ADDRESSES OF MAJOR LACEY 333 



Monroe was born in 1758, in Virginia; at the age of 

 twenty-four he entered the state legislature and soon af- 

 ter became a member of Congress. He was not brilliant 

 but he was practical. Good common-sense characterized 

 all his public life. His young manhood was spent in the 

 Continental army where he was wounded fighting for the 

 independence of his country ; and there is no better train- 

 ing for a citizen than the service of his country in time 

 of war. 



In 1790 Monroe became a senator of the United States. 

 In 1794 he was a minister to France, where the cause of 

 French freedom excited his warmest sympathies. He 

 was recalled in 1796 and in 1799 was elected governor of 

 Virginia, and was twice reelected. 



In 1803 he and Livingston were selected by Jefferson 

 to purchase New Orleans of Napoleon, in order to give 

 an outlet by the Mississippi to the ocean. Monroe al- 

 ways builded better than he knew, and instead of buying 

 New Orleans he bought Louisiana. Instead of obtaining 

 a city and the river mouth he obtained a mighty empire ; 

 the splendid state of Iowa being only a small part of it. 



In 1804 he was minister to England, and recalled in 

 1807. In 1810 he was not above serving his people in 

 the smaller things and went again to the legislature of 

 his state ; in 1812 he was called as secretary of state into 

 the cabinet of Madison. In 1814 during those stormy 

 times he served also as secretary of war, and in 1816, 

 when the second war with England closed in a glorious 

 peace he was elected President of the United States, and 

 reelected again in 1820. He united the most discordant 

 elements by a firm but practical policy that has never 

 been excelled. 



John Q. Adams and John C. Calhoun sat in his cabinet. 

 The purchase of Florida, to which I have alluded, was 

 made by him in 1819. 



