On the Correspondence of Governor D. D. Tompkins. 225 



of that war in the United States was on the northern and north-eastern 

 frontier of this State, while the men serving in the defense of the 



And lastlyf I think tfhat it is not an exaggeration of sentiment to 

 declare that a more influential reason with a generous minded people 

 would he that, as the early and successful termination of the war of 



to those of any other individual, the people would rejoice to be able 

 to possess in these papers the choicest memorials of the patriotism and 

 faithfulness of their own governor to the Nation. 



I must, now, for the sake of making you acquainted with the char- 

 acter of these letters and documents, give a brief sketch of the offi- 



Daniel D. Tompkins was 1 born in Scarsdale, Westchester county, 

 in 1774. He was descended from a Plymouth pilgrim; graduated at 

 Columbia College; practiced law in New York city; was member of 

 assembly in 1803; was elected to congress in 1805; was appointed judge 

 of the Supreme Court in 1804, when only thirty years old; and was 

 inaugurated governor in January, 1808, when thirty-three years old. 

 He held the office for ten years, until he resigned it in 1817, to become 

 Vice-President of the United States; and during the whole period, he 

 was Chancellor of the Regents of the University. He died in 1825, 

 only fifty-one years old. His first message, as governor, to the legis- 



on the U. S. Frigate, Chesapeake. Being of the J effersonian school in 

 politics, he sustained the embargo laws, and accomplished with zeal 

 the organization of New York's quota of 100,000 men, so as to be 

 ready for the war that was expected. In the next message, viz., in 

 1808, and in the one following, he reports, the establbhment^of ^ e P ot ^ 



that provision had been made for the defense of Now York city, by 



means "for the gradual and ultimate extei 

 of slavery, that reproach of a free people/' 

 Two years after, in September, 1814, at i 

 islature, on account of the urgency of the 

 mendations, that the legislature immedial 



