent two years at St. Petersburg in the study of the modern languages, political economy, &c.; theu spent about a year in England, and made a short stay at Paris. On his return to America he com menced the practice of the law in Boston. lie afterwards accepted the office of Secretary of Legation to the Netherlands; and from 1818 to 1824 served as Charg6 d'Affaires there. Whilst practising as an advocate at Boston, Mr. Everett had become counected with the periodical literature of that city, and he availed himself of the opportunities afforded by his official position in Europe to carry out on • broader scale his studies and researches. The result of his iuvestigations he published in 1821 in a work which attracted con siderable attention, and was speedily translated into the French, German, and Spanish languages Europe, or a General Survey of the Principal Powers, with conjectures on their future Prospects.' lie also published in 1822 'New Ideas on Population, with Remarks on the Theories of Godwin and Malthus.' In 1825 Mr. Everett was appointed by President Adams minister to the court of Spain ; and he retained this honourable post for nearly five years. The duties of this office were nt that time of a very onerous character, bat Mr. Everett, besides discharging them to the satisfaction of the American government, found time to devote to literature, and to aid the literary inquiries of Mr. Tickuor, Washing
ton Irving, and other eminent Americana. He wrote whilst in Spain a companion work to that already mentioned, entitled America, or a General Survey of the Political Situation of the several Powers of the Western Continent, with Conjectures on their future Prospects.' Whilst in the Netherlands and in Spain Mr. Everett had contributed numerous articles on French and American literature, political economy, and other important subjects, to the ' North American. Review; then edited by his brother; and on his return to America he purchased this review, and for some four or five years was its editor and chief contributor. He also at this time and subsequently took a promiucnt part in politics, acting with the democratic party, and serving as a senator in the Massachusetts legislature. He was sent as agent of the American government to the Island of Cuba in 1840. In 1841 he was elected President of Jefferson College, Louisiana, but WRB compelled after a short time to resign on account of enfeebled health. In 1846 he was sent as Minister Plenipotentiary to China; since hie return from which mission he has chiefly devoted himself to his private engagements.
Mr. Everett enjoys a high reputation in his own country as a scholar, a writer, and a publicist. His writings are very numerous, iucluding besides those mentioned above, a large number of essays contributed to the North American and other reviews, orations delivered on public occasions, &c.., and some poems. The more Important of these he collected in two volumes, 1845.47: a second edition of the first volume was published in 1846.