CLINTON, DE WITT, has a claim to biographical notice chiefly as the persevering promoter of the project for the formation of the great canal from Lake Erie to the Atlantic. He was bora in 1769, at Little Britain, Orange county, New York. His mother was one of the distinguished Dutch family of De Witt ; and his father, who was of English extraction, served with great distinction as brigadier-general in the army of the United States during the revolutionary war. De Witt received his education at Colombia College, New York, and was admitted to the bar. In 1797 he was elected by the democratic party to the state legislature of New York ; having previously officiated for several years as secretary to his uncle George Clinton, as well as to the regents of the university and board of fortifications of New York. In 1801 he was elected a member of the senate of the United States. He afterwards filled the office of mayor of New York until 1815, when he resigned, mainly in consequence of having been unsuccessful in his candidateship for the presidency of the United States. During the
period between 1817 and 1826, be was several times elected governor of the state of New York by the zealous exertions of the democratic party. He was one of the founders of the New York Historical Society, the Academy of Arts, and the Orphan Asylum of New York, a member of most of the literary and scientific societies of the United Statee, and of several similar institutions in Europe. His productions consist of his speeches made on various occasions in the performance of his official duties, papers read before literary and benevolent societies, correspondence concerning the canal; judicial opinions, and various fugitive compositions. His services to his native state were very important, and his character, as a lover of science and polite literature, was adorned by a generous benevolence. He died suddenly in 1828, and was interred with great public demonstrations of respect.