FILLMORE
FILLMORE
up a tract of military land, and built the log
cabin in which Millard, the second son, was born.
The title to the property proving defective, he
removed to Sempi'onius, afterward Niles. Cayuga
county, and took a perpetual lease of 130 acres
of land covered with timber. As the boy grew
up he worked on the farm nine months of each
year and the remaining three months attended
the primitive school of the neighborhood. Until
he was nineteen years old the only books to which
he had access were the Bible and a collection of
hymns. When fourteen yeai-s old he was appren-
ticed on trial for a few months to a wool-carder
and cloth-dresser at Sparta, N.Y., his father de-
termining to give him a trade rather than have
him adopt the hard life of the farmer. In the
fulling-mill he exjierienced all the ills that in
those daj's fell to the lot of the apprentice in the
power of an unjust master. He escaped cor-
poral punishment on one occasion by defending
his manhood with an uplifted axe, and on the day
his time of apprenticeship ended he took his few
belongings in a bundle and travelled on foot and
alone one hundred miles to his home, the most
of the distance through dense forests, following
paths marked by blazed trees. In 1815 he was
apprenticed to a Mr. Cheney, a wool-carder. He
purchased a small English dictionary, his only
text-book, and diligently studied it while at the
carding machine. In 1819 he purchased one j'ear
of his time, and began to study law in the office
of Judge Wood of Montville, N.Y. , working in
the office, garden and house to pay his board. He
also taught school in the winter, studied and
practised land surveying, and in 1823 was ad-
mitted to the court of common pleas as an attor-
ney, before he had completed the prescribed law
course. He be,gan practice at East Aurora, N. Y.,
then the home of his parents. He was admitted
as an attorney of the supreme court of the state
in 1827 and as a coimsellor in 1829. He removed
to Buffalo, N.Y., in 1830 and practised law in
partnership with Nathan K. Hall and Solomon G.
Haven. They continued in business together
until 1847 and were retained on most of the im-
portant causes that were tried in the Erie cormty
courts. He was elected to the state assembly
from Erie county in 1828-29-30 and 1831, and
while in that body drafted and advocated the bill
for the abolition of impi-isonment for debt, passed
in 1831. He was a representative in the 23d con-
gress, 1838-35, and in the 25th, 26th and 27th con-
gresses. 1837-43, declining renomination in 1843.
He was chairtnan of the ways and means com-
mittee in the 27th congi-ess. the duties of that
committee at that time including also those of
the subsequently created committee on appropri-
ations. He was largely responsible for the tariff
bill of 1842, and aided Mor.se to get through con-
gress his appropriation to build the first telegraph
line. In the Whig national convention of 1844
he was a candidate for the vice-presidential nomi-
nation and received the support of the delegates
from several western states, besides his own del-
egation. At the election in November he was
defeated in the gubernatorial contest by Silas
Wright, and in 1847 he was elected comptroller
of the state. In the Whig national convention
of 1848 he was nominated for vice-president on
the second ballot, Abbott Lawrence of Massachu-
setts leading on the first, when the southern
states rallied to Fillmore. Gen. Zachary Taylor
■iiMMMi
had been nominated for President, and at the
succeeding election the ticket received 163 of the
290 electoral votes, and a plurality of 139,557 of
the popular votes. Mr Fillmore resigned as
comptroller in February, 1849, and on March
4, 1850, was inaugurated Vice-President of the
United States. As president of the senate he gave
universal satisfaction and his impartial rulings
were never questioned during the seven months
of stormy debate over the " Omnibiis bill " of
Henry Clay. President Taylor died, July 9, 1850.
and Mr. Fillmore was inaugurated President of
the United States at noon, July 10, 1850, being
sworn in before both houses of congress assembled
in the hall of representatives, by Chief Justice
Crouch of the circuit court of the District of
Columbia. The official family of President Tay-
lor promptly resigned, and President Fillmore
made Daniel Webster of Massachusetts secretary
of state; Thomas Corwin of Ohio secretary of
the treasury ; William A. Graham of North Caro-
lina secretary of the navy ; Charles M. Conrad of
Louisiana secretary of war: James A. Pierce of
Maryland secretary of the interior; John J. Crit-
tenden of Kentucky attorney -general: and
Nathan K. Hall of New York postmaster-general.
Changes occurred in bis cabinet. Secretary Pierce
being succeedeil by Thomas 51. T. JIcKennan of
Pennsylvania to the interior department, and he
in turn by Alexander H. H. Stuart of Virginia
in 1850; Dan-el Webster died Oct. 24, 18.52. and
Edward Everett of Massachusetts succeeded him
as secretarv of state; William A. Graham re-
